What is Budget Routes?

Budget Routes is a travel blog focused on smart travel on any budget. We publish curated guides, tips, and deals.

Is Budget Routes free to use?

Yes, Budget Routes is completely free. There is no paywall and no subscription.

What is the cheapest region of Europe to travel?

The Balkan corridor — Albania, North Macedonia, Bosnia, Serbia, Montenegro and Bulgaria — where daily budgets of 35 to 50 euros are realistic including private rooms, and buses between capitals cost 10 to 25 euros. It is also the region where a private guesthouse room costs roughly what a dorm bed does in Western Europe.

How much does two weeks in Europe cost on a budget?

On a Balkan-weighted route outside peak season, roughly 700 to 900 euros excluding international flights, covering accommodation, food, transport and some activities. The same two weeks through Western European capitals would run 1,600 to 2,200. Region choice affects the total more than any individual booking decision.

Do Balkan countries count toward the Schengen 90-day limit?

Albania, Bosnia, Serbia, Montenegro and North Macedonia sit outside the Schengen area, so time spent there does not consume your 90-day allowance. For anyone on a long European trip this is a genuine structural advantage, since a Balkan-weighted route both costs less and preserves Schengen days for later.

Is it safe to travel the Balkans independently?

Yes. The region is broadly safe for independent travel, with low rates of crime against visitors and an established backpacker route. The practical considerations are that some bus connections are infrequent, cash is needed more often than in Western Europe, and a few border areas retain landmine warnings that should be respected by staying on marked paths.

The Cheapest Two Weeks in Europe: A Real Route

The cheapest two weeks in Europe is not a matter of finding deals — it is a matter of which countries you are in. This is a costed route that comes in around €700–900 for fourteen days excluding international flights.

The route

Zagreb → Belgrade → Sarajevo → Kotor → Tirana → Ohrid → Skopje

Fourteen days, moving east and south, no backtracking. Fly into Zagreb and out of Skopje or Tirana on an open-jaw ticket.

Stop	Nights	Why
Zagreb	2	Austro-Hungarian centre, easy start
Belgrade	2	Nightlife, fortress, cheap
Sarajevo	2	The most interesting city on the route
Kotor	2	Fjord-like bay, walled town
Tirana	2	Cheapest capital in Europe
Ohrid	2	Lake, churches, quiet
Skopje	2	Odd, cheap, good exit airport

The transport, costed

Leg	Mode	Time	Cost
Zagreb → Belgrade	Bus	6h	€20–28
Belgrade → Sarajevo	Bus	7h	€22–30
Sarajevo → Kotor	Bus	8h	€25–35
Kotor → Tirana	Bus	7h	€20–28
Tirana → Ohrid	Bus	4h	€12–18
Ohrid → Skopje	Bus	3h	€8–12

Total transport: roughly €110–150 for the whole route. That is less than a single high-speed train fare across Western Europe.

The daily budget

Item	Per day
Private guesthouse room	€20–30
Hostel dorm (alternative)	€10–16
Food, three meals	€12–18
Local transport and entries	€5–8
Daily total	€37–56

Fourteen days at €40–55 is €560–770, plus €110–150 transport. Total: roughly €700–900.

Notably, private rooms here cost about what dorm beds cost in Amsterdam or Barcelona, so two people travelling together should skip hostels entirely.

Why this route and not another

It is a corridor, not a loop. Every leg moves in one direction, so nothing is repeated and the open-jaw flight closes it.

The legs are short. Nothing exceeds eight hours and most are under seven, so no day is entirely lost to transit.

Most of it is outside Schengen. Bosnia, Serbia, Montenegro, Albania and North Macedonia do not consume your 90-day allowance, which matters on a longer trip.

It is not a compromise. The Bay of Kotor, Ohrid, and Sarajevo's layered history are not consolation prizes for being unable to afford Paris.

Where it costs more than expected

Kotor in July and August. The Montenegrin coast is the one part of this route with genuine peak pricing, driven by cruise traffic. Rooms double.

Cash. Several of these countries use their own currency — Serbian dinar, Bosnian mark, Macedonian denar, Albanian lek — and card acceptance is thinner outside capitals. Budget for ATM fees and avoid airport exchange counters.

Bus stations charge for luggage in several Balkan countries, typically €1–2 per bag, paid in cash to the driver.

When

May, June, September and early October. July and August add heat and coastal crowding for no benefit. Winter is cheaper still but bus frequencies drop and the mountain sections can be difficult.