It’s not difficult to score amazing travel memories at a great price – you simply have to choose the right place. Below is a list of travel destinations that are 20% to 70% cheaper than marquee destinations.
Quebec City Canada
This Canadian city offers stellar French cuisine and architecture for much less than Paris. It is 160 miles down the St. Lawrence River from Montreal. The city is the second-oldest existing European settlement in Canada.
The Citadel or La Citadelle de Quebec is a fortress built by the British in the first half of the 19th century and a popular tourist attraction. During the summer months, visitors can watch military traditions, such as the Changing of the Guard.
The Musee de la Civilisation is a newer museum dedicated to chronicling the history of humankind with a particular emphasis on the history of Québec and Canada.
Place-Royale is the spiritual heart of Quebec City and French Canada. This cobblestoned square in the lower section of the Old Quarter marks the spot where French explorer Samuel de Champlain built his quarters in the summer of 1608.
The Chateau Frontenac sits majestically over Old Quebec City and the St. Lawrence River. It has been beautifully restored over the years to highlight its exquisite 19th century architecture.
Lisbon Portugal
Lisbon is the oldest capital city in Europe after Athens. Most international flights land at the Aeoporto de Lisboa, about four miles from the city center. You can get to most parts of Lisbon via the extensive network of trams, buses and subways. From the city center, the AERO-BUS will take you to the Cais do Sodre train station.
Perched on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean, Lisbon is one of the rare Western European cities that face the ocean and uses water as an element that defines the city. Lisbon enchants travelers with its white bleached limestone buildings, intimate alleyways, and an easy going charm that makes it a popular year round destination.
One of the most famed neighborhoods in Lisbon is the Alfama. Built by the Visigoths and decimated by an earthquake in 1755, it now stands as a tribute to antiquity, complete with cobblestone roads and ancient churches.
One of the lesser-known attractions in Lisbon is Estufa Fria, or the Greenhouse, a park lush with tropical plants and steams. If you have a penchant for panoramic views, go to Rua de Santa Justa and take a ride on the Santa Justa Lift, a 150-foot tall elevator.
Roatan Honduras
Roatán, a Bay Island off the coast of Honduras, has first-class diving, ecotourism and zip-lining adventures available for discount prices. It lies just over 30 miles from the northern coast of the Honduran mainland.
Visitors from around the world enjoy Roatan’s relaxed lifestyle, beautiful sea, mild climate, and friendly people. Expect to pay approximately half the price of lodging on a higher-profile Caribbean island.
The reef surrounding the island attracts beautiful tropical fish and snorkelers alike. Dive attractions include sea walls, shipwrecks, a submerged airplane, and night diving. Sea turtles, dolphins, and whales swim in the waters of Roatan.
Parrots, iguana, and monkeys live in the wild on this tropical island. An iguana farm east of French Harbor provides a refuge for thousands of iguanas and is open for tourists. During crab season, island blue crabs come out at night by the thousands. The crabs climb trees to eat fruit.