Untravelled Paths: May 2026

Thursday, May 7, 2026

Why Slovenia Should Be on Your Radar Instead of Switzerland

Same stunning scenery. A fraction of the price. And a whole lot more besides.

Switzerland is magnificent. Nobody is going to argue with that. The snow-capped Alps, the crystal-clear lakes, the immaculate villages – it is, without question, one of Europe’s most iconic destinations. But here’s the thing: it is also eye-wateringly expensive, increasingly crowded, and, whisper it, a little predictable.

So what if we told you there’s a country that gives you virtually everything Switzerland offers, throws in an Adriatic coastline, serves food and wine that rivals northern Italy, runs with the quiet efficiency of Austria, and costs a fraction of the price?

Meet Slovenia. Europe’s best-kept secret and quite possibly its greatest underrated travel destination.

1. The Price Difference Is Extraordinary

Let’s start with the numbers, because they really are remarkable. Switzerland consistently ranks as one of the most expensive countries in the world for travellers, with average daily costs that can leave even seasoned holidaymakers wincing. A coffee in Zurich. A glass of wine in Geneva. A hotel in Zermatt. It all adds up, and adds up fast.

Slovenia, by contrast, offers outstanding value without ever feeling budget. You’ll find beautifully designed boutique hotels, exceptional restaurants, well-maintained roads and hiking trails, and a tourism infrastructure that feels genuinely world-class – all at prices that are typically 50 to 70 per cent lower than Switzerland. Families, couples, and solo travellers alike will find that their money goes considerably further here, leaving more in the kitty for experiences rather than simply keeping up with the cost of being there.

For travellers who want the Alpine dream without the Alpine price tag, Slovenia is quite simply unbeatable.

2. The Food and Wine Will Genuinely Surprise You

One of the most delightful discoveries awaiting first-time visitors to Slovenia is just how seriously the country takes its food and wine. Bordering Italy to the west, Slovenia has absorbed centuries of culinary influence from its neighbour, and the results are spectacular.

The Vipava Valley and the Karst region produce wines, particularly orange wines and robust reds, that are earning genuine international acclaim. Slovenian olive oil from the Istrian coast has won global awards. The country’s chefs are creative, ingredient-led, and deeply proud of their local produce, which ranges from wild mushrooms and truffles to freshwater fish, cured meats and outstanding cheeses.

Ljubljana, Slovenia’s charming capital, has a restaurant scene that punches well above its weight, with several establishments that would hold their own in any major European city. For food and wine lovers, Slovenia is not a compromise on Italy – it is a magnificent alternative with its own distinct and deeply rewarding identity.

3. The Infrastructure Is Quietly Impressive

One of the reasons Switzerland commands such a premium is its legendary infrastructure, the trains that run to the second, the spotless roads, the impeccable organisation. What many travellers don’t realise is that Slovenia offers a remarkably similar experience.

Having been part of the former Yugoslavia’s most prosperous republic, and having joined the European Union in 2004, Slovenia has developed infrastructure that feels much closer to Austria than to the Balkans. Roads are excellent, public transport is reliable, signage is clear, and the country is exceptionally well set up for tourism. Hiring a car and exploring independently is an absolute pleasure, and the compact size of the country, it is roughly the size of Switzerland’s Canton of Bern, means that you can cover an enormous amount of ground in a relatively short time.

4. The Mountain Scenery Is Every Bit as Spectacular

Here is perhaps the most important point of all for anyone considering Slovenia as an alternative to Switzerland: the landscapes are genuinely, breathtakingly stunning.

The Julian Alps in the north-west of the country offer dramatic mountain scenery that stands comparison with anything the Swiss Alps have to offer. Triglav National Park, home to Mount Triglav, Slovenia’s highest peak and a symbol of national pride, is a hiker’s paradise of glacial valleys, waterfalls, limestone plateaus and soaring peaks. In winter, ski resorts such as Kranjska Gora and Vogel offer excellent skiing without the queues and costs of their Swiss counterparts.

And then there is Lake Bled. Quite possibly one of the most photographed places in Europe, with its fairytale island church and clifftop castle reflected in impossibly turquoise water, Bled is the image that has put Slovenia firmly on the map for many travellers and rightly so. Lake Bohinj, nearby and considerably less visited, offers an equally beautiful but altogether more peaceful alternative for those who prefer their scenery without the selfie sticks.

5. It Even Has a Coastline

This is the detail that tends to genuinely surprise people. Switzerland, for all its magnificence, is landlocked. Slovenia is not.

