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Travel Advice

Region

Balkans

Ten countries between the Adriatic and the Black Sea, where distances are short, borders are crossed by bus and prices stay among the lowest in Europe.

7 countries listed

The Balkans are Europe's densest region for country-hopping. From Ljubljana to Ohrid you cross ten countries in under a thousand kilometres, and a two-week itinerary easily strings together three or four. Buses link the capitals, borders take about an hour, and the whole area still costs noticeably less than Western Europe.

The Adriatic coast draws most visitors, from Croatia through Montenegro down to the Albanian Riviera, the cheapest of the three. Inland, the register changes entirely: Mostar and its Ottoman bridge, the monasteries of North Macedonia, the lakes of Ohrid and Skadar. Slovenia, to the north, plays a different tune, more Alpine than Balkan.

Two practical points shape any trip. First, status: Croatia, Slovenia, Greece and Bulgaria are in the European Union, while Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Kosovo are not, which changes entry rules and currency from one border to the next. Second, season: July and August saturate the coast, while May, June and September deliver the same sea with half the crowds.

Countries in the region

Where to go in the Balkans

Greece

Europe

Greece

 Slovenia

Europe

Slovenia

 Croatia

Europe

Croatia

 North Macedonia

Europe

North Macedonia

 Montenegro

Europe

Montenegro

 Albania

Europe

Albania

 Bosnia & Herzegovina

Europe

Bosnia & Herzegovina

All our guides

Travel guides for the Balkans

Greece

Slovenia

Croatia

North Macedonia

Montenegro

Albania

Bosnia & Herzegovina