I'd largely agree on the Balkans, though the trick would either to be in one of the large cities, or in the real countryside. A lot of the smaller cities are p

I'd largely agree on the Balkans, though the trick would either to be in one of the large cities, or in the real countryside. A lot of the smaller cities are pretty depressing. I've been to every country in the Balkans except for Romania (which barely qualifies), and in terms of bang-for-your-buck, Tirana is probably one of the more interesting cities. It has less gritty big-city feeling (if that's your thing) than Sofia or Belgrade, but still a surprisingly nice central district (for Europe's second poorest country). I have even recommended it specifically for cases like this: it's a cheap place to hang out in Europe that feels genuinely European, but where the cost of living is more on par with Latin America. Parts of Greece can also be surprisingly affordable (with much better infrastructure than Albania), particularly if you hit a place that's a summer hot-spot in the off-season.