In terms of value for money, Turkey remains unrivaled
As it turns out, there are quite a few options for budget vacations. After studying numerous websites and tour operator price lists, we found that a tourist with $500 has access to at least a dozen countries. Besides the summer hit of all time – Turkey, with this sum we can expect Egypt, Tunisia, Bulgaria, the Baltic states, Scandinavia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, France, and some Southern European countries.
TURKEY WHAT TO EXPECT: A week-long tour to Antalya or nearby coastal resorts on an All inclusive basis with accommodation in a 3-4* hotel.
From the perspective of value for money, Turkey remains unrivaled. The huge sums invested by this country in tourism development yield results: on the Mediterranean coast of Turkey alone, several dozen hotels are built and reconstructed annually – far more than in any other competing destinations. As a result, finding a suitably priced hotel is not difficult, and the amenities of the hotels will even satisfy the tastes of experienced tourists. Tour operators' price lists are full of offers of three-star hotels equipped with everything needed for a vacation: one or two swimming pools (sometimes with water slides), restaurants, cafes, a good beach, and a full range of water sports activities. Many hotels have family rooms: a separate bedroom from a special children's room. Almost all hotels offer All inclusive meals, which is very convenient for budgeting.
Plus: an ideal option for families with children who want to lounge on the beach and thoroughly enjoy the warm sea.
Minus: classic vacation in Turkey is not very suitable for active tourists: there is usually nothing to do outside the hotel gates.
TUNISIA WHAT TO EXPECT: A week in a three-star hotel in Sousse or Hammamet with breakfast or half board.
Tunisian resorts, in their focus, resemble a vacation somewhere in Southern Europe rather than in Egypt or Turkey. The hotel grounds are usually small, but life is always bustling nearby. Just step outside, catch a taxi, and within 15 minutes at most, you will find yourself in the center of events. Open-air cafes with good cuisine, French signs on billboards, neat palm trees, and crowded promenades reminiscent of the French Riviera, with which Tunisia maintains close friendly relations. In Sousse and Hammamet, the Arab flavor of North Africa peacefully coexists with modernity: many discos, clubs, and bars operate in the evenings, where both tourists and locals feel quite comfortable.
Plus: a good combination of beach vacations and North African exoticism: excellent excursions to the Sahara Desert, ancient antique cities.
Minus: Tunisian hotels are significantly inferior in quality to Turkish ones. All inclusive is not widespread.
EGYPT WHAT TO EXPECT: A week on the Red Sea with half board or All inclusive in a 3-4* hotel.
Contrary to popular stereotype, it is not hotter in Egypt in summer than in Turkey. The Red Sea coast is well ventilated by winds, the air is dry, so even intense heat is relatively easy to bear.
Hotels in the 3* and 4* categories differ from more expensive ones, as a rule, only by a more modest range of services offered. In terms of accommodation, the conditions are no less attractive. Moreover, it is to this category that apart-hotels belong, whose rooms are equipped with kitchens and essentially become full-fledged apartments. In Hurghada, for example, there is the Sindbad hotel complex, which is ideal for holidays with children (Sindbad Beach, Sindbad Aquapark, Al Mashrabia Sindbad, Sindbad Family). One of these hotels (Sindbad Beach) has a pool with water slides. Also recommended is the Sun & Sea 3* hotel, located not far from the center of Hurghada. A whole building there is dedicated exclusively to two- and four-room apartments. The rooms in this hotel are decorated only slightly more modestly than in some five-star hotels.
Plus: Egypt's main advantage is the amazing underwater world of the Red Sea. To appreciate the riot of various life forms on the reefs, often you don't even need scuba gear: fins, mask, and snorkel are enough. All of this can be rented.
Minus: Long excursions in summer are better not to plan: the multi-hour transfer from Hurghada or Sharm el-Sheikh to Cairo or Luxor is difficult to endure.
BULGARIA WHAT TO EXPECT: A week's vacation in a 3* hotel with breakfast on the Golden Sands.
With the influx of foreign investment, several years ago, tourist Bulgaria began to transform rapidly. Now most hotels in the country's resorts are fully renovated and meet strict European accommodation standards. Among the inexpensive hotels that are abundant in Bulgarian resorts (the most famous here are Sunny Beach and Golden Sands), tourists note the quiet family 3* hotel "Valma Park", located in a cozy park in the very center of Golden Sands. It is pleasant that a vacation in Bulgaria is not limited to the hotel grounds. The resorts are designed so that all hotels share a common space for walks, a park, a promenade with many shops and restaurants. That is why in Bulgaria there is no reason to overpay for All inclusive vacations. You can always have lunch or dinner somewhere in a cozy tavern: it is tasty and very inexpensive.
Plus: There is no language barrier in Bulgaria. You can communicate in Russian everywhere. The attitude towards guests from our country is simply wonderful.
Minus: Vacation in Bulgaria is not at all exotic: there is nothing that could surprise.
BALTICS AND SCANDINAVIA WHAT TO EXPECT: A week-long bus and ferry tour Finland - Sweden - Denmark or a week's vacation at Baltic resorts with accommodation in a hotel |3-4* (for example, in Palanga).
Summer is the best time for trips to the Baltic states and Northern European countries. The mild sun in those places will not cause problems for people with sensitive skin, and the hospitality of locals and abundance of attractions will provide you with positive impressions for months. Vilnius, Tallinn, Riga, Helsinki, Stockholm, Copenhagen - you will be satisfied, regardless of how many cities your itinerary includes. In addition to walks along the old streets of the northern capitals, museum visits, and tasting the delights of local cuisine, the Baltics and Scandinavia will amaze you with wonderful opportunities for relaxation by the sea or lakes. Palanga, Jurmala - these undeservedly forgotten towns will appeal to everyone who wants not only to swim but also to breathe the scent of pines, collect amber, and every morning drink carefully prepared coffee in a tavern on the waterfront.
Plus: Suitable for those who are looking for something original and cannot stand the heat.
Minus: not observed.
GREECE WHAT TO EXPECT: A week-long tour to the Halkidiki peninsula with accommodation in a 3-4* hotel and half board.
Halkidiki is one of the most popular regions of Greece on the Russian tourism market. That is why it is easy to choose a tour that suits both price and quality. The peninsula in turn includes three more branches: Kassandra, Sithonia, and Mount Athos. Recreation in the Kassandra area is the most youthful: it is the most densely populated area of the peninsula, so there are many budget hotels and very good discos. Tours with accommodation on the Sithonia peninsula are suitable for those who prefer a quieter atmosphere. As for Mount Athos, it is perhaps the most beautiful part of the 'trident' of Halkidiki. It is a territory with pristine nature, a state within a state, a monastic republic, a possession of clergymen. The mountain monasteries of Mount Athos are an integral part of the excursion program for everyone who comes to Northern Greece.