September 21st 2024.
"I have this thing about the cost of going on a holiday," Chelsea admitted with a laugh. She was sitting across from two Italian students at Oda Garden, a popular traditional restaurant in Tirana, Albania's capital. The host had gestured to them, saying, "You will know each other well after this!" It seemed that they would be sharing a table, as the place was fully booked and they had just managed to squeeze in.
As soon as Chelsea arrived, she understood why this restaurant was such a hotspot. The courtyard was filled with tables, macramé parasols, and lights strung up between lemon trees. The atmosphere was lively, with people dancing to a live band playing Albanian music. It was one of those magical moments where she felt fully immersed in the local culture.
And the best part? Her main meal only cost £4.10! This was music to her ears, especially since she was in the middle of a challenge to do a getaway for just £100, including everything. Chelsea, also known as the Cheap Holiday Expert, shared her experience on her YouTube channel, which she had created specifically for this purpose.
"I'm Chelsea Dickenson, and I'm obsessed with the price of going on holiday," she announced with a smile. She believed that in every family or group of friends, there was at least one person who loved finding bargains, checking promo codes, and creating spreadsheets to save money on their next trip. Chelsea was that person.
In 2017, she had taken on a holiday challenge where she tried to do as many trips as possible with just half of the average amount that a British person spends on holiday in a year. She captured the entire experience on her newly created YouTube channel. It kickstarted her career as a travel expert and content creator, with a following of 630k on social media.
For over a year, Chelsea had been toying with the idea of doing a getaway for under £100, covering everything from transportation to accommodation, food, and activities. However, with rising costs across Europe, it proved to be more difficult than she had anticipated. The days of finding return flights for under £10 were long gone, and even a city like Milan, which seemed like a budget-friendly option, was out of the question due to the high cost of accommodation.
But then she stumbled upon £20 return flights to Tirana on the Wizz Air website in April. She couldn't resist the bargain, even though the flight departed at 7:45am, meaning she had to wake up early. She also managed to find cheap transfers to and from the airport, saving her from any unexpected expenses.
Chelsea's next challenge was finding a place to stay for two nights. She knew she would probably have to stay in a hostel, but even those prices had increased due to the pandemic and the rise of boutique hostels. However, Tirana came through once again, with a well-rated boutique hostel offering a bed for just £12.67 per night.
Before embarking on her trip, Chelsea did some research on the cost of living in Tirana and checked out restaurant menus online. She was pleased to find plenty of options where she could have a meal for under £6. With everything in place, she was confident that she could successfully complete her £100 holiday challenge.
"I have this thing, you know, about the cost of traveling. It's like an obsession for me," Chelsea exclaimed, fiddling with her phone as she scrolled through the latest flight deals. We were sitting at Oda Garden, a popular traditional restaurant in Albania's capital, Tirana, with two Italian students who were joining us for dinner. The restaurant was always packed, but we were lucky enough to snag a table – with the only condition being that we didn't mind sharing it with strangers.
As soon as we arrived, I understood why this place was such a hotspot. The courtyard was adorned with tables, macramé parasols, and twinkling lights strung up between lemon trees. The sound of live music filled the air as people danced to Albanian classics. It was one of those magical moments where I felt completely immersed in the culture of a place. And the best part? My main meal only cost me £4.10. This was music to my ears, especially since I was in the middle of my £100 getaway challenge – and that included everything.
I couldn't help but share my excitement on my Instagram, where I go by the name "Cheap Holiday Expert". I've always been obsessed with finding the best travel deals, and I know I'm not the only one. In every family or friend group, there's always that one person who's constantly checking for promo codes, creating spreadsheets, and always on the hunt for the best bargain.
In 2017, my obsession led me to take on a holiday challenge – to do as many trips as possible with only half of what the average British person spends on travel in a year. I documented it all on my newly created YouTube channel. For over a year, I had been toying with the idea of doing a getaway for under £100, and finally, I decided to go for it. The catch? The budget had to cover everything – from getting to and from the airport, flights, accommodation, food, drinks, and activities.
According to research from VoucherCodes.co.uk, Brits were forecast to spend a whopping £64.20 billion on holidays in 2024. That's an average of £1,140 per person. In the first half of 2020, Statista found that 26% of holidaymakers between the ages of 25-35 would spend between £2,000-£4,000, while 32% would spend between £1,000-£2,000. And on average, UK travelers spent 8.7 nights on vacation in 2022, compared to 10.8 nights in 2021.
But I was determined to make my £100 budget work. In 2017, I managed to visit 10 countries on three continents – and I even flew business class. That challenge kickstarted my career as a travel expert and content creator, sharing my advice and travel inspiration across my website, TV, print, radio, and social media platforms, where I have 630k followers.
So, back to the challenge. I had my eyes set on Tirana when I spotted £20 return flights on the Wizz Air website back in April. That was too good of a deal to pass up, even though the flight left at 7:45 am – which meant an early start for me. Next, I had to figure out the transfers to and from the airports, as that can often catch people off guard. Fortunately, I could book a cheap National Express bus for just £6 each way from Luton airport. And the bus from the airport to Tirana city center was only £3.43 each way.
I was feeling hopeful, but it all depended on finding affordable accommodation. With rising costs across Europe, I knew it would be a challenge. The days of snagging return flights for under £10 were long gone. And even though Milan seemed like a good option, the cost of accommodation was just too high. But then, Tirana came through once again with a well-rated, boutique hostel for just £12.67 a night.
My last concern was how much I would spend on food and drinks. I did some research on a site called Numbeo and checked out restaurant menus online. I was relieved to find plenty of options where I could get dinner for under £6. With everything falling into place, I was confident that I could make this challenge a success.
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