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Chelsea Dickenson, 34, from Wrexham, set herself the challenge of going on holiday abroad for just £100 in total.
And she revealed how she put the idea to the test in a series of fun and fascinating films Instagram clipswhich you can see below.
The travel expert told MailOnline: ‘That £100 had to cover my travel to and from the airport both ways, 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 possibly work for a while – after seeing flights to Tirana [the capital of Albania] At £9.99 each way, I knew we were on to a winner as long as I could find an affordable place to stay.
‘Albania has been in all sorts of articles, TV shows and social media over the last few years. I booked it expecting it to be an affordable city, but I didn’t know much more!’ Read on to see how Chelsea fared in this challenge (and how cheap Tirana can be).
Travel expert Chelsea Dickenson challenged herself to take a holiday abroad for a total of just £100 – and chose the Albanian capital Tirana as the destination for the test. She is pictured above at the ‘I love t’ Tirana symbol in the city’s Skanderbeg Square
Chelsea says: ‘I was so impressed by how incredibly 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 pastries like the one pictured above left – for 43p each at the Byrektore cafe in Tirana as one of her budget meals. And she went to the Radiobar, above right, where she paid £6.82 for a dry martini
Day one
At the start of her journey she took a bus to her 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 cup 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 noted, “I stayed in a shared female dormitory with three other women. The hostel itself is so beautifully decorated – it’s really not what many people would think of when you say the word hostel! They also have very affordable private rooms for around £30.”
Then she had a £5.06 dinner of ‘chicken skewer pasti’ [similar to gyros] with fries and soft drinks plus free loukoumades [honey pastries]’.
About the food, she said: ‘Albanian food has a Mediterranean feel, but it is also very hearty and there are many meat dishes on offer. [It] is not too far from the local food you get in the [surrounding] area – such as Northern Greece and Corfu.
‘There are also a lot of international choices, and the one thing I would say about Tirana is that you are not limited to food and drink. You’ll love sitting outside 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 the Spar supermarket to keep costs down, but did enjoy a double gin and tonic from Bar My Way for £2.98.
She said: ‘Like all big cities there is a wide range of prices when it comes to cost, but you can easily find a wine or beer for around £2. Even in the more trendy places it is very affordable.’
Day two
At the start of her second day in Tirana, Chelsea ate breakfast from her Spar stash and then joined a free walking tour, leaving a £1.71 tip.
The tourist commented: ‘I normally tip more, but I really believe that you should be able to go on these tours even if you can’t pay. Everyone should be able to learn!’
She moved on to lunch, which was very well priced. “I found a great local bakery that does hot byrek – which is basically an Albanian pie – and they had so many options for under 50 cents,” Chelsea said. She bought two for 43 cents each at Byrektore.
Her next stop was Tirana Park – a 289-hectare public park with lots of walking paths, plants and a lake. It is free to explore.
Chelsea commented: ‘I was so impressed with how incredibly green the city was – it’s so beautiful.’
Chelsea checked into the Vanilla Sky Boutique Hostel, pictured left, and says even ‘trendy establishments’ like the Radio bar, above right, are ‘affordable’ in Tirana
The budget vacationer took a free walking tour to see the sights. Above – the Et’hem Bey Mosque on Tirana’s Skanderbeg Square in the city center
Chelsea went back to the supermarket and bought some crisps (46p) and a beer (68p) as a snack before heading to Oda Garden for dinner.
At the restaurant, the travel professional was given free shots and bread before being given a beer and Fërgesë (curd cheese with peppers). Her meal cost £7.28 – and she accidentally ordered a family portion, so it could have been cheaper if she hadn’t made that mistake.
The budget holidaymaker then tried a bar called Radio – ‘one of the best bars in town, I couldn’t resist’ – and splashed out £6.82 on a dry martini before calling it a day.
Chelsea said: ‘It was a big chunk of the budget but as it was on my last night I had a little more left than I expected so I pushed the boat out.’
Day three
When Chelsea woke up on her last day, she caught the bus back to the airport, flew home for the second time (£9.99) and then traveled home again by coach and coach.
Although the travel expert said she would “absolutely” return to Tirana, she did have a few minor gripes.
She explained: ‘I had a really nice trip and the only thing I can improve is that the buses to the airport, which are supposed to run every hour, are a bit irregular.
“Furthermore, Tirana Airport does not accept any form of digital boarding pass.”
Concluding her mega-cheap holiday, Chelsea commented: ‘The locals are very friendly and in most places I went the spoken English was more than adequate.
‘I was able to have a very nice 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 just shocked at how great it is considering it’s still quite under the radar. 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 @cheap holidayexp.
