Carmen
Travel editor at Reisedrop · 2026-09-23
«Maldives water for 30 francs a day» – if you were on TikTok this summer, you’ll know the clips from Ksamil: turquoise-blue sea, sun loungers in the water, cocktails for 4 francs. Albania is the most hyped travel destination of the year. Time for the first instalment of our new series «Seen on TikTok. Reisedrop checked.»: we’re putting the hype up against real prices – flights, beds, food, everything. Spoiler: a lot of it is true. But not all of it.
What TikTok promises
The viral clips present Ksamil and the Albanian Riviera as the «Caribbean of Europe»: white coves, crystal-clear water, prices like twenty years ago. The typical TikTok calculation: room 25 francs, food 10, beach day almost free. What the clips don’t show: high-season crowds in August, sun lounger charges at the prettiest bays, and a journey that takes longer than the flight price might suggest.
Getting there: the flight isn’t the problem
Wizz Air, Edelweiss and Chair fly direct from Zürich to Tirana in a good 1 hr 45 min. – return from 120 to 200 francs, depending on the season. So far, so affordable. But: from Tirana to the Riviera it’s another 4 to 5 hours. The bus to Saranda costs around 15 francs, a private transfer 120+. If you’ve only got a week, it’s worth being honest about that: you lose a travel day each way.
On the ground: this is where the hype holds up
When it comes to day-to-day costs, Albania delivers: a good evening meal with fish and wine costs 12 to 18 francs, coffee 1.50, a large beer 2.50. Guesthouses in Ksamil or Saranda start at 30 to 40 francs per night for two – in June and September. In August, those same rooms go for 60 to 90 francs, and the famous bays are packed. So yes, the TikTok prices are real – just not when everyone wants to go.
The honest weekly total
Our calculation for a week for two in June, per person: Zürich–Tirana flight 160 francs, return bus to the Riviera 30, six nights in a guesthouse 105 (shared double room), food and drinks 120, loungers, entrance fees and bits and pieces 50. Total: around 465 francs per person. That’s realistic – and about half the cost of a comparable week in Mallorca. In August, that same week climbs to 650 to 750 francs.
Conclusion: checked and passed – with two asterisks
Albania passes the cost check: under 500 francs for a beach week outside peak season isn’t a TikTok exaggeration, it’s doable. Asterisk one: travel in June or September, not in August. Asterisk two: factor in the long journey to the Riviera – or stay in Durrës, which is only 40 minutes from Tirana and seriously underrated. Series verdict: seen on TikTok. Reisedrop checked. Largely true.