Budget Travel Destinations: Albania
Have you ever considered a trip to Albania? This gem of a country, located north of Greece on the Adriatic Sea, is full of beautiful beaches, vibrant cities, and breathtaking views of the mountains. There are historical sites, a wide variety of dining options, and extremely friendly natives. Best of all, traveling to Albania is easy on the budget because tourism is still a growing industry and also because the US Dollar is worth a lot in this small, non-EU country. If you are hoping to travel to Albania on a shoestring, here are some tips:
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Getting There: There are only a couple of airlines that fly into Albania’s single airport. If you want to fly in, you might consider taking a transatlantic flight to Italy, then getting to Milan and hopping on Ryanair or another budget airline for the short jaunt across the Adriatic Sea. Another option, if you are able to take your time, is to take a ferry from Italy. This trip can take over ten hours, though, so plan to spend your day on the ferry if you choose this option. You can also enter the country through Greece if you don’t mind spending a long time on a hot, crowded bus. In short, you can get to Albania fairly inexpensively, but the less money you spend, the more time it will likely take you to get there.
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Getting Around: You might be surprised or even annoyed by the laid-back way that public transportation is handled in Albania, but just relax: The time schedules aren’t set in stone, but then again, neither are the stops. If you see the bus that you need approaching, feel free to try to flag it down. If there’s room for you, it will stop wherever you happen to be. If there’s no room, you’ll need to wait for the next one or choose alternate transportation. When you’re on the bus, be prepared: Since there are not really set stops, people will simply ask the driver to stop when they want to be let off. While this is often confusing for tourists, you’ll get the hang of it quickly and will appreciate this cheap, easy and reliable way to get around town and the country. If public transportation isn’t your style, or if you can’t seem to track down the bus that you want, you can call a taxi. Taxi fares tend to be quite low, probably because there is not much of a demand for them.
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Where to Stay: You will find a wide variety of hotels in Albania and, if you’re hoping to save money, you’ll be pleased to find that you can stay in a clean, decent hotel for under $50 per night. For example, Hotel Pik Loti is a budget hotel conveniently located in the center of Tirana, the largest city in Albania. At the time of this writing, you could get a room for about $35 per night. Hotel Millenium, in Pogradec, comes highly recommended for its clean, spacious rooms and delicious breakfast menu, and can be rented for under $40 per night. If you are looking for something more luxurious, consider the Sheraton Tirana, which offers four-star service for $122 per night.
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What to Do: In Albania, most of the attractions will be free or cheap. Visit the beaches, check out historical ruins, or simply go for a walk and enjoy the scenery. Talk to your hotel manager to get recommendations for cheap or free things to do within walking distance of your hotel. Those in the tourism industry in this country tend to be very friendly and accommodating, so you are sure to get some great suggestions.
While in the larger Albanian cities, particularly in the tourist districts, you should be able to find people speaking English. Still, it never hurts to have a guidebook with some Albanian phrases written out, particularly if you’ll be traveling to less populated areas of the country.
Interested in Albania, but want us to do the work for organizing your travel or tour for you? Feel free to explore our Europe tour options to see what we have for you.
Or, perhaps, have you gone to Albania? Do you have any other tips for saving money and having a great Albanian vacation on a budget? Feel free to leave a comment for any information you have, that you’d like to fill us in on!
