7 Days in the Balkans — Friends Budget Trip (Croatia → Montenegro → Albania → Greece)

Arrive Dubrovnik Airport (DBV)

Fly into Dubrovnik — best routed via London Heathrow, Frankfurt, or Amsterdam from JFK. Budget airlines like Ryanair/easyJet run cheap connections from European hubs. Expect $600–900 total roundtrip if booked 6–8 weeks out.

Airport Bus to Old Town (Pile Gate)

Atlas/Libertas bus #11 runs directly from the airport to Pile Gate for about €5 per person — skip the €35–45 taxis unless you're splitting 4 ways. Journey is 30–35 minutes.

Check into Hostel

Fresh Sheets Hostel and Hostel Angelina are both solid, centrally located options under €25/night per person. Book ahead — even September fills up in Dubrovnik.

Walk the Old City Walls

The 2km wall circuit takes about 90 minutes and gives you the best views of the terracotta rooftops and Adriatic — do it late afternoon to avoid the heat and the cruise ship crowds who thin out by 3pm. Go counterclockwise for better sea views first.

Sunset at Buža Bar

Hole-in-the-wall cliff bar literally carved into the city walls — locals call it 'the bar outside the walls.' Get there before 7pm or queue. Cold beer, stunning drop into the sea below.

Bus from Dubrovnik to Kotor, Montenegro

Autotrans or FlixBus runs Dubrovnik → Kotor in roughly 2–2.5 hours for €10–15 per person. Buy tickets at the Dubrovnik bus station (Gruž) the day before or morning of. You'll cross into Montenegro at Debeli Brijeg — have your passport ready, the border stop is quick.

Arrive Kotor Old Town

Drop your bag at your hostel (Old Town Hostel or Hostel Marija are both excellent and cheap) and immediately start exploring the medieval walled city — it's smaller than Dubrovnik but far less crowded and cheaper.

Hike to Kotor Fortress (Castle of San Giovanni)

1,300+ steps up the fortification walls behind the old town — takes 45–60 minutes each way. Brutal midday but totally worth it for the panoramic views of the Bay of Kotor. Bring water.

Walk the Kotor City Walls & Cathedral of Saint Tryphon

The Cathedral of Saint Tryphon is one of the finest Romanesque buildings in the Adriatic — entrance is €3. The old town is tiny enough to explore fully in 2 hours at a relaxed pace.

Evening stroll along the waterfront

The promenade along the Bay of Kotor at dusk is one of the more underrated views in the Balkans — cats everywhere (Kotor is famous for them), mountains reflecting in the water.

Early bus from Kotor toward Nikšić or Podgorica

This is the most logistically complex day of the trip — be honest with yourself. There is no direct Kotor-to-Žabljak bus. You'll take a bus to Nikšić (2 hrs, ~€6) or Podgorica (1.5 hrs, ~€5), then a separate bus onward to Žabljak (2.5–3 hrs, ~€7–9). Total transit time: 5–6 hours minimum. Check schedules at kotor-info.com or at the local bus station — schedules change seasonally.

Arrive Žabljak, Durmitor National Park

Žabljak is a small mountain town (population ~4,000) at 1,456m elevation — it's chilly in late September, pack a layer. Check into one of several cheap guesthouses: Hikers Den or Sobe Durmitor are under €15/person/night and trail-focused.

Black Lake (Crno jezero) afternoon walk

The iconic glacier lake in Durmitor is just 3km from town — a flat, easy 8km loop around the lake takes about 2 hours and is spectacular with the Durmitor massif reflected in still water. This is the most photographed thing in Montenegro and it earns it.

Plan tomorrow's hike with guesthouse host

Your host will know current trail conditions — ask about Bobotov Kuk (highest peak, 2,523m) vs. easier ridge trails. In late September the summit can have early snow and requires proper footwear.

Morning hike: Bobotov Kuk or Štuoc Ridge Trail

For fit hikers: Bobotov Kuk summit is a 6–7 hour return hike from the park entrance, elevation gain ~1,100m. For a more manageable but still stunning option, the Štuoc trail offers ridge views of Black Lake and the massif in 3–4 hours round trip. Late September can mean wet/icy conditions near the summit — wear grippy shoes.

Return to Žabljak, pack up

Eat lunch fast and pack — you need to catch the afternoon bus south toward Podgorica to connect to Shkodër, Albania. This is a long afternoon of transit but it positions you perfectly for Day 5.

