Estonia is best known among international visitors for its capital, Tallinn, with its medieval old town, cathedrals, and museums. But the diminutive country is full of delightful corners well beyond the capital, all of them quite welcoming to budget travelers. Here are five that we love:

1. Tartu

Estonia’s second city, Tartu, is a university town. This means lots of students, really good graffiti, and some great cafes. Tourist highlights include the city’s Old Town, a partially pedestrianized zone with plenty of mostly neoclassical buildings, and Toome Hill, which rises above it. The Tartu City Museum is another draw. Museum lovers note that the city’s expansive Estonian National Museum will reopen in a new space in September 2016.

Stay: Barclay Hotel, (Ülikooli 8) a stately, modern hotel with a storied history, is worth a splurge. Doubles begin at €89. (All hotels in Tartu)

Getting there: Tartu can be reached in two hours by train from Tallinn (€10.10).

2. Lahemaa National Park

Lahemaa National Park is Estonia’s oldest and largest national park, full of bogs, pine forests, boulder fields, and klint (limestone) valleys. There are eight maintained hiking trails, ranging from one to 17 kilometers in length, as well as campsites. Worth a stop is Sagadi Manor, a hotel and museum complex located within the national park.

Stay: Rooms at Viiking Guest House (Karja tänav 9, Võsa) begin at €30.

3. Pärnu

Since 1838, the western Estonian town of Pärnu has been a spa destination. Visitors still come all year round for the spas, while beautifully maintained beaches cast a summertime spell. During high season, the city’s beach promenade is a social hub and nature lovers find solitude in Pärnu’s sand dunes.

Stay: Standard double rooms at Pärnu Hotel (Rüütli 44) start at €53. (Search all hotels in Pärnu)

Getting there: Pärnu is two and three-quarters hours from Tallinn by train (€7.60).

4. Saaremaa

Saaremaa is the largest island in the West Estonian archipelago. The island is known for its windmills, thatched roofs, churches, oak forest, and – wait for it – a group of meteorite craters. Most visitors reach Saaremaa by ferry from the mainland. Those in a hurry can fly from Tallinn to Kuressaare, its biggest city. (Everything is relative here – Kuressaare only has around 13,000 inhabitants!)

Stay: Kaali Guest Centre (in the village of Kaali) is located right near the meteorite craters and shares space with the Kaali Meteoritics and Limestone Museum. Double rooms begin at €47.

Getting there: You can fly there on Avies airline.

5. Narva

Few tourists come to the border city of Narva. Located across from the Russian town of Ivangorod along the Narva River, Estonia’s third-largest city is an atypical place. Over 80 percent of the population is Russian. Narva has an atmosphere unlike any other city in the country.

Its crown jewel is the 15th-century Hermann Castle (also called Narva Castle), today home to a museum. The popular beach town of Narva-Jõesuu is nearby.

Stay: Inger Hotel (Puškini 28). Admittedly a bit institutional in feel, Inger is nonetheless a safe bet, with rates beginning at €65. (Search all hotels in Narva.)

Getting there: Narva can be reached in two and three-quarters hours from Tallinn (€10.90).

More information

Getting around Estonia: The Estonian train system is very affordable. All of the transportation times listed in this article are via train. Here is the website to find information.

More hotel options: Ready to search more hotels in Estonia? Try our search box above, or click to see all hotels in Estonia.

The post Estonia: 5 great budget destinations (other than Tallinn!) appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

With that in mind, we did a little research for getting to Eastern Europe for as cheap as possible. Many times Ryanair might fly into a different country than your final destination in these alternatives. But don’t let that stop you. It may seem out of the way, but in these cases, the ground transportation makes them all very accessible. Here are a few examples of Ryanair-inspired routings to points further eastward if you’re going to:

St. Petersburg, Russia

Alternative: Lapeenranta, Finland
From Dusseldorf Weeze, Barcelona Girona or Milan Bergamo, you can fly to this smaller airport in Finland.

Ground transport
From Lapeenranta, catch the train or bus to St. Petersburg.

