Best Europe on a Budget - Albania

#europeonbudget

Albania is an extremely underrated Europe Destination. It is split into two main parts - mountain views in the North with better than the Dolomites but with no crowds, and the South with the same waters as Greece but for one third the price. Albania is a true hidden gem in Europe with the friendliest people. I was only able to explore the North this trip but I am definitely heading back next time.

A little information about traveling to Albania:
✨Food✨
One can easily get a full meal under 10 euros here. The food is very tasty with mainly influence from the Ottoman empire and Italy. Imagine food with the best of Turkey and Italian influence. Yum 😋

✨Getting around✨
Driving is the most common way to get around Albania, with car rentals only being 15-25 Euros a day! I was not a very confident driver so I used public transport to get around which is much more possible now as Albania is starting to open up. If there is sufficient interest, I will post a guide to getting around Albania in public transport.

✨The people ✨
Hands down friendliest in Europe, and they are not at all racist to Asian people. Most in the tourist industry speaks English which is great.

✨Money✨
Probably the most annoying part in Albania. Bring plenty of Euro into the country and change it to Leks at the city. Withdrawing cash requires a large fee. It is rare to find Albanian Leks in your home country and the rates are good in Albania so just change t there. Although they do accept Euro, the rates are much better if you pay in Lek. Also, card is only commonly used in the capital only, so do not rely on it.

✨Safety✨
Most people are concerned about this but it is honestly the safest I felt in my multi-country europe trip. Just do not wear flashy items and have normal precaution. Albania is as safe as most Western Europe countries by statistics, and the people are not looking to scam you.

#travel #hiddengems #naturalwonders #albania #europe