5 of the best budget destinations for 2019

Heading abroad on a budget doesn’t mean you have to limit yourself to unexciting holidays. There are plenty of places where you can live a champagne lifestyle on a lemonade budget. Here are 5 of the best budget destinations for 2019.


Tango, red wine and beef are probably the first things that spring to mind when Argentina is mentioned. And rightly so because they are part of the cultural makeup of this South American powerhouse.

But while the capital Buenos Aires often gets all the attention, this is a country packed with a mind blowing array of diverse landscapes. Glaciers and snow capped mountains in southern Patagonia and salt flats and waterfalls in the northern provinces sandwich the famous wine regions and much more.

Due to a relatively recent economic meltdown prices are now extremely affordable for overseas visitors in 2019. A bottle of red wine and a steak dinner for two at a quality restaurant will set you back less than 20 quid.


Though not traditionally a popular tourist hotspot, Romania is steadily developing a name for itself as both a weekend getaway destination and part of the Eastern European backpacking trail.

The capital Bucharest has an interesting mix of stunning French-inspired architecture and bleak communist concrete apartment blocks. And it’s working hard to attract tourists with a redeveloped Old Town and plenty of trendy nightspots. But it’s the Transylvania region made famous by Bram Stoker’s Dracula which attracts many visitors. While you won’t see any vampires, the Carpathian mountain range is the region’s crown jewel. There are also stunning castles, thermal springs, and a huge population of brown bears to keep an eye out for.

As is the case in much of Eastern Europe, prices are far lower than the rest of the continent. A pint of craft beer costs under 2 pounds.


Most people picture resort heavy locations like Cancun or Cabo when they think of holidaying in Mexico. In truth these aren’t really a reflection of the country proper, more theme park style constructions designed for mass tourism.

But step away from these areas and you’ll find a colourful and vibrant country that’s rich in history, steeped in culture, and overwhelmingly welcoming.

The sprawling capital of Mexico City is a cosmopolitan metropolis and one of the street food centres of the world. For a beach break head to the little explored Pacific coastline for quaint, laid back, hippy beach towns. Or for a unique adventure explore the vast Copper Canyon, bigger and deeper than its more famous counterpart the Grand Canyon. By far the cheapest country in North America, Mexico is a budget traveler’s dream when it comes to prices. Eat your fill of the national staple of tacos for just a couple of bucks.


A country as large as China is always going to contain a hugely diverse range of landscapes and cultures and it certainly doesn’t disappoint.

With over 160 cities boasting populations of over 1 million people you can take your pick of metropolises. But despite the huge surge in megacities, much of the more interesting parts of China are in the more rural areas.

There are beach resorts and frozen winter wonderlands. Beautiful picture postcard rice terraces cut into the sides of hills. Rolling green mountain ranges stretch out for miles. The contrasts are incredible.

Prices outside of the big cities tend to be much cheaper with delicious traditional meals costing just a couple of pounds.


At one point Laos was the most dominant country in the region, ruling over vast swathes of northern Thailand. These days it’s somewhat mistakenly overlooked.

But despite other surrounding countries taking most of the plaudits, visiting Laos is like stepping back in time to how they used to be before mass tourism gripped. And while it’s far less popular than its neighbours Thailand, Vietnam, and even Myanmar, Laos is firmly on the Southeast Asia backpacker trail.

Landlocked, the mighty Mekong River is Laos’ lifeblood with towns and villages positioned all along its banks. Much of the country is completely untouched by development with lush rainforest making it an ideal place to trek and explore by foot. It’s also one of the cheapest countries in the region which is saying something. A bottle of local whisky is less than two quid while an incredible meal often costs less than a dollar.

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