It's better to visit and travel around Albania. Independent holiday in Albania. Tips and tricks. How long does the excursion to Albania last?

There will be no neat stories and beautiful pictures taken with a quadcopter during normal operating hours. Only the harsh reality and truth of life. Go.

For the second year now, the country has been incredibly popular among our citizens who prefer a budget holiday at sea, in the mountains, or just adventures without a specific goal.

Some people see this country as Euro-trash with garbage dumps, poverty, gypsies, beggars and street gangs. What else can you expect from people who have been led for decades by a maniacal paranoid with the habits of a dictator?

Others have found their Albanian paradise somewhere around Ksamil or Saranda and enjoy the warm sea, organic food and reasonable prices. Today it is the cheapest country for sea holidays in Europe.

Both will always find and get what they came for.

We didn't wait or look for anything. I was bursting with healthy curiosity and the opportunity to see another Europe. Moreover, it is located on Balkans, which we were going to go around the perimeter. We drove through the country from south to north through the Greek border high in the mountains (Kakavia checkpoint) and, having reached the border with Montenegro in the area of Lake Shkoder, we sent further along route.

I will also write a review post on Tirana, article on Albanian attractions And . Now a little about everything - fresh impressions of the trip upon arrival. Perhaps somewhere it won’t coincide with what the travel agency “drawn” for you, but that’s how it is...

First "dislike"

The first emotion when crossing the Greek-Albanian border is so dark... and so interesting. Destroyed buildings, gray-black bare mountains without forest or greenery, ugly graffiti on abandoned buildings and protruding bunkers - sometimes in dozens standing just above the road. After half an hour of driving - a gypsy camp - hundreds of meters of gray barracks, scattered rags (or was it clothes?), strange people along the road with unkind faces.

This was all intensified by heavy rain and thunderstorms, as well as several hours of mountain serpentine before the coast appeared. The same mood was dictated by the first post on Facebook, it also became the last due to problems with reading the SD card, after which all the experienced ones decided that they didn’t like me and prepared to unfriend me. Don't rush, everything is fine.

Places you need to know

I haven’t seen anything like the one in Greek Halkidiki (Sithonia), when you can stop anywhere along a kilometer of coastline, catch some zen and shoot until you run out of space on your memory card. At least in the section from Saranda to Vlore. More precisely, there are beautiful places, one of them is in the photo, but in Albania you need to know the places - it’s not worth going to the country without information preparation.

About Albanian roads

On the section from the border with Greece almost to the city of Vlorë there is a hellish driving but incredibly beautiful mountain serpentine road. The road winds along the sea, going up and down, sometimes going into the mountains. After Vlora, a plain begins and something similar to a highway begins; from Tirana to Lake Shkoder there is a good quality road. Details about driving on Albanian roads there will also be material.

One hundred kilometers in the mountains will take more than three hours, and if with stops on steep cliffs overlooking the coast and mountains, it will take all of five hours. Take this into account when planning.

The quality of the roads is excellent, although not Croatia, of course. Mountain roads are extremely narrow, in places for one car. There are no tunnels. There are no gas stations in the mountains - you will have to go down to the cities or fill up a full tank before the trip. I didn't see this as such a big problem.

By Albania You can safely drive without a navigator, there are signs everywhere, even in remote places and villages. It’s difficult to get lost if you know the name of the locality you’re going to.

About drivers

In some places they are similar to those from Kyiv, only their “habits” are slightly different. Stopping in the middle of the road in front of you, without changing course or pulling over to the side of the road to talk with a familiar pedestrian, is the norm for everyone, without exception. Naturally, no displays of turns when changing lanes, turning or parking. 90% of Albanian drivers drive this way. This should not be considered a violation or a sign of disrespect - this is just such a driving style, the usual norm.

The cars on the streets are often used BMWs, Audis or Mercedes - in Albania, just like here, they like to show status. The percentage of new luxury cars is high, which is typical for corrupt developing countries. According to rumors, many of them are stolen, the percentage reaches 90.

Currency of Albania

The official currency of Albania is the Albanian lek, the exchange rate to the euro is end of 2018– 124 lek for 1 euro (has strengthened over the past year). Not everyone, even experienced travelers, knows about this currency, just as not everyone is first interested in the lek to euro exchange rate. This is a mistake that is often used at gas stations and markets. Read more about wiring in Albania.