The Slovenian Riviera, a short but utterly charming stretch of Adriatic coastline, offers the towns of Piran, Izola and Koper, each with its own distinct character and Venetian architectural heritage. Piran in particular is one of the most beautifully preserved medieval coastal towns in the whole of the Mediterranean, a labyrinth of narrow streets, elegant squares and waterfront restaurants that feels like stepping into another era.

It is a small coastline, certainly but it is a magnificent one, and it adds a dimension to a Slovenian holiday that Switzerland simply cannot match.

6. It Is Still Pleasingly Undiscovered

Slovenia welcomed around 6.5 million tourists in 2024. Switzerland, by comparison, welcomed over 39 million. That difference in visitor numbers is felt at every level of the travel experience – in the queues at popular sites, in the ease of finding accommodation, in the sense of space and authenticity that Slovenia consistently delivers.

This is a country that has not yet been overwhelmed by mass tourism. Its people are warm and welcoming, its culture is vibrant and proud, and its natural environment is treated with genuine care and respect. Slovenia was named European Green Capital and has long been celebrated for its commitment to sustainable tourism – an increasingly important consideration for the modern, conscious traveller.

The Verdict

Switzerland will always have its place. But for travellers who want Alpine grandeur, exceptional food and wine, world-class infrastructure, a sparkling Adriatic coastline and extraordinary value, all wrapped up in one of the most compact and perfectly formed countries in Europe, Slovenia is not just a reasonable alternative to Switzerland.

It is, in many ways, the better choice.

Explore our Slovenia journeys →

The post Why Slovenia Should Be on Your Radar Instead of Switzerland appeared first on Untravelled Paths.

from Untravelled Paths https://blog.untravelledpaths.com/blog/why-slovenia-should-be-on-your-radar-instead-of-switzerland/

We’ve Just Made Booking Your Next Adventure a Whole Lot Easier

Introducing Flight Cancellation Protection: Fuel Crisis Cover – because your dream trip deserves to happen

Let’s be honest. The world of air travel has felt a little nerve-wracking lately.

With the ongoing conflict in the Middle East sending jet fuel prices soaring, we’re talking from $74 to a staggering $150 per barrel, airlines across Europe are under enormous financial pressure. Industry bosses have been naming names. Carriers have already collapsed. And if you’ve been sitting on the fence about booking your next big adventure because you’re worried about what might happen to your flights, we completely understand.

But here’s the thing. We think that uncertainty shouldn’t stand between you and the trip you’ve been dreaming about. So we’ve done something about it.

Introducing Flight Cancellation Protection: Fuel Crisis Cover

From 6th May 2026, Untravelled Paths is offering something we’re genuinely excited about: the ability to book your trip with complete, total, unshakeable peace of mind.

Add our Flight Cancellation Protection to your booking, from just £49 per person, and if your flight is cancelled due to the fuel crisis, geopolitical disruption, or airspace restrictions linked to the Middle East conflict, you won’t lose a penny of your trip cost. Simple as that.

You can choose between a full refund or a free postponement to any available date within the next 24 months. No complicated claims process, no battling with an airline’s customer service team, no nasty surprises. Just a straightforward promise from us to you.

Why Now? Why Us?

We’ve been watching the aviation situation closely, and we know what it means for travellers who want to get out and explore the world. The collapse of Ascend Airways in late April was a wake-up call for a lot of people. When carriers start going under with little warning, the question “will my flight actually operate?” becomes very real indeed.

Rather than simply crossing our fingers and hoping for the best, we decided to put our money where our mouth is. We believe that extraordinary adventures shouldn’t be put on hold because of circumstances beyond anyone’s control. Our new cover is our way of saying: we’ve got you. Book the trip. We’ll handle the what-ifs.

How Does It Work?

It couldn’t be simpler:

More than 14 days before departure? Choose a full refund of your trip cost, or postpone to any available date within 24 months. Entirely your call.

Between 48 hours and 14 days before departure? Free postponement to any available date within 24 months. We’ll work hard to find you the perfect alternative.

The cover fee? Scaled fairly to the value of your trip:

Trip Cost Per Person	Cover Fee Per Person
Up to £1,000	£49
£1,001 – £2,500	£89
£2,501 – £4,000	£129
£4,001 and above	£175

Add it at the time of booking, or within 7 days of your booking date, and you’re covered. Refunds are processed within 20 working days of receiving your documentation. Told you it was simple.

