Destinations
Four corners of Europe, one obsession
These are the regions I keep coming back to. Pick one, and let me point you at the good stuff.
Europe's most underrated corner
The Balkans
The Balkans
Raw, affordable and wildly beautiful. Think Ottoman old towns, turquoise rivers and some of the friendliest people on the continent, all for a fraction of Western European prices.
Best for
Budget travel, road trips, history
Best season
May to October
Where to start
Three capitals, one easy loop
The Baltics
The Baltics
Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius sit close enough to link in a single trip. Medieval old towns, forests and a Baltic Sea coastline, with modern, walkable cities that are surprisingly cheap.
Best for
First-timers, short trips, city breaks
Best season
June to September
Where to start
Fairytale cities, easy trains
Central Europe
Central Europe
The classic entry point to the East. Prague, Ljubljana, Budapest and Krakow are connected by cheap, scenic trains and packed with cafe culture, thermal baths and riverside old towns.
Best for
Interrail, culture, comfort
Best season
Year-round
Where to start
Where Europe blurs into Asia
Where the East begins
Where the East begins
Past the usual map. Istanbul straddles two continents, and the Caucasus, Tbilisi, Yerevan and Baku, feels like another world entirely. Big culture, big hospitality, very few tourists.
Best for
Adventurous travellers, culture, value
Best season
April to June, September to November
Where to start
Planning a trip?
Grab a ready-made route or the exact Google Maps pins I use, and stay online with a Saily eSIM.