The beaches here play host to festivals in the summer (Picture: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

If you’re looking for stunning beaches and buzzing nightlife, you may have Croatia on your travel wishlist.

It’s particularly popular among trendy young sunseekers, yet with 19.8 million visitors in the first 10 months of 2023 (an increase of 9% compared to the previous year) it’s on the verge of becoming somewhat touristy.

Now, a lesser-known spot in Romania is being hailed as the new ‘it’ destination, offering many of the same attractions as Croatia but with lower prices, fewer crowds, and more cool points when you tell your friends you’ve been there.

Constanța is the country’s fourth largest city, nestled on the Black Sea coast and dating back to as far back as 600 BC.

As the Romanian city of beaches, it boasts plenty of sand and sea, with the resort of Mamaia – which hosts festivals and beach parties all through summer – gaining a reputation as the place to be for sunbathing by day and clubbing by night.

That’s not all, though. Its architecture, history, museums, and food and drink ensure every traveller can find something to love.

So if you’re thinking of taking a trip to this hidden Balkan gem, here’s everything you need to know.

Visit the harbour for beautiful views (Picture: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

How to get there

It takes between three and five hours to fly from the UK to Bucharest, and there are multiple flights a day running from a number of major airports. Even during the summer, return fares can start from as little as £66, while off-peak prices are even less.

From there, a train from Bucharest to Constanța takes just over two hours, costing around 62 lei or £11 for a one-way ticket.

The holiday resort is located on the Black Sea coast (Picture: Metro.co.uk)

There are also plenty of buses to and from the Romanian capital, or you can hire a car and drive between the two in around three hours.

Alternatively, limited direct flights run from London to Constanța Kogalniceanu airport, with return fares priced from £86 between May and August according to Skyscanner.

The best time to visit

From late spring onwards, Constanța really gets going. And since many of the resort’s amenities are best enjoyed in the sun, it’d be rude not to take advantage of the warm weather this time of year brings.

Will Jones, the travel hacks guy at StudentUniverse, which put the city on its ‘dupe destinations’ list for 2024, commented: ‘Maintaining a standard 30 degrees throughout the summer, Constanța has all the ingredients to make it the top spot for summer sun.’

As well as temperatures peaking in July, so does festival season. Sunwaves (which hosts DJs from across the world) is held on the sand in Mamaia in May, the city’s Modern Beach plays host to 150 international artists for Neversea in early July, and thousands of hip-hop fans congregate in Vama Veche in August.

Mamaia is one of the area’s top coastal resorts (Picture: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Weather in Constanța

Sun is in no short supply here, averaging at about 2,300 hours per year.

Thanks to a humid subtropical climate, it rarely rains in Constanța and temperatures between June and September rarely go below 20°C.

During the winter, however, it dips to as low as 1°C, while sea temperatures drop from 24.5°C in August to a chilly 6.5°C in February.

Things to do in Constanța

What you do in Constanța really depends on your style of travel. If you’re the type who loves history and sightseeing, a walk around the Tomis marina and Ovid’s Square should scratch the itch, with ancient buildings and Roman mosaics lining the streets.

The National History and Archaeology Museum also contains a large collection of ancient art, and the city’s Archaeological Park is wonderful for an afternoon’s exploring.

Prefer more of a relaxed break, or love to party when you go on holiday? Head to Mamaia for long stretches of sand covered in cabanas, along with hotels, bars, clubs and restaurants galore. Constanta Beach is much the same, but a little less busy.

Additionally, you can turn up the action with watersports equipment, quad bikes and scooters for hire.

Is it expensive to holiday in Constanța?

Not only is travel to Constanța affordable, staying in a 3* hotel here should only set you back roughly £35 to £50 a night.

According to Wikivoyage, ‘a typical meal at a restaurant is around €8-10 [£7-£9] per person including drinks,’ and a kebab or street food is priced at just 7 lei or £1.20.

For a pint of beer you’re looking at an average of 9 lei (£1.56), saving more than £1 compared to Croatia. Any trip can be done on a budget, but it seems this Romanian region makes it even easier than normal.

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It’s cheaper and less crowded.