'Croatia, but cheaper': The quirky holiday spots on trend for 2026

Because Montenegro is small, tourists can combine a beach holiday, city break and outdoor pursuits, explains Jennifer Lynch, managing director of travel agency Arrange My Escape."If you are on the beach resort, you can go and do a day trip up into the mountains," she says. "You can do rail tours through Montenegro and you could team it up with Bosnia and Croatia as well."Em's Budget TravelEm found her Montenegro trip good valueJennifer says it's not a traditional family holiday destination but there are some packages available for adventurous types. She estimates an eight-day family adventure package would cost about £1,825 per person.Some young people have been finding the country an attractive choice for a holiday and sharing experiences of visiting the country on TikTok.Travel blogger Em says there's value to be had in Montenegro."It was basically like Croatia, but cheaper," she says. "Kind of a combination of a city and a beach break."It was probably one of the first places I went to that sparked my obsession with travel."Some might be put off by a three-hour train after a flight from the UK, but ABTA's Emma Brennan says growing numbers of people - both young and older - are treating travel as part of their holiday experience."As soon as you're on the journey, you're getting to explore places, you're making stops along the way, and so you're getting under the skin of a different part of the destination, rather than just getting there and focusing on one area," she says.Rügen is an example of more tourists looking for an "authentic experience" of a country, away from the classic cities, she adds.Steph Jepson from Courtney World Travel says the ongoing war in the Middle East is leading some customers to look to northern Europe to feel safer."We've got clients at the moment who are getting really jittery about Cyprus, which is a shame because tourism is their main industry."She estimates an all-inclusive, seven-night package in Tallinn for a couple in June would cost about £1,800 in total. A family of four would spend about £3,400.AlbaniaIn Albania, it's easy to make travel part of your holiday."You can just fly to Corfu [in Greece], then you can catch a half-hour ferry across to Saranda, which is sort of the entry to the 'Albanian Riviera'," travel blogger Amber Robertson explains.She's seen a steady rise in the number of people viewing her guide to Albania in recent years."You've got really beautiful beaches, good beach clubs, getting that sort of Greece feel - but at a cheaper price.Amber RobertsonAmber's photos from Albania show some striking sceneryAmber RobertsonAlbania's turquoise water and white sands have led to comparisons with the Maldives"And then there's some really nice history," she says. "Barat and Gjirokastër, these really old beautiful stone towns that have a lot of culture."Jepson estimates an all-inclusive, seven-night package for a couple in what she's heard referred to as the "Maldives of Europe" would cost about £1,400. A family of four would spend about £2,300."One of the big draws, particularly for younger people, has been value," she says, "your money goes quite [a lot] further.