What your trip
will actually cost.

Budget travellers manage Bangkok on $30–45/day: cheap guesthouses ($8–15/night), street food ($1.50–4/meal), free temples, BTS transit pass. Mid-range (private hotel, sit-down restaurants, activities) runs $55–90/day. Add $700–1,400 round-trip from North America or $250–500 from Europe. Bangkok remains one of the best-value cities on earth for what you actually get.

Japan is more affordable than its reputation suggests — especially with the yen at historically weak levels. Budget: $65–100/day. Mid-range: $140–220/day. Luxury: $300–600+/day. A 10-day mid-range trip from North America including flights runs $3,500–5,500. Key: Tokyo business hotel $80–140/night, ramen lunch $8–15, subway day pass ~$8. The JR Pass only saves money on specific routes — calculate before buying.

For pure budget travel, Vietnam ($25–40/day), Georgia ($30–45/day), Albania ($35–55/day), and Indonesia outside Bali ($20–35/day) top the list for 2026. Southeast Asia remains the best global value. From North America, Mexico — especially Oaxaca and Mérida — is excellent at $45–70/day all-in. Albania is the 2026 surprise: Mediterranean quality at Eastern European prices.

Two weeks in Thailand: budget $1,200–1,600 all-in (excl. flights); mid-range $2,200–3,200; comfortable $3,500–5,000. Flights from North America add $700–1,200. Bangkok is cheapest; islands (Koh Samui, Phuket) add 30–50% to accommodation. Chiang Mai is the sweet spot for value. Daily: accommodation $10–25, food $8–15, transport $3–8, activities $5–15.

Two weeks varies by region. Western Europe (France, UK, Scandinavia): $3,500–6,000 all-in from North America. Southern Europe (Portugal, Spain, Greece): $2,500–4,500. Eastern Europe (Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland): $1,600–2,800. Lisbon and Porto remain the best-value Western European capitals. Tbilisi is European in character at Eastern European prices ($35–55/day).

ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorisation System) is the EU's pre-travel electronic authorisation for visa-exempt visitors — similar to ESTA for the US. As of May 2026, ETIAS has been repeatedly delayed and is not yet operational. When it launches (current estimates: late 2026 or 2027), it will cost €7 and be valid for 3 years. Until then, Canadians, Americans, Australians and most visa-exempt nationals can enter the Schengen Area without pre-registration. Always verify status before travel.

Farebones is completely free, requires no signup, and stores nothing about you. It uses Claude AI (Anthropic) as the backend: when you submit a destination, the AI synthesises current accommodation, food, transport, and activity costs — plus visa rules, best months, and money-saving tips. The system prompt enforces honest, grounded answers rather than inflated estimates. No ads, no commissions, no upsells. If it helped you plan a trip, a Ko-fi coffee keeps it running.