Written by Rita Serra | Published Oct 03, 2026

Thirty-four countries. That’s my count today, and I have until my 50th birthday to reach 50.

If you’re looking for underrated countries in Europe that most travelers skip, I’ve got five picked out for my next trips. I need 16 more countries to hit 50 before I turn 50, on a freelance income, with Antarctica saved for last.

I’ve been traveling since 2018 and living in Albania for six years, so I know how I actually get places. It’s rarely a master plan. It’s one trip at a time.

So I’m not going to hand you a tidy list of all 16. I don’t have one yet, and pretending I did would go against everything this series is about.

What I do have is the next five, and a real reason behind every single one of them.

Five countries. Sixteen to go. Here’s where I’m starting.

Where I Stand Right Now

The Polar Plan tracker says 34 out of 50. That leaves 16 countries, and then Antarctica comes after them as the grand finale.

I need all 16 before I step onto that ship, and I don’t have a set pace for getting there. I could knock out five in one month and then go four months without a new one.

What I do know is that some of those 16 will be my bucket list countries in South America, since I have to go through there to reach Antarctica anyway.

Every trip on this list has to be cheap enough that it doesn’t eat into the cruise fund. If you read my honest Antarctica cruise budget, you already know that fund started at zero.

That one rule shapes almost every choice below.

How I Picked These Underrated Countries in Europe

I didn’t pick these five by spinning a globe. Each one had to pass at least one of these tests.

Is it close to Albania? Living here is my biggest advantage. Kosovo is just a bus ride away, and the others are short flights compared to flying from the US.

Has it been on my list for years? A couple of these have been sitting on my someday list for so long it’s embarrassing.

Do I trust the person telling me to go? Two of these made the list because friends who have been there won’t stop talking about them.

Does it fit the budget? If a trip would set the cruise fund back months, it waits. It’s the same thinking I use to travel more without going broke.

One more thing before the list. I haven’t been to any of these five yet. Everything below is what’s pulling me there and what I know so far, not a review.

If you’re building your own country list, steal these questions. They’ll save you from planning a trip you can’t actually afford to take.

1. Kosovo

Kosovo is the one I can’t believe I haven’t done yet, because it’s right there.

After six years in Albania, the connection is hard to miss. Most people in Kosovo are ethnic Albanians, and the history between the two runs deep. Kosovo declared independence in 2008, which makes it one of the youngest countries in Europe. It also isn’t a member of the United Nations, so some country-counting lists leave it out. I didn’t know that until I started planning this, and I’m counting it anyway.

I’ve heard so many good things about it from people here. Prishtina keeps getting described to me as modern, a little hippie, and more open than people expect. I want to see that for myself. It’s also an easy add-on if you’re visiting Albania first, and my 7-day Albania itinerary covers that side of the border.

It’s also the easiest trip on this list. Buses run between Tirana and Prishtina daily, and the ride takes around 4 to 5 hours. The last time I checked, tickets were $24 non-refundable or $29 refundable.

This is the cheapest country on my list by a long way, which is exactly why it’s here.

2. Slovenia

Slovenia has been on my list for a while, and it’s the one I think most people skip without meaning to.

It sits right between Italy, Austria, and Croatia, so a lot of travelers pass straight through on the way somewhere more famous. That’s almost exactly what happened to a friend of mine.

She was driving from Albania to the UK, and Slovenia was supposed to be a few hours on the road. She ended up staying two or three days.

She told me it’s one of the most beautiful places she’s ever been, and that if she could live anywhere, it would be there. That put Slovenia on my radar. Since then, everyone I know who has been says the same thing: I have to go.

The places at the top of my list are Lake Bled, with its tiny church on an island in the middle of the lake, and Ljubljana, the capital, where the old center is closed to cars. I also want to see Postojna Cave, one of the longest cave systems open to visitors in Europe.

Over half the country is covered in forest, and Triglav National Park covers much of the Julian Alps. For someone who lives on the sea, that kind of green is a big part of the pull.

Practical tip: Slovenia is in the Schengen Area and uses the euro, and Albania is in neither. As an American, my days there count toward the 90 days in any 180-day period that Schengen allows. You can track your days with the EU’s official Schengen calculator.

The honest downside is cost. Slovenia will likely be pricier than the Balkan countries on this list, especially around Lake Bled in summer. That’s why I’m going in spring, around March, before the crowds show up. If you’re going in summer, book your stay near Lake Bled early.

3. Romania

Romania is my castles-and-spooky-season pick, and I’m not even a little embarrassed about it.

