Saranda

Where to stay

Budget hostels are concentrated in the blocks just behind the seafront promenade, within easy walking distance of the port where ferries arrive from Corfu. A few cheaper options sit slightly uphill toward the old town, where you trade sea views for lower nightly rates.

Getting around

• Take a furgon (shared minibus) to Ksamil instead of a taxi. They depart near the port area and cost a fraction of what a cab charges for the same 17km ride south.
• Carry Albanian lek for day trips. Euros are often accepted in Saranda itself, but you will get worse effective rates paying in euros at Butrint's entry gate and on the furgons.
• The ferry from Corfu takes about 35 minutes and is usually the cheapest way in if you are coming from Greece, often beating the cost of flying into Tirana and taking a bus all the way south.

When to go

Beds are cheapest in May and late September through October; July and August fill up weeks in advance as the coast draws crowds from across the Balkans, particularly domestic Albanians and visitors from Kosovo.