Travel Expenses for Backpacking in Greece and Albania

Yes, I’m neurotic enough to keep track of my expenditures when I go a-backpackin’.  Before I left for my recent  trip to Greece and Albania, I found scant information online on travel expenses for backpacking in Greece and Alabania.  For future generations of web-enabled nomads, here’s what was in my little ledger.

Parameters: I was with a traveling companion, so these are all expenses for two.  Sites were one adult, one student.  Restaurant/cafe prices include small tips.  Souvenirs are omitted from Totals since they aren’t travel expenses.  Beer and wine, on the other hand, are not so omitted. Greece prices are in Euros, Albanian in Lek.  At time of travel, exchange rates were $1.40 to the Euro and 100 Lek to the Dollar.  Following the expenses are totals and averages, and an analysis of what shoestring travel in Greece and Albania would cost.

Wednesday, May 4, 2011 – Arrival at ATH airport, bus to Delphi (1)

• 10 E two bus tix to Terminal B
• 3.10 E beer and ham pastry thing
• 32 E two bus tix to Delphi
• 8.90 E two gyros and 1/2 liter of wine @ Dionysis Souvlaki
• 14 E camping
• TOTAL: 68 Euros

Thursday, May 5, 2011 – Delphi (2)

• 4.60 E two Americanos at cafe
• 9 E gyros and wine
• 35 E Hotel Pan
• 9 E tzatiki, spicy cheese, souvlaki
• TOTAL: 57.60 Euros

Friday, May 6, 2011 – Delphi to Amfissa to Larissa to Trikala to Kalambaka (3)

• 14 E entry to Arch museum and site
• 2 E water, fanta from street stand
• 4.20 E bus tickets to Amfissa
• 8.60 E groceries in Amfissa (bread, cheese, apple, chicken, grapes, water)
• 39.60 E bus tickets to Larissa
• 5 E taxi to bus station across town
• 3.5 E two Greek cafes
• 12.60 E bus tix to Trikala
• 4.60 E bus tix to Kalambaka
• 30 E hotel Alexou in Kalambaka
• 3 E pastry cheesy things from street vendor
• 2 E two beers from stand
• TOTAL: 129.1 Euros

Saturday, May 7, 2011 – Kalambaka (4)

• 3.30 E groceries (bread, juice, water)
• 8 E taxi to top of Meteora
• 4 E admission to Megalou monastery
• 4 E admission to Varlaam monastery
• 3.20 E coke and icecream
• 4 E admission to Agia Trias monastery
• 6.30 E groceries (bread, salami, cheese, tomato, cuke, oranges, water)
• 30 E Hotel Alexou
• 24.40 E dinner at Taverna to Paramitri (moussaka, fish, dolmades, wine)
• 7 E beers at cafe
• TOTAL: 94.2 Euros

Sunday, May 8, 2011 – Kalambaka to Ioannina (5)

• 1.30 E bread and water
• 7.8 E cappucinos
• 25 E bus tix to Ioannina
• 18 E camping in Ioannina
• 2 E bracelets (souvenirs)
• 7.8 E beers at cafe
• 4 E gyros
• 5.95 E water, crackers, beers, oranges
• TOTAL: 69.85 Euros

Monday, May 9, 2011 – Ioannina to Iguomenitisa to Corfu (6)

• 8 E ferry to/from “The Island”
• .20 E candy
• 13 E earrings (souvenirs)
• 4.95 groceries (bread, salami, cheese, water)
• 19.60 E bus tix to Iguomenitisa
• 20 E ferry tix to Corfu
• 1.5 E Nescafe on ferry
• 36.67 E Tomas Studios (flat)
• 30 E dinner at Nereids (grilled feta, greek dips, chicken orzo, sole, baklava, 1 ltr wine)
• TOTAL: 110.92 Euros

Tuesday, May 10, 2011 – Corfu (7)

• 35 E rental car
• 10 E gas
• 6 E disposable camera (souvenirs)
• 2 E folklore museum @ Sinardes
• 25.80 E groceries (salami, cheese, bread, water, juice, sauce, pasta, wine, coke, coffee, ouzo, yogurt, apples, onion, green pepper)
• 42.85 E China World  (3 amazing shirts, 1 watch, 2 misc, charger for my camera which was ganked from last campsite) (souvenirs)
• 36.67 E Tomas Studios (flat)
• TOTAL: 109.47 Euros

Wednesday, May 11, 2011 – Corfu (8)

• 35 E rental car
• 13 E gas
• 1 E bread
• 6 E entry to fortress
• 1.53 E beers from grocery
• 28 E dinner @ Nereids
• 36.66 E Tomas Studios (flat)
• TOTAL: 121.19 Euros

Thursday, May 12, 2011 – Corfu to Saranda (Albania) (9)

