When individuals consider Europe, the primary locations that usually come to thoughts are France, Italy, Germany, Spain, and possibly Switzerland. Nonetheless, Europe is dwelling to dozens of nations, and probably the most underrated areas for vacationers is the Balkans. Whereas there’s no common settlement on which nations belong to the Balkans, the area typically contains Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Bulgaria, Greece, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia, with Romania and Slovenia typically thought-about a part of it as nicely.
Regardless of being neglected by many vacationers, the Balkans provide beautiful landscapes, wealthy historical past, and vibrant cultures — all at a fraction of the price in comparison with Western Europe. Whereas some locations should still be expensive by Filipino requirements, they’re typically extra budget-friendly than their Western European counterparts. If visiting the Balkans is in your journey bucket checklist, hold studying as we share how we deliberate our unforgettable Balkan journey on this article!
1. Safe the fitting visas.
As talked about earlier, the Balkan area typically consists of 11 nations. Nonetheless, not all of them are a part of the Schengen Space.
Schengen Balkan International locations
Solely 5 nations within the Balkan area are included within the Schengen Space. These are the next:
- Greece
- Croatia
- Slovenia
- Bulgaria
- Romania
Notice: Bulgaria and Romania presently solely settle for Schengen visas at their sea and air borders.
Among the many Schengen nations within the Balkans, Greece is essentially the most sensible alternative for Filipino vacationers. Listed here are the explanations:
- Greece has its personal embassy within the Philippines, making visa processing extra easy.
- Athens Airport is well-connected, with reasonably priced flights accessible from many locations.
- Greece is a shocking journey vacation spot, so it’s nicely value including to your itinerary!
Alternatively, you may also apply for a Schengen visa by Slovenia, which is processed by the Belgian Embassy within the Philippines.
TIP! Design an itinerary that requires a number of Schengen entries, making your multiple-entry visa utility extra justifiable. See pattern itinerary within the subsequent part.
Non-Schengen Balkan International locations
Listed here are the Balkan nations exterior of the Schengen Space:
- Albania
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Kosovo
- Montenegro
- North Macedonia
- Serbia
If you happen to’re touring to any of those nations, you’ll want a separate visa particular to that nation. As an illustration, in the event you’re solely visiting Albania, you’ll want to use for an Albanian visa. Fortuitously, there’s a workaround: if in case you have a multiple-entry Schengen visa, you received’t want a separate visa for a lot of Balkan states.
To benefit from this, you’ll be able to apply for a multiple-entry Schengen visa by Greece, Croatia, Slovenia, Bulgaria, or Romania — so long as your itinerary justifies a number of entries. Moreover, many non-Schengen Balkan nations settle for a used multiple-entry Schengen visa, which means you will need to enter a Schengen nation a minimum of as soon as earlier than utilizing it to go to different Balkan states.
2. Plan your route properly.
Cautious route planning is important — not solely to avoid wasting time, cash, and vitality but in addition to justify the necessity for a multiple-entry Schengen visa.
Creating Your Itinerary
As talked about earlier, solely 5 Balkan nations are a part of the Schengen Space, whereas the remainder require separate visas. Nonetheless, with a multiple-entry Schengen visa, you’ll be able to enter many non-Schengen Balkan nations with no need further visas.
Because of this the itinerary you undergo the embassy is essential. Beneath is a simplified model of our Balkan journey route. It was extra sophisticated in actuality, however this offers you an instance of how one can plan your itinerary.
- Greece
- Romania
- Bulgaria
- North Macedonia
- Kosovo
- Albania
- Montenegro
- Croatia
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Croatia
- Spain
This itinerary required us to enter the Schengen Space 3 times, which strengthened our justification for a multiple-entry visa.
- First Entry: Arriving in Greece (Schengen).
- Second Entry: Exiting the Schengen Space from Bulgaria to North Macedonia, then re-entering when arriving in Croatia.
- Third Entry: Taking a aspect journey to Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro, then re-entering Croatia.
With three Schengen entries, a multiple-entry visa was justified, permitting us to journey by the non-Schengen Balkan nations with no need separate visas.
Selecting the Finest Mode of Transportation
Past visas, planning your route properly additionally means contemplating transportation availability. Google Maps is a good software to test essentially the most logical route between the nations you need to go to. Researching bus routes can assist you keep away from pointless flights, making your journey extra budget-friendly and environment friendly.
Throughout our Balkan backpacking journey, we primarily traveled by bus. Not solely was it essentially the most reasonably priced choice, however it additionally made for a extra immersive and adventurous expertise.
Checking the Political Panorama
One other vital issue when planning your itinerary is the political panorama of the Balkan area, as some nations have border restrictions attributable to diplomatic conflicts. For instance, Serbia apparently doesn’t permit entry from Kosovo attributable to conflicts. Whereas this coverage might change over time, we took additional precautions when planning our route. As a substitute of touring from Kosovo to Serbia, we entered Serbia from Bulgaria first, then later traveled to Kosovo from North Macedonia to keep away from potential points.