A Word of Advice While We’re Here

Alongside our new cover, we’d strongly recommend two extra steps to make sure you’re fully protected:

Book your flights by credit card. Under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act, credit card purchases between £100 and £30,000 may be refundable if a company collapses – giving you an additional layer of protection for the flight cost itself (our cover protects your trip cost with us, not the flights).

Take out travel insurance that includes SAFI. Scheduled Airline Failure Insurance is specifically designed to cover you if your airline goes under, and right now it’s more relevant than ever.

So What Are You Waiting For?

There has never been a better time to book an Untravelled Paths adventure, and now there’s genuinely no reason not to. Whether you’ve had your eye on a remote trek through the Caucasus, an immersive cultural journey across Central Asia, or perhaps something from our brand-new Americas collection (more on that very soon!), you can book with confidence knowing that we’ve taken the uncertainty off the table.

The world is still out there. Still extraordinary. Still waiting for you.

Add Flight Cancellation Protection to your booking today →

Full terms and conditions for Flight Cancellation Protection: Fuel Crisis Cover are available on our website. Cover must be added at the time of booking or within 7 days of the original booking date, and cannot be purchased once a cancellation notice has been issued by an airline. This cover applies to your Untravelled Paths trip cost only and is not a regulated insurance product.

The post We’ve Just Made Booking Your Next Adventure a Whole Lot Easier appeared first on Untravelled Paths.

from Untravelled Paths https://blog.untravelledpaths.com/blog/booking-your-next-adventure-a-whole-lot-easier/

Your Summer, But Make It Unforgettable: Our Top European Destinations

Summer is coming. And whether you’re ready to admit it or not, that quiet, insistent voice in the back of your head, the one that keeps asking whether you really want to spend another August doing the same thing, is getting louder. We think it’s worth listening to.

At Untravelled Paths, summer is the season when our European adventures come into their own. Long days, warm evenings, markets in full swing, landscapes at their most vivid, and the extraordinary feeling of being somewhere that genuinely surprises you. This year, we want to make the case for five destinations that will do exactly that — places that are not just beautiful, but genuinely, memorably extraordinary.

Here’s what’s waiting for you this summer.

Bosnia & Herzegovina: Europe’s Most Underrated Country

There is a moment, somewhere on the streets of Sarajevo’s Baščaršija — the 15th-century Ottoman bazaar at the heart of the old city — when it hits you. The minarets, the copper merchants, the smell of Bosnian coffee being prepared in the old way, the call to prayer overlapping with the sound of church bells from around the corner. You are in a city unlike any other in Europe, and you wonder why you haven’t been here sooner.

Bosnia and Herzegovina is, quite simply, the most underrated country on the continent. Three major religions — Islam, Roman Catholic, and Serbian Orthodox — come together here to form a vibrant blend of cultures, and the country is rich in history, culture, and natural beauty. Sarajevo, its extraordinary capital, is a city where World War One began (the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in 1914 took place on these streets), where the Winter Olympics were held in 1984, and where the people carry the recent memory of a siege that lasted 1,400 days in the 1990s — and discuss it with a candour and warmth that is genuinely humbling.

But Bosnia is also a country of extraordinary natural beauty. The jade-green waters of the Neretva Canyon slice through craggy mountains in one of the most spectacular drives in the Balkans. The Kravica Waterfalls — a series of cascading falls in a lush green amphitheatre — are one of those places that makes you feel you’ve discovered something. And Mostar, with its magnificent Stari Most bridge arching over the turquoise Neretva River, is a town that looks like it was plucked from the pages of a fairytale.

The journey from Sarajevo to Mostar passes through the Blagaj Tekke — a 16th-century Dervish monastery built at the base of a cliff beside the turquoise spring of the Buna River — a place that feels almost surreal in its stillness. Watch divers plunge from the Old Bridge into the river below, eat ćevapi (Bosnian minced meat fingers) at a local restaurant, and sit with a cup of Bosnian coffee that takes a very particular technique to prepare correctly. This is the kind of travel that stays with you.

The bonus: Bosnia sits at the heart of one of Europe’s most rewarding travel regions. It combines beautifully with Croatia to the west or Montenegro to the south — making it easy to build a multi-country Balkan adventure from a single trip.

Romania: Four Countries in One

Romania is a country that consistently astonishes the travellers who make it there — and consistently baffles those who haven’t yet made it, because how can one country contain so much?

