Guide To Albania

Albania is located in southeastern Europe and borders with Montenegro, Kosovo, Macedonia and Greece. It can be reached via the land, air and sea. Europeans as well as citizens of the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and some other countries do not need visa to enter the country. You need only a passport that is valid for at least six months but all travelers who enter Albania without visa may be charged a fee up to 10 Euros at the entry. You are allowed to stay in Albania for 90 days if entering without a visa.

Albania has one international airport – Mother Theresa International Airport which is about 15 minutes from the Albanian capital of Tirana. It is served by many European airlines including British Airways, Lufthansa, Alitalia and many others including low cost carriers from most larger European cities. You can get to Tirana from the airport by a bus or taxi.

Albanian Airlines

It is also possible to get in Albania by a bus from all the neighboring countries and Bulgaria and Turkey in 1 to 22 hours depending from where you departure. If you travel by car, you can enter through one of the major border crossings. From Greece, you can enter Albania at Kakavia/Ktismata, Krystallopigi/Kapshticë and Sagiada/Qafë Botë. Border crossings with Montenegro are at Sukobin/Muriqan, Bozhaj/Hani i Hotit and Gusinje/Vermosh. You can also enter Albania at four major crossing with Macedonia and six with Kosovo. Make sure that you have your International Motor Insurance Card valid for Albania and Vehicle Registration.

Mother Teresa Airport - Tirana, Albania

Another way to enter Albania is by boat from Italy to Durrës or Vlorë and from Corfu (Greece) to Sarandë. It is not possible to get in or out from the country by train. Trains do operate within the country but the service is limited. For that reason the best way to get around Albania is by a bus or better yet by a car. The roads in Albania are not comparable with other European countries, especially minor roads. They are being fixed and upgraded intensively but fifty years of communist regime and isolation have left their mark on the transport infrastructure. If you intend to drive around Albania on your own, make sure that you take a good road map along your guide to Albania.

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Albania is not that small but with a good Albania travel guide and a car, you can visit all its top attractions in few days only but it is crucial to start your Albanian tour either on the southern or northern tip of the country. A few day trip is, of course, not enough to truly experience the country’s beauty but enough to visit its prime attractions and perhaps spent a day or two on its beautiful coast as well.

If you enter Albania from Greece, you do not have to drive far to reach one of the country’s greatest treasures – Butrint National Park. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Albania’s most important archaeological sites. Butrint is famous for splendid ancient Greek and Roman ruins which include a Roman amphitheater, public baths, early Christian basilicas and many other structures that reveal its rich history. A reconstructed castle on the top of the acropolis hill houses objects that were excavated on the site.

Less than 50 kilometers north of Butrint is another UNESCO World Heritage Site – Gjirokastër or Gjirokastra marked by remarkably well preserved Ottoman architecture. Most of its buildings (which are still inhabited) date to the 17th and 18th centuries. The town is also known as the birthplace of the Albanian communist leader Enver Hoxha.

Butrint

About 120 kilometers further north is another astonishing town – Berat that was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site as well for its splendid architecture, most notably well preserved citadel from the 13th century, a number of Byzantine churches from the 13th century and mosques from the 14th century.

Tirana, the capital of Albania is situated somewhere in the middle of the country and is worth visiting as well. Some of the most popular tourist destinations in Tirana include Et’hem Bey Mosque and the nearby Clock Tower of Tirana, Enver Hoxha Mausoleum, National History Museum, Tanners’ Bridge, Petrela Castle and Skenderbeg Square.

The city of Shkodër is one of the oldest towns in Albania and home to a lovely Mes Bridge across the Kir River and spectacular ruins of the Rozafa castle. It is located on the Shkodër Lake (on the border with Montenegro), a popular summer destination for both the locals and tourists.

Mes Bridge

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Finding a place to sleep that meets your demands and budget should not be a problem in Albania. The country has not been as popular tourist destination as other Mediterranean countries due to its political isolation in the 20th century but it is not new to travelers either. Hotels of all price ranges can be found in all larger towns and the most popular tourist destinations.

Sheraton - Tirana

List of hotels with contact information can be found in most Albania tourist guides, tourist agencies as well as online. Medium range hotels are generally clean and cozy, while luxury hotels are comparable with five stars hotels elsewhere in the world. If you prefer to leave over all the planning to a tourist agent, he/she will help you find a hotel that meets you expectations the most. However, if you prefer to plan your trip on your own then you should start browsing the Internet. There are numerous travel websites that offer hotel booking all over the world including Albania, while their offer typically also includes prices, pictures and features of a particular hotel. Another great thing about these travel websites is costumer rating and user comments that are very helpful if you are not sure whether a particular hotel is really as great as it seems at a first glance.

Adriatik - Durres

You are highly recommended to plan your trip before making any reservations, especially if you would like to see and experience as much as possible. Albania is a relatively small country stretching some 360 kilometers from the southern to the northern tip and 120 kilometers from the east to the west. However, transport infrastructure in Albania is still under development and does not meet the European standards everywhere which means that traveling around Albania is relatively slow. Even if you decide to stay in Tirana which is somewhere in the middle of the country, do not count on getting to the very south of Albania in one day, for instance. Not that it is not possible but it is very exhausting and you cannot afford to make frequent stops or go sightseeing along the way. If you want to visit the all top attractions in Albania, you are highly recommended at least to make a list of hotels in or near places you intend to visit because finding an accommodation outside larger towns and tourist destinations may be challenging.

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