Backpacking Albania: 10 Things You Need To Know
Backpacking Albania was the best part of my six months in Europe in 2023. I simply fell in love with the country and can’t wait to go back. It’s bloody gorgeous, affordable and above all, tasty! Check out this backpacking Albania guide to nail your first time there.
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Backpacking Albania
Backpacking Albania is a whole lot of fun, and an experience i’ll remember for the rest of my life. But Albania is a country vastly different to other European countries and even its surrounding Balkan neighbours.
It was the country during my 6 months in Central & Eastern Europe that I knew the least about and it made me a tiny bit nervous about what hurdles I would have to face backpacking.
What I did know about backpacking Albania was being able to explore the insanely beautiful Albanian Alps, the pristine beaches of the south and historic cities of Berat and Gjirokaster.
But other than what made me interested in visiting, the details I needed to know about how to get around Albania, whether it’s safe or not, and whether the people are welcoming, I had no idea about!
Luckily, I found that Albania is a safe, friendly and very affordable country to travel around.
However, backpacking Albania presents a few different hurdles where it’s best to know how to leap over before visiting the country.
See also: Albania Itinerary: Ultimate 2-Week Trip
10 Tips For Backpacking Albania
Here are my 10 best tips for backpacking Albania. With them, you’ll flourish during your time in the country!
1. Cash Is King
Like the majority of Balkan countries, it is seriously difficult to survive using just credit cards in Albania. Other than supermarkets, you’ll have to use only cash.
Every hostel I stayed in during my 3 weeks in Albania only accepted cash.
Albania uses the Albanian Leke and it’s actually a closed currency, which means you won’t be able to get your hands on some until you arrive in the country (which I recommend anyway so you get the best rate).
Credit: Shutterstock
On the other hand, you can’t exchange it out of the country! So make sure you only get out what you need.
ATMs in Albania
Thankfully, ATMs are everywhere in the country and you won’t have trouble finding one. But make sure you only withdraw from Credins Bank as they are the only bank that doesn’t charge any fees for getting money out!
2. Don’t Trust Google Maps For Public Transport
Figuring out the public transport system in Tirana using Google Maps is a massive ball ache, because it doesn’t work! Unlike some neighbouring countries where it will show you the wrong bus number or time, in Albania – it doesn’t even show you that.
If you switch over to the public transport setting on Google Maps, it will come up with an error. This made my initial search for information on how to get to Tirana’s South and North Bus Terminal so I could figure out how to get from Tirana to Berat confusing.
What To Use Instead
That’s why I always used Moovit when backpacking Albania, as it had accurate information when it came to city buses.
3. The Bus System Is Crazy, & Fun
This was initially something I wasn’t expecting when I first arrived in Albania, but it’s something I quickly grew to weirdly enjoy throughout backpacking Albania.
The best way I can put it is that it’s an organised mess in the best way possible. It’s not unusual to be on a furgon (this is what they call minibuses) with a crate of chickens or in my unfortunate case, young men playing the recorder (not very well either!).
They also tend to pick up other people in the middle of nowhere and drop them off five minutes later.
I spent an entire trip sitting in the aisle, chatting away to a local about his life and my travels. Fun, right?
You Can’t Book Trips Online
Unless it’s a bus that travels to neighbouring countries, you can forget about booking them online!
You simply turn up to the bus station, look for the minibus (furgon) that has your destination in the window and get on! Most of the time, they’ll leave when they’re full so you shouldn’t expect them to be too punctual with departure and arrival times.
I have written a guide on how to get around Albania which covers this topic more in-depth. It includes how to navigate their calmly chaotic bus system and where to find bus schedules!
4. You Can Never Have Too Much Rakia
When I think back on my time in Albania, i’ll always remember the rakia. But what is it?
Rakia is the name for a fruit brandy that’s oh so popular in the Balkans. So much so, that a lot of people actually make it themselves. In every hostel I stayed in when backpacking Albania, I was offered complimentary homemade rakia as a welcoming from the owners! Even if it was 8am.
Even on nights drinking at the hostel, rakia would appear out of nowhere and you’ll find yourself drinking deadly amounts of it.
How To Drink Rakia
Rakia usually comes in a shot glass, but unlike you would assume – you actually sip it! This is something I found out after leaving. Like an idiot, I would shoot gobfuls of rakia!
Fun fact: Every country in the Balkans makes it, and naturally they think theirs is the best!
I heard “we’ve got the best rakia in the Balkans!” from every hostel owner in each Balkan country I visited.
5. Albania Is A Very Diverse Country
Backpacking Albania is an absolute treat because it is so diverse. No matter where you’ll go in the country you’ll find something new.
