Useful Tips

If you're itching to go abroad this summer but can't afford the usual exorbitant prices, try visiting these alternatives to major cities. According to PriceofTravel.com, here are 8 great international destinations you can actually afford, based on its 3-Star Index, which includes a room in a 3-star hotel, a taxi ride, a cultural attraction, and three mid-range meals with beverages:

• Krakow, Poland: Cheaper than Amsterdam, Krakow also has a weaker currency, the zloty, which will stretch your travel budget.
• Cartagena, Columbia: Cheaper than Rio de Janeiro by half, with beaches and a beautiful, historic old town.
• The Himalayas: Cheaper than the Alps, and home to Earth's highest peaks. At $28 per day, Pokhara, Nepal, is the cheapest city on the 3-Star Index.
• Budapest, Hungary: A third of the cost to travel to Paris, and still a culturally rich European capital, with the 13th century Buda Castle and the Danube River.
• Bangkok, Thailand: Cheaper than Tokyo, a longtime backpacker favorite, and with many cultural and culinary tastes to suit, at roughly $56 per day.
• Barcelona, Spain: Cheaper than Nice, France, and a big coastal city with similar charms.
• Istanbul, Turkey: Cheaper than Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and where you can visit the Topkapi Palace for $12, and pamper yourself with full spa packages at Turkish Baths starting around $30.
• Nicaragua: Cheaper and less popular than Costa Rica, where you can still be outdoorsy and adventurous, and where you're likelier to have lakes and beaches all to yourself.