Alice World Travels

I don’t know why I hadn’t visited Albania before now.

Having been to most Balkan countries, it was one that I hadn’t even considered until this year, despite my best friend having a daughter who is half Albanian. As one of the least visited countries in Europe, clearly I wasn’t the only one who was forgetting to visit to a country that I knew was home to a fascinating culture, welcoming people and incredible beaches.

So a few months ago, my travel buddy Thidara and I decided to see just how underrated Albania really is, and we booked a week there.

As we did, my Instagram feed was suddenly being filled with countless friends who had clearly had the same idea.

So maybe next year it won’t be the least visited country in Europe.

Here are ten tips I would give to anyone wanting to visit Albania.

1. Go off season

Visiting anywhere off season is preferable to jostling with a group of 10-year-olds for a spot in the swimming pool every day. Thankfully, Albania is home to a warm, Mediterranean climate, and even in late October we enjoyed balmy temperatures of up to 30 degrees Celsius. Not only that, but during the summer months popular beaches have paid entry, or they are so overcrowded that they’re impossible to enjoy. Avoid going in summer, and thank me later.

2. Get a local eSIM card

I like to think of myself as a seasoned traveller, yet I only heard of eSIM cards this year. I first used an eSIM in Sri Lanka this June, and it was a godsend. Getting a local SIM can usually be a faff, so loading one onto my phone before I even left my country of origin was great. I used the airalo app, and it was perfect as a backup when no Wi-Fi was available, especially for maps when travelling from bus station to accommodation.

Having used it twice, I can now call myself a seasoned traveller.

3. Use cash

The prevalence of cigarette-smoking (no vapes in sight!) and ashtrays as they were casually placed on every dining table took me back to the 90s. Another thing that felt a bit like going back in time was Albania’s lack of card machine facilities and reliance on cash. I had read this before setting off, and so I took out cash in the UK, changing some at Tirana airport and the rest at a well-reviewed exchange place in Sarandë. Do yourself a favour and take cash when travelling to Albania.

4. Don’t book buses in advance

We decided to travel around the country to hit four must-see places: coastal Sarandë, the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Gjirokaster and Berat, and the capital of Tirana. Getting around by bus was extremely easy (and cheap!), and you definitely don’t need to book online. In fact, we were told that the websites where you can book online are very new, and barely anyone uses them. Just rock up at the bus station, find your bus, get on board and pay that way — simple!

5. Share taxis with other travellers

I like to backpack, but this trip was more bougie — my bag had wheels and we were staying in hotels with slippers, robes and breakfast feasts. However, we noticed that there were a lot of backpackers on the buses with us. This certainly came in handy when arriving into our next destination to find that the bus terminal was miles from the town centre. On two occasions we shared taxis with solo backpackers to get the price down — handy for everyone! So don’t be afraid to chat to others on your bus to get a shared taxi.

6. Learn its history

Having been under the Ottoman Empire from 1385 to 1912, and with a recent and devastating history of Communist rule until 1991, Albania’s past is tragic yet fascinating. With Soviet-era architecture dotted around in even the most remote of regions, and a curious blend of European and Middle Eastern influences everywhere you look, learning a bit about the country’s history is important to understanding its present.

Whether you chat to locals who give you a sense the country’s recent past, delve into preserved Cold War tunnels, or gain insights from a tour guide, learn something about the history of Albania when you’re there.

7. Book onto a free walking tour

I’ve always said that booking onto a free walking tour is one of the best ways to meet new people when you’re solo travelling. But it’s also great when you’re with a friend, are short on time and you want to familiarise yourself with a new place. We took two walking tours on our trip: Free Walking Tours Berat and Tirana Free Tour. Both lasted around 2-3 hours and were led by knowledgeable and passionate guides, without whom we certainly wouldn’t have gained as deep an insight into the culture and history of Albania.

8. Take cat kibble

Yes, I find cats adorable. No, I won’t apologise for it. Instead I’ll take a zip lock bag of cat kibble with me when I go away to feed to the scrawny array of kitties that I will inevitably meet. So, feel free to do the same.

There are countless cats in Albania (special mention goes to Gjirokaster), and I didn’t only find them on the street — in Berat, we found one at the top of a tree! Clearly in distress and unable to get down, we felt like we couldn’t start our walking tour until the cat was brought down to safety. Thank you to the anonymous man who climbed the tree to prise the terrified cat off its branches, thrusting it into the air whilst his girlfriend caught it. We could do our tour, after all.

9. Don’t skip Tirana

Albania’s beauty is in its incredible nature, but do not skip the capital if you decide to visit. Tirana surprised me as I had no expectations of what it would be like. We had two nights in which to explore, and discovered it to be pretty funky, especially at night. With an assortment of cool cafés, restaurants and wine bars along pedestrianised streets and inside the old castle walls, Tirana was bustling and fun.

The first night we arrived, we enjoyed some of the local cuisine to the sounds of an acoustic guitar chiming out nearby. Besides people-watching and soaking up the scene, don’t miss Bunk’Art and the House of Leaves museum.

10. Go for longer!

It goes without saying that Albania is underrated. The incredible valleys, sky-high mountains, hip cities, ancient Ottoman-towns and flawless beaches with barely anyone on them prove this. However, since 2021 it has seen an influx of visitors. If you’re thinking of going soon and you want to see the main spots, go for longer than I did.

A week wasn’t enough to visit everywhere as we didn’t manage to go north of Tirana. Shkodër was on our list but we had to cancel it, and I personally would have enjoyed more time by the beaches exploring the Adriatic coastline.

Try to factor in 10 days minimum if you really want to see the highlights of Albania and discover this hidden gem for yourself.