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Chelsea Dickenson, 34, from Wrexham, set herself the challenge of spending a holiday abroad for a total of just £100.
And he revealed how he put that notion to the test in a series of fun and fascinating Instagram Clipswhich you can see below.
The travel expert told MailOnline: “That £100 cost had to cover travel to and from the airport on both sides, as well as my food, drink, activities and accommodation.”
Chelsea, who now lives in London, continued: “I’ve been looking for a destination where this could work for some time – after I saw flights to Tirana (the capital of Albania) for £9.99 each way, I knew As long as I can find an affordable place to stay, we may have a winner.
“Albania has started to appear in all kinds of articles, TV shows and social media in the last few years. I booked the trip because I was hoping to find an affordable city, but I didn’t know much else!” Read on to see how Chelsea fared in the challenge (and to see just how cheap Tirana can be).
Travel expert Chelsea Dickenson set herself the challenge of spending a holiday abroad for just £100 and chose the Albanian capital Tirana as her destination. She is pictured next to the “I love Tirana” symbol in the city’s Skanderbeg Square.
Chelsea says: “I was really impressed by how green the city was.” Above, a view of the city from the artificial lake in Tirana Park, which she visited as a free activity.
Chelsea bought two byrek (Albanian pasties as shown above left) for 43 pence each at Byrektore restaurant in Tirana as one of her cheap meals. And she went to the Radio bar, top right, where she paid £6.82 for a dry martini.
Day one
As she began her journey, she took a bus to the local bus station and then a bus to Luton Airport. She took a Wizz Air flight, took her own snacks and was given a free glass of water to drink while in the air.
After landing, Chelsea took the bus from the airport to Tirana for £3.43. She checked in to stay at the Vanilla Sky Boutique Hostel for two nights (£12.67 per night).
Chelsea commented: “I stayed in a shared female dorm with three other women. The hostel itself is very well decorated, not what many people would think of when you say the word hostel! They also have very affordable private rooms for around £ 30”.
He then had a £5.06 dinner of “chicken skepasti (similar to gyros) with chips and soft drink, plus free loukoumades (honey cakes).”
Regarding the food, he commented: ‘Albanian food has a Mediterranean feel, but it is also very hearty and offers many meat dishes. It is not far from the local food that can be found in the area (surrounding area), such as northern Greece and Corfu.
‘There are also many international options, and the only thing I can say about Tirana is that you won’t run out of food and drink options. You’ll love sitting on the huge, sun-drenched terraces that many of these places offer.
Chelsea bought her breakfast for the two-day trip (water, fruit and yoghurt) from Spar to keep costs down, but had a double gin and tonic from Bar My Way for £2.98.
She said: ‘Like all major cities, there is a real range of prices when it comes to costs, but you can easily find a wine or beer for around £2. Even in the more modern establishments it is really affordable.’
Day two
Starting her second day in Tirana, Chelsea had breakfast with her Spar shares and then went on a free walking tour – leaving a tip of £1.71.
The tourist commented: “I usually tip more, but I firmly believe that you should be able to take these tours even if you can’t pay. Learning should be for everyone!”
Chelsea stopped by for lunch, which was very reasonably priced. “I found an amazing local bakery that serves hot byrek, which is basically an Albanian pasty, and they had lots of options for under 50p,” Chelsea said. She bought two for 43p each at Byrektore.
Their next activity was Tirana Park, a 289-hectare public park with numerous paths, plants and a lake. It’s free to explore.
Chelsea commented: “I was really impressed by how incredibly green the city is; it’s so beautiful.”
Chelsea checked into the Vanilla Sky Boutique Hostel, pictured left, and says that even “trendy establishments” like the Radio bar, above right, are “affordable” in Tirana.
The budget tourist took a free walking tour to see the sights. Above: The Et’hem Bey Mosque in Tirana’s Skanderbeg Square in the city centre.
Chelsea returned to the supermarket and bought some crisps (46p) and a beer (68p) to snack on before heading to Oda Garden for dinner.
At the restaurant, the travel professional enjoyed free drinks and bread before having a beer and Fërgesë (cottage cheese with peppers). His meal cost £7.28 and he accidentally ordered a family-sized portion, so it could have been even cheaper if he hadn’t made the mistake.
The budget tourist then tried a bar called Radio – “one of the best bars in town, I couldn’t resist” – and spent £6.82 on a dry martini before calling it a night.
Chelsea said: ‘It was a big part of the budget, but as it was my last night I had a little more left over than I expected, so I made the effort.’
Day Three
Waking up on her last day, Chelsea took the bus back to the airport, flew home on her second £9.99 flight and then repeated her journey home by bus and coach.
While the travel expert said she would “absolutely” return to Tirana, there were a few minor complaints.
She explained: ‘I had a really enjoyable trip and my only ‘room for improvement’ notes are that the airport buses, which are supposed to run every hour, are a bit erratic in their schedules.
‘Furthermore, Tirana Airport does not accept any type of digital boarding pass.’
Concluding her super cheap holiday, Chelsea noted: ‘The locals are very friendly and in most places I went the English spoken was more than adequate.
‘I was able to take a really fun trip without going over my budget.
‘Luckily, Tirana is a very walkable city, so I didn’t have to spend extra money on transportation or taxis.
“I was really surprised by how wonderful it is, even though it’s still not that well known. It’s the most underrated city I’ve ever been to.”
To see more of Chelsea, you can visit her Instagram page under the username @cheapholidayexp.