Bus: Žabljak → Podgorica → Shkodër

Bus from Žabljak to Podgorica (~3 hrs, €8), then minibus/bus from Podgorica to Shkodër across the Albanian border (~1.5 hrs, €4–6). Alternatively, a shared taxi Podgorica–Shkodër exists for €8–10/person and is faster. The border crossing at Hani i Hotit is usually under 30 minutes.

Arrive Shkodër, Albania

Check into Wanderers Hostel or Mi Casa Es Tu Casa — both are under €12/person, highly rated, and full of travelers doing this exact Balkans circuit. Get oriented and rest.

Morning furgon (minibus) south toward Tirana or direct Durrës

Albania's backbone transport is the furgon — shared minibuses that leave when full. From Shkodër, take a furgon to Tirana (€3, 2 hrs) then a second furgon or bus south to Sarandë (€7–10, 4–5 hrs via the Riviera highway). This is a long but genuinely beautiful coastal drive — the Albanian Riviera south of Vlorë has beaches that look like Greece at a fraction of the price.

Arrive Sarandë — brief beach stop at Ksamil

Sarandë is the jumping-off point for the Corfu ferry and is right across the water from Corfu. Before settling in, jump on a quick shared taxi to Ksamil (€2 each way, 10 min) — the turquoise shallow water here is genuinely stunning and rivals any Greek beach. Swim if it's still warm enough (usually fine in mid-September).

Return to Sarandë, explore waterfront promenade

Sarandë's beachfront promenade is lively and cheap — grab an ice cream, watch the sun set over Corfu island (you can literally see it from the shore), and book your ferry for tomorrow morning.

Book Sarandë → Corfu ferry at ticket office

Ionian Seaways and Finikas Lines both run the Sarandë–Corfu crossing. Walk-up tickets are €19–25/person one way, journey is 35–45 minutes. Buy in person at the port ticket office — online booking exists but in-person is simpler and not significantly more expensive in September.

Ferry: Sarandë to Corfu Town

Morning ferries typically run at 8:30 AM and 10:00 AM — aim for the earlier one. The 35-minute crossing is one of the great budget travel 'wow' moments: you leave Albania and arrive in a full EU Greek island. Corfu Town (UNESCO old town) is walkable from the port.

Explore Corfu Old Town

Corfu's Old Town is genuinely beautiful — Venetian architecture, narrow covered lanes called kantounia, two Venetian fortresses. Walk the Liston arcade, visit the Old Fortress (€6), and grab a coffee at one of the kafeneions. Allow 2–3 hours.

Decision point: Stay on Corfu or continue south?

For a 7-day trip, staying overnight on Corfu is optional — it's beautiful but tourist-heavy and pricier than other Ionian islands. If you want a more local feel, check ferry times to Lefkada (via Igoumenitsa on the mainland) or Kefalonia direct. Corfu → Igoumenitsa ferry is €10, then bus/ferry south. Alternatively, stay on Corfu and do a beach day.

Beach afternoon at Paleokastritsa or Glyfada (if staying on Corfu)

Paleokastritsa is Corfu's most famous beach — turquoise coves backed by cliffs with a clifftop monastery. Bus from Corfu Town takes 45 minutes and costs €2.50 each way. Crystal clear water even in late September.

Arrive accommodation and plan Day 7

Whether you're on Corfu or pushed south to Lefkada/Kefalonia, get settled and plan your final day. Check ferry times for any onward journey if needed.

Morning beach or coastal walk

Your last full morning — make it slow. If on Corfu, the beach at Agios Gordios on the west coast is less crowded than Paleokastritsa and has a great backpacker vibe. If you made it to Lefkada, Egremni or Porto Katsiki beaches are among the best in Greece (though Egremni requires a 350-step descent).

Final Greek lunch

Seafood taverna near whichever beach you're at — order grilled red mullet (barbounia), Greek salad, and cold Mythos beer. This is the meal you'll remember.

Transfer to Corfu Airport (CFU)

Corfu Airport is tiny and directly connected to Athens (1 hour, €50–90 depending on timing/airline). Olympic Air and Aegean run multiple daily flights. From Athens, you connect back to JFK — Aegean, Delta, or United fly Athens–JFK. Book Corfu–Athens domestic leg in advance as it can sell out in September.

Depart Corfu for Athens

Athens Eleftherios Venizelos airport is well-organized — clear security and immigration in 45 minutes if you're not checking a bag. Most JFK-bound flights depart Athens late evening (10 PM–midnight), giving you a few hours in the airport or a quick metro ride into central Athens if you have time.

Overnight flight Athens → New York JFK

Most Athens–NYC flights are 10–11 hours. You arrive in the morning NYC time. Load up on airport food before boarding — airline food on this route is reliably mediocre.