Ireland
If dramatic scenery and its culturally-ingrained love of alcohol attract you to the U.K., Ireland has both—plus even greener landscapes and even kinder locals. You’ll pay steeply in Dublin, especially for attractions like the Guinness Storehouse, but its unique architecture, literary heritage, and theater scene are worth the coin. The best way to see the country, though, is to drive along the western coastline via the Wild Atlantic Way. Accommodation ranges from homestays to full-on castles, and you can traipse woodland waterfalls, befriend Connemara horses, hike the Cliffs of Moher, and hear live music in Galway along the way.
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Portugal
Take everything great about Spain while subtracting the heftier crowds and costs, and you'll get Portugal. In addition to wine and sangria, you can sip on local drinks like port, ginjinha (sour cherry liquor), and vinho verde (green wine) for a few euros a glass, plus intercity train travel and rideshare apps are often cheaper than the bus. Approachability is a big plus, but the highlights are river tours around Porto and the Douro Valley, sampling pastel de nata (egg custard tarts) and pão de deus (coconut bread) in Lisbon, exploring fairytale castles of Sintra, and hopping beaches and coves along the Algarve.