By being strategic along with your route, you may make your Balkan journey smoother, more cost effective, and visa-efficient — all whereas having fun with the unbelievable range of this fascinating area!
3. Seek for reasonably priced flights.
When planning our Balkans journey, we selected Greece as our entry level as a result of it supplied the most affordable flights. If you happen to’re reserving nicely upfront or throughout seat gross sales, probably the most budget-friendly choices from Manila to Athens is SCOOT, which operates flights with a stopover in Singapore. In reality, we’ve flown to Greece with Scoot on earlier journeys.
Nonetheless, don’t restrict your search to only funds airways. It’s at all times value checking full-service carriers too. Typically, you’ll discover flights which can be both cheaper or solely barely dearer than low-cost airways however include added advantages. For instance, after we booked our flight for our Balkans journey, we selected Etihad with a cease in Abu Dhabi. On the time, it was solely about ₱5,000 dearer than Scoot, however that worth already included add-ons.
If you happen to observed in our pattern itinerary, our closing cease earlier than returning to the Philippines was Spain, regardless that it’s not a part of the Balkan area. The rationale? Flight costs. On the time, the most affordable flight again to Manila was from Barcelona. Even after factoring in the price of a connecting flight from Croatia to Barcelona, the full expense was nonetheless decrease than flying immediately from the Balkans. That’s why we determined to incorporate Spain in our route!
It’s essential to notice that when making use of for a Schengen visa, you don’t must guide your flights but. As a substitute, you’ll want a flight reservation, which serves as a short lived reserving with out requiring full cost. Some individuals check with it as a “dummy ticket”, it sounds phony so we keep away from utilizing that time period. However no matter you name it, what’s essential is that embassies acknowledge flight reservations.
For our visa functions, we get our flight reservations from Gazelle Journey and Excursions. If you happen to want one, you’ll be able to go to this web page, fill out the order kind, and test the pricing and turnaround time. As soon as your visa is accredited, you’ll be able to proceed with finalizing your precise flight reserving.
4. Think about the season and the climate.
Timing performs an important function when planning a visit to Europe, together with the Balkan area. We’ve traveled to the Balkans throughout late spring to early summer time and once more from late summer time to autumn, and we are able to confidently say — the distinction in worth is big.
The summer time months (June to September) are thought-about peak season, which means greater costs for flights, lodging, and excursions. For instance, after we visited Croatia, we observed that as quickly as October arrived, tour costs dropped considerably. This development applies to motels and flights as nicely.
Out of all of the seasons we’ve skilled, autumn was essentially the most breathtaking. The climate was comfortably cool — neither too sizzling nor too chilly — and the landscapes had been painted in beautiful fall colours, making it an unforgettable sight.
Past pricing and surroundings, seasonal climate additionally determines what it is advisable pack. The Balkans have various climates, so temperatures can range significantly relying on the place you go. For instance, the climate in Romania is completely different from Croatia’s Dalmatia Area.
In the meantime, coastal cities alongside the Adriatic and Aegean Seas — like Break up and Dubrovnik in Croatia — have a Mediterranean local weather. Inland areas, resembling Sofia in Bulgaria and Brașov in Romania, expertise a moist continental local weather, which means colder winters and extra vital seasonal adjustments.
If you happen to’re backpacking by a number of nations, count on the climate to shift from place to put. Make sure you analysis every vacation spot’s local weather upfront and pack accordingly to remain snug all through your journey.
5. Don’t assume the whole lot’s the identical.
The Balkan area is extremely various, not simply by way of local weather but in addition in tradition, language, historical past, and governance. Whereas there are similarities between nations, every nation has its personal distinct id. The alphabet, faith, political methods, and even cuisines can range dramatically as you cross borders.
Historical past
This range can be mirrored within the area’s complicated historical past. Many neighboring nations have long-standing political tensions, which typically develop into evident when talking with locals. Even historic excursions can current conflicting narratives, relying on the place you might be. For instance, North Macedonia and Bulgaria, Serbia and Bulgaria, Serbia and Kosovo, and even Bosnia and Herzegovina all have completely different views on historic occasions — and also you’ll doubtless sense this when visiting heritage websites or partaking in conversations.
Delicacies
Every nation within the Balkans provides a novel delicacies as nicely. For instance, in Dubrovnik and Montenegro, seafood dominates the delicacies, whereas Romania, Bulgaria, and Serbia favor meat-heavy dishes.
Faith
In the case of faith, nations like Kosovo and Albania are predominantly Muslim, whereas Croatia is essentially Catholic. In the meantime, Greece, Bulgaria, Serbia, Montenegro, and Romania observe Jap Orthodox Christianity, every with their very own branches — Greek Orthodox, Bulgarian Orthodox, and Serbian Orthodox.
Language
The linguistic range can be fascinating. For instance, Romanian is a Latin-based language that makes use of the Latin alphabet, whereas Bulgarian is a Slavic language that makes use of the Cyrillic script. Greek, after all, has its personal distinct Greek alphabet.