About Albanian wiring

I already wrote on Facebook, but I’ll repeat it for those who don’t follow me.

You can joke all you want about Albanian dirty streets and beaches and not always European people, but the people who spent 40 years building bunkers on the orders of a crazy leader are now surviving as best they can.

One of the main connections for foreign guests is refueling. “Kastrati” – remember this name. It is at the gas stations of this network that business thrives on foreign suckers, especially those traveling in transit through Albania.

Gasoline is inexpensive, compared to Greece - only 1.20 euros. Payment cards seem to be theoretically accepted, but not everywhere. Out of five attempts, the card was accepted for payment only at the first gas station in the city of Dhërmi. But they willingly accept euros.

We drive up to the Kastrati gas station and ask - Credit card, visa? The guy in the sweatpants answered - only cash, euro OK. Okay, I’ll give you 50 euros, having previously calculated how much fuel the guy should fill in - a little more than 40 liters.

The dude pours 22 (!!!) liters and good-naturedly nods his head, OK? No, I say, let's keep pressing the gun and don't play around. He doesn’t understand English or pretends that he doesn’t understand, but he pulls the trigger and adds another 10 liters. He pulls the gun out of the tank and the same story again - OK? I calmly say, another 10 liters and it will be OK. The answer I received was refusal and mild aggression.

The game of cat and mouse was stopped by Tanya, who convincingly explained to the boy in a mixture of Russian, Albanian and English what would happen to him if he did not fill up to the required number on the meter. It worked :) Conclusion - the people are frail.

This, of course, is an isolated case - people are good, and the number of such marginalized people is no more than in post-Soviet countries. In addition, there are wires in many countries, so just control your actions and nothing bad will happen.

About tourism in Albania

With such a location, climate and generally decent cuisine, it would be strange not to develop tourism. Unexpectedly, at the end of the tourist season in Albania it turned out to be even more than in Greece or Croatia. There are many Serbs, Kosovars, Germans, Ukrainians and Moldovans, there are significantly fewer Russians than, for example, in neighboring Montenegro. I judge both by speech and by car license plates. There are no Chinese at all, even in season - this is according to the locals with whom we stayed for one night.

There are a lot of hotels, and in cities like Chimeras or Dhërmi (Zermi) The entire coastline is built up with them. There are hotels even where logically there shouldn’t be any - far from the sea and mountain routes, along boring highways and even secondary roads, 30-40 km away. from the capital.

Near cities Vlorë or Durres The coast is also lined with hotels - large chain hotels in the center, small 2*-3* and boutique hotels on the outskirts or in various secluded places. Moreover, the beaches near these cities are clay sand mixed with small stones. In this regard, many questions arose about why people who live in these hotels come here. Apparently it's a matter of price. I'll tell you about the prices below.

At the end of September in our hotel 3*, quite pleasant - with a large room for three, a balcony, free secure parking and breakfast, all the tables were occupied at breakfast, many were standing waiting for a seat!!! Interest in the country is at its peak; then everything depends on the Albanians themselves.

About prices in Albania

It is considered by many to be the cheapest holiday destination in Europe. We lived in small 3* hotel in Dherm i and guest house in Durres. Accommodation prices start from 5 euros for a double room, but it will be a bedbug with a view of a landfill, ruins or construction site. We paid 30 euros with breakfast in the first case and 18 euros for a guest house in Durres. Focus on this price range; for 25 euros you can find either a good hotel or a good apartment.

Eat at a restaurant by the sea– 20-25 euros for three. Lunch-dinner includes one dish - the portions are large, but they didn’t scare us, water, bread, a carafe of homemade wine. In simpler places without a view and without the sea - half the price. Local fast food is called burek - a bun with meat filling, costs less than a euro. Olives - 1 euro per 200 grams, olive oil - 4-5 euros per half liter, pomegranates - from 1 to 1.5 euros per kilogram, other fruits - less than one euro. In tourist places it is more expensive, but not much. Cigarettes cost one and a half euros. Locals think it's very cheap. I had to tell them how much our cigarettes cost - they were very surprised.

A large package of food in the supermarket cost us 15 euros, it included cheese, prosciutto, cookies, vegetables, fruits - good quality products, Albanians do not yet have money for “chemicals”, so everything can be considered organic.

In general, everything is about 1.7 times cheaper than in Montenegro, and 2.5 times cheaper than Croatia.