In the north, you’ve got the picturesque Albanian Alps. In the south you’ve got stunning beaches with bright blue water and then you’ve also got the heritage listed cities of Berat & Gjirokastër inland, not to mention the bustling capital, Tirana.
Albania truly has something for everyone. Whether you love nature, history or busy cities – you won’t find it hard to get what you want in the country.
6. Summer Is HOT!
I was in Albania during late June & July and it was so hot. I’ve actually never experienced weather like it.
There was one day in Berat where I couldn’t leave the hostel until dark because it was 42 degrees Celsius and 90% humidity. The moment I stepped outside I’d be dripping in sweat.
Unless you’re near the beach – it is impossible to escape the heat without shutting yourself indoors.
I recommend visiting Albania in early June or the end of August as the weather isn’t crazy hot but hot enough where you can still enjoy the beach!
7. Albania Has The Friendliest People
People from Albania are very serious looking people, as are most people from the Balkans, so it can be quite intimidating asking them a question.
However, 9 times out of 10 they will go to the end of the earth to help you, and more.
When I was backpacking Albania, I made a trip from Berat to Himarë in the south and it required a change in Vlorë. I’ll never forget how my driver went out of his way to make sure I got my second furgon as we were running late.
He called ahead and got them to wait somewhere in the middle of the motorway just so I didn’t miss it. We communicated exclusively via Google Translate as he didn’t speak English.
He didn’t have to do that, and if I missed the second bus I probably would’ve had to spend the night in Vlorë!
To this day, I maintain that Albanians are the favourite locals i’ve met on my travels.
8. Albania Is Very Safe For Travel
Albania suffers from a reputation of being unsafe to visit, which is completely false! This is largely due to its dark past (more on this below) but nowadays you’ll find that backpacking Albania is very safe.
Credit: Henor Teneqja (Unsplash)
The main thing to watch out for is pickpocketing, and even then, it’s not as bad as “safe” countries like Spain, France & Italy, where millions travel every year!
And of course, taxi drivers are d*ckheads pretty much anywhere in the world. To make sure you don’t get ripped off – establish the price before getting into any taxi in Albania.
9. Being A Vegetarian In Albania
If you’ve done any research into food in the Balkans, you’ll have found that it is MEAT, MEAT, MEAT! Whilst that is true in Albania too, finding vegetarian meals when backpacking Albania isn’t too hard as a lot of the dishes are naturally vegetarian.
There are lots of stews in the country and plenty of bread-based food such as bureks. Make sure you try fërgëse, probably Albania’s most famous vegetarian dish enjoyed by non-vegetarians too!
Can’t find any veggie meals? Cooking in hostels is your next option
10. Albania’s Dark Past
Before backpacking Albania, it is worthwhile doing research on the country’s dark past.
Albania was Europe’s most isolated country from 1975-1991 and the country was completely closed off from the rest of the world. During this time, no one could leave and there was horrific social oppression.
Enver Hoxha was the dictator who had an “iron fist” grip of the country and he wouldn’t let go until his death. Political rivals were eliminated and even old school friends and high school crushes were purged as well.
Whilst not much was known about the economy at the time, Albania was the poorest country in Europe and it was thought to be the only European country with living conditions on par with some third-world countries.
So make sure you look into their history before backpacking Albania as it gives you a fascination insight into what it was like, the changes they’ve made and why things are the way they are.
When you visit Tirana, make sure to check out the Bunk’Art Museums. They are two museums inside actual bunkers! Bunk’Art 2 is the more central museum of the two and gives a fascinating insight into life under Hoxha’s rule
Backpacking Albania: Summary
Every negative perception of Albania I had before visiting went flying out of the window the moment I arrived in Tirana. I fell in love with how things worked here, and found that whilst on paper navigating the country seems a lot more difficult compared to European countries in the Schengen zone, it’s actually very easy!
It was a way of doing things that I grew to prefer and I can’t wait to get back to doing it again.
Check out all of my posts about Albania
Book Your Trip With My Favourite Resources:
Cheap Flights: I always use Skyscanner to browse for cheap flights. It offers so many options to help you find a good deal! It even allows you to search for “anywhere” if you haven’t decided where to go yet!
Accommodation: I start my hostel search with Hostelworld. Most hostels are now on this platform making it the place to find the best hostel for you.
Travel Insurance: If you can’t afford travel insurance, you can’t afford to travel. It is so important to have when travelling as it will save you from illness, injury, theft and cancellations! I always use Worldnomads when travelling on a budget as they have the best deals for me.