Our Romania experience takes in four entirely distinct worlds. In Transylvania, you’ll explore the charming Saxon towns of Brașov, Sibiu, and Sighișoara — the birthplace of the real Vlad the Impaler, who inspired Dracula — with their colourful medieval squares, fortified churches, and fairy-tale citadels rising above cobbled streets. Bran Castle, perched ominously on its rocky outcrop, and the royal splendour of Peleș Castle offer two of the most atmospheric historic visits in Eastern Europe.

Then there are the bears.

The Carpathians are home to the largest brown bear population in Europe, numbering up to 8,000 individuals. From a carefully positioned wildlife hide in the forests above the valley, you watch in silence as the bears emerge at dusk — wild, unhurried, magnificent — sometimes accompanied by wild boar, foxes, and the occasional wolf moving through the trees. It is one of the most genuinely thrilling wildlife experiences available anywhere in Europe, and it is happening right here, a couple of hours from Bucharest.

Further north, Maramureș is Romania’s most authentically preserved region: a landscape of wooden churches built without a single nail (several of them UNESCO World Heritage Sites), horse-drawn carts on country lanes, and villages where the pace of life follows the rhythm of the seasons rather than the clock. Romania’s famed rural villages are incredibly authentic, as if time forgot them, and the locals continue to live a slow and simple life like that of their ancestors before them.

And finally, the Danube Delta — one of Europe’s great wilderness areas, accessible only by boat, home to over 300 species of birds including the world’s largest colony of Dalmatian pelicans, and quite simply one of the most beautiful and peaceful places we know. We’ve written about Mila 23 and the extraordinary story of this place at length on the blog — and in summer, with the delta in full bloom and the pelicans gliding overhead, it is at its most magical.

Romania. You genuinely will not believe it.

Montenegro: Europe’s Best-Kept Coastal Secret

Montenegro is tiny — smaller than Wales — and it packs more extraordinary scenery per square kilometre than almost anywhere else on earth. The name means “Black Mountain,” which tells you something about the drama of the landscape: this is a country where the Adriatic coast, pine-forested mountains, glacial lakes, and ancient walled towns coexist in improbable proximity.

The Bay of Kotor — often called Europe’s southernmost fjord — is one of the great visual spectacles of the Mediterranean. The UNESCO-listed Old Town of Kotor sits at the head of the bay, its medieval walls climbing the steep mountain behind it, its honey-grey cobbled streets full of churches, cats, and excellent restaurants. Sail across the bay to the tiny island church of Our Lady of the Rocks — built, according to local legend, on a foundation of rocks thrown into the sea by sailors returning safely from voyages — and you’ll understand why Montenegro keeps ending up on “most beautiful places in Europe” lists.

Then there is Sveti Stefan. A 15th-century fortified fishing village that was converted into one of the Adriatic’s most exclusive addresses, this tiny islet connected to the mainland by a narrow causeway is perhaps the single most photographed sight in the country — and the surrounding beaches, with the pink islet glowing against the turquoise Adriatic, are every bit as spectacular as the postcards suggest.

For those willing to venture inland, Durmitor National Park offers rugged wilderness of limestone peaks, glacial lakes, deep canyons, and alpine meadows — a landscape that many visitors immediately compare to the Dolomites, but one you can enjoy with virtually zero crowds. The Tara Canyon — the second deepest canyon in the world — offers white-water rafting of extraordinary drama.

The bonus: Montenegro’s geography makes it one of Europe’s finest multi-country hubs. It combines effortlessly with Croatia to the north, Bosnia to the northeast, Albania to the south, and — for the more ambitious itinerary — even Italy by ferry from the port of Bar.

Slovenia: Small Country, Extraordinary Everything

Slovenia sometimes feels like Europe’s best-kept secret: a country the size of Wales that somehow contains the Julian Alps, a UNESCO-listed cave system, a perfectly preserved medieval capital, and a lake so photogenic it seems almost deliberately designed to make you believe in fairy tales.

That lake is, of course, Lake Bled. Nestled in the foothills of the Julian Alps, this fairytale lake has emerald waters, a charming central island, and a medieval castle perched on a cliff — and it’s been consistently ranked among the most beautiful lakes in the world. In summer, you can swim in the crystalline water, row or paddle across to Bled Island on a traditional pletna boat (a flat-bottomed gondola unique to this lake, poled by local oarsmen), climb to Bled Castle for views that stretch across the Julian Alps, and ring the church bell on the island — local legend holds that wishes made when the bell rings come true.

