Top recommendations for your next cheap new year trips
Are you tired of celebrating the new year at the same place every year, with the same people and the same traditions? Instead, you want to see something new, discover a new New Year’s Eve experience and celebrate cool parties? Here we’ve picked out some cool but cheap New Year destinations for you and your travel buddies that completely suit your tight budget (after Christmas!).
1. Prague
Known as a cheap party stronghold in Europe and therefore perfect for cheap New Year trips is Prague. But the capital of the Czech Republic has so much more to offer! Since the Middle Ages, it has been known as one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Its nicknames like “the golden city” or “the mother of all cities” do not come just from anywhere. Prague opens the new year with a huge fireworks display at Letná Park, which can be admired from many bridges and viewpoints.
2. Sofia
If you take yourself to the streets in Sofia on New Year’s Eve, you have to expect to take a few strokes. But don’t worry! This Bulgarian custom sounds worse than it actually is. Children weave a route out of cornel cherry. This tree is said to have positive qualities, such as wealth and health, which are transferred to the person during the gentle blow of the route. In the Bulgarian capital, all culture lovers will get their money’s worth while avoiding high costs. Bulgaria is one of the cheaper countries in Europe and is therefore perfect for your cheap New Year destinations.
3. Dubrovnik
If you decide to spend New Year’s Eve in Croatia, Dubrovnik is the right city for you. You and your travel partner can expect countless street festivals, live bands and fireworks in the historic Old Town, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and has served as a film set for Game of Thrones. The costs in the city are higher than the national average, but luckily still lower than Western European standards. Zagreb is another Croatian city where a cheap New Year destination can be celebrated with a lot of atmospheres. The Croatian capital is known nationwide for its huge New Year’s Eve parties.
4. Porto
There’s always something going on in Porto on the last evening of the year. There are free concerts on the main streets and squares of the city and countless smaller street parties. So, this will be a cheap holiday New Year getaway without expensive fees at the entrances to clubs and bars. In addition, you can get in touch with locals so quickly and easily and experience an unforgettable New Year’s Eve. The biggest street party takes place on the Avenida dos Aliados in front of the town hall. At midnight there is a crowning finale with fireworks on the river, which can be admired from many points of the city. If you don’t want to go home afterwards, you will surely find shelter in one of Porto’s nightclubs, where dancing continues until dawn.
5. Edinburgh
The Scots do know how to celebrate! The New Year’s Eve, or Hogmanay, is well-celebrated here, not only over one or two but over whole three days. One thing is certain: no country celebrates the New Year with more euphoria than the Scots do. On 30.12 the festivities begin with a torchlight procession through the city centre of Edinburgh. On 31.12 the real party starts on the streets in the city! There will be live performances, DJs and open-air bars, and at midnight the fireworks will go off over the city’s castle to give you a great view from the open-air party! The end of Hogmanay is a little cooling off the next morning with a swim in the ice-cold river. And best of all: All these festivities are free of charge and therefore perfect for a cheap New Year’s Eve destination.
6. Seville
The New Year’s Eve in Spain is also known as Nochevieja (old night). A few hours before midnight you can have a very special in Seville. Thousands of people meet in front of the town hall in the square centre and, they have a certain item with them… Grapes! This has to do with a certain tradition. At midnight you have to eat a grape every time the bell rings. If you succeed, you will be blessed with luck for the next whole year. Therefore, the only costs are the 12 grapes and possibly a bottle of wine, making this a super cheap holiday over New Year’s Eve.
7. Manchester
New Year’s Eve in Manchester has made many headlines in recent years. However, cheap New Year trips in the city are still possible. At midnight, countless people gather at biggest squares to enjoy the fireworks and the cosy atmosphere. The good thing is that there is a strict ban on alcohol, so no more worries about crowds and inconveniences. Even in case, that’s too cold for you, or if you don’t wish to do without the champagne, just go to one of the endless parties or to a nearby pub and warm yourself both from the outside and the inside.
8. Warsaw
Where better to spend a cheap New Year holiday than in the capital of Poland? Besides numerous big open-air parties, many clubs and bars also open their doors. Especially interesting for tourists is the Warsaw Hard Rock Café. Here, every year, a New Year’s Eve party is celebrated only for visitors. Outside these locations, however, one has to enjoy the party soberly as in Poland there is a strict ban on alcohol in public. But the open-air events are still worthwhile with live performances by Polish artists and breathtaking light and pyrotechnic shows.
8. Ljubljana
The Slovenian capital is the perfect place for a cheap New Year trip whereby all the festivities take place on the streets. The locals have hardened accordingly and you have to dress warmly as a visitor. Even at sub-zero temperatures, the coffee is drunk outside the café during the day, and it lasts the whole night. In many other cities, there is an open-air stage with live music. Just in time for midnight, there will be a big fireworks display and a colourful light show over the castle.
10. Krakow
Another beautiful city in Poland, Krakow, where the beginning of the new year is best celebrated under the open sky on the “Wow Krakow! Party”. The live acts of the most famous Polish stars await you as well as tons of visitors. At midnight, there will be a gigantic laser and fireworks show. If you prefer a bit more classical, the Krakauer Philharmonie is the perfect place for you. There will be a dance gala with a tasty menu in the opera restaurant and of course the classical New Year’s Eve concerts. Not quite cheap, but much more affordable compared to a German dance gala.
As you can see there are many possibilities for you to travel somewhere cheaply for New Year while being able to get an incredible and unique experience. It is definitely the perfect time of the year to travel as a group to celebrate the New Year, so find a group to go on your cheap travel adventure at JoinMyTrip.
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