The 10 BEST Budget Travel Destinations

2. Iceland

Though not cheap by default, if there ever were a year to visit Iceland, 2019 seems to be it. The Icelandic Krona has dropped 6% against the Euro and continues to descend. Besides being one of the best places to see the Northern Lights, Iceland has volcanoes, glaciers, and long, open roads to be explored.

 tip: Is a Euro trip on your bucket list? Consider adding a visit to Iceland after entering Europe. Budget airlines like easyJet and Norwegian Air offer flights as low as £29.99 from major European cities like London and Edinburgh.

Update: Unfortunately since publishing, the budget airline WOW Air has declared bankruptcy and ceased operations, ending the staggeringly low airfares that once existed from the U.S. and Canada. However, cheap flights still exist from Europe with easyJet and Norwegian Air, and sales do exist with other airlines from North America. We recommend searching Skyscanner by “entire month” to find the cheapest dates to fly, and setting up price alerts to make sure you know the minute a flight goes on sale.

Food: Budget meals start from $10 USD (check this list for great ideas). Dining out here in general is pricey, bringing your own packaged food and cooking can help.
Accommodation: Hostels $50+ USD, hotels $120+ USD. Check Airbnb and HotelsCombined to see your options across all major booking sites. Consider renting a campervan  – starting around $110USD/day – as this combines transport & accommodation.
Getting around: Your own set of wheels is ideal (go with a friend to slash costs!). Group tours are common and can be cheaper and safer (especially if travelling during rainier/snowy seasons).
Top attractions: The milky turquoise Blue Lagoon geothermal baths, the rushing Skógafoss waterfall, Skogar Church, seeing a show at the majestic Harpa Concert and Conference Centre. If your budget allows, take a tour and explore the brilliantly blue ice caves or walk atop a glacier.
Getting there: The Keflavik International Airport (KEF) in Reykjavik is the major point of entry to Iceland. Flights are as cheap as £29.99 from within Europe with airlines like easyJet and Norwegian Air. For all other origins, search Skyscanner and select “entire month” for your dates to see the cheapest time to fly from your city.