Albania is an amazing country! I had the opportunity to visit in 2022 and it quickly became one of my favourite destinations in Europe. The country is cheap, the people very friendly, and the landscapes range from mountains to beaches with crystal clear water. Plus, their past history is quite interesting as well.
There is a long list of reasons why you should visit Albania 🥰. However, it is important to remember that Albania has only been a “free” country since the 90s and, for that reason, it has some particular features that may not match the typical image we have of European countries.
So, to help you better plan your trip to this country that has so much to offer, I decided to write this post with some things you should know before visiting Albania. Some are stranger than others, but my goal here is that you know what to expect in Albania!
01 | Car or bus are the best ways to travel around the country
Given the lack of a good public transport network, a car is often the most practical and recommended means of transport. In fact, this was the option I ended up choosing because it provided me with the flexibility I needed to visit Albania.
Even so, it is also possible to choose to travel by public transport. These are mainly buses and small vans, as the train network is quite bad. However, you should take into consideration that:
- we can rarely find the most current version of the timetables for these services
- the timetables indicated are often not true
- there aren’t really any bus stations, many of which are located in the middle of the roads
💡 EXTRA TIP: One of the best places to look for information about transport in Albania is this website. However, I recommend that, whenever possible, you check on the spot whether the timetables shown on the website are reliable for the day you intend to travel.
02 | You need to be an experienced driver
Generally speaking, the roads in Albania are in good condition. On my journey through Albania, the only exception I found was a stretch of the road from Shkodër to Komani. And even for this road, locals told me that there is a project to remodel it.
However, my biggest tip when it comes to things you should know before visiting Albania is that Albanians drive frantically. There are a lot of impatient drivers in traffic, honking for pretty much anything. Driving in Albania is therefore a real adventure!
Don’t be surprised, for example, to see cars passing double continuous lines or creating a non-existent third lane to overtake or crossing in front of you when they don’t have priority 😂.
Having said that, and having rented a car for almost my entire trip in Albania, at some point I actually found it fun to drive on Albanian roads. Anyway, I just wanted to warn you that this was just my experience in the country and that I am used to driving in big cities, so I’d rent a car there if I’d return to Albania.
Thus, if you don’t feel very comfortable driving, I would say to opt for public transport or organized tours to get to know the country.
03 | Cash (still) is king
When I was planning my trip to Albania, I read on several blogs that most restaurants (and often even hotels) do not accept card payments. Although this turned out to be less true than I expected, there are many places with a “cash only” sign at the entrance.
Therefore, I strongly suggest that you always carry some cash with you, as you will easily find yourself in a situation where you cannot use a card.
💡 EXTRA TIP: I recommend using a Revolut Card in order to avoid paying bank fees for withdrawing and paying with another currency. If you don’t have Revolut yet, you can see all the reasons why this card is a traveller’s best friend here.
04 | Don’t be surprised by the buildings
Another thing to know before visiting Albania is that some areas of big cities (especially Tirana) look a bit dodgy at first sight. It is quite common to find unfinished buildings, still with bricks showing. In addition, electricity and telecom wires are also usually all tangled up in the streets.
However, even though this is something that feels a bit strange at first (this is Europe, after all), you soon realize that it’s perfectly normal and doesn’t mean you’re in a ‘dangerous’ place.
05 | Take care when driving
In addition to what I have already mentioned about Albanians’ driving skills, there’s one thing you should know before visiting Albania. You REALLY need to drive carefully.
There are many times when we encounter pedestrians on the motorway, or motorbike drivers without helmets on the road. Therefore, to avoid serious accidents, I recommend paying extra attention when driving.
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06 | It is a safe country
I read on some websites that it was not always safe to travel in Albania. However, my experience was quite positive. I never felt unsafe (not even at night) and I often carried my camera and mobile phone in plain sight.
However, it is worth mentioning that I took the usual precautions (e.g. not leaving valuable items in the front part of my backpack).
In any case, there are two areas that people usually recommend not visiting in Albania (the area near the border with Kosovo and Lazarat). However, I do not have any experience in these two places, so I am merely referring to some tips I have seen online.
