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Albania is a beautiful, but underrated country. The fact that you are on this page, means that you have discovered the potential of Albania. We think it’s worth to travel to Albania and discovering the raw and untouched nature of the Albanian Alps. We have never seen something like the accursed mountains in Albania.
You can easily add a visit to Albania on your Balkan road trip! Cross the border from Greece or just travel several weeks in Albania, like we did. However you like to travel, this post about Albania will leave you without questions. We have written the ultimate guide for your travels to Albania, so that you can plan your trip with all the information you need!
Article Contents
- General information
- How to get to Albania
- Tips for getting around in Albania
- When to travel to Albania
- The cost of visiting Albania
- Where to stay when you travel to Albania
- The don’ts when visiting Albania
- Things to know before you travel to Albania
General information
Highlights: The Albanian Alps, Tirana, Lake Koman, UNESCO World Heritage sites.
Official language: Albanian.
Climate: Mediterranean (mild winters, hot summers).
Currency: Albanian Lek, but they do accept the euro. Albanian is a cash culture.
How to get to Albania
Travel to Albania by airplane
You can get to Albania in several ways. The most obvious way to travel to Albania is by airplane. Tirana International Airport is the only international airport in Albania. There are a few airlines that fly to this airport and they may be unknown to you. Think about airlines such as Albanian Air, Serbian Air and Wizz Air.
Travel to Albania by ferry
You can take the Ferry to Saranda, Albania from Greece. There are four ferry companies that travel this route and prices depend upon season. You can easily find the ferry companies on Google.
Travel to Albania by bus
You can always travel to Albania by bus from the neighboring countries. Check Tirana’s international bus schedule for routes to and from Tirana, the capital of Albania. For example, we crossed the border of Albania and Montenegro and had no difficulties. Our experience of buying the tickets, the bus ride and the actual border crossing was really easy and quite nice! We bought our tickets online to secure our trip.
Visas and Albania
Americans can travel to Albania without needing a visa for up to one year. If you are from a different nationality, you will want to check the website of your local embassy.
Tips for getting around in Albania
By bus
There are so many ways of getting around Albania but the easiest way is by bus. The buses run frequently to cities in the countryside and are the best option if you’re heading deep into the mountains or forests.
Taking the bus is also the cheapest option and you can check the timetables of the buses online.
There are also private minibuses that usually leave when they are full. You will get to your destination much faster and they service the more rural areas of Albania.
Tip! At this moment in time you cannot reserve for most bus routes. You will have to show up with enough cash.
Car rentals
There are plenty of car rental agencies in Tirana. Make sure that your car is equipped for the journey, as you may need a 4×4 in some areas of the country. Driving in Albania can also be very chaotic, drivers are aggressive and rarely follow the rules.
Taxis
Taxis can be expensive when you travel to Albania, but they are always available. It’s best to use the taxi’s for shorter trips. For example, to get to your Airbnb or hotel after the bus has dropped you off in the center. Make sure to ask the price beforehand, so there isn’t any surprises when you arrive.
Getting your sim card
It’s very easy and convenient to have a local sim card when you travel in Albania. We used Vodaphone and had service almost everywhere in the country. Basically, the tourist spots have great coverage. The company has a station at the airport and it’s simple to pick up a SIM card after you’ve landed.
We recommend to get a bundle that includes minutes, as you might need to call your host or hostel when you are in rural Albania.
The mountainous and remote areas of the country don’t always have fast coverage, but we always had some type of coverage on our trip to Albania. This included the Albanian Alps!
When to travel to Albania
It can be extremely hot in Albania during the summer months! Generally, you don’t want to be inland during this time. The coastal or mountain areas are the way to go.
Spring and Fall are a good time to travel to Albania. Temperatures are cooler, but it’s still warm enough to enjoy hiking and swimming. You will also see the changing of the seasons and the nature is extra beautiful during this time.
The winter months are still a good time to travel to the South of Albania. The country has a Mediterranean climate, so it’s never too cold in the Southern parts of the country. Not the Northern Alps though, that’s a different story.
