Especially in famous cities, costs in Eastern Europe have gone up with the crowds. This is one of the reasons to go to Bulgaria, still so puzzlingly underrated that few but travel geeks can name a city beyond the capital, Sofia – try Plovdiv or Varna. The latter is part of the Black Sea riviera that brings crowds and high prices in the summer. Elsewhere (including Sofia), transport, museums and the ubiquitous private rooms (look for ‘Zimmer frei’ signs) are quite reasonably priced. The most famous site, Rila Monastery, is free and offers simple rooms for pilgrims.