Lvov, Ukraine

Alternative 1: Rzeszow, Poland
From Birmingham, Bristol, Dublin, Eastern Midlands, Barcelona Girona, Glasgow, Luton, London Stansted, Manchester, Oslo Rygge or Trapani you can fly direct to Rzeszow.

Alternative 2: Lublin, Poland
You can fly to Lublin from Dublin, Liverpool or London Stansted.

Ground transport
From either destination you can catch a train or bus to Lvov.

Moldova or the Black Sea

Alternative: Constanta, Romania
You can fly here from Milan Bergamo or Pisa.

Ground transport
Travelers can take a bus, train or even a ferry northward or southward to their final destination.

Locations in the Balkans

Alternative 1: Osijek, Croatia
From London Stansted you can reach this small Croatian city. Then you can easily connect onwards to points in southern Hungary, Serbia or Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Alternative 2: Podgorica, Montenegro
You can fly from Brussels Charleroi or London Stansted and then connect via bus to Montenegro, Albania, Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia or even southern Croatia.

Budget Airline Tips

Do you have any shortcuts you use when flying budget airlines? Let us know! And for more information on cheap airline travel, we have a plenty of handy articles including an introduction to low-cost carriers, a budget airline FAQ and the pros and cons of flying cheap.

The post Flying for less to Eastern Europe: Using Ryanair’s obscure destinations to your advantage appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Claim to fame: Karlovy Vary

The famous Czech spa at Karlovy Vary (often styled as Carlsbad or Karlsbad in older travel literature) traces its origins back to the 14th century, and the curative properties of the thermal springs have underpinned a healthy spa trade ever since. Peter the Great twice came to Karlovy Vary (in 1711 and 1712), and a steady stream of Romanovs and other well-connected Russians followed in his wake. Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna of Russia visited no less than seven times.

Royal backing

A handful of spa communities claim to predate Karlovy Vary. One of the most interesting is Bardejovské Kúpele which lies in the hills of northern Slovakia. It was by all accounts commended by the Hungarian royals as early as the mid-13th century. Bardejovské Kúpele has pulled its share of titled visitors too, even including a Russian czar. Alexander I visited in 1821, taking time out to consult local doctors over his health. The spa at Bardejov was in the premier league of European spas in the 18th and 19th centuries, regularly attracting clients from the most distinguished families of Poland and Hungary.

The Hotel Ozon at Bardejovské Kúpele where wine is cheaper than water. Photo: © hidden europe

Staying at Bardejovské Kúpele

Today Bardejovské Kúpele has slipped slightly below the horizon, although its merits are still very much recognised among the Slovakian and Russian guests who make time for a cure at Bardejov. It has all the appeal of more celebrated spas (like that at Karlovy Vary), but without the crowds. We spent a weekend last month at Bardejovské Kúpele, and it was an excellent short break.

All traditional spas have an other-worldly quality, and Bardejovské Kúpele captures that to perfection. The classic spa town offers a retreat from the realities and stresses of everyday life, and the location of Bardejovské Kúpele assists in that quest. It is tucked away in a side valley that drains down into the River Kamenec. The city of Bardejov, which boasts a fabulous town square, is just ten minutes away from the spa by regular local bus. But to take the bus from Bardejov up to the spa is to move between two worlds. One trades in modern Slovakia and the pressures of life for a quieter, simpler world: one where the tempo is notably slower.

Treatments and facilities

There is no noise of traffic, but just the church bells and birdsong. There are well-marked walks through the hills, the rhythm of spa life and hushed conversations in long corridors. It is an oasis of peace. Ten different mineral springs are the spa’s key asset and, water therapies aside, a wide range of other treatments are on offer: from peat wraps to phototherapy. And all this comes at a fraction of the prices prevailing at a new generation of posh resorts in western Europe that play the spa card.

The competitive pricing extends across the full range of facilities. We stayed at the Hotel Ozon, where a glass of wine with dinner costs less than one euro. You can splash out and buy a whole bottle for five euros.