Read all about the visiting Theth in Albania for your next trip!
The cost of visiting Albania
You can travel to Albania as cheap or as expensive as you like. Albania is one of the cheapest countries in Europe, so it’s perfect for budget minded travelers.
Generally, the main expense is the gas for your car. So a car rental will make your trip significantly more expensive.
Average prices:
- Mid-Range Hotel: averages 30-40 euro
- Food: About 10 euro for a nice meal
- Gas from Tirana to Shkoder: 30 euro
- Bus ticket from the airport to Tirana: 2,50 euro
- Entrance fee for museums: 2 to 5 euro
Where to stay when you travel to Albania
We personally like the comforts of Airbnb with our own private kitchen and bathroom. We usually book stays ranging from 25 to 40 USD per day.
Hostels and guesthouses are very common throughout Albania and relatively inexpensive. When you stay in a guesthouse, you are staying with an Albanian family.
They will host you, cook for you and try to make your stay pleasant! This is a really nice experience and you can easily book your guesthouse accommodation on booking.com or Agoda.
You will also find hotels throughout Albania, but these are usually the more expensive option.
The don’ts when visiting Albania
Don’t visit Lazaret
Lazaret is a town known for growing illegal marijuana. Conflicts between police and residents have happened and it’s best to completely avoid the area.
Landmines around the Albanian-Kosovo border
It is possible that there are still landmines around the Albanian-Kosovo border, but Albania has done a lot of work to clean the area up. Per international regulations, the country is mine-free. But in certain towns you might see areas that are marked for unexplored ordinances, which are explosives that did not explode.
Don’t drink unpasteurized milk
Unpasteurized milk can contain diseases such as Tuberculosis, especially in the more rural areas of Albania.
You can’t drink the tap water
Don’t even try. Just buy bottled water for your travels to Albania!
Things to know before you travel to Albania
The cuisine
The food in Albania has a Mediterranean style, and you will find split-roasted lamb on menu’s, veal and pork. You will also find dishes with intestines and other organs, so you might want to translate the ingredients on the menu before you order!
Albania has a big wine culture and you will find some vineyards in the country as well. Sounds like a good opportunity to try some local wines!
Smoking
It isn’t legal to smoke in public spaces, but it’s rarely enforced. We’ve seen lots of people smoke in Albania, even in upscale restaurants or public transportation.
Cultural practices
Shaking hands is common when meeting someone, as are kisses on the cheek.
Albanians have a variety of religions and are quite accepting. Islam is in the majority in Albania, but you will find many different religions including Christianity, Judaism and more.
We are used to shaking our head side to side when saying no, and nodding our heads when saying yes. So, this is a bit different in Albania. Actually, it’s the exact opposite. Shake your head for yes and nod your head for no.
Usually, Albanians will take their shoes off before entering the house. Good to know for your next Airbnb, right?
Diversity
Typically, more Albanians live outside of Albania. This says something about the diversity in the country. On our trip, we noticed very little to no diversity within the country. I (Nikki) was often the only person with a different color in most places we visited.
That being said, I did not encounter any negative reactions or racism. We did experience some apprehensiveness from the locals, but we think that’s because we are tourists and look different. The Albanians tend to be curious and friendly, but apprehensive.
The roads
It doesn’t matter how you travel, by bus or car, it will always take longer in Albania. The conditions of the roads aren’t always the best. We are talking potholes, roads with large rocks on them, unpaved roads or large trash items are blocking the road.
You can get to places just fine, it will just take you longer than Google maps is telling you!
We want to hear from you!
It’s awesome that you are interested in traveling to Albania. Tell us why you want to travel to Albania? Or what your experiences have been, if you already traveled to Albania!
I am Ahmad Sakariyau Iyonda,, I will like to travel to Albania exploit more in art and learn more culture of Albania people.It is very parochial to also inject some meaningful idea in art to the people around me in Albania if given the opportunity I have read many things about Albania and sincerely it all wonderful.