2026 could be the year of smarter travel choices: less defaulting to classic destinations and more searching for alternatives that offer a similar experience at a significantly lower price. After a period in which Israelis gravitated toward familiar, convenient destinations, largely due to uncertainty, a wider range of flights, growing airline competition and a relatively favorable dollar are reopening the map to new-old destinations. These places offer European or exotic vacations without breaking the budget.
Wallet-friendly alternatives
Instead of Budapest – Tirana, Albania:
Tirana may be less familiar, but it offers a surprising blend of a young European city, trendy cafes, low prices and easy access to nature and beaches nearby. Between July 12 and 15, a stay at the Albanopolis Hotel starts at $499 per person via Issta. Eshet Tours is also offering a four-night Albania package in July at a four-star hotel for $492 per person, based on double occupancy.
In addition, Eshet Tours is offering a five-night Tirana vacation package from July 23 to 28, including flights and accommodation at the four-star Arbnor Boutique Hotel with breakfast, starting at $490 per person, double occupancy.
Instead of Prague – Bucharest, Romania:
Bucharest boasts impressive architecture, lively nightlife and a rapidly developing food scene, at prices far lower than those of classic Central European destinations. An August flight to Bucharest costs $237 (Tarom, August 2 to 9), compared with $417 for a flight to Prague (Israir, same dates). A one-way August ticket to Bucharest with Romania’s Animawings starts at $121.
Eshet Tours offers a three-night Bucharest package from July 23 to 26, including flights and accommodation at a four-star Leonardo hotel with breakfast, for 400 euros per person, double occupancy. Issta has an even cheaper option: July 5 to 8 at the Atrium Bucharest City Center, starting at $369 per person.
For comparison, a July Prague vacation package including flights and four nights at the five-star Ambassador Zlata Husa with breakfast is offered by Israir starting at $642 per passenger, not including a carry-on trolley.
Instead of Mykonos – Batumi, Georgia:
Batumi offers beaches, a long promenade, nightlife and casinos, with a far lower cost of living than the Greek islands. It is a lively summer city attracting young travelers seeking sea and entertainment without an inflated price tag. An August flight to Mykonos costs $520 (Blue Bird, August 2 to 9), compared with $484 for Batumi (Israir, same dates).
Instead of Berlin – Warsaw, Poland:
Warsaw is a large, young and dynamic city with museums, culture, good food and nightlife, at prices far more affordable than Western European capitals. While Berlin was a popular destination last summer with flight prices around $517 (Israir, August 2 to 9), the 2026 alternative is Warsaw, with August flights starting at $332 (Wizz Air, same dates).
Instead of Budapest or Rome – Sofia, Bulgaria:
Sofia offers a classic European city with history, local cuisine, parks and a convenient base for day trips, all at significantly lower prices. While summer flights to Budapest or Rome start at $420 and $430 respectively (El Al), Sofia is available this summer from around $200, for example with Wizz Air, and is shaping up as a particularly popular destination in 2026.
Instead of Thailand – Sri Lanka:
Sri Lanka delivers tropical beaches, lush nature, rich local food and a strong “East” atmosphere, with fewer crowds and lower prices. An August flight to Bangkok costs $1,468 (El Al, August 2 to 9), while a flight to Colombo costs $1,058 (Flydubai, with a connection in Dubai, same dates).
Instead of Amsterdam – Slovakia or Slovenia:
Amsterdam, with July flights starting at $539, faces competition from greener, quieter destinations. Slovakia’s Bratislava offers a compact, walkable city close to nature and mountain regions, with flights at $466. Slovenia, with its green and relaxed capital Ljubljana, is also drawing interest for 2026, with flights priced at $489.
Instead of Rome or Thessaloniki – Baku, Azerbaijan:
Baku combines a modern city with a long Caspian Sea promenade, contemporary architecture alongside an old city, and a big-city experience at prices far lower than Western and Southern Europe. Arkia round-trip flights to Baku in June 2026 start at $390 per passenger. By comparison, Arkia round-trip flights to Rome on the same dates start at $468, not including a carry-on trolley.
The gap is also clear in vacation packages. A flight-and-hotel package to Baku, staying at the four-star Premier Hotel from July 1 to 5, starts at $541 per person in a double room, not including a carry-on trolley. A Thessaloniki package with Israir from July 5 to 11, 2026, including accommodation at the five-star The Met Hotel with breakfast, starts at $806 per person, double occupancy, not including a carry-on trolley.
What the industry is saying
Tal Aviation Group says a clear trend is emerging ahead of summer 2026: travelers are increasingly seeking alternatives to traditional summer destinations, driven mainly by the cost of living and rising prices in popular locations. More Israelis, they say, are choosing destinations that offer a similar experience at a significantly lower price.
Tali Noy, Issta’s vice president of strategy and marketing, told ynet: “In the current era, families are looking for unique experiences beyond traditional destinations like Greece and Cyprus. We are seeing growing demand for summer travel to places such as Albania, Uzbekistan, Romania, Lithuania and Montenegro. This trend reflects a desire for authentic vacations combining nature, culture and history, alongside reasonable prices.”
Shirly Cohen Urkabi, vice president at Eshet Tours, added: “Not only are flight prices expected to fall in 2026 due to increased supply, a weaker dollar and lower jet fuel prices, but we are also seeing a global rise in hotel prices, which makes the picture more complex.” She said destinations expected to stand out in the coming year include Greece, the Balkans, Montenegro, Albania, Bulgaria and Eastern Europe, as well as Central Asia, Morocco and the Caucasus: Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Armenia and Georgia, along with the Far East.
17 View gallery
Kotor, Montenegro, has already appeared on Israelis’ radar and is expected to continue standing out in 2026
(Photo: Shutterstock)
Tamar Gerzon, CEO of Gulliver, said summer vacations, especially family trips, are among the most significant household expenses. “Anyone planning their summer 2026 vacation now can save very large sums, not necessarily by giving something up, but by choosing the destination wisely,” she said. “We see price gaps of hundreds and sometimes thousands of shekels in August between very similar destinations. In Europe, for example, Bucharest can replace Prague or Warsaw can replace Berlin, offering a European vacation at a much lower cost. Even beach vacations can be cheaper: replacing Thailand with Sri Lanka delivers a similar experience at a difference of hundreds of dollars per family. A small change in destination can make a big difference in the budget.”
Yoni Waxman, deputy chairman of Ophir Tours, summed it up: “Israeli families today are looking for a vacation that offers nature, experience and a reasonable price. Slovakia’s Tatra region is seeing high demand, and rightly so. The Slovaks call it ‘Switzerland at an accessible price,’ with dramatic landscapes, easy trails and activities suitable for children. Slovenia also continues to stand out as a family destination with an Italian feel, thanks to its proximity to Italy, good food and green scenery. These are also higher-quality alternatives compared with what the Israeli public was used to in the past, such as basic resort villages in Western Europe.”