In the skanzen at Bardejovské Kúpele. Photo: © hidden europe

A bonus surprise

Bardejovské Kúpele has one thing that you’ll not find in other spas. It has an outdoor museum (locally known as a skanzen) with a very fine collection of buildings from the Carpathian region. It includes churches, farm buildings and houses that together showcase the range of local vernacular architecture. The skanzen buildings are mainly constructed of wood—a material so wholesome, so brimming with virtue, that it just adds to the feel-good factor that surrounds life at Bardejovské Kúpele.

The post A very affordable European spa vacation in Slovakia appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

UNESCO honors

The two cities share a common history, both having been part of the Austro-Hungarian province of Galicia. And both have that same Italianate flair in their central squares and some of the surrounding courtyards. The center of Kraków was the very first place in Poland to be inscribed on the UNESCO List of World Heritage Sites. That was back in 1978. Lviv had to wait another 20 years to receive the same accolade.

What to see

The main square of Lviv

Lviv boasts a galaxy of fine churches and civic buildings. Must-sees include the Armenian Cathedral and the over-the-top baroque St. George’s Cathedral. The latter has served as the mother church of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, which dominates religious affairs in western Ukraine. Its followers, often called Uniates, use Orthodox liturgies but are in union with Rome. It’s a detail that underlines the west European orientation of this part of Ukraine.

Above all, Lviv is a fine place just to wander. The Italian Yard, a sublime piece of Renaissance architecture with its balconies, is a spot to linger over coffee. Or head to Vysoky Zamok (Castle Hill) for sunset, when the view of the city takes on a dreamy quality. For a more macabre take on life (or death), don’t miss Lychakivsky Cemetery, a magnificent wooded parkland east of the city full of crumbling memorials to poets, philosophers and soldiers.

Where to stay

Lviv is happily very cheap. Get a place in a six-bed dorm at the Central Hostel, in a plum spot on the main square, for just 120 Ukrainian hryvnia. That’s about €12. Off-season is much cheaper. Or trade up to the George Hotel where the cheapest rooms are just €35 (including breakfast). The best of the hotels is definitely the Zamek Lewa (Lion’s Castle) in a leafy compound a 20-minute walk south of the center, which has doubles for €70 (including breakfast).

Beyond Lviv

The city is blessed with a great hinterland that is well worth exploring. Lviv Ecotour organizes day trips and longer tours for English-speaking visitors. Apart from nearby spots like the handsome town of Zhovka, the Carpathian wilderness beckons.

Ukraine is open for business. Holders of passports from CIS or EU States need no visa. Nor do US, Swiss, Canadian or Japanese citizens. You can fly directly into Lviv airport from Vienna, Venice, Warsaw, Munich and Dortmund. Or take the daily overnight train from Kraków.

The post Ukraine’s Sleeping Lion: The City of Lviv appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

The country was granted permission by the European Union to make the switch during the summer of 2008, when the exchange rate was pinned at 30.126 koruny to the euro. The currency, however, didn’t switch until January 1, 2009.

In the months leading up to its circulation, Slovakia hosted Euro-themed events to raise awareness and entertain, and also pay tribute to the exiting currency. (Among these, chocolate euro coins were thrown to children, and a theater troupe staged a play about the demise of the koruna.  Sad clowns.)

What it means

The introduction of the euro in Slovakia could mean that Cheapos heading to Bratislava or other Slovak cities will notice restaurant prices and hotel rates listed in both currencies (euros and Slovak koruny), a trend that will last until January of 2010.

Others may notice that prices have jumped a bit. According to a piece in Slovak Today, consumer prices increased 0.5% in the 10 days following the changeover.

In case you’ve got a koruna or two hanging around the house, banks in Slovakia will still exchange banknotes through the end of 2009 and coins through June 2009 (although they may charge you for it!).

Need help with your own euro conversion? Check out xe.com to see today’s euro exchange rate.

The post Goodbye Koruna: Slovakia joins the euro club appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.