The European Region That's Most Expensive To Visit, According To Rick Steves

Scandinavia — Norway, Sweden, and Denmark — regularly tops Europe's priciest city charts. According to Numbeo's 2024 Cost of Living Index by country, Norway and Denmark rank third and fourth most expensive in all of Europe — behind only Switzerland and Iceland — with Sweden close behind in fifth. Little wonder travel guru Rick Steves advises you to, "...travel faster in the more expensive north" if you ever find yourself on vacation in Europe.

Further, Steves urges you to stay longer in Southern and Eastern Europe, like Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, and Albania. Independent travel trackers agree. BudgetYourTrip pegs the daily costs in either Norway, Sweden, or Denmark at between $120 to $240. By contrast, you'd spend between $79 to $101 a day in either Poland, Hungary or Albania, per BudgetYourTrip's 2025 data. In short, rush through the pricey North and linger longer in Southern or Eastern Europe. You don't want to be stranded because you misjudged the cost of your Europe vacation. If you do run out of cash, however, Rick Steves warns that you avoid these ATMs in Europe.

Travelers should be prepared to pay top Euro for accommodations, meals, and activities in Scandinavia. In Sweden, a typical traveler pays between $100 to $300 per night for accommodation, based on Travel Worldwide's November 2024 report, and about $75 to $150 per day for meals and activities combined. In Norway, mid-range hotel rooms start at around €110 ($124.08 as of May 2025) per night, food costs at €22 ($24.82) per day, and paid activities at €30 ($33.84). Altogether, you're looking at roughly $300 per person per day before transportation. 

Denmark tops the list, with mid-range budgets averaging $241 per person per day; about $125 of that goes to a typical hotel room, leaving roughly $116 for meals and activities per Budget Your Trip as of 2024. Still, Rick Steves insists you don't have to skip Scandinavia — you can stay within your budget — just compress it and be strategic despite the high costs. Further, he recommends overnight ferries to double as transport plus sleep, campground cabins at a fraction of hotel rates, and supermarket picnics in place of restaurant meals. Besides, Norway's "right to roam" law lets you hike and camp free almost anywhere. This means that travelers can experience the beauty of the country without the accommodation expenses.

If what you need is to visit Europe, no matter the region, you can opt for either Poland, Hungary, and Albania. According to Trip.com, you could have managed to travel for $30 to $50 daily in Poland as of 2023, which implies around $15 to $25 for accommodation, $5 to $15 for food, and $5 to $10 for sightseeing and entertainment. BudgetYourTrip says you will need about $80 a day in 2025. 

Backpackers in Hungary spend about €11 ($12.41 as of May 2025) per day on budget lodging, €12 ($13.54) on meals, and about €3 ($3.38) on activities. That is ‌roughly €30 ($33.84). Albania's daily costs average roughly €50 ($56.40) for budget accommodation, €22 ($24.82) for food, and €4 ($4.51) for activities in 2025.

Asides from choosing cheaper regions, shifting your travel dates can slash costs dramatically. According to Expedia's 2024 Air Travel Hacks Report, flights departing on Thursdays — the cheapest day to fly — can be up to 30% cheaper than those leaving on Sundays, the priciest day of the week. Even better, book your vacation in the shoulder season; for instance, mid-October instead of peak-summer July. To save more money, The Points Guy states that the best time to buy a ticket to Europe is five to eight months before departure and the cheapest months to travel are October, November, January, February, and March.