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 | Travel Info Albania is your ultimate travel guide. It covers all the essential information, neatly organized, and easy to navigate. |
Table of contents:
- Why to visit / Why not to visit
- Facts / Religion / Language
- Brief history
- Climate
- National holidays
- Visa
- Topography (map)
- Get in
- Get around
- Popular tourist destinations
- Accommodation
- Health / Safety
- Food / Drink
- Other things to Keep in mind
- 10 Best Places to Visit (and their surrounding areas)
Why to visit
- It’s safe, cheap, and friendly (the friendliest people in Europe!)
- Great for hiking, beaches, authentic villages, medieval castles & ruins
- No mass tourism, tourist-harassing
- Food is more natural, hence of much better quality than in the EU & the US
Why not visit
I really can’t think of any reason…
Facts
Capital: Tirana (also the largest city: 494,000)
Currency: Lek (some places except Euro, or USD)
Area: 28,748km2
Population: 3,074,580
Electricity: 230V/50Hz (European plug)
Language
Albanian (not related to any other European language)
- Hi – Pershentdejte
- Thanks – Faleminderit
- Good – Mire
Religion
56% Islam, 19% Christian (Orthodox and Catholic to a lesser extent), 25% Other, atheist & undeclared
- Generally, people are free to worship whatever they want, and there is no tension between different religious groups.
- Women are not covered with veils or hijabs. Female visitors are free to wear regular Western outfits.
Brief history
- 12th century – The Albanians established the autonomous Principality of Arbër
- 13-14th century – Kingdom of Albania
- 15th century – The conquest of the Ottoman Empire
- Early 20th century – Independence from Ottomans
- Mid 20th century – Invaded by Italy, and Albania became a protectorate of Nazi Germany
- After WWII, the Communist era led by Enver Hoxha
- 1991. – The revolution resulted in the current Republic of Albania (democracy)
Climate
- Mediterranean (mild; cool, cloudy, wet winters; hot, clear summers; interior is cooler and wetter)
- The best time to go is October
| coldest/hottest | Tirana (capital) | Vlore (coast) | Korce (mountains) |
| January | 10°C / 50°F | 10°C / 50°F | 3°C / 37°F |
| August | 32°C / 89°F | 33°C / 91°F | 27°C / 81°F |
National holidays
- January 1: New Year’s Day
- March 7: Teacher’s Day
- March 14: Summer Festival
- Easter (moveable)
- Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha (Islamic high holidays)
- October 19: Mother Teresa Day
- November 28: Independence Day
- November 29: Liberation Day
- December 8: Youth Day
- December 25: Christmas
Tourist visa info
- EU & Schengen – visa-free (up to 90 days)
- US – visa-free (up to 1 year)
- Israel – visa-free (up to 90 days)
- Canada – visa-free (up to 90 days)
- Australia – visa-free (up to 90 days)
- Japan – visa-free (up to 90 days)
- South Korea – visa-free (up to 90 days)
- Brasil – visa-free (up to 90 days)
- Argentina – visa-free (up to 90 days)
Here you can find more info about visa procedures.
Topography
Get in
1. By plane
- Mother Teresa International Airport, Tirana
Rinas Express is a bus that runs between the airport and the city center (Skanderbeg Square). It leaves every hour from 8:00-19:00. The trip lasts 30 min and costs only a few bucks.
Check out this useful post on How to save money on flights.
2. By bus
To Tirana from:
- Istanbul, Turkey (20h, €35 one-way)
- Athens, Greece (9h, €30-35)
- Sofia, Bulgaria (22h, €25)
- Tetovo, North Macedonia (6h, €15)
- Prishtina, Kosovo (4h, €10-15 )
To Korca from:
- Istanbul, Turkey
- Thessaloniki, Greece
- Athens, Greece
- Larisa, Greece
- Ohrid, North Macedonia
To Skhoder from:
- Ulcinj, Montenegro (1.5h, €5)
- Podgorica, Montenegro
To Gjirokaster from:
- Ioannina, Greece
- Athens, Greece
3. By boat
- Durrës – Bari (9h, €50), high-speed (3h, €60)
- Durres – Ancona (19h, €70)
- Brindisi – Vlore
- Corfu – Saranda
- Brindisi – Shengjin (twice a week in the summer)
4. By yacht
- Marina in Orikum, south of Vlore.
- ports of Sarande, Vlore, Durres, and Shengjin
5. By car
Nearby cities across the border:
- Podgorica, Montenegro
- Ohrid, North Macedonia
- Prizren, Kosovo
- Thessaloniki, Greece
- Ioannina, Greece
Documents required:
- International Motor Insurance Card (Green Card) valid for Albania (AL). If you don’t have one, you can buy it at the border.
- Vehicle Registration
- Power of Attorney from the owner (if the car is not yours).
Get around
1. By bus
Most people in Albania travel by public buses or private minivans, which depart frequently to destinations across the country. Their online timetable is not very reliable. It’s better to ask at the terminal. The stations aren’t always in obvious locations, so you can ask around to find them, or keep an eye out for groups of white or red minivans gathered together.
