Your budget and, in general, the travel cost to Albania for a couple depends on many factors. Below, I will provide figures for most travelers to Albania. This won’t be about luxurious getaways or helicopter flights. You’ll discover the expenses that await all tourists in Albania.
Travel cost to Albania for two: key points
It’s important to understand that the budget, like anywhere else, depends on various factors. Some people can live for a month with 500 euros, while others might not have enough with 2000 for two weeks.
Below are all the essential expense categories for a trip to Albania, and I’ll provide average prices in the market. If you’re traveling on a limited budget, know that you can find ways to cut costs, making it even cheaper than what’s mentioned in the article.
- The article won’t cover the cost of holiday packages to Albania; you can find that information through the link. What follows are only figures for travelers who plan their entire route independently.
An interesting point to discuss about expenses:
I’m often asked to help organize a trip to Albania. There are tourists who book the cheapest accommodation (even though they have the money). They justify it by saying that they don’t want to spend time in apartments; they’d rather enjoy the beach, the mountains, visit landmarks, and hang out at cafes. So, for them, the accommodation is just a place to sleep, not a place to stay and socialize.
On the other hand, there’s another group of tourists willing to pay 30 euros more to have a better view and more spacious apartments.
Both options are valid, but the accommodation budget differs by a factor of two. Remember, everyone is different; the most important thing is that you feel comfortable and have a good time, regardless of what others might think.
Cost of a vacation for two: expense categories
All amounts will be in euros, as it’s the main currency to use when coming here.
- Flights and airplane tickets.
- Let’s assume that you (like 70% of tourists) are flying to Albania with a low-cost airline. On average, the flight will cost around 200 euros per person with checked-in luggage.
- Of course, you can find flights for as low as 70 euros without luggage from nearby foreign capitals. But we’re considering “average” here.
- Read about how long it takes to fly to Albania and how to buy cheap tickets through the link.
- Accommodation.
- Standard beachfront double apartments, and also in the mountains during the high season with a good view and central location, cost 30-50 euros per day. Yes, Albania is no longer a country where everything is dirt cheap, as we might think.
- Check out the top-rated beach hotels.
- Car rental.
- In Albania, you won’t get far without a car. Even with a car, you’ll only be able to see 30% of what’s worth seeing. Car rental in Albania is accessible and straightforward. Rental companies are accommodating, and tourists aren’t deceived. You can find all about it in the article about car rental in Albania and its pitfalls.
- The cost of renting an economy-class car during the high season with full insurance is around 35 euros per day.
- Although gasoline is expensive in the country, the small area compensates for these expenses. A route along the big circle of Albania for two weeks is only about 1000 km, which amounts to approximately 100 euros.
- Everything about road trips in Albania for various numbers of days.
- Dining.
- Dinner for two in an inexpensive restaurant with a glass of wine or a pint of beer costs around 20 euros.
- Additionally, 10-15 euros for snacks throughout the day.
- Breakfasts are usually included in all hotels.
- Another 5 euros per day on average for beer/wine. After all, you’re on vacation, and a bottle of wine per day for two is an easy choice.
Additional expenses
- Excursions and entrance fees to landmarks.
- While most landmarks in Albania are free or have a symbolic cost of 3-4 euros, budget around 150-200 euros for the entire vacation for a couple. This also includes rafting, yacht trips, excursions, and many other activities.
- Everything about excursions in Albania.
- Souvenirs to take home.
- Set aside around 50 euros for everything.
- Read what to bring from Albania as gifts through the link.
- Other expenses. These are minor expenses, but they do add up to around 100 euros in every trip.
- Getting a local Albanian SIM card costs 10 euros.
- If you forgot toothpaste at home, it’ll cost around 5 euros.
- Buying an adapter for the socket is around 3 euros, and so on.
Total budget and cost of a vacation for two in Albania
So, the very approximate cost of a 10-day vacation for two in Albania:
- Flights – 400 euros
- Good accommodation at 40 euros per day – total 400 euros
- Car rental + fuel for all 10 days – 400 euros
- Food + alcohol – 40 euros per day or 400 euros
- Excursions, souvenirs, and other expenses – additional 300 euros
Total budget for the entire vacation: around 1900 euros for two people.
It’s essential to understand that all expenses mentioned here are estimated with a comfortable margin. If you wish, you can live twice as cheaply and dine for 20 euros per day for a couple. In general, it’s not difficult to manage with a budget of around 1500 euros for a couple, and that would provide a good level of vacation.
Travel tips
During your trip to Albania, you can economize however and on whatever you like. It’s entirely up to you. But please, never forego renting a car. Saving money on this aspect will only spoil the experience, and you won’t get the full emotional impact of the trip. You’ll thank me later.
In conclusion: the main stereotype about Albania is that everything here is very cheap. Yes, that was true here, not too far away, back in 2005. Today, we can’t call vacationing in Albania expensive; the prices for many aspects are comparable to those at home. However, Albania is definitely no longer the country where you can feel like a king with just 10 euros.
The cost of a vacation for two in Albania is comparable to a vacation in Egypt or Turkey for the same duration. The choice is yours, but before making a decision, please read the article about Albania’s attractions (the link was mentioned a bit earlier). I’m confident your choice will be in favor of the Balkans.
Resources to help you plan your dream trip to Albania
- Flights at the best prices with best discounts
- Car rental in Albania (cheaper – only by bus):
- DiscoverCars – a major international resource
- LocalRent – the leader in the Albanian car rental market. Very low deposits, even in cash.
- Hotels and apartments throughout the country:
- Tours, excursions and activities:
- GetYourGuide – more than 550 tours
- Viator – 920+ excursions and activities throughout the country
- Comprehensive travel insurance: EKTA
- Internet and Calls:
- Airalo eSIM in Albania from $4.5
- DRIMSIM – universal SIM card (or eSIM) in any country in the world.
- Taxi and airport transfer: Intui.Travel