What pulls me there is the food, the architecture of the old towns, and the feeling that it’s still authentic in a way a lot of Europe isn’t anymore. Towns like Brașov, Sibiu, and Sighișoara in Transylvania look like the kind of places I’d happily wander for days.

And then there’s Bran Castle, the one everyone calls Dracula’s Castle. Here’s what nobody tells you: Bram Stoker never actually visited Romania, so the Dracula connection is more legend and marketing than history. I still want to see it. If you’re going, book your Bran Castle tickets ahead, since they can sell out in summer.

I’m planning to go before the busy season, either in November or sometime in January or February. I’d rather have the castles and old towns with fewer people around, even if it means packing for the cold. Bran Castle also closes earlier from October to March, around 4 p.m. instead of 6, so I’ll plan my day around that.

One thing to know if you’re American like me: Romania became a full member of the Schengen Area in 2025, so days there now count toward the same 90-day limit as Slovenia.

4. Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bosnia made the list for four reasons: the nature, the people, the history, and the food.

The friendliness of the people keeps coming up whenever Bosnia does, and that matters to me as a solo traveler over 40. I’d rather spend my money somewhere I’ll feel welcome than somewhere that only looks good in photos.

The history is heavy and recent, and I want to learn it properly instead of just passing through. Mostar’s Old Bridge was destroyed during the war in 1993 and rebuilt, and Sarajevo carries layers of Ottoman, Austro-Hungarian, and Yugoslav history in the same few streets.

On the food side, I’m going for ćevapi (small grilled minced meat sausages served in flatbread) and burek made the Bosnian way.

Bosnia is outside Schengen, and I’ll most likely fly in. The bus rides from Albania are longer than I want to sit through, so I’ll be comparing flights on Expedia closer to the date.

5. Georgia

Georgia is on this list because a friend of mine lived there for two years and has been begging me to go ever since.

Her review is simple: the food and the vibe are top tier. I trust her taste, and when someone who actually lived somewhere keeps pushing, I listen.

This one is secondhand for now, so here’s what I know beyond her word. Georgian food is known for khachapuri (cheese-filled bread, often topped with egg and butter) and khinkali (soup dumplings). Georgia also has one of the oldest winemaking traditions in the world, using clay vessels called qvevri that are buried underground.

Georgia sits right where Europe meets Asia, and it’s one of the most underrated stops on either side. For Americans, it’s also one of the easiest countries on the planet to visit. US citizens can stay visa-free for up to a year.

One thing that changed recently: as of January 1, 2026, Georgia requires every tourist to have travel health and accident insurance. The policy has to cover your whole stay with at least 30,000 Georgian lari in coverage, and border officers can ask to see it, so buy it before you fly. The US Embassy in Georgia has the full requirements. SafetyWing is an easy option, and you can buy it for just the length of your trip.

Practical tip: Kosovo, Bosnia, and Georgia aren’t in the EU, so check that your eSIM plan covers every country on your route. I already use Holafly in Albania, and you can get 5% off with my code RITAINWANDER. To read the full review, check out my full Holafly review.

The downside is distance. It’s the farthest trip on this list from Albania, so it’ll likely cost the most in flights.

Not Just 50 Countries: All 7 Continents Too

The countries are only half of the Polar Plan. I also want to reach all seven continents before I turn 50, and so far I’ve been to three.

That means some of my remaining countries have to come from places I’ve never set foot in: South America, Africa, and Australia.

South America is already built into the plan, because it’s where Antarctica cruises leave from. I’m planning to spend two to three months there before the ship sails from Ushuaia, which I wrote about in my Antarctica planning checklist.

For Africa, Egypt is at the top of my list.

Egypt has been on my bucket list since I was a kid. I watched the Indiana Jones movies and decided I was going to be an archaeologist and have those kinds of adventures.

I know the real Egypt is nothing like the movies. It’s still a must for me. I just don’t know when yet.

Australia is still wide open. I haven’t picked when or where, and I’m not going to pretend I have.

Antarctica makes seven. It’s the finish line for the whole plan, and the goal that started all of this after I watched other creators do it and realized it was actually possible.

What About the Other 11?

After these five, I’ll have 11 countries left, with Antarctica waiting at the end.

Some of them will be in South America, Africa, and Australia, since I need all three to reach seven continents.

Spain is already first in line for the next batch. I was right next door in Portugal and never crossed the border, and I’m not letting that happen twice. The rest are honestly still open. I’ll share the next five once these are done, and the tracker updates every time a country gets checked off.

If you’re chasing a country goal of your own, here’s how I built my first $12,000 travel fund the year I left.

And I’d love your help with the rest. Which country do you think deserves a spot on my list? Tell me in the comments.

FAQ’s Underrated Countries I’m Visiting Next