FORGET breaking the bank on popular destinations flooded with tourists – there’s a rising hols alternative with £2 beers just a short flight away.
And hotel rooms will set you back just £30 a night with travellers no longer needing a visa to enter the up-and-coming country.
7
7
7
Rich with stunning coastlines and dramatic mountain ranges, Albania is having a moment as locals grow tired of tourists in more common summer hols spots like Greece and Majorca.
A double room in a hotel will be little more than £30 per night with beers costing just a couple of quid, according to Albania Tour Guide.
Holidaymakers can also enjoy eating out with lunch or dinner at local restaurants less than £10.
Albania opened up visa free travel this year for 84 countries – including the UK – as it embraces a tourism boom.
Capital city Tirana is just a three-hour flight from London.
The lesser-known European country – located in the continent’s southeast just above Greece – enjoyed a record year in tourism in 2023.
According to the World Travel and Tourism Council, international spending was a whopping 45 per cent higher than in 2019 – the previous record year.
Those keen on the Riviera are urged to look south, while adventurers are encouraged to stay at the Theth mountain village.
Private Albanian tour guide Manon writes online: “If you travel to the Albanian Riviera, you will want to stay in Saranda or Ksamil in the South of Albania.
“Because that is the most beautiful area of the Albanian Riviera.
“Moreover, most of the touristic sights, like Ksamil islands, Blue Eye of Saranda, Gjirokaster UNESCO city, and Butrint UNESCO sight are around this area.”
She says hotel stays in either Saranda or Ksamil will cost 35 euros – £29.50 – per night.
The formerly-communist country’s list of luxury resorts is also increasing for those keen to live like royalty during their trip.
Travel and Tour World has named a handful of renowned hotels dotted along the Balkans nation.
Mulaj Hotel in the heart of capital city Tirana is gaining popularity, while the Mazarine Hotel offers a coastal escape in Vlore.
For convenience, mk hotel tirana and Hotel Verzaci are both located near Tirana International Airport.
Also right in the middle of the capital is Hotel Opera, housing travellers in the surrounds of the best cultural attractions.
Albania has been gradually westernised since the communist regime fell in the 1990s.
But it still doesn’t rank in the top-10 travel destinations for Brits, making it a fresh getaway option even despite its recent boom.
7
7
7