Ryanair launches new flights to 'Maldives of Europe' for only £20

Airlines have often been slated for hidden costs that come alongside what appears like a cheap booking.

But they should also be thrown heaps of praise for bringing us access to hidden gems across the world.

Take Ryanair for instance, which flies thousands of us every single day to enjoy holidays across Europe and even into northern Africa.

The budget airline, fronted by CEO Michael O'Leary, is known for its low fares to every corner of the European continent.

There's some absolute bargains to take advantage of if you look in the right place.

And while a January sale on its flights comes to an end, the company has announced it is expanding one of its newer routes.

The route in question takes you to what is known as the 'Maldives of Europe' and you can currently get there from as little as £20. Even in peak summer, you're only paying £70 to get there in July.

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We're talking 13 hours and, two flights, and around £1,100 if you want to head out to the real Maldives right now. A big ask in every sense.

The 'Maldives of Europe' refers to the village of Ksamil on the Albanian coastline. Look up Ksamil and you'll find white sandy beaches, crystal clear waters and nice weather all in quaint package of paradise.

Ryanair has increased its access to Albania this week, with six new routes announced taking jet-setters to its capital, Tirana.

For the UK market, new flights will depart from Birmingham and Bristol. This is on top of Manchester, Edinburgh, and London Stanstead.

There's a little catch, in that Ksamil lies a good four hour car journey south of Tirana. But even with a flight of three hours factored, we're talking a good six hours less travel time than the real Maldives.

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There are three main beaches at Ksamil, each of them stunning.

Visitors can also enjoy quick trips off the mainland to the islands located nearby, the most famous of which is called 'Ksamil Islands'.

One mum who recently visited the village revealed how much a stay cost her. She said: "We've booked a central two bedroom apartment for just £190 for six nights.

"It's a great base for enjoying the many beautiful beaches, but also exploring some great places close by. We've just spent £5 at the supermarket to feed five people."

One other route to Ksamil is to fly to Corfu, in neighbouring Greece, which you can actually see from the village.

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Time-wise, it's the closest airport where you can hop on a ferry to the Albanian city of Sarande, a shorter 25 minutes away from Ksamil.

Flights from the UK to Corfu start from around £50 but you'll expect to pay a larger premium in the summer months.

Still, given the destination, the value still remains very good.

Announcing the new flights, O'Leary said: "I'm here in Tirana International Airport. This morning we announce six new routes for summer 2024 connecting Tirana with Bari, Birmingham, Bristol, Budapest, Marseille and Vienna.

"We're seeing a lot of growth here in the Albanian marketplace and we expect to carry three million passengers in our first 12 months here.

"It's a very exciting country and a country where we're going to grow stronger in."