2. By train
Cheap tickets, long journeys, a unique atmosphere, and priceless scenery is what you can expect. The route Lezhë – Shkodër is particularly scenic.
3. By car
- Roads between important destinations are in good condition.
- There are no fees for using the highways.
- On minor roads, surfaces can be poor, deeply pitted, or non-existent, and sometimes a decent paving can suddenly disappear
- Highways have frequent changes in speed limit
- Police will often stop foreign cars but let them go without much hassle. They are usually going after the Albanians living abroad.
- Beware of horses, donkeys, cows, or sheep crossing highways or walking on them.
- Renting a car is relatively cheap
- Traffic in Tirana is terrible!
- Vlorë-Saranda road is very scenic!
4. By thumb
It is not very common, but it can be a useful method in less populated areas.
Popular tourist destinations
Cities
- Tirana – the capital. A fun city with plenty of coffee shops. Popular daily trips: Mount Dajt, Kruje, Petrela & Pellumbas.
- Berat, “The city of 1000 windows,” is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Famous for its unique Albanian / Ottoman architecture.
- Gjirokastër – Another UNESCO city. This one is a bit less preserved but more rustic and organic.
- Korce – Famous for access to the Moravia mountain, beer festivals, bazaar, old rustic houses, and the village of Moscopole.
- Pogradec – City on the beautiful lake Ohrid.
- Sarandë – A city surrounded by nice landscape and beaches, especially Ksamil.
- Shkodra – Offers a little bit of everything: Lake, outdoors, nightlife, theater, castle, churches, mosques…
- Durres – The largest seaside city has an ancient amphitheater (the largest in the Balkans).
- Vlorë – A vibrant and modern seaside city with a ferry to Italy. Popular daily trip: St Mary’s Monastery.
- Erseke – A mountain city surrounded by beautiful nature and authentic villages.
Other destinations
- Albanian Alps — A mountain range along the border with Montenegro is known for its sheep and bare rock.
- Kruje – a daily getaway from Tirana. An old town with a castle, a bazaar with traditional craft, and a nice mountain hike.
- Dhërmi – Beautiful Greek-style beach town with scenic views.
- Himare – A laid-back beach town surrounded by hills. Great base to explore nearby towns like Porto Palermo and Qeparo.
- Bylis – The second largest archaeological site from Roman-era Albania.
- Llogara National Park– A mountain park with sea views.
- Tomorrow – A mountain ridge near Berat offers multi-day scenic hikes with panoramic views. Popular sites include Sotira waterfalls and the Bektash monastery.
- Moscopole – A village near Korca has seven churches dating to the early 18th century.
- Ksamil – A beach town with three spectacular islands. Butrint, the largest archaeological site from the Hellenic era, is nearby.
- Librazhd – A small town with beautiful countryside. The popular attraction, ‘The Red Mountains’, is a UNESCO World Heritage. It’s surrounded by beautiful villages such as Stebleva.
- Shëngjin – A popular beach town in northern Albania.
- The Blue Eye – Turquoise deepwater park.
Accommodation
The abundance of hotels, hostels, and guesthouses at low prices. Most of it is listed online. Camping in the mountains is common.
Health
No particular reason to be worried. A few things to mention:
- Mosquitos in the summer, especially on the coast
- Tap water in Tirana and some other cities is not recommended for drinking.
- Beware of sea urchins (especially on the southern coast)
- Tirana is a bit polluted because of the heavy traffic
Safety
- The country is super safe (no joke!).
- The biggest threat would be the unleashed dogs (if you like to wander in the countryside). In that case, all you gotta do is grab a rock, branch, or something from the ground and throw it near them.
Food
- Albania has a strong influence from Turkish cuisine. In the cities, it’s easy to run across western-style restaurants as well.
- Make sure you check out the street markets. While they tend to be scarce in Europe, they’re still abundant in Albania. Try firm white cheese (cow or goat).
- Go to bakeries for burek (a pastry filled with cheese, spinach, or meat) or baklava (a famous Turkish dessert).
Drink
- Boza is a popular sweet drink made from maize (corn) and wheat
- Raki is a traditional Balkan spirit made from fermented and distilled fruit. Usually, grapes, but also popular varieties are plum or pear. It can be bought in the shop; however, if you cruise around the country, you will sooner or later be offered a local version (people make their own everywhere!).
- Red wine is another thing that locals grow everywhere. Vranac is a varietal popular in Albania and across the rest of the Balkans. It’s full-bodied, strong, and bold!
Other things to keep in mind
- The alternative name for Albania is Shqipëria
- Albanians tend to nod with their head like Indians (not as often, though). You may hear from the other tourists: “In Albania, head move up-down means NO, and side to side means YES” … but that is not true! Indian-style is no up-and-down or side-to-side. It is hard for me to explain, so watch this video explained by the Indians (they made it funny!). You can also check out my experience with the nod during my trip to India.
What’s next? Make sure you check out 10 Best Places to Visit and their surrounding areas!