Move Over Spain! This European Beach Destination Is Cheaper & Less Crowded
Everyone knows Spain for its scenic Mediterranean coast, interspersed with vibrant resort cities and hugged by crystal-clear seas, however should you’ve been to the Iberian nation up to now three or 4 years, you have most likely observed how shockingly costly and busy it is change into.
From a mean overnight rate of $201 in Barcelona to unsustainable ranges of overtourism within the fashionable trip island of Mallorca, the place anti-tourist sentiment has been dangerously brewing, we would not be the primary in line to board that flight.
Fortunately, there’s an thrilling Spain dupe tucked away within the rather more offbeat, lesser-known Southeastern nook of Europe inflicting fairly the commotion currently, and if we should add, it is way cheaper and fewer crowded:
Bulgaria Is All The Rage This 12 months!
Once you consider Bulgaria, you most likely conjure up photos of wintry landscapes, Soviet-style concrete blocks, and Orthodox piousness.
Whereas there’s some fact to that, one thing most folks do not know is that it turns right into a summer time paradise within the hotter months.
Have been you even conscious that Bulgaria’s shoreline on the Black Sea extends for an uninterrupted 235 miles and is lined with quaint seashore cities that simply could not be additional aside from the stereotypical grayed-out, war-torn model of Jap Europe?
Or that, as an illustration, it is about as heat because the Mediterranean, if not hotter?
We child you not:
Some cities alongside the coast have a mean day by day most of 84.2°F and lows of 66.2°F, and should you’re pondering whether or not to pack an additional jumper or two ‘simply in case’ it will get chilly, child, you higher save house in your carry-on for some extra swim shorts as a substitute.
To not brag, however no different journey information web site stays on high of journey tendencies like Journey Off Path, and we reported a few years in the past on how the Black Sea is a new Mediterranean in the making, and we’re glad to see others are lastly catching on:
Why This Lesser-Identified Nation Is So Stylish Proper Now
- It is cheaper
- It is lovely
- It is not as crowded
This yr, The New York Times featured this a part of the world in their checklist of ‘greatest locations to journey’ in 2025, whereas CEO for Europe-based journey company TUI was recorded stating Bulgaria ‘may rival vacation hotspots akin to Mallory and Menorca’ in summer time.
Newcomers are additionally taking to social media in droves to showcase Bulgaria’s magnificence: on TikTok alone, the hashtag #bulgaria alone has racked up over 2.5 million posts.
Customers will share their captures of sandy seashores, sleepy coastal villages that appear frozen in time, and beautiful nature but to fulfill the spoils of mass tourism.
Among the hottest TikTok’s, nevertheless, consult with Bulgaria’s affordability as a seashore vacation spot, in comparison with Spain, Italy or Greece.
This publish by TikTok consumer @heroiisa particularly highlights Varna as an affordable summer time getaway, the place lodging costs vary from solely $8 to $30-a-night, meals value between $5 and $12 in native eating places, and the seashores look untarnished, with crystal-clear waters:
@heroiisa BUDGET TRAVEL GUIDE TO VARNA, BULGARIA✈️ Varna is likely one of the greatest locations to go to if you end up younger and on a price range!✨ All costs are in USD and based mostly on a practical price range for BUDGET vacationers in Varna, Bulgaria💸 🏨Lodging: $8 to $30/night time per individual should you keep in a hostel dorm or share an condominium or a double room in an affordable guesthouse/lodge with somebody. This is determined by the season, the decrease finish of the costs is for shoulder season (April-June or September-October) and the upper finish for prime season (July-August). 🍛Meals: there are many choices for $5 to $12/meal. In case you cook dinner, you are able to do it even cheaper than this! ☀️Actions: $0-20 relying on what you wish to do! I didn’t spend a lot cash on actions in Varna as a result of there are numerous free issues to do however there are additionally some paid actions you are able to do relying in your price range. 🚌Getting there: You may get to Varna by bus or practice from different standard Bulgarian locations and cities like Sofia, Burgas, or Plovdiv. Bus and practice tickets depend upon the route however are often very inexpensive ($2-12). ✈️Flights: In terms of flights, you’ll be able to fly into Burgas, Sofia, Plovdiv, or Varna from many European cities with Ryanair or Wizz Air after which take public transportation to Varna. It’s additionally an choice to fly some other place within the Balkans and take public transportation from there in case you have time for an extended journey.
That is an account by a single traveler, however Budget Your Trip, our personal most popular platform for monitoring costs throughout totally different international locations, corroborates that Bulgaria is certainly on the cheaper finish in relation to summer time locations.
Extra particularly, vacationers will spend a mean $27 on meals per day, until they’re touring luxuriously (in that case, they need to price range $73), and $72 on accommodations, for complete week-long journey bills of $1,076 for 2 folks (or the equal in Bulgarian lev).
The place To Go In Bulgaria In Summer time?
- Sunny Seaside
- Nessebar
- Varna
- Burgas
- Sveti Vlas
There are numerous world-class locations to select from should you’re skipping Spain and heading to Bulgaria this yr.
If you search Previous World attraction and tradition, go to the picture-perfect, cobbled Nessebar. This walled metropolis occupies the tip of a slim peninsula and has a wealthy historical past relationship again a number of millennia and comprising durations of Thracian, Greek, and Roman rule.
Its ensemble of Byzantine church buildings and fortifications are a UNESCO World Heritage Web site, and the hotel-lined South Seaside, a brief drive from the Previous City, has been awarded Blue Flag standing, owing it to its cleanliness.
In search of a conventional seashore getaway as a substitute, Mallorca-style?
Sunny Seaside is just not an island, although it’s, because the identify signifies, a sun-drenched resort growth unfolding alongside an azure Black Sea filled with seashore bars, the place beer prices as low-cost as $2, and a waterfront 3-star Hotel Zaara will solely set you again by $35-a-night.
Eager on an all-inclusive deal as a substitute?
HI Hotels Imperial Resort has nightly charges from a shockingly inexpensive $80 this June, all meals included, and entry to all resort areas, together with the pool and health middle.
We’re not going to deceive you: Sunny Seaside can get a bit crowded in summer time, not resulting from an inflow of overseas vacationers however resulting from its reputation with Bulgarians (and the neighboring Romanians) themselves. So, for some peace and quiet and extra exclusivity, there’s Sveti Vlas to the northeast.
A laid-back yacht marina boasting a plethora of eating choices, and a number of other lengthy miles of untouched tremendous, golden sands, it has 5-star accommodations from $66 per night time––try the Garden of Eden Complex.
For a metropolis break, our high picks are Burgas and Varna, the biggest conurbations on the Bulgarian coast, and two bustling Black Sea ports well-known for his or her historical heritage––even the Starbucks in Varna is constructed on high of Roman relics!––and thriving nightlife.
They’re additionally the gateway to the coast, internet hosting low-cost flights from quite a few European locations within the excessive season, beginning in Could.
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Opinions expressed listed below are the writer’s alone, not these of any financial institution, bank card issuer, lodge, airline, or different entity. This content material has not been reviewed, permitted or in any other case endorsed by any of the entities included throughout the publish.