Hi y’all…
I’m planning a trip to Tirana, Albania, from Minnesota and I’m looking to keep the costs down. My travel dates are flexible, and I’m open to long layovers if it helps reduce the price. I don’t need to check luggage, just one carry-on. Also, I prefer to avoid travel through Serbia.
I usually catch Flixbus when traveling in Europe, but they don’t operate in Albania. I’m also not very familiar with using Priceline or Expedia, so I could use some advice on finding good deals.
An easier way to look at it is this: Consider conducting a straight flight search on Google Flights rather than using Priceline, Expedia, or other third-party websites. Seek out low-cost flights from Minnesota to New York, then select a low-cost carrier from New York to a destination such as Athens, then proceed by rail or bus from that point. Alternatively, you might take a low-cost Euro airline to a European city and then take a cheap ticket from Chicago to Tirana from Minnesota. The plan is to book a cheap flight inside the United States for your transatlantic journey, and then take cheap buses or flights within Europe to get to your final destination.
Ryanair flies to Tirana, and I used them last month for a trip from Brussels South, which cost around 50€ for the return. To make your travel plans, check which cities Ryanair serves from Tirana and then book a flight from Minnesota to one of those cities. You’ll need to book Ryanair separately from other airlines, so plan to stay at least one night in the connecting city to account for any delays. Ryanair is reliable, though not the most comfortable, but if you’re okay with FlixBus, it shouldn’t be a problem.
What would happen in the event that I don’t book separately with other airlines? Ryan really looks like the cheaper option for me. I am equally planning a trip to Kosovo from Seattle and this will really help. Also is it cheap to move around in public transport in Eastern Europe or rent a car?