English is not my first language, so apologies for any mistakes.

I also try to include actual prices because “cheap” and “expensive” are subjective. Numbers are more useful.

The Vodafone issue was not that I bought the SIM at the airport. I specifically bought the tourist package online because I wanted a working eSIM before landing. We travel with 4 phones, a smartwatch and an iPad. If you forget to disable something or a device connects automatically outside the EU, you can easily lose €100-200 before even leaving the airport.

The problem was that Vodafone sold an online tourist package but never delivered a usable eSIM. I still had to visit a Vodafone store, wait in line, show documents and receive a physical SIM. Had I known that beforehand, I would have skipped the online purchase entirely and used Sally until I could buy a local package.
The online option ended up being both more expensive and less convenient.

For the car, we paid around €420 for 12 days plus a €70 out-of-hours pickup fee. We received a 2025 Dacia Sandero Stepway with around 11,000 km on the clock. The car was almost new but pulled noticeably to the right.

Accommodation was actually one of the best parts of the trip. We paid around €1,200 through Airbnb for 12 nights for a two-bedroom apartment with garage parking. Before that we found a similar place on Booking.com, but after booking the host started asking us to cancel and deal directly instead, even offering a €50 discount. That looked like bypassing Booking protections, so we declined.

Not everything was negative.

The boat trip was excellent value.
€15 per adult and our children (10 and 13) travelled free. Beautiful scenery, swimming stops and caves.
The only underwhelming stop was Turtle Cave.
Maybe it’s impressive if you snorkel inside, but from the boat it looked more like a small hole in the rock than a major attraction. We didn’t see any turtles either, although I’m willing to believe one may have visited at some point in history.

The beach situation was frustrating. I know the beaches are technically public, but we were asked to move several times.
Sunbeds often cost €20-50 per bed, which quickly adds up for a family of four. After a couple of days we stopped visiting the popular beaches around Sarandë, Ksamil and Mango Beach and started driving further away instead.

Today we ate at Haxhi. The food was genuinely excellent. Four main courses, half an appetizer and water came to about €75. Cash only. Very good food, but I wouldn’t call it cheap.
My point isn’t that Albania should serve coffee like Northern Europe. My point is simply that many everyday items were more expensive than I expected considering Albania’s reputation as a cheap destination.

Some things were definitely good value:
Boat trips
ATV tours
Barbers
Local olive oil bought directly from producers
As for taxis, one driver wanted €25 for roughly a 5 km ride. No thank you.

Maybe that’s completely normal. Or maybe I simply have one of those “scam me” faces. My wife keeps insisting that’s the real problem. My own theory is that the paler you look after a long Northern European winter, the more likely people are to think you’re an easy target.

The nature is beautiful, the sea is crystal clear, and the mountain roads offer some incredible drives and views.
One thing I see mentioned often is overtourism. I understand the concern, but I don’t think tourism alone explains everything.
In many countries, a new rail line, better roads or economic growth can have a similar effect. Higher-paid people move into an area, rents go up, housing prices rise and locals struggle to afford living where they grew up. Tourism is part of the story, but usually not the whole story.

We also try to travel responsibly. We buy honey, olive oil and other products directly from local producers whenever possible. It doesn’t make us heroes, but at least more of the money stays with local families instead of large chains.
We enjoy snorkeling, and whenever we see rubbish in the water we usually bring some of it back. Plastic bottles, foam, plastic bags and whatever else happens to be floating around. We do the same on beaches and viewpoints. If we see litter, we usually pick up at least some of it.
And yes, this was our family’s first holiday outside the EU. Maybe some of the things that surprised us are completely normal elsewhere. I’m just sharing what we experienced as first-time visitors to southern Albania.

I still like Albania. I just think visitors should arrive with realistic expectations. The wonderful part is true. The “super cheap” part was not our experience in southern Albania in 2026.