• 38 E ferry from Corfu to Saranda
• 23 E hotel Kaonia in Saranda
• 200 L (lek) cokes at cafe
• 300 L bus to Butinski
• 1,000 L admission to Butinski
• 200 L bus back from Butinski
• 150 L hotel lobby beer
• 1,000 L dinner (gyro plates)
• 500 L taxi to castle
• 500 L drinks at castle
• 100 L ice pops
• TOTAL: ~89 Euros

Friday, May 13, 2011 – Saranda to Gjirokaster (10)

• 200 L espressos in cafe
• 600 L bus from Saranda to Gjirokaster
• 2000 L Hotel the First
• 700 L lunch at cafe (gyro plates, beer)
• 400 L admission to Ali Pasha castle
• 200 L rooftop beers
• 250 L groceries (oranges, water, cookies)
• 50 L lighter (souvenir)
• 200 L awful offal
• 1,000 L dinner (giant plates of meat, beers)
• TOTAL: 5,600 Lek

Saturday, May 14, 2011 – Gjirokaster to Fier to Berat (11)

• 200 L rooftop coffees
• 1,200 L minibus to Fier
• 500 L minibus to Berat
• 300 L cokes in Tavern
• 3,500 L Hotel Berati
• 600 L lunch (crepe, fries, wine)
• 125 L post-hike fanta
• 900 L dinner at Metro Pizza (pizza, beer)
• TOTAL: 7,325 Lek

Sunday, May 15, 2011 – Berat (12)

• 560 L breakfast (crepes and cafes)
• 200 L necklace (souvenir)
• 400 L postcards (souvenirs)
• 130 L coke
• 3,500 L Hotel Berati
• 800 L dinner (pizza, crepe, wine)
• 20 L frozen lemon things
• TOTAL: 5,010 Lek

Monday, May 16, 2011 – Berat to Fier (en route to Athens) (13)

• 360 L breakfast (crepes and cafes)
• 500 L Albanian flag (souvenir)
• 480 L postage to send 8 postcards to states (souvenirs)
• 100 L water
• 500 L fungeon (minibus) to Fier
• 700 L lunch (2 plates, beers)
• 7,100 L overnight bus tix from Fier to Athens
• 420 L dinner (rice and potatoes)
• TOTAL: 9,180 Lek

Tuesday, May 17, 2011 – Athens (14)

• 8 E breakfast (savory pastries, juice, cafes)
• 1.90 E two big waters
• 1.80 E bready street food
• 1 E coke
• 3.80 E gyros to pack
• .80 E mystery fruit
• 22.90 E dinner @ yλuxus in Plaka
• 54 E double shared bath at Student’s Hostel
• TOTAL: 94.2 Euros

Wednesday, May 18, 2011 – Athens (15)

• 4.80 E breakfast (2 greek cafe, spinach pie)
• 3 E greek coffees @ acropolis museum cafe
• 5 E coasters and cards (souvenirs)
• 1.10 E bake rolls
• 1 E street nuts
• 12 E lunch (gyros, beers)
• 31 E Hotel Appiah
• 9.50 E (soaps, eyeballs, shot glass pin) (souvenirs)
• 20.30 E bottles of ouzo (1 big, 3 small) (souvenirs)
• .90 E big water
• 41 E Arhus Restaurant (salad, big calamari, wine)
• TOTAL: 94.8 Euros

Thursday, May 19, 2011 – Athens to Airport (16)

• 5.60 E breakfast (pies and cafes)
• 14 E metro tix to airport
• TOTAL: 19.60 Euros

TOTALS AND AVERAGES (disclaimer: these are based on calcs that I made in the thick of traveling — on buses, at cafes, even upside down):

• Accommodations: 411 Euros (average 29 E per night ($20 per person))
• Transport: 398 Euros (average 24 E per day ($17 per person))
• Food/Water: 260 Euros (average 17 E per day ($13 per person))
• Beer/Wine/Coffee/Soda: 138 Euros (average 9 E per day ($7 per person))
• Sites: 45 Euros ($64)

ANALYSIS:

Greece was more affordable than I expected, but we were traveling in the off season.  The hotels/flats we stayed at in Delphi, Kalambaka, Corfu, and Saranda were great, with all the amenities and insane views.  The campsites in Delphi and Ioannina were gorgeous with great views, but it just wasn’t warm enough to do it more than one night in a row for me.  The hotels in Albania were cheap, but even so a little much for what you get — there just aren’t that many options other than in Saranda.  But the transport and food is affordable, sites often free, so that well makes up for the hotels.

We were conservative with food, but had a nice meal if we felt like it.  We got nailed on the transport in Greece; the buses are not cheap, and somewhat less frequent than I would have expected, but fuel prices are up.  If we were really shoestringing it, I hereby rule we could have gotten by on $40 per person per day.  As it was, we had an absolutely gorgeous trip, saw a good portion of two countries, enjoyed generous alcohol/coffee consumption and more than adequate accommodations at under $60 per person per day.

Hope this helps future travelers to the region!

Kimberly