A European country has a beautiful, cheap, and hardly touristy seaside city. In fact, it has even been described as a “secret” holiday destination.
Constanta is a port city in the Dobruja historical region of Romania. It is the oldest continuously inhabited city in the region, founded around 600 BC, and among the oldest in Europe.
It’s a place rich in history – occupied by various groups over the centuries, there are Roman, Bulgarian, Byzantine and Ottoman influences. There’s even a stunning art nouveau style casino perched overlooking the sea, a photo spot for many visitors.
But the thing that draws visitors to Constanta is Mamaia Beach, a vast five-mile stretch of white sand, which is actually quite rare in the area.
What makes it even better for holidaymakers is how cheap it is: a local beer on draught will cost around £1.50, while meals out cost approximately £7 a person.
There are dozens of beach bars and restaurants spread across Mamaia, so there are plenty of options for eating and drinking. The nightlife is also popular, with a number of clubs.
Popular with tourists and locals alike, the beach season at Constanta runs from around mid-June to September.
Temperatures in the summer are a pleasant 24C on average, so much more enjoyable than the roasting conditions you can get in Spain and other Mediterranean countries.
Will Jones, a travel reporter at StudentUniverse which put on Constanța on its ‘dupe destinations’ list for 2024, said: “Maintaining a standard 30 degrees throughout the summer, Constanța has all the ingredients to make it the top spot for summer sun.”
Constanta has a range of accommodation options to suit any budget, including beachside hotels, Airbnbs, hostels and holiday lets.
It takes between three and five hours to fly from the UK to Bucharest, with multiple flights a day running from a number of major airports. Even during the summer, return fares can start from as little as £66, while off-peak prices are even less.
From there, a train from Bucharest to Constanța takes just over two hours, costing around 62 lei or £11 for a one-way ticket. There are buses to and from the Romanian capital, or you can hire a car and drive between the two in around three hours.
The city welcomes 1.7million tourists every year, making it a tourism hotspot in Romania.
