We didn’t initially plan to spend two weeks in Albania. A week, maybe 10 days. But the more I started adding places to our Albania bucket list, the more I realised that fitting in lakes, mountains, wineries, beaches, castles and a capital city would be impossible in any less than two weeks. So at the end of September we flew from Birmingham to Tirana to start our whistlestop tour of Albania in 2 weeks.

And if you’re planning a similar road trip, here’s our itinerary, and everything you need to plan your trip to Albania – based mainly on my own Googled questions before we travelled, and our real-life experiences!

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Why Albania?

It’s fair to say that many of my friends and family don’t have their finger on the pulse of travel trends. So I had a lot of confused looks and concerned comments when I announced our holiday plans. The reputation of Albanians seemed to be based on local car washes and the kidnappers from Taken. Even our host at our Gjirokastër hotel playfully told us that all the bad Albanians had been sent to the UK and they kept all the good ones for themselves.

But I’d seen the positive media campaigns. Trusted travel bloggers – not just “influencers” – had visited, and raved about the beauty of the country, the fascinating history, the warm hospitality and, most importantly, how safe it was to travel there. And it’s safe to say that Albanian tourism is having quite a moment. After decades under a Communist regime, closed off from the rest of the world for 40 years, visitor numbers are now soaring.

Albania is not quite geared up to meet all the expectations of international travellers just yet. In terms of infrastructure, it does have some way to go. But they are investing greatly in construction and highways, and although Tirana International Airport is also undergoing construction work, it’s one of the most efficient airports I’ve ever flown in and out of. (Bari Airport could definitely learn a thing or two!)

Our 2 week itinerary in a nutshell

Shirokë (3 nights): lakeside evenings, stunning sunsets, an impromptu hop-on, hop-off tour, and lazy days by the pool

Berat (2 nights): aka “city of a thousand windows”, hilltop castle, family-run restaurants and Albania’s first wine window

Gjirokastër (2 nights): More wine, descending into a cold war tunnel, another hilltop castle – and more lazy days by the pool

Sarandë (3 nights): The “Albanian Riviera”, visiting Ksamil (the “Maldives of Europe”), hopping over to Corfu, a castle sunset and Elvis as a neighbour

Himarë (2 nights): swimming, snorkelling and beach time, remembering I’m a terrible snorkeller, yet another castle (with the most stunning cafe), Greek-inspired cuisine

Tirana (2 nights): Albania’s endlessly fascinating capital, free walking tour, quirky architecture, a hot and sweaty bunker, climbing a pyramid, cafe culture and an excellent beer and cocktail scene.

There’s more details to come about each location, covering what we did, where we stayed, and most importantly, the best places we found for food and drink!

The best way to explore Albania in 2 weeks

Hiring a car is DEFINITELY the best option if you’re planning on exploring Albania’s north and south. But it’s not without its challenges. There’s a blog post coming soon about our experiences, from car rental to navigating Albanian roads, parking and adapting to the Albanian driving style. Which naturally Mr Fletche dealt with admirably as always.

Albania does has a public transport system by way of minibuses called furgons which travel between popular locations. Timetables are vague and access to a seat is not always guaranteed; if you prefer a more structured itinerary then buses probably aren’t the way to go.

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Albania in October

I’d seen photos of the tourist masses over the summer. Slowly shuffling crowds in Berat and Gjirokastër. People clamouring for a sunset shot at Sarandë’s Lëkurësi Castle. Not an inch of beach unclaimed. All in 40°C temperatures, Like much of southern Europe I’d definitely give July and August a swerve. By September the crowds dissipate; by October you’ve hit shoulder season. This did mean that on the coast some of the businesses had started to close up the off-season, especially many of the Ksamil beach clubs.

In fact, we had 10 days of pure sunshine with temperatures around 25°C – hardly autumnal at all. I was swimming in the sea on the 7th October. However things did start to change on day 11, with cloud cover all day before a terrific storm that lasted most of the night. There was no let up the following morning, which meant a challenging drive across the mountains with windscreen wipers that couldn’t keep up with the force of the rain beating down. Roads were starting to flood, I was internally panicking about landslides and Mr Fletche was extremely grateful for the magnificent engineering of the Llogara tunnel which gave us respite from the rain and winding roads.

Despite the change in weather, I would highly recommend travelling in early October. It’s warm enough for swimming, sunbathing and al fresco dining; accommodation, flight and car rental prices drop from their summer peak and you’re less likely to be fighting the crowds. We were too early for the autumn foliage but we could see oranges and reds creeping in here and there.

Other useful Albania travel planning information

Although Albania is not yet in the EU (application pending!) they do accept the Euro as currency. However their local currency is the LEK (or ALL) and you’ll get the best rates if you use this. It’s a closed currency which means you’ll need to exchange into LEK once you’re in Albania. We used the Iliria’98 desk at Tirana Airport (on the arrivals floor, not the one in baggage claim for the best rates) to exchange, and then ATMs throughout our trip. Beware, ATM fees are hefty, between 500-800 LEK (around €5-€8) per transaction.

Credit cards are accepted in some places but it’s best to always have enough cash on you. Mr Fletche had to do an emergency ATM dash on our final night when we found out that – contrary to Google reviews – our chosen restaurant was cash only. Smaller hotels and guesthouses preferred cash. But Albania – at the moment – is still incredibly cheap. Our most expensive accommodation was around €80 a night, most were around €50. A good meal with drinks was around €30.

• • 🛌🏻 Book accommodation via Booking.com
  • ✈️ Check flight availability and costs via Skyscanner
  • 🎟️ Find activities, tours and entry tickets via Get Your Guide
  • 📲 Access the internet anywhere with an eSim from Airalo (use referral code EMMALE5544 for £2.50 off your first purchase)
  • 🚗Renting a car? Find the perfect deal via Localrent.com

Final Reflections on Albania

It’s not a country to demand perfection of. However if you demand beautiful nature, stunning natural beaches and friendly – if sometimes a little disorganised – hospitality, then Albania will probably be for you. Forget the stereotypes. After all, they’ve sent all the bad Albanians elsewhere 😂