A First Trip to Albania

Getting in

Most visitors fly into Tirana International Airport, about 17 km from the capital. Kukës in the north-east handles a small number of flights, and an airport near Vlorë has been under construction with repeatedly moved opening dates.

By sea: Durrës connects to Bari and Ancona, Vlorë sometimes to Brindisi, and Sarandë to Corfu — the last of these is the easiest way to combine Albania with Greece. Overland, the busiest crossings are with Kosovo on the A1, with Montenegro north of Shkodër, with North Macedonia near Pogradec, and with Greece at Kakavijë.

Visas and entry

Albania admits citizens of many countries visa-free for stays of up to 90 days in 180, and it has historically applied a longer seasonal allowance to some nationalities. Entry rules change, and they are set by the Albanian government, not by the EU — Albania is not in the Schengen area.

Check the current rules with the Albanian Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs or your own foreign ministry before you travel. Nothing on this page is a substitute for that.

Getting around

There is no usable national rail network for visitors. Intercity travel is by bus and by furgon — shared minibuses that leave when full from a known corner rather than to a printed timetable. They are cheap, frequent on main routes, and hard to plan a tight itinerary around.

Most independent visitors hire a car. Roads on the main corridors are good; secondary mountain roads are not, and the Riviera's SH8 is a slow two-lane mountain road in August. See the driving guide for what this actually involves.

Money

The currency is the lek (ALL). Cards are widely accepted in Tirana and the main coastal towns and much less so in villages, at small guesthouses, and for furgons. ATMs are common but many charge a fee; some let you decline their conversion rate, which is usually worth doing.

Rents, property and some tourist services are quoted in euros. Paying euros in cash for a small purchase usually gets you a poor rate.

What Albania is not

It is not a compact beach destination. Driving from Shkodër to Sarandë is a full day. The mountains are real mountains, and the distance between the Riviera and the Alps is the length of the country.

It is also not undiscovered. Visitor numbers rose sharply from about 2015, and in August the Riviera is busy, expensive and short of water in places. The quiet Albania in the photographs mostly exists in June, September, and inland.