Gasoline - 1.20 euros (170 lek), there are many gas stations, avoid the Kastrati network - I wrote above why.

In general, prices are proportional to quality; the situation is approximately the same in our country.

About the capital of Albania - Tirana

The expectations were such that Tirana- this is something similar to the capital of Macedonia - Skopje, which remained at the top of my ranking as the strangest capital of Europe. IN Tirana everything turned out to be much more fun. A modern city with bars, street food, traffic jams, roads and a small amount of free parking in the center. This is the only city along the route in which I paid for parking - about 2 euros for three hours.

View in Tirana there is nothing special, except for the central square with a mosque and a library, a bunker converted into a museum and an unfinished pyramid - an abandoned place, similar to a mausoleum - obviously a heavy legacy of the past regime.

Beaches and sea in Albania

IN Albania Ionian Sea, which goes into Adriatic and both are part Mediterranean Sea, as is known. The sea is magnificent, and the colors will be brighter than the Aegean. Even in rainy weather it pleases with its rich emerald hue.

We weren't in tourist Ksamil is a famous natural park and tourist reserve near the Greek border. In all other places, the beaches raised more questions than approval. They are either clayey, or there is coarse sand mixed with stones, a lot of debris and algae. Beaches of Albania For now we say “no”, only as an additional point in the program of independent travel in Albania or a bonus. Although it is possible that garbage and uncollected algae are a consequence of the fact that the season is over.

IN Albania we hardly saw the cozy romantic rocky bays that we are used to Halkidiki, at least on the coastline from Saranda to Vlёra. The beaches are generally long and wide with hotels along the perimeter. From where we were, we more or less liked the beach and bay in the city of Himarë. Most beaches are made of pebbles. Due to the fact that the pebbles are poured on top of sand or clay, they slip a little and are not very pleasant to the touch.

Is it worth going on holiday to Albania?

IN Albania definitely worth going before it becomes like other European resorts. There are magnificent mountains, sea and nature in general. I wrote about the beaches above.

Conclusion - go exclusively and only for a beach holiday in Albania- a rather strange idea. Because the country was created for active travel by car. The number of off-the-beaten-track and truly interesting places is off the charts. In addition to beach locations like Ksamil, Saranda or Borsch There is Logara pass, Gjirokaster, Lake Koman, city Kruje. In the north of Albania - Vermosh, Kelmendi, Tamare, Boge, Valbona And Theth. But sitting on the same beach, especially if it is not the best, you can go into a state of increasing depression and become alcohol dependent.

About Albanian cuisine

In short, it’s the same as in other Balkan countries, but cheaper. Many people consider products in markets to be organic. They say that Albanians do not use chemicals because they are poor. Our first experience try Albanian food happened in Dhermi, which was praised by many. In the restaurant on the terrace above the sea, neither the fried lamb, nor the veal, nor the chicken evoked any emotions. But in the mountains we came across a cool tavern without a name. The local house wine is also excellent - it tastes slightly fizzy and tastes like young wine. I didn’t order seafood - we ate enough in Greece. And the prices, yes, are lower than Greek and significantly lower than Croatian, but everything is just as simpler and worse as it is cheaper. In general, again, you need to know the places, as they say. We may have driven past them.

Definitely, a country in which it’s half a step from terrible to beautiful. There may be trash, abandonment, or construction near a beautiful beach or cliff. There are many strange buildings painted with monstrous graffiti, bunkers everywhere that were built to escape nuclear war. A beautiful pedestrian area with summer cafes in Shkodra borders the barracks of a gypsy camp on the shore of a mountain lake. In historical cities there is often construction and restoration - and this is absolutely normal and understandable. You should definitely go to Albania, but not for a beach holiday, but to rent a car and travel, travel, travel. And the beaches are like a light, pleasant addition to the emotions and experiences received.

It's a very, very fascinating country, actually. Especially if you don't expect Albania more than she can offer. We are planning to go again next year to get to know each other better, uniting with Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia.

Did we like Albania? In its own way, yes, but the more important thing is that we were interested in it. And upon returning, it became clear that Albania is love deferred in time. Until next season - wait for us to come to you, country of mountain eagles.

I have good news for lovers of the Balkans! In addition to visa-free Montenegro, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Macedonia, Albania becomes visa-free for six months 🇦🇱 From April 1 to October 31, 2019 Albania cancels visas for Russians and Belarusians, at the border you only need to show your passport.

