We Found More Cheap Thrills in Great Places

Like Malibu, Milan, Naples, and San Luis Obispo.

A few months ago, in response to your request for creative travel ideas that are gentler on the wallet, we rounded up four places in the U.S. where the landscapes are epic and the fun is affordable. We got great feedback from you (thanks for that!), so we’re going to make this a recurring feature — and we’ll make sure to include popular destinations, starting with this week’s focus on city(ish) settings in California and Italy.

Photo by Szymon Fischer on Unsplash.

Milan, Italy

Priceless access: It’s a gorgeous hub of good taste and refined culture, Brutalist buildings, and corner bar espressos.

Do not miss: Window shop to your heart’s content in the Brera and Cinque Vie neighborhoods, then drop your cash on secondhand goods. Humana Vintage is a chain of excellent second-hand shops with three locations in Milan (our fave is Edmondo de Amicis, just south of Basilica di Sant'Ambrogio, the church of da Vinci's Last Supper masterpiece). Almost everything is by little-known and long-gone Italian labels and priced between €15-25.

Take an aperitivo hour stroll through Chinatown (Via Paolo Sarpi) for a vibrant mix of Asian and Italian cheap eats like the diminutive dumpling spot Ravioli Di Lu Pechino.

Motivated consumers of culture know that there’s always a back door to the big stage. Case in point: Get last-minute opera tickets by dropping in on the loggione queue forming on Via Filodrammatici next to La Scala on the day of a performance. At 1:30 p.m., someone will come to collect names for €10 tix. A handful of discounted tix are also available two hours before each performance sold directly online. Attending with kids is also a bargain.

For a not too fancy stay: Don't expect luxury frills at four-room LaFavia (about €100 a night), but do expect necessities to be covered elegantly: a simple breakfast with a good cappuccino, comfortable beds, and access to a well-kept garden.

Malibu photo by Lisha Riabinina on Unsplash.

Malibu, California

As Malibu continues its recovery from the devastating January Palisades fire, the resilient community is slowly rebuilding. Local businesses, hotels, and restaurants are extra grateful for all outside support.

Priceless access: 27 miles of scenic coastline, beautiful hiking trails, laid-back local restaurants and shops, sprawling beaches, and the most iconic surf breaks in the Golden State.

Do not miss: Everyone mourns the devastating loss of The Reel Inn, but thankfully Malibu Seafood is holding court, serving the freshest catch in town at outdoor picnic tables with panoramic views of the Pacific. After riding waves at Surfrider Beach, one of California’s most iconic breaks, catch live music at Dreamland, an original venue from the ‘70s that holds onto its retro flair with help from surfer-cool fashion brand Aviator Nation. Throughout the summer, the club hosts sunset concerts on the Surfrider Pier.

The Getty Villa, a re-created Roman mansion and education center that is part of LA’s J. Paul Getty Museum, miraculously survived the fires, making a visit (free admission!) to the collection of 44,000 Greek, Roman, and Etruscan antiquities dating from 6,500 BCE to 400 AD even more astounding and special.

For a not too fancy stay: You won’t wake up beachside, but you’ll still cruise down Malibu’s iconic Pacific Coast Highway on the way to Hotel June, tucked within an enclave of Point Dume with artist-style midcentury bungalows that transport you to old-school, wind-in-your-hair California. Daily cares revolve around the surf report and where to find the best breakfast burrito. Hint: You’ll find it at Lily’s, run by local Lily Castro for the last three decades, a portal to Mexican comfort food at the beach

Pizza on deck at Concettina ai Tre Santi. Photo by Pavia Rosati.

Naples, Italy

Priceless access: Where (faded) Baroque splendor meets the gritty city. At a time when too many cities have been colonized by the same global chains (Starbucks in Rome? Why?), we love how stubbornly true to itself Naples remains, especially in the Sanità neighborhood, which is not as dangerous as you heard.

Do not miss: You can spend hours amid the artsy treasures and royal apartments at Museo di Capodimonte overlooking the bay for €15, and the surrounding 134-hectare park is free. The underground world of painted tombs and funerary traditions at Ipogeo dei Cristallini is just €10, but many Baroque masterpieces in Sanità don’t cost a thing, like the stunning staircases at Palazzo Sanfelice (Via Sanità, 2/6) and Palazzo dello Spagnolo (Via Vergine, 19) and Basilica di Santa Maria della Sanità, an architecturally stunning church, though its impressively grand nativity requires a ticket.

Debates rage over which native son makes the best native food — pizza — but contenders include Concettina ai Tre Santi (pizza margherita: €12), Pizzeria la Notizia (€8), and Starita (€7). Venture beyond pizza at Salumeria Upnea (it’s vegan friendly), Diego impressive seafood in an unimpressive setting), and Mimì alla Ferrovia (the local favorite). We love Posca for its funky decor and aperitivi, and were tipped off to the caldo freddo coffee at Bar Mastracchio (V.cl della Tofa, 4) in the Naples Little Black Book Anthony Mangieri wrote for us over at Fathom.

For a not too fancy stay: The city’s hotel scene is seriously lacking (the overpriced Romeo is especially awful; please avoid at all costs), which makes Atelier Inès Arts & Suites, the charming B&B run by lovely Inès Sellami and her husband Vincenzo Oste, whose studio is on site and produced many of the furnishings, all the more wonderful.

Photo courtesy of Chamisal Vineyards.

San Luis Obispo, California

This one’s inspired by the comment Autumn Enoch (on Substack at Per My Last Coffee) left on the first edition. Thanks for the great intel on SLO. (We love reader comments.)

Priceless access: A perfect pitstop on a road trip from LA to SF, San Luis Obispo is cheaper than neighboring Paso Robles — with outdoor pursuits, fantastic foods, and plenty of elbow room at the winery tasting counters.

Do not miss: Every Thursday, from 6-9 p.m. the Downtown San Luis Obispo Farmers’ Market feels more like an evening street fair.

The mineral spring-fed hillside hot tubs at Sycamore are peaceful and private and start at $25 per person, per hour (kids over five are welcome; skip lunch, it’s not that good).

The casual-but-elevated dining game is strong, notably at Luna Red, Novo Restaurant & Lounge, Brasserie SLO, Oyster Loft, Ebony, and Nate's on Marsh. In nearby Pismo Beach (don’t miss the pier), Ada’s Fish House serves award-winning chowder and Cracked Crab serves crabs by the tasty bucket.

For drinks: Nightcap, Shindig Cider and Jan's Vinyl Bar. On the farm: Chamisal Vineyards and Scar of the Sea / Lady of the Sunshine.

For a not too fancy stay: At the crossroads of Highway 101 and Highway 46, the refurbished mid-century motel River Lodge is retro-chic and wallet-friendly, especially when you swing it mid-week. If you have Hilton points you can cash in, boutique hotel The Ava just opened on the town square.