Before You Go: Essential Albania Road Trip Planning Tips

• Road trip: Albania is basically built for road trips. The journey itself and the landscapes will end up being one of the highlights of your trip. The country is relatively small, so getting around doesn’t take forever. If you follow this itinerary, your longest driving days won't go beyond 3-4 hours in the car.
• Driving in Albania: Driving around Albania will likely be more stressful than in your home country and there are a few local habits you’ll need to get used to: erratic local drivers who drive like they’re escaping a movie chase scene, winding mountain passes and the occasional livestock in the middle of the road. Plus, some of the paths to those hidden beaches or remote areas are rough, dusty, and not exactly smooth sailing. I recommend renting a vehicle with decent clearance like a 4WD.
• Best time to travel: The main summer season (June-September) is the hottest, but be warned: July and August are by far the busiest months. Expect the Riviera beaches to be completely chock-a-block. For a more relaxed experience with great weather, I highly recommend the shoulder seasons of May, late September, or early October. You'll find fewer crowds but most places will still be open and weather is still amazing.
• The pace of this itinerary: Let’s be clear, this is an ambitious itinerary designed to see most of the highlights in the country, not exactly a slow-burn holiday. If you prefer a more relaxed pace, I’d suggest picking a few key regions and spending more time in fewer places.
• Budget: the “cheap Maldives of Europe” version you see online does not exist anymore. For years, Albania was one of Europe’s best-kept secrets, but the word is definitely out and prices followed its popularity. While the inner part of the country remains cheap compared to Western Europe, be prepared to pay more than you expected on the Riviera (hello, Ksamil).

Day 1: Arrival in Tirana, stop at Krujë and settling into Shkodra

Once you land in Tirana, the first 2 things that need sorting are 1) getting a local SIM card and 2) withdrawing some LEKs.

Since Albania isn’t in the EU, your usual mobile plan probably won’t cover you without racking up some hefty roaming charges. The two main mobile providers (Vodafone and One) have stores right at the airport so it’s super easy to sort out before you hit the road (expect to pay ~26€ for unlimited minutes and 40 GB data). Alternatively, if your phone supports E-SIMs, you can look at offers from Airalo or Holafly but I don't have experience with these providers.

Cash is still king in Albania and the local currency is the LEK. While EUR is now widely accepted, I strongly suggest you withdraw enough LEK at the airport as you'll need them in remote mountain areas. ATMs often charge hefty fees (6-7€), so withdraw bigger amounts less often.

After picking up your car, direction the first stop: the town of Krujë.

Here, everything celebrates Skanderbeg, the hero of Albanian resistance against the Ottomans (keep this name in mind, he has an entire square to his name in Tirana). Take time to explore:

• The historic castle, now housing the Skanderbeg Museum | 5€ entrance fee (cash only)
• The Ethnographic Museum | 6€ entrance fee (cash only)
• The 500-year-old Ottoman Krujë Bazaar. While atmospheric, it’s not a bustling locals’ market anymore and it's mostly tourist trade (souvenirs, rugs, old uniforms, etc.). I still like it for browsing and a few good workshops but don't expect too much authenticity.

Continue your drive to the final destination of the day: Shkodra, the perfect getaway to your upcoming journey into the Albanian Alps.

Day 2 - Into the Albanian Alps

On the second day, the landscape changes dramatically. The drive from Shkodra to Theth is absolutely stunning and takes you deep into the Albanian Highlands. The good news: this road is now mostly tarmac and smooth, making it accessible to standard cars. However, expect numerous switchbacks and narrow passes which make this 80km drive a ~3h journey.

Once settled in Theth, you can spend the afternoon hiking to the Blue Eye. You could walk all the way from Theth but it's mostly a dusty road walk. Instead, drive to Nderlysaj where you can park your car for 200LEK and hike the final 45 minutes through the beautiful forest section. You'll arrive to a vibrantly turquoise, ice-cold spring hidden in the forest.

I highly recommend you to make a stop at the Grunas waterfall on your way back. You can park your car near this bridge, and from there it's an easy 30-minute detour that is well worth the extra effort!

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(Guide still in progress, we're working hard to finish it!)