April visa-free travel to Albania means you can take advantage of the bright and still cool spring, ride for a day during the May holidays from Montenegro with or by bus with Olimpus.me 😎 You can also take a regular bus, in the summer there is a bus from Kotor to Tirana via Budva, see the schedule at busticket4.me

Please note that you do not need a visa to visit Albania all year round. Ukrainians, Kazakhs, Armenians and Azerbaijanis👌 You can stay in this country for tourism purposes for up to 90 days within six months. The Council of Ministers of the Republic of Albania decided that Russians and Belarusians do not need a visa in 2019 from April 1 to October 31 at the end of February - . Below is a screenshot.

This visa-free measure from April 1 is aimed at increasing the flow of tourists to Albania. But in March or from November, either open multi-Schengen or national will help Russians and Belarusians get to Albania. visa

Excursion to Albania from Montenegro

From Montenegro you can go to in my company, I drive for 1 day to Shkodra, its surroundings and a chic eco-restaurant, in time it’s about a 12 hour trip💃Routes to other cities - Krui, Tirana, Berat are discussed in advance, and are possible with 1 night.

For those who will be vacationing in the south of Albania, I advise you to go to, and for the white sand, go to Ksamil beach

From Montenegro to Albania by car

If you want to travel independently in Albania, rent a car through. If you come from Montenegro, then I recommend the service MyRentaCar🚙 The main thing is to indicate that you need green cardboard (Green card for traveling outside the country), and let them indicate in the contract that they are allowed to leave the borders of Montenegro and put a stamp on this place!🚦🚘

As for the quality of the roads, they are improving every year, I’m delighted, to be honest. According to the road rating, Albania is in 58th place, followed immediately by Norway, but Montenegro is in 88th place... And the Russian Federation is in 114th place. Research.

Border of Montenegro and Albania In the summer there will be traffic jams, you can stand for half or an hour and a half in one direction, which will ruin your mood. Plus it's damn hot! How to be?

Leave as early as possible in the morning, not on weekends
I advise you not to go to the border in July August Muriqan - Sukobin, try an alternative border, less crowded with cars - Bozaj near Lake Skadar. There is a wide road there, you can still get to Shkodra quickly.
Documents for renting a car will be issued by Rentacar, Russian licenses are suitable, but some Albanian border guards may require you to show international licenses, a smile and a neat bribe “I want to treat you to coffee” of around 10 euros will help.
Make sure that passports are stamped at all borders back and forth, especially when returning to Montenegro you 100% need a stamp confirming entry into the country, so that later there will be no problems or fines at the airport.
Don’t forget about electronic registration at your holiday destination in Montenegro, it is done at the hotel, you pay a tax of 1 euro, or go to the Information Point yourself and pay the “Boravishna tax” within 24 hours upon arrival. Read more.

Travel around Albania the car is quite safe, if Google Maps or Maps.me lead you astray, local residents will always prompt you, at least with gestures, at least with residual knowledge of the Russian language from the times of Soviet power, and young people know English and Italian quite well.

What can scare you - very much? large traffic jams and chaotic traffic in Tirana and other large cities, be careful. Before your walk, leave your car only in the official parking lot; they often take euro coins instead of Albanian leks. To drive Tirana from one side to the other I usually need 1 - 1.5 hours, it’s very tiring... In Shkodra the situation is simpler, but there many cyclists on the roads, which you will have to go around and wonder how they are allowed to drive parallel to the cars.

Roads in Albania I am more and more happy every year! The country is actively developing and rebuilding. Look at this gorgeous Rrapsh Serpentine in the mountains and villages... This is a two-lane road with high bumpers and perfect asphalt! It was built in December 2016, so few people know about it, it connects the 2 borders of Montenegro, a very picturesque route in the canyon of the Prokletije mountains from Lake Skadar to Gusinje - on the map

Attractions in Albania: what to see

It is an endless topic - what to see in Albania, given its size and variety of natural beauties and architectural sites. There are the Adriatic and Ionian Seas, beach recreation in some places, beautiful mountain landscapes, emerald rivers and lakes, interesting and different cities. For example, the old part is under UNESCO protection. It is called the city of a thousand windows

There will be an interesting city in the south of Albania Gjirokaster with amazing architecture, also included in the UNESCO list since 2005.