07 | Communicating is easy
The language spoken in Albania is Albanian, a language like no other. So beyond basic expressions, it won’t be easy to try to speak Albanian.
But that’s not a problem, as the population generally speaks good English! And in some cases, you can even find Albanians who speak Italian, as the country was once occupied by Italy.
08 | It’s pretty cheap
For a tourist coming from other European countries, it is easy to consider Albania a cheap country, especially when it comes to accommodation and meals.
A meal in an average restaurant costs easily 6€ per person, and a night in a room with a private bathroom is around 15€ per person. Of course, there are higher (and also lower) prices, always depending on the experience we are looking for.
However, it is undeniable that Albania is one of the cheapest countries in Europe.
09 | Albanian people are very welcoming
Although the country was almost cut off from the world until the 1990s, the Albanian people are some of the most welcoming in Europe. People are willing to help and are very friendly.
10 | Albania has beaches to be jealous of
When we talk about beaches in Europe, we quickly think of Greece, Croatia or Italy, for example. However, have you heard of the Albanian Riviera?
If you’re reading this post, chances are that you’ve already researched about the beaches in Albania. So, I’ll just confirm that the beaches are wonderful! The water is quite warm, the sea is calm and the water is of turquoise shades. So, I recommend you reserve a few days of your Albania itinerary to visit the Albanian Riviera.
11 | Food in Albania is delicious
Albania’s gastronomy is surprisingly one of the best in Europe. There are several typical dishes you should try, but I especially recommend the qofte and qifqi (a kind of meatball) and also imam bajaldi (stuffed aubergine).
12 | There are several religions in the country
Although the majority of people in Albania are Muslim, it is common to find people of various religions. In fact, this can be seen in the number of Orthodox and Catholic churches that we find in addition to the mosques in the cities.
13 | Get ready for hundreds of bunkers
Another thing you should definitely know before visiting Albania is that there are so many bunkers around the country. Yes, you read that right! Albania was under a dictatorial regime, in which the dictator Enver Hoxha was obsessed that he would be the victim of a nuclear attack. So he had more than 100,000 bunkers built all over the country.
The truth is that the much-feared nuclear attack never happened, and now the bunkers are abandoned. The exceptions are two of the regime’s largest bunkers, built in Tirana, where you can visit the museum inside.
14 | Euros are accepted, but watch out for the exchange rate
Given Albania’s proximity to Euro countries, Euros are widely accepted in Albania. However, in such cases, it is usual to be given an exchange rate. And, the truth is that it rarely compensates to pay in Euros. So, always check what the exchange rate is at that moment to make sure you are not ripped off 😉.
15 | Choose your arrival airport wisely
The only airport in Albania with good international connections is located in Tirana, the country’s capital. This is an excellent starting point for those who want to make a road trip around the country, as it is located relatively in the middle of the map.
However, if you only want to visit the beach area (which I don’t recommend, as the country is much more than its beaches) or the southern part of the country, it may make sense to fly to Corfu in Greece and from there take a ferry to Sarandë.
16 | You’ll spot a lot of rubbish
Although Albania has a lot of amazing places, one of the things that surprised me the most was the amount of rubbish everywhere. There still doesn’t seem to be much awareness about this issue.
For example, one of the cases where this problem was most evident was during my boat trip along Lake Komani, where the water was full of rubbish floating around.
17 | Don’t skip Tirana
At first glance, Tirana may not seem like the most charming European capital. And even if it isn’t, nor if it has an endless list of sights to visit, it’s a city with a lot of life and it feels good to enjoy it quietly!
What’s more, it’s one of the best places to immerse yourself in Albanian culture and learn a bit more about the country’s history.
18 | If you get the chance, visit the Albanian Alps
Albania has landscapes for all tastes, and the Albanian Alps are proof of that! I know that for those who visit the country within a week it is difficult to fit this region in the itinerary.
But, if you have a little extra time, I highly recommend a visit to the village of Theth and, for those who like hiking, the trail between Theth and Valbona.
And finally, my biggest tip is this: go prepared to want to return to Albania. Albania is one of Europe’s best-hidden gems that nobody expects to be that good 😍. So, plan your visit to Albania as soon as possible, because I have a small feeling that Albania is about to become as touristy as Croatia.
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