Vibe and Character
Each vacation spot has its personal persona. Past cultural variations, every metropolis or city exudes its personal distinctive appeal. Brașov (Romania) appears like a quaint, fairy-tale city. Sofia (Bulgaria) and Tirana (Albania) have the bustling vitality of huge cities. In the meantime, Break up and Dubrovnik (Croatia) are straight out of Recreation of Thrones, serving critical King’s Touchdown vibes. And Mostar (Bosnia and Herzegovina) and Prizren (Kosovo) seem like large, open-air museums with their well-preserved historic websites.
Affordability
Costs additionally range between locations. Whereas a lot of the Balkans is thought for being budget-friendly, there are notable exceptions. Dubrovnik and Break up are among the many costliest cities within the area. Once we first visited these elements of Croatia a number of years in the past, they had been already expensive, however throughout our most up-to-date journey, we observed costs had skyrocketed, doubtless because of the inflow of vacationers. If you happen to plan to go to, be ready to spend extra in comparison with different Balkan locations.
The extra locations you discover, the extra you’ll recognize the area’s unbelievable range. Each cease reveals one thing new, making the Balkans a very fascinating place to go to.
6. Examine your lodging on-line.
Among the best issues about touring within the Balkans is the abundance of budget-friendly lodging. Nonetheless, worth isn’t the one issue to think about when selecting the place to remain. We at all times use two key standards when reserving: central location and accessibility.
We want lodging close to the Previous City or metropolis middle, inside strolling distance of key sights and beginning factors for strolling excursions. It’s additionally essential that our lodging is near main transportation hubs, resembling practice stations or bus terminals, for simpler transfers between locations.
Discovering lodging that match these standards was pretty straightforward, besides in Dubrovnik, the place we confronted a novel problem: most budget-friendly rooms solely accommodated two individuals — we had been a bunch of three. In consequence, we ended up reserving residences for many of our keep.
By the way in which, these are all of the promo codes that you should utilize. Now we have reductions for motels, excursions, and eSIM for web connection. We even have particular charges for journey insurance coverage, unique for TPT subscribers.
Past location and affordability, it’s additionally essential to test the constructing’s amenities, particularly in the event you’re staying in an house throughout the Previous City. Some buildings are older and lack elevators, which generally is a downside in the event you’re carrying heavy baggage or have mobility issues.
For instance, in Brașov, Romania, we stayed at Zinne Flats, a captivating place simply two blocks from the principle sq.. Nonetheless, it was on the second ground, which is third ground for us Pinoys, and because it was in an older constructing, there was no elevator. Equally, in Skopje, North Macedonia, we booked House Emilija, which had a tremendous location — we may see the principle sq. proper from our window. The unit itself was spacious and comfy, however it was on the fourth ground, which is fifth ground by our requirements, with no elevator.
Earlier than finalizing your lodging, at all times test which ground your unit is on and whether or not the constructing has an elevator. This small element could make a giant distinction in your consolation, particularly after an extended day of exploring. And, once more:
- If Klook is your go-to reserving website, please use our promo code THEPOORTRAVELERKLOOK for as much as P300 OFF or TPTKLOOK5 for as much as P500 OFF. These codes may change sooner or later so greatest to only go to thepoortraveler.internet/klook to redeem up to date low cost codes!
- If you happen to want to guide by way of AGODA, use our promo code AGODATPT for 10% low cost.
7. Watch out for scams and safe obligatory journey insurance coverage.
Like many main cities in Europe, scams exist within the Balkans. Though they don’t seem to be as rampant as in Paris, Barcelona, or Berlin, scams nonetheless exist right here. The most typical kind of rip-off vacationers encounter right here normally includes taxis.
We personally skilled a taxi rip-off in North Macedonia. We normally want public transportation, however typically, particularly when arriving late at night time, taking a taxi is the one choice. Since there have been three of us, we figured splitting the fare wouldn’t be too dangerous.
Earlier than getting within the taxi, we agreed on a worth with the motive force. Nonetheless, after we arrived at our vacation spot, he abruptly demanded more cash. Once we refused, different taxi drivers surrounded us, making an attempt to intimidate us.
Sadly, taxi scams occur in different cities too. If you happen to suspect a driver is overcharging, stroll away and discover one other taxi. To keep away from this, you’ll be able to ask your lodging host for an estimate of the standard fare from the station to your keep. Many hosts even suggest a trusted switch service to make sure you’re not overcharged. For instance, our host in Skopje went the additional mile to personally take us to the bus station so we wouldn’t must take care of taxi scams.
In our six weeks of touring within the Balkans, we solely encountered two scams and fell for one. Nonetheless, there are different scams that vacationers have reported, resembling because the cash collector rip-off and overpriced menu rip-off. Fortunately, we didn’t encounter these, however researching widespread scams earlier than your journey can assist you acknowledge and keep away from them.
Since we’re speaking about security, do not forget that when making use of for a Schengen visa, having journey insurance coverage is obligatory. Not simply any insurance coverage — it have to be Schengen-accredited. For dependable protection, you’ll be able to guide TravelJoy Plus by PGA Sompo. This ensures you’re protected all through your journey.
Updates Log
2025 7 21 – First uploaded