Among the resorts near the Ionian Sea I will highlight Saranda And Vlora , there are also many beaches in Albania, if you go in spring or autumn, check out the beach Ksamil, in the summer I guess it’s crowded and the effect of the “Albanian Maldives” is lost. And the sandless sand there is magnificent! Opposite there are many small islands where you can sail on a catamaran boat. By the way, many Europeans fly to the island of Corfu and then take a ferry in 20 minutes. find yourself in Saranda, because a holiday in Albania will cost several times cheaper.

Nearby across the hill there is Lake Butrint with oyster and mussel farms, as well as the 3rd attraction under UNESCO - a national park and ruins of the city of Butrint .

The closest city to Montenegro Shkodra will surprise you with the colorful Arbat in the center, a mixture of religions, the Rozafa fortress, and the Mes bridge. I recently wrote a detailed article on where to buy an excursion from Montenegro to Albania

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Capital Tirana will delight you with cool restaurants, cheap shopping, museums, brightly colored houses, Enver Hoxha's bunker, the cable car on Mount Dajti and much more. This is a secular capital with a remaining Soviet flavor; there is little authenticity in Tirana... Go to the city for it Kruja, which has a cool antique market, and if you want to go to the sea, then in Durres or the nearest resorts on the Adriatic.

Be sure to take a ride from the Montenegrin border to Valbona National Park to the North Albanian Alps, you can stay overnight in the town Theth, I have in mind Villa Gjecaj. I advise you to look at the photo report from these mountains.

Of course, it is worth mentioning in Albania also

More recently, our compatriots knew very little about Albania. Basically, knowledge about the country depended on its geographical location. However, this state is located in the very heart of Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula and borders Montenegro, Greece, Macedonia and Kosovo. Few resorts in the country can offer relaxation on the shores of clean and beautiful seas, the Ionian and Adriatic. It was precisely because of the long isolation that the world was unaware of the culture and history of the state of Shkoder (that is the name of the country in Albanian). And even though the tourism sector here is just beginning to develop, Albania may well surprise tourists with its nature, long clean beaches, huge mountain ranges (in the east of the country) and incredibly beautiful mountain rivers. Many experts in the field of tourism foresee the rapid development of the tourism service sector in the country, since its territory has absolutely everything for an excellent holiday for people, if not from all over, then from all over Europe. Its favorable geographical location allows you to get here by car from any European country in 2-3 days, and a plane flight does not take more than three hours.

The locals are very hospitable and a little rustic. People in small towns are not spoiled by the attention and money of tourists and are ready to provide services for a fee that compares favorably with prices in neighboring countries. Here, every tourist is given a lot of attention, pampered with delicious food, pleasant... read more

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Prices for holidays in Durres. June 2014.

tour cost

The tour to Albania included flights, transfers and accommodation. Flight to Tivat (Montenegro), transfer to Albania, accommodation in an apartment near Durres on the territory of a hotel complex, almost on the seashore. The tour was purchased for 10 days, for 3 people (2 adults and 1 child 14 years old) and cost $1050. No meals were included. No visas are needed for Albania, which is also a big advantage over the rest of Europe. The agency made a decent discount due to the fact that this area is new and not fully explored. And for us, as lovers of interesting, new and, most importantly, budget holidays, this option was very suitable. The group to Albania was not very large (3 families); a small number of our compatriots were already on vacation on the date of our arrival. The trip to Albania took about 4 hours, but the organizers tried to make this train interesting and not tiring: on the way to Durres, our guide (an Albanian who studied in Dnepropetrovsk) conducted an introductory tour: starting from Montenegro, on the way to our place of residence with small stops and photo opportunities. Those. For the laziest travelers, Albania could be seen on the road from the airport and back.

Holidays in Albania are one of the most popular tourist destinations among Russians. Previously, residents of Russia did not need a permit to visit the country in the summer. Now the rules have changed, and A visa to Albania for Russians in 2019 became necessary if the departure date is later than November 1, 2015.

The flag of Albania features a double-headed black eagle, which symbolizes Skanderberg, a national hero who fought against Turkish rule and founded the state in the 15th century

To Albania with visas of other countries

To travel to Albania, a Russian citizen will need to apply for a visa if he does not have a valid Schengen or residence permit in Albania, or citizenship of one of the states included in the Schengen area (or a second citizenship of the UK or USA). To visit Albania on a Schengen visa opened by another country, you must meet the following conditions:

The permission must have already been used at least once;
The country of first entry into the zone is not Albania;
Stay on the territory for no more than 90 days in a six-month period;
Have a valid passport (at least 3 months).

