Thailand
Indicative cost€140Mobility62/100Typical weather30.7° · 27.6☀ · 2.3☂82Open city →Bangkok
Temples early, river travel at midday and street food after dark.
TRACE DECISION INDEX
Where to travel in December for under €500
This is a planning threshold, not a live price promise. It highlights destinations where accommodation, meals and local travel leave more room inside a €500 working budget.Get your personal verdict →December trip estimate
Complete comparison
Morocco
Indicative cost€150Mobility54/100Typical weather20.2° · 26.1☀ · 4.3☂77Open city →Marrakech
Explore the Medina early, pause behind shaded walls at midday and reserve a separate evening or day for Agafay or the Atlas.
Greece
Indicative cost€190Mobility70/100Typical weather14.7° · 19☀ · 8.5☂64Open city →Athens
Ancient stone before the heat, neighbourhood tables after it, sunset from above.
Portugal
Indicative cost€210Mobility72/100Typical weather16.3° · 19.5☀ · 9.3☂63Open city →Lisbon
Start high, walk downhill, and reserve Belém for a separate half-day.
Spain
Indicative cost€280Mobility90/100Typical weather14.5° · 24☀ · 3.9☂60Open city →Barcelona
Reserve Gaudí early, walk the old city late, and keep the coast for golden hour.
Türkiye
Indicative cost€160Mobility70/100Typical weather11.4° · 12.8☀ · 12.3☂59Open city →Istanbul
One historic peninsula morning, one Bosphorus crossing and one neighbourhood evening.
Portugal
Indicative cost€180Mobility76/100Typical weather14.8° · 15.1☀ · 14.4☂58Open city →Porto
Walk downhill through the historic centre, cross to Gaia, then give the Douro its own day.
Spain
Indicative cost€240Mobility86/100Typical weather11.4° · 20.7☀ · 6.4☂58Open city →Madrid
One major museum, one neighbourhood and one long table make a perfect Madrid day.
United Arab Emirates
Indicative cost€390Mobility58/100Typical weather26.2° · 29.1☀ · 1.6☂57Open city →Dubai
Keep Downtown, Old Dubai and the coast on separate days; let the desert own an afternoon.
Japan
Indicative cost€290Mobility96/100Typical weather11.2° · 22.7☀ · 5.8☂55Open city →Tokyo
Pair old and new Tokyo by rail line, not by a checklist of landmarks.
Czechia
Indicative cost€180Mobility86/100Typical weather3.8° · 9.2☀ · 10.5☂53Open city →Prague
Cross Charles Bridge early, descend from the castle and save the old town for evening light.
Italy
Indicative cost€300Mobility64/100Typical weather13.6° · 18.1☀ · 10.5☂49Open city →Rome
Pair ancient Rome with one neighbourhood, never with another major museum.
Australia
Indicative cost€380Mobility70/100Typical weather24.8° · 18.8☀ · 10.4☂47Open city →Sydney
Plan from the harbour outward: one ferry, one coastal walk and one sunset view.
Italy
Indicative cost€290Mobility82/100Typical weather8.4° · 14.6☀ · 10.7☂45Open city →Florence
Two timed masterpieces are enough; everything between them should feel like discovery.
Austria
Indicative cost€290Mobility96/100Typical weather4.5° · 10.5☀ · 9.6☂42Open city →Vienna
One palace, one museum and one café chapter per day.
Method and limits+
Costs are editorial planning estimates, not live quotes. Climate uses ten-year monthly patterns. Mobility combines public transport, walkability and the concentration of useful visitor areas. Affiliate commissions do not change the order.
TRACE CITY INDEX · 2 September 2026