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Is it safe to travel in Albania?

When travelling in Albania, we get a lot of questions. Many are curious about the country and wonder what it is like to travel here. Is it safe? Is it poor? Do people speak English? We have tried to collect a lot of questions - both those we have received and those we think you might have - and try to answer them here. What is travelling in Albania really like? Do you dare if you're not very adventurous ...?

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How are the roads?

The roads are generally of fairly good quality. However, there are exceptions and in some places you may encounter large holes, dents, missing manhole covers, etc. Some roads run steeply along the mountains or narrowly through small villages. The most challenging part is often not the roads themselves, but the things that can appear on the roads: cows, goats, dogs and cars making crazy overtaking manoeuvres.

There are motorways on some stretches, and we have driven on some of them. The same applies here as on other roads. That is, the roads themselves are of good quality, but even though it is a motorway, you can encounter anything: tractors, donkeys, people crossing the road, fruit vendors, and so on. We have also seen a newly built motorway end abruptly and become a gravel road. Don't worry about driving here - but be careful!

Is it difficult to get petrol?

On the contrary, we think we have never seen so many petrol stations! Fuel is also relatively cheap. We paid about 11 kr/litre. In addition to petrol stations, you see car washes just everywhere. Lavazho (car wash) was actually the first word we learnt in Albanian!

En lavazho (biltvätt) finns i varje hörn...
A lavazho (car wash) is on every corner ...

Are there campsites and pitches?

Yes, it does, but they are somewhat unevenly distributed across the country and of different standards. In the tourist areas there are quite a few campsites, while in other parts of the country they can be more sparse. A few campsites are of a high western standard. Many others are very simple and arise when, for example, a restaurant owner puts up the sign "Camping" outside his restaurant.

Almost all campsites have access to toilets and water. Electricity and free WiFi are also usually available. In some cases you have to empty the campervan toilet into a regular toilet and organised grey water drainage is rare. New campsites seem to be popping up all the time and the ones we visit are being renovated and fixed.

Can you fricamp?

Yes, you can. The Albanians are a friendly people and there are plenty of natural areas where you can stand without disturbing anyone. As always, some caution should be exercised, but we haven't found it any worse here than anywhere else. Perhaps quite the opposite ...

Is it criminal?

We perceive Albania as a very peaceful and safe country to travel in, but of course crime occurs in all countries. The Swedish Embassy in Tirana writes "Various types of property crime, robbery and burglary occur but Albania is generally not an unsafe country to live and travel in. However, one should be aware that the presence of small arms is high." That last one sounds almost dramatic, but we promise you won't see any weapons when travelling here...!

Are there any other risks?

Yes, traffic! People in Albania drive as they please and risky overtaking and unnecessarily high speeds are common. It's a bit like driving in Italy where everyone is impatient and wants to be first. Since animals and people move around on the roads, there are also many extra risks. According to the Swedish Embassy in Tirana, you should also bear in mind that health care and emergency care are of varying quality.

Man måste vara uppmärksam på vägarna
You have to pay attention on the roads because you never know what you will encounter.

Are there any special considerations when travelling here?

Albania is not part of the EU. Make sure you have travel insurance and, if you're travelling by car, bring your green insurance card!

Is it poor?

Yes, Albania is poor. According to Wikipedia, half of the population are farmers and about 17 per cent of the population live on less than 16 kr/day. Unemployment is around 14 per cent and corruption is widespread. When travelling, you notice that the standard is much lower than in Sweden and you see many half-finished houses - people live on the bottom floor even if the upper floors are not finished. You also see a lot of demolished or abandoned houses.

We have not seen any beggars, but we have driven past a camp that looked very miserable. The people who lived there were dark-skinned and thus belong to some other ethnic group, we assume? In the tourist resorts you notice a settler spirit that feels positive - everyone is building and expanding.

What are the people like?

Everyone we meet is incredibly nice and accommodating. The people feel normal, simple, open and easy to talk to.

Do you need to consider that it is a Muslim country?

About 60 per cent of the population claims to be Muslim. The rest are mainly Christians or atheists. We have so far only travelled in the south-western part of Albania, but here we see nothing that reminds us that the country is Muslim. The people in the tourist centres wear bikinis and miniskirts and the men drink raki (alcohol).

Is it possible to speak English?

We have so far only travelled in the south-western part of Albania, which is perhaps the most touristy part. Here it is possible to speak English very well. Almost everyone knows more or less English and some speak it fluently.

In comparison, we do much better in English here than in Spain, France and Italy! Many Albanians also speak Italian. We have heard that it can be more difficult with English in the northern parts of the country, where there are not as many tourists. We have also heard that it always works out anyway!

How is the service?

Albanians are incredibly friendly and service-minded. As soon as we jump out of the campervan at a campsite or caravan park, someone comes up to us and shakes hands, introduces themselves by name and asks how they can help. When we bought a case of beer in a market, they carried it all the way to the car for us. In the restaurants they are attentive and helpful (although on one occasion we found that the staff were too busy and couldn't keep up).

Are there other tourists?

Albania has gently begun to blossom as a tourist destination, and some resorts in the south-west are really busy with tourists, such as in Ksamil and Saranda (where Apollo has a charter from Sweden). At the beaches north of Saranda, there are also tourists, but it is much thinner. The tourists come mainly from Italy and countries like Macedonia, Montenegro and Romania. Motorhome tourists are mainly from Italy, but there are also motorhomes from Germany and Poland.

I Ksamil är det trångt mellan parasollerna i augusti
In Ksamil, parasols are crowded in August.

How is the food?

The food is a mixture of Turkish, Greek and Italian. In the tourist resorts you can mainly get grilled meat, fish, French fries, Greek salad, pasta and pizza. Large food shops are only found in the larger cities and so far we have only found small markets.

These include dry goods, tinned food, wine and other drinks, some dairy products, fruit and vegetables, some fresh bread, loose feta cheese, eggs, sausages and some frozen meat. Fresh fish and meat can be bought in the butcher's shop/fish shop.

How cheap is it really?

It is very cheap. Camping or staying in a caravan park with electricity and WiFi costs €100-150/day in high season. A large strong drink (50 cl) costs €7-14. A pizza or pasta costs €30-50.

Which currency is used?

Albania has its own currency called leaky. In most places you can also pay in euros. However, our experience is that it is easier to have lek because you don't have to recalculate. Prices are usually quoted in lek, and we have been warned that they can sometimes be quoted with an extra zero. This is not a way to fool tourists, but means that the price is given in the old currency. We have not found this to be a problem, but if it seems unclear, ask if the price is "old lek or new lek?".

Is there WiFi?

WiFi is available in most campsites and often also in cafés, restaurants and bars. Sometimes it is completely free (no code) and sometimes you have to ask for the code. So far, we haven't had a single instance where WiFi costs money. How does it work? Sometimes it works really well and sometimes not so well.

Why should you travel in Albania?

Because nature is staggeringly beautiful and dramatic, because the beaches are beautiful but not too crowded, because the sea is turquoise blue, because you get so much for your money, because the people are so friendly... simply because travelling in Albania makes you happy!

Den albanska kusten är lång och vacker
Travelling in Albania is beautiful - especially along the coastline
All our top tips for Albania. Click on the image!

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