For travellers who've already done Italy or France and want something less obvious, the two regions we recommend most are Eastern Europe (Prague, Vienna, Budapest, Krakow) and Scandinavia (Copenhagen, Stockholm, Oslo, sometimes Helsinki). They are very different trips, different climates, different budgets, different pace.
The two regions on paper
| Detail | Eastern Europe | Scandinavia |
|---|---|---|
| Land cost (from): | R32,000 | R58,000 |
| Length: | 10 to 13 days | 10 to 14 days |
| Cities: | Prague, Vienna, Budapest, Krakow, Bratislava | Copenhagen, Stockholm, Oslo, Bergen, Helsinki |
| Meals included: | Breakfasts + 4 dinners | Breakfasts + 4 dinners |
| Group size: | 28 to 42 | 22 to 34 |
| Departs from: | JHB or CPT via Vienna/Prague | JHB or CPT via Copenhagen/Oslo |
| GO English: | Year-round | Apr to Oct (limited winter) |
Cost: a real difference
The R26,000 gap is real and visible on the ground. Eastern European hotels and restaurants are 40 to 50% cheaper than Scandinavian equivalents. A coffee in Prague is R35. The same coffee in Oslo is R85. A three-course dinner in Krakow is R280; in Stockholm it's R550 to R700.
This isn't about quality, it's about general European price levels. Scandinavia is one of the most expensive parts of the world to visit. Eastern Europe is one of the most affordable.
Weather: the trip's whole feel
Scandinavia in summer (June-August) has 18 to 22 hours of daylight, mild temperatures (15 to 22°C), and a kind of magic light at midnight. Spring and autumn are crisp and cold (5 to 12°C). Winter is dark (proper four-hours-of-daylight dark) and most coach tours don't run.
Eastern Europe has a more "normal" climate. Summers warm (20 to 28°C), winters cold (-5 to 5°C), spring and autumn beautiful. Tours run year-round. December is genuinely magical, Christmas markets in Prague, Vienna, and Budapest are some of the best on the continent.
Pace
Eastern Europe tours are faster, you cover more ground because the cities are closer together. Vienna to Budapest is 3 hours by coach. Prague to Vienna is 4 hours. You can do 5 countries in 12 days comfortably.
Scandinavia is more spread out, Oslo to Stockholm is 6 hours by coach (or there's a flight segment included on some tours). The pace is slower, more reflective.
What you take home
Eastern Europe: castles, beer halls, old Jewish quarters, opera houses, palaces. Heavy on history (some of it heavy in the literal sense, Auschwitz is on most Krakow itineraries and changes the trip).
Scandinavia: fjords, design museums, midnight sun, Vikings, smoked salmon, contemporary architecture. Lighter in feel, more about landscape than history.
Who should pick which
Eastern Europe if: budget matters, you love history, you want to do five countries in two weeks, you're flexible on dates.
Scandinavia if: you want a once-in-a-lifetime destination, your budget allows, you'd rather see fewer places more deeply, you can travel May-September.
Read our Eastern Europe deep-dive or Scandinavia for South Africans. Browse Eastern Europe or Scandinavia.
