Eastern Europe is the new Western Europe
Your next European vacation with history, great food, bargain prices -- and no crowds.
Looking for a way to beat the stifling heat, soaring prices and summer crowds in Europe? A few suggestions in this month’s newsletter, along with some travel news.
The undiscovered countries of Central and Eastern Europe.
E-scooters get the boot in more cities. Good!
Italy’s beach chair mafia gets whacked.
Why is Europe So Crowded with Tourists?
It’s no secret that Americans are flocking to Europe. According to Allianz, a company that sells travel insurance, American travel to Europe was up 600% from 2021 to 2022 (following Covid), with another 55% increase this year. London, Paris and Dublin are the top destinations, followed by followed by Rome, Reykjavik, Edinburgh, Athens, Amsterdam, Lisbon and Milan.
Instead, set your sights to the east of the most popular tourist countries in Western Europe. Expect bargain prices, friendly people, less crowded attractions, lots of history and amazing food in the Balkans and the neighboring countries in the eastern part of Europe.
Which Countries are in the Balkans?
It’s not easy to list which countries are in the Balkans. The actual countries can disagree. Generally, I’m talking about travel to the ex-Yugo countries: Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, Kosovo, North Macedonia and Serbia. Plus Romania, Bulgaria and Albania on the Balkan peninsula. But Slovenians, for example, will be quick to tell you they are not part of the Balkans or even Eastern Europe. They prefer the term “Central Europe” or “Central Eastern Europe.”
The EU refers to this region (minus Slovenia) as the Western Balkans. And some places located on the Balkan peninsula have been “discovered.” Greece is already quite over-touristed for much of the year, as well as the crowded Croatian coast in the summer months.
For trip planning purposes, I’d also include Hungary, Poland, Czechia, Slovakia and Georgia as alternative destinations. Think of Budapest as an alternative to Paris. Bratislava or Prague as an alternative to Vienna. Foodies feeling crowded in Rome will find plenty to taste in Tbilisi.
If a theater break in London would bust your budget, try Warsaw. My family’s trip to the Polish capital included a FREE Chopin concert and a performance at the world’s smallest opera house.
Hidden Gems in Bosnia
This summer, I found myself in front of a massive waterfall in a friendly medieval town with a hilltop fortress. Watch the video and then read my blog post to find out why the town of Jajce is perhaps the best-kept travel secret in Bosnia.
Keep in mind that this part of the world was embroiled in an active shooting war during the 1990s. Today, peaceful Sarajevo welcomes visitors to hike on the abandoned bobsled track from the 1984 Winter Olympics and tour memorials of how people survived the longest military siege of a city in modern times.
Fascinating Ex-Yugo Places
Concealed under a mountain on the Bosnia-Croatia border, I ventured inside the abandoned Zeljava Air Base to blog and make a video. Yes, driving a car on the runway was as cool as it looks.
If you’re into Yugo-nostalgia or Cold War history, don’t wait. In Montenegro, the abandoned Hotel Fjord already has been torn down to make way for a luxury resort. In Georgia, you might have trouble finding one of the flying coffins of Chiatura still in operating condition.
Alongside the history, don’t underestimate the beauty and charm of the region’s mountain hikes, historic towns and seaside vistas. Find travel inspiration by browsing the Europe tab of Strangers in the Living Room, where you’ll see Balkan destinations alongside some of the more familiar places like Venice or Milan.
Why Balkan Food is Awesome
But let’s be honest, a big reason why Americans flock to France or Italy is the FOOD. The Balkans will not disappoint. The big difference? The smile on your face when you get the check and it’s a fraction of what you’d expect to pay in any Western European country. Even the excellent local beer and wine is a bargain.
Beware of ‘Balkan Moments’
Discovering these countries over the past decade reminded me of my student travels in Western Europe during the 1970s before the era of mass tourism brought mandatory reservations, long lines and overcrowding. However, it’s not all rainbows and unicorns.
Borderlines: Keep in mind that some of the above-mentioned countries are not yet in the Schengen Area, which allows free movement across the borders of the 29 member countries. Be sure to have your passport handy when crossing the border from Bosnia (not Schengen) to Croatia (in Schengen). Cross only at official checkpoints or risk being stopped by police patrols looking for illegal migrants on the Balkan route.
Booking Blues: Getting away from manicured tourist hotspots means putting up with more than a few rough edges. Most people working in tourism speak at least a little English but it’s possible to lose something in translation. In a “whole apartment” I booked in Jajce, I did indeed have access to the living room, bathroom and kitchen — along with the total strangers staying in the two other bedrooms of the unit.
Getting Lost: Google Maps can be unreliable for public transportation. The schedules they do have are often wrong. When driving a rental car, GPS doesn’t always stick to the modern highways, it just shows the shortest route. I’ve found myself bouncing along dirt goat paths to reach a landmark, only to end up on the opposite riverbank from the waterfall park I wanted to visit, in a different country with nowhere to cross.
And then there was that time my son and I got in a fender-bender. The Bosnian police chief had to summon his teenage honor-student son to translate the accident report. Get full insurance coverage and make sure your rental car can be taken into all the countries you plan to visit. It’s all part of your Balkan adventure, right?
In the News: E-Scooters Get the Boot
Melbourne Australia has become the latest major city to ban rental e-scooters. The city cited hundreds of injury accidents plus a fatal crash. Paris, Copenhagen, Barcelona, London and Rome have either enacted partial bans or strict new rules.
Predictably, the rental companies are complaining that their users are stranded, especially in car-free zones like the one where I live in Slovenia. Too bad, so sad. I’m tired of nearly being run over, jumping out of the way or having my path blocked by a scooter that wasn’t returned to its proper parking spot.
Italy’s Beach Chair Mafia Gets Whacked
I grew up as a California girl, where most beaches have public access by law. Having to pay to rent a beach chair and umbrella to get on a jam-packed stretch of sand seems wrong to me when I could sit on my own beach towel for FREE. That’s not always an option in some European countries.
Italy is cracking down on the families that have controlled the beach clubs known as “lidos” covering about half of the country’s coastline. New EU regulations will require the beach concessions to be put up for competitive bidding, which could at least result in lower prices by next year, if not free access.
Coming next month: What I did on a three-day stopover in Iceland and how a FREE stopover could be a perk of your airline ticket. Please subscribe to this FREE newsletter so you don’t miss it. Don’t be a stranger!
Really helpful information and fun to read. Traveling definitely is an adventure. I like your story about being on the wrong side of the river in the wrong country though suspect it wasn't much fun at the time.