Now that budget airlines are flying to everywhere in the region from Prague in the west to Constanta in the east, and from Tallinn in the north to Dubrovnik in the south, Eastern Europe has never been more accessible to travellers. This article looks at some of the top travel destinations now offering cheap flights and the practicalities involved.
Ljubljana, Slovenia — Mountains and Castles
Slovenia's tiny, colourful capital city has an attractive Old Town and sits clustered around a castle. As Slovenia is a small country, the capital is well placed for trips to all Slovenian destinations, particularly the mountains that are gaining a reputation for excellent skiing and hiking.
Easyjet has flights as cheap as £25.99 one-way on January 22nd, departing London Stansted at 07.25am. Other flights on nearby days start from £32.99 one-way. Ljubljana's small airport (also known as Brnik) is 26km out of the city. The 45 minute journey is undertaken by hourly buses.
Split, Croatia — Islands and an Old Walled Town
Croatia's second-largest city is beautifully positioned for trips to most of the islands in Croatia. The city was founded by Roman Emperor Diocletian, and Diocletian's palace still forms the centre of the church-studded Old Town today. Great bars and seafood restaurants line the old-world streets.
As of 2008, Easyjet are flying to Split airport from Easter through to autumn, from London Stnsted. Flights on April 19th start at £28.99 one-way. Flights are on most days. Split airport, 20km outside the city, is connected with central Split by shuttle buses and by normal buses every twenty minutes.
Tallinn — Festival of the Lights Makes Estonia Capital the Perfect Winter Break
The festivals brightening up this beautiful medieval Baltic port during January and February make Tallinn an ideal winter getaway, what with skating in the historic centre and roaming the postcard perfect Old Town streets, but it's a year-round destination. The countryside is close in Tallinn, too: the forested wildernesses of northern Estonia can be explored from the capital, such as Lahemaa National Park with its superb skiing and trekking.
Frequent promotions on Eastern European destinations make Tallinn a cheap place to fly. Easyjet has flights from £33.99 one-way leaving from London Stansted on January at 10.00am. The airport is 44km south-east of Tallinn. Bus line 2 connects twice hourly with the city centre.
Riga — Stag Parties and a UNESCO Listed Centre in the Latvian Capital
Latvia's stunning medieval capital city may have developed a reputation as a capital of stag parties and these are a common sight here. But the UNESCO-listed medieval centre is able to absorb its increasing volumes of tourists among its twisting streets, showcasing the many ornate churches of Riga Old Town. Riga also offers the best examples of German-style Art Nouveau architecture anywhere in Europe and there are several noteworthy museums, such as the fascinating Museum of the Occupation.
Ryanair have flights for as little as £21.99 one-way to Riga at the moment. There are two flights on most days but the first is ridiculously early. The afternoon flight from London Stansted departs at 14.45pm. Riga Airport is 13km outside the city, with Bus 22 providing a service every fifteen minutes to central Riga.
Bucharest — Palaces, Parks and Top Museums in the Neoclassic Romanian City
Bucharest is certainly Romania's success story: with two million inhabitants and growing it is the cultural hub of the country, well-poised for forays further towards Asia and teaming with great museums and vibrant nightlife. It's grand Neoclassic buildings earned it the nickname "Paris of the East", a reputation that to this day it lives up to.
Aerlingus flights to Bucharest can be very reasonable if booked a couple of weeks in advance. One-way flights on 3rd February, departing London Gatwick at 14.40pm, cost £39.98. The airport is 8km north of the centre of Bucharest and is served by many buses, including RATB buses 131 and 335, on a regular basis.
All of the airports mentioned are connected by taxis as well as buses. As ever, remember that greater flexibility with travel dates is most likely to guarantee you the fares listed above, which are inclusive of taxes.
Luke Waterson - Author Luke Waterson writes, or has written, for various publications including Lonely Planet, Rough Guides, Moon Guidebooks and The ...
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