Let’s be honest: when the price of everything from groceries to rent keeps climbing, the vacation budget is usually the first thing that gets the chop. And yet, across Europe, something surprising is happening. People are not giving up travel. They’re simply changing the way they do it. Instead of cancelling trips or taking fewer breaks, they’re becoming more intentional, more resourceful, and more willing to swap the usual tourist hotspots for places where their money goes further. Maybe it’s the memory of lockdowns that made us realise how precious new horizons are, or maybe it’s just the stubborn human need for a change of scene. Either way, the desire to explore is holding steady. That’s exactly why Skyscanner’s latest ranking of best-value destinations for 2027 feels like such a gift. The travel search giant crunched the numbers on economy class return flights booked in the first half of the year for travel throughout the coming year, comparing prices with the same period twelve months earlier. It also considered how much accommodation costs in each destination. The result? A list of ten places where airfares have dropped dramatically, with savings of up to two-thirds on flights alone. As Skyscanner CEO Bryan Batista puts it, people are becoming more intentional about how they spend their time and money. They’re prioritising meaningful experiences over material possessions, seeking confidence in every booking decision, and in some cases using AI to help plan their trips. In other words, the dream of a memorable holiday isn’t dead — it’s just getting smarter.
And the clear winner of this year’s list is Bilbao, a city that has been quietly transforming itself for decades and now offers some of the most impressive savings in Europe. According to Skyscanner, airfares to Bilbao have fallen by a staggering 66%, and hotel prices are down 63% compared with 2025. That means a trip to the heart of Spain’s Basque Country is suddenly within reach for travellers who might previously have written it off as too expensive or too off the beaten path. The obvious starting point is the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, the shimmering titanium masterpiece that put the city on the global cultural map. But Bilbao is not just a one-museum town. It’s a place where you can spend a morning wandering the old quarter, with its narrow streets and lively markets, and an afternoon hopping between bars in search of the perfect pintxo — those glorious little bites of bread topped with everything from jamón to grilled seafood. The food scene alone is worth the trip. And because your flights and hotel are so much cheaper, you can afford to eat well, drink well, and maybe even bring home a bottle of Basque cider. What makes Bilbao such a compelling choice is that value doesn’t mean compromise. You’re not settling for a budget holiday in a boring suburb. You’re getting a vibrant, culturally rich city with world-class art, incredible food, and easy access to the dramatic coastline of the Basque Country. It’s the kind of place that makes you wonder why you didn’t go sooner.
Coming in second is Wrocław in Poland, where flight prices have dropped by 47%. This is a city with more than a thousand years of history, and yet it remains refreshingly affordable compared with other major Polish cities. Wrocław is the kind of place that rewards slow exploration. You can start on Cathedral Island, where the streets are still lit by gas lanterns at night, casting a warm, almost magical glow over the old buildings. Then you can cross the river to the Centennial Hall, a UNESCO-listed icon of reinforced concrete architecture that still feels ahead of its time. There’s also a quirky side to Wrocław: the city is famous for its tiny bronze gnomes hidden around the streets, waiting to be spotted. It’s these little details that make a trip feel personal and memorable. Then there’s Bordeaux, which took third place and is a fantastic choice for wine lovers. Flights to the French city are down by a third, and hotel rates are 9% lower. Bordeaux has long been synonymous with fine wine, but it’s also a beautiful city of golden stone buildings, elegant boulevards, and a vibrant riverside. You can spend your days touring châteaux in the surrounding vineyards, and your evenings in the city’s lively bars and bistros. With the savings on flights, you might even be able to splurge on a tasting or two. Both Wrocław and Bordeaux prove that you don’t have to choose between culture and cost. You can have a rich, immersive travel experience and still come home with money in your pocket.
Perhaps the most surprising entry on the list is Zürich, Switzerland. For most travellers, Zürich is the poster child for eye-watering prices, the kind of place you visit only if you’ve won the lottery or have a very generous expense account. But according to Skyscanner’s analysis, flight prices to Zürich have dropped by a third, and hotel rates are down 13%. That doesn’t make it cheap, exactly, but it does make it more accessible than ever. And Zürich is genuinely lovely: the old town is beautifully preserved, the lake is stunning, and the city is compact enough to explore on foot. You can swim in the river in summer, visit world-class museums, and enjoy the famous Swiss efficiency that makes everything run smoothly. It’s a different kind of value — not the cheapest destination, but one where the quality of experience per euro is suddenly much higher. Rounding out the top five is Ancona, a port city on Italy’s Adriatic coast that often gets overlooked in favour of Rome, Florence, or Venice. Flights to Ancona are down 31%, and hotel prices have fallen by 13%. This is a chance to experience a more authentic, less crowded side of Italy. Ancona is a working city with a beautiful historic centre, a lively waterfront, and easy ferry connections to Croatia and Greece. It’s also the perfect base for exploring the Conero Riviera, with its dramatic cliffs, hidden coves, and some of the best seafood you’ll ever taste. For travellers who are tired of jostling with crowds in the big tourist centres, Ancona offers something precious: space, authenticity, and a sense of discovery.
The rest of the top ten reads like a wish list of underrated gems. Rhodes, Greece, comes in sixth with flight prices down 22%. This sun-soaked island is famous for its medieval old town, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and its beautiful beaches — and with cheaper flights, it’s an even more tempting option for a summer escape. Seventh is Pula, Croatia, where airfares have fallen by 20%. Pula is best known for its remarkably well-preserved Roman amphitheatre, which still hosts concerts and events today. It’s a great choice for history buffs who want the Adriatic charm without the crowds of Dubrovnik or Split. Eighth is Carcassonne, France, also down 20%. This fairy-tale fortified city in the south of France looks like something out of a storybook, with its turrets, drawbridges, and medieval walls. It’s a place where you can easily imagine knights and troubadours, and it’s within easy reach of the wider Languedoc region. Ninth is Fez, Morocco, with flight prices down 19%. Fez is a sensory overload in the best possible way: the ancient medina is a labyrinth of narrow alleys, bustling souks, and hidden courtyards, where the smells of spices and leather mingle in the air. Finally, tenth place goes to Krabi, Thailand, where airfares have dropped by 15%. Krabi is the stuff of postcards, with limestone cliffs rising out of turquoise water, long-tail boats bobbing in the shallows, and beaches that make you want to never leave. What’s striking about this list is the sheer variety. From a Polish city full of gnomes to a Thai province full of islands, there’s something for every kind of traveller.
Ultimately, this list is about more than just saving money. It’s a reflection of a broader shift in how we think about travel. The cost of living crisis has forced many of us to re-evaluate our priorities, and the result is a more thoughtful approach to holidays. We’re no longer content to simply tick off famous landmarks. We want to feel something, learn something, and come back with stories that matter. That’s why Skyscanner’s CEO talks about people prioritising meaningful experiences over material possessions. A trip to Bilbao or Wrocław isn’t just a cheaper alternative to Paris or Rome — it’s a chance to discover a place you might never have considered, to eat food you can’t get at home, to wander streets that don’t appear on every Instagram feed. And with AI increasingly helping travellers plan their trips, finding these hidden gems is becoming easier than ever. The message for 2027 is clear: you don’t have to stay home to save money. You just have to be a little more open-minded about where you go. Whether it’s the art and pintxos of Bilbao, the gas-lit streets of Wrocław, the vineyards of Bordeaux, the lakeside elegance of Zürich, or the Adriatic charm of Ancona, there are incredible experiences waiting for you at prices that make sense. So go ahead and book that trip. The world is still out there, and it’s more affordable than you think.