For a sunrise hot air balloon experience over Lake Bled — floating higher and higher until you’re among the clouds and looking out across international borders into Austria and Italy — this is one of those things that makes you feel very small and very fortunate simultaneously.

The Vintgar Gorge — a kilometre-long canyon of turquoise water traversed by wooden walkways and bridges, ending at a thundering waterfall — is one of those natural spectacles where you run out of superlatives very quickly. And Triglav National Park, beyond the lake, offers some of the finest mountain hiking in the Alps — with significantly fewer people than the Austrian or Swiss alternatives.

Ljubljana, Slovenia’s compact and charming capital, is the perfect starting point: a city of flower-draped bridges, riverside café culture, a castle overlooking the rooftops, and a food scene that punches well above its weight for a city of fewer than 300,000 people. And for those who want to go underground, the Postojna Cave — 24 kilometres of remarkable caverns, navigated partly by electric train — and the extraordinary Predjama Castle, built into the mouth of a cave halfway up a cliff face, are experiences unlike anything else in Europe.

Slovenia is extraordinarily compact. You can genuinely experience the best of it in a week, which makes it perfect as a standalone short break or as part of a broader Balkan adventure.

Turkey: Three Countries in One Trip

Turkey is the destination that makes people wonder why they waited so long. It is vast, extraordinarily varied, and layered with thousands of years of civilisation in a way that no country in Europe can quite match. Our Turkey experience takes in three entirely distinct worlds, each one spectacular in its own right.

Istanbul is one of the world’s great cities — the only metropolis that sits across two continents, where 2,600 years of Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman history layer upon each other in ways that are still, somehow, surprising. The Hagia Sophia was originally a cathedral built in 537 AD, then a mosque, then a museum, and is now a mosque again — one of humanity’s greatest architectural achievements. The Blue Mosque, the Topkapı Palace, the Grand Bazaar, the Spice Market, the ferry crossing of the Bosphorus at sunset with the city’s minarets silhouetted against an orange sky — Istanbul is inexhaustible, and you will leave it wanting more time.

Cappadocia is something else entirely. The surreal landscape of fairy chimneys, cave dwellings, and underground cities creates experiences available nowhere else on earth. You stay in a cave hotel — hewn from the volcanic tufa that forms these extraordinary formations, surprisingly luxurious, and genuinely otherworldly — and you wake before dawn for the hot air balloon ride that consistently features on every “once-in-a-lifetime experiences” list ever written. Up to 150 balloons launch simultaneously at dawn over the fairy chimney landscape, floating in near-silence above a landscape that looks like it belongs on another planet. It is magnificent.

And then there is the Turkish Riviera — and the gulets. A gulet is a traditional Turkish wooden sailing yacht, handcrafted from mahogany, pine, and teak, following a design developed for these waters in Byzantine times. Sailing the Turquoise Coast aboard one of these beautiful vessels — anchoring in hidden coves, swimming in translucent water over the ruins of ancient Lycian cities, hiking to rock tombs carved into clifftops 2,000 years ago, eating extraordinary meals prepared by an on-board chef and served on deck as the sun goes down — is one of those experiences that redefines what a holiday can be. Pine-forested coasts scented by wild herbs, tiny seaside villages, Lycian rock tombs, ruined Byzantine monasteries, ancient Roman baths, and towering Greek amphitheatres all accessible only by boat and foot.

Turkey is extraordinary value, extraordinarily hospitable, and extraordinarily beautiful. It is, in the truest sense, an untravelled path — even if it’s been there all along.

This Summer, Make It Count

These five destinations have one thing in common: they surprise people. Not because they’re unknown — though some come close — but because they deliver something that the more familiar summer destinations simply cannot: the feeling that you’ve genuinely experienced somewhere, rather than just visited it.

Whether you’re drawn to the history of Bosnia, the wildlife of Romania, the coastline of Montenegro, the mountain lakes of Slovenia, or the extraordinary variety of Turkey, we’re ready to help you plan the trip.

Get in touch with the Untravelled Paths team today and let’s start building your summer adventure. We know all five of these destinations personally and deeply — the best places to stay, the moments not to miss, the hidden corners that make the difference. We’d love to share them with you.

Summer 2026 is calling. Let’s make it one you’ll talk about for years.

The post Your Summer, But Make It Unforgettable: Our Top European Destinations appeared first on Untravelled Paths.

from Untravelled Paths https://blog.untravelledpaths.com/blog/top-european-destinations-for-2026/