Cheapest European Countries to Visit from India

Georgia is the cheapest real holiday most Indian travellers will find in Europe. The lari stretches a long way, shared minibuses and trains link Tbilisi to the mountains and the Black Sea for very little, and guesthouses are family run. Georgia sits outside the Schengen Area and runs its own visa, usually available online for Indian passports, so there is no Schengen appointment to chase. Check current rules.

Turkey is the shortest flight on this list and the one with the most choice. Istanbul, Cappadocia and Antalya are linked by cheap domestic flights and overnight buses, street food is excellent and inexpensive, and the lira has been weak against the rupee for years. Turkey is outside the Schengen Area and issues its own e-visa to Indian passport holders, a much lighter process than a Schengen application. Check current rules.

Baku is one of the cheapest European city breaks from India and among the shortest flights. Food, taxis and the metro are inexpensive, and trips out to Gabala, Sheki and Quba are cheap to add on. Azerbaijan is outside the Schengen Area and issues its own visa, generally available online for Indian passports. Check current rules.

Armenia is cheap once you land and easy to combine with Georgia by road. Yerevan has low restaurant and guesthouse prices, and day trips to Garni, Geghard and Lake Sevan cost very little. Armenia sits outside the Schengen Area and runs its own visa, usually available online for Indian travellers. Check current rules.

Albania has the cheapest Mediterranean coastline in Europe. The Riviera beaches around Saranda and Himara cost a fraction of Croatia or Greece, the lek is weak against the rupee, shared furgon minibuses are cheap and guesthouses are plentiful. Albania is outside the Schengen Area and sets its own entry rules, often lighter for Indian travellers than a Schengen application. Check current requirements.

Bulgaria is the cheapest country inside the Schengen Area for food, transport and hotels, with Sofia, Plovdiv and the Black Sea coast all inexpensive. Note that Bulgaria has recently joined the Schengen Area and adopted the euro, so you now need a full Schengen visa with its appointment and lead time, and prices are quoted in euros. Plan the visa well ahead.

Romania keeps the leu rather than the euro, which makes eating out, trains and guesthouses noticeably cheaper than Western Europe. Bucharest, Brasov and the Transylvanian towns are all served by cheap intercity trains and buses. Romania is now a full Schengen member, so an Indian passport needs the same Schengen visa, documents and lead time as France. Apply early.

Serbia is one of the cheapest places in Europe to eat and drink, and Belgrade is well connected by budget airlines and cheap buses to the rest of the Balkans. The dinar is weak against the rupee, and hostels and apartments are easy to find. Serbia is outside the Schengen Area and sets its own entry rules for Indian travellers. Check current requirements before you book.

Poland is the cheapest of the bigger Central European countries. It kept the zloty instead of the euro, so meals, trams and trains in Krakow, Warsaw and Gdansk cost well below the Western European average, and intercity buses are very cheap. Poland is inside the Schengen Area, so you will need a Schengen visa with an appointment and documents. Apply well ahead.

Hungary runs on the forint, not the euro, which keeps Budapest cheaper than any other grand European capital. Thermal baths, ruin bars, market hall food and a good tram and metro network all cost little, and Lake Balaton is an easy cheap add-on. Hungary is inside the Schengen Area, so budget for the Schengen visa process and its lead time.

North Macedonia is one of the least expensive countries in Europe. Ohrid's lake and old town cost very little for food, boat trips and rooms, Skopje is a cheap base and buses across the country are inexpensive. It sits outside the Schengen Area and sets its own entry rules, and holders of a valid Schengen visa can often enter on that. Check current requirements.

Bosnia and Herzegovina is very cheap on the ground. Sarajevo and Mostar have low guesthouse and restaurant prices, coffee costs almost nothing and buses between towns are inexpensive. The convertible mark is tied to the euro, but local prices stay well below Western Europe. Bosnia is outside the Schengen Area with its own entry rules. Check current requirements.

Montenegro gives you the Adriatic at a much lower price than Croatia, especially outside July and August. Kotor, Budva and Durmitor are close together, so transport costs stay small. Montenegro uses the euro without being in the eurozone, and it is outside the Schengen Area with its own entry rules. Check current requirements before booking.

Czechia keeps the koruna rather than the euro, and away from Prague's main square the country is genuinely inexpensive. Cesky Krumlov, Brno and Karlovy Vary have cheap rooms and food, and trains and buses are among the best value in Europe. Czechia is inside the Schengen Area, so plan for a Schengen visa appointment and its lead time.

Slovakia is cheaper than neighbouring Austria for almost everything, and Bratislava is close enough to Vienna to work as a low-cost base. The High Tatras offer inexpensive hiking and mountain huts. Slovakia uses the euro and is inside the Schengen Area, so a Schengen visa with the usual appointment and documents is required. Apply early.

Moldova is the least visited and among the cheapest countries in Europe. Chisinau has very low food and accommodation costs, and the Cricova and Milestii Mici wine cellars are inexpensive to tour. Moldova is outside the Schengen Area and sets its own entry rules for Indian travellers. Check current requirements before you book.

Lithuania is the most affordable of the three Baltic states. Vilnius has low restaurant and accommodation prices for a Schengen capital, and buses to Kaunas, Trakai and the Curonian Spit are cheap. Lithuania uses the euro and is inside the Schengen Area, so a Schengen visa with an appointment and documents is needed. Apply well ahead of travel.

Latvia works well as a low-cost Schengen stop. Riga has cheap accommodation outside the Old Town, the central market is a very inexpensive place to eat, and Jurmala's beach is a short cheap train ride away. Latvia uses the euro and is inside the Schengen Area, so plan for the Schengen visa appointment and its lead time.

Estonia is the most expensive of the Baltics but still well below Western Europe, and Tallinn's Old Town is compact enough to see on foot with no transport spend. Ferries to Helsinki and buses to Tartu are cheap. Estonia uses the euro and is inside the Schengen Area, so a full Schengen visa is required. Apply well ahead.

Portugal is the best value in Western Europe. Meals, wine, trains and metro fares in Lisbon and Porto sit well below France or Italy, and the Algarve is cheapest outside the summer peak. Portugal uses the euro and is inside the Schengen Area, so a Schengen visa applies. Note that most Portugal packages sold in India are Spain and Portugal combinations, so check what you are actually buying.

Croatia belongs on this list only in shoulder season. In May, early June, late September and October the Dalmatian coast costs far less than in summer, ferries are cheaper and Split and Zadar are much better value than Dubrovnik. Croatia has adopted the euro and is inside the Schengen Area, so it is neither the cheapest nor the easiest option here.