‘I went on an incredible holiday and it all cost just £100’
A woman has shared how she managed to enjoy a holiday for less than £100, covering flights, accommodation and food.
She also highlighted some unexpected costs she encountered during her trip.
Chelsea Dickenson, the founder of cheapholidayexpert.com, spent two nights in Tirana, Albania, keeping expenses under £100 by utilising public transport, staying in a hostel and bringing her own snacks.
Speaking on the Which? Get Answers podcast, Chelsea admitted that achieving such a low-cost trip was something she had been “trying to do for ages.”
She continued: “The fact that I haven’t been able to do it kind of proves a bit of the point here – that costs have gone up in certain areas. And you’ll see from the breakdown, you know, where I was spending the most money.”
Chelsea detailed each part of her journey, including transportation costs, food and drink expenditure, and accommodation prices.
She explained: “So for the transports, it came in at £42.34 and interestingly, my flights came under £20.
“Actually, I spent more money on transfers than I did on the flights itself. So that was transport.
“Then food and drink. I spent £30.20 – I could have done it a bit cheaper, I reckon, actually, but I wanted to treat myself a little bit.”
Discussing her choice of accommodation, Chelsea said: “So I stayed in a hostel. That was another area that made this so difficult because I don’t know if you’ve seen, but hostels have got a little bit trendier recently, you know.”
But Chelsea faced troubles when attempting to get on a coach – which turned out to be overbooked. While others around her claimed she could get a taxi to her destination, she knew it would take her over budget and, fortunately, managed to get on the next coach.
Chelsea’s full cost breakdown
Bus to coach station – £1.75
Coach to airport – £6
Flight to Tirana – £9.99
Snacks from home – £0
Water on plane – £0
Airport bus to city – £3.43
Coffee – £0.94
Chocolate muffin – £1.02
Two night hostel stay – £25.34 (£12.67 per night)
Dinner – £5.06
Dessert – £0 (free dessert for leaving a Google review)
Groceries – £1.88
Carrier bag – £0.17
Double gin and tonic – £2.98
Tip after free walking tour – £1.71
Spinach byrek – £0.43
Tomato and onion byrek – £0.43
Coffee to work – £2.05
Crisps – £0.46
Beer – £0.68
Beer at dinner – £2.56
Dinner – £4.10
Music charge – £0.62
Cocktail – £6.82
Bus to airport – £3.43
Flight to London – £9.99
Coach from airport – £6
Bus home – £1.75
Total – £99.59
She said: “They are much nicer than they used to be but that means that the price has gone up as well and it’s pushed up all hostels in a way. I knew I had to find something for £15 or under otherwise it wasn’t even worth pursuing.
“So yeah, Albania, Tirana, was one of the few places that came up with affordable but nice hostels because the other thing I didn’t want to go somewhere and it be rubbish.”
Chelsea also discussed the “hidden costs” she encountered on her journey, which definitely could have impacted her attempt to keep her holiday under £200. She said: “So there were some really interesting hidden costs that I did come across that I was not expecting.
“For example, I went for dinner at this amazing traditional Albanian restaurant with music. It was fantastic and the food was really affordable too. And then my bill came at the end of the night and there was a music charge. on it. So there’s hidden costs, even in things that you weren’t even thinking about.”
She stated: “So I went into it to prove a point that holidays don’t have to be so expensive, but also to highlight the fact that there are so many potential hidden costs that you have to think about when you are booking a cheap holiday.
“And I’m glad that I proved that you can do it for £100 if you really sit and wait for those cheap flights to come through. However, it did really highlight to me how it’s really hard to do a cheap trip when you don’t have a cushion of money if something is to go wrong.”
Chelsea added: “It’s stuff like that that really does make you realise why it’s so difficult for people on a budget to get away because it’s that kind of stuff that is so simple to fix when you have the luxury of money.
“Cancellation delays and things like that, they are actually the real pinnacle of hidden costs that you cannot really navigate around – you may be able to claim it back on your insurance but ultimately that’s gonna be an upfront cost that you will have to deal with. I just got super lucky, I think, for my £100 holiday.”
