4 Best Travel Telescopes Under 300 Euros

The biggest enemy of amateur astronomy isn't light pollution—it's a heavy telescope gathering dust in a closet. If you love hiking, camping, or just want a setup that fits in a carry-on bag, you need a travel telescope. With a budget of 300 euros, you can get surprisingly good optics, but you have to be careful. Some of the best portable scopes are sold as "OTA" (Optical Tube Assembly) only, meaning they don't include a mount. Here are our top 4 picks for 2026, ranging from budget-friendly all-rounders to specialized "planet killers."

1. Celestron TravelScope 70 AZ: The Ultra-Budget Entry

Let's be honest: the Celestron TravelScope 70 is a classic for one reason—it’s incredibly cheap and comes with everything, including a backpack. For well under €150, you get a 70mm refractor that weighs next to nothing.

The Reality: This is a "wide-field" telescope. It's great for sweeping the Milky Way or looking at the Moon at low power. However, the included tripod is quite flimsy. If you use it, don't extend the legs fully, or the vibration will drive you crazy. It's the perfect "first scope" for a child or a secondary scope for a hiker who doesn't want to worry about damaging expensive gear.

2. Sky-Watcher Heritage 100P: The Mini-Powerhouse

If you want the most "visual bang for your buck," the Sky-Watcher Heritage 100P is hard to beat. This is a Tabletop Dobsonian, meaning it sits on a sturdy wooden base instead of a tripod.

With a 100mm aperture, it collects significantly more light than the 70mm Celestron. You’ll see much better detail on Jupiter’s clouds and brighter views of deep-sky objects like the Andromeda Galaxy. The Catch? You need a stable surface to put it on—a camping table, a car hood, or a concrete picnic bench. It’s perfect for car camping road trips.

3. Acuter Voyager MAK80 (OTA): The Versatile Traveler

The Acuter Voyager MAK80 uses a Maksutov-Cassegrain design, which folds a long focal length into a very short tube. This makes it incredibly compact and free of the "purple fringing" (chromatic aberration) found in cheap refractors.

IMPORTANT NOTE: This is sold as an OTA (Optical Tube Assembly). It does not come with a tripod or mount. You are paying for the high-quality optics here. Because it has a standard tripod thread, you can attach it to a decent photographic tripod. It's a fantastic dual-purpose scope: great for birdwatching during the day and crisp views of the Moon and planets at night.

4. Sky-Watcher Skymax 90 (OTA): The Sharpest Views

The Skymax 90 is a legend in the amateur astronomy community. It is essentially a higher-spec version of the MAK80. For a travel scope, the sharpness it provides on the Moon and Saturn is nothing short of spectacular.

The Pro Choice: Like the Acuter, this is also an OTA only. To get the most out of its 1250mm focal length, you must have a sturdy mount. Don't put this on a €20 plastic tripod—it needs something solid. If you already have a good photo tripod or a small manual alt-az mount, this is the best optical quality you can get for under €300 that still fits in a coat pocket.