In all other cases, a visa to Albania must be issued.

Seasonal features of the visa regime

Every year during the tourist season, the republic’s leadership simplifies the visa regime. Previously, it was possible to enter the country without obtaining a visa for a period of two weeks. So, last year, 2014, to travel to Albania from May to October, you did not need a permit; you could enter freely. To obtain a tourist visa to Albania, a Russian tourist was required to have with him:

International passport;
Ticket to leave the country;
Reservation for a hotel room or rental agreement;
Insurance policy.

When crossing the border, people were not always asked about the availability of a medical insurance policy and reserved accommodation.

For 2019, Resolution of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Albania dated June 10, 2015 No. 487 established a tourist visa-free period from June 1 to November 1, as reported on the website of the Albanian Embassy in Russia. The key condition is to visit the country solely for the purpose of tourism, private travel or transit. The period of stay in Albania without a visa for Russians is up to 90 days. The valid validity period of a foreign passport is no less than 3 months at the time of travel.

Types of visas

Albania, depending on the length of stay, issues permits of two categories: C and D. Based on the number of stays, Albanian visas of category C are divided into:

One-time;
Double;
Multiple.

Required documents

To obtain a classic short-term permit of any frequency, you need to prepare the following documents:

International passport valid for 6 months;
An application form, which is filled out in block letters in Russian and personally signed by the applicant;
One photograph, measuring 3.6x4.7 cm, taken on a light background;
Confirmation of place of residence;
On the right from the place of work about the amount of salary or a letter of guarantee from the sponsor or a certificate from the bank about the status of the account;
A copy of insurance valid for the entire duration of your stay in the country;
Students - a copy and original of their student ID;
For pensioners - a copy and original of the pension certificate;
Invited persons - an invitation from an Albanian resident.

Proof of residence can be:

Original or fax copy of a hotel guarantee in Albania (certified by the seal and signature of the owner or manager);
Housing rental agreement with a citizen or legal entity resident of Albania;
Ownership documents;
Letter of guarantee regarding the provision of housing from the inviting party.

The employment certificate must contain the details of the employing organization, the salary amount and the name of the position held.. The document must be signed by the manager and accountant and certified with a seal. Standard documentation rules apply to bank statements. When submitting a letter of guarantee, the sponsor will be required to confirm the financial condition of the sponsoring entity and its details.

Fiancé visa to Albania

If you are applying for a fiancé visa to Albania, which gives you the right to stay in the country for more than 90 days, you will need to prepare additionally:

Invitation from the future husband/wife;
Birth certificate;
Certificate of no criminal record;
A certificate stating that the person is not in a marital relationship;
Insurance policy for 12 months;
Passport and code of the bride/groom from the Albanian side.

Registration process

If you need a visa to Albania, based on the purpose and period of your trip, then to obtain it you need to:

Prepare the necessary documents;
Apply personally or through a representative to the Consulate at the Albanian Embassy in Moscow;
Submit the papers by paying for the service;
Come on the appointed day and receive your completed passport.

Registration of permits for travel to the republic occurs relatively quickly and without problems; the country's leadership does its best to promote the development of tourism. Allowed to submit and receive documents through an intermediary. To do this, you will need to issue a power of attorney to represent the applicant’s interests at the Embassy.

Applying for a visa to Albania at the border

To obtain a short-term tourist visa to Albania at the border, the candidate must:

Be part of a tourist group;
Enter the country from Montenegro or Croatia.

To obtain such permission you must provide:

International passport and its copy;
A notarized copy of the tour operator's license;
Confirmation of the tourist purpose of the visit, for example, a purchased excursion voucher.

Albania visa for children

Children need a visa to Albania if they enter the country outside the visa-free period, or if their stay in the country exceeds 90 days. To apply for a child visa to Albania, you will need the following documents:

Original birth certificate and a notarized copy;
Copies of parents' passports;
Permission from the parent remaining in the Russian Federation to take the child out of the country (if any).

The permit is prepared in the name of the person who will travel with the child. Notarized power of attorney is required.

If the accompanying person is not the father or mother, then such permission must be from both parents. If it is impossible to issue a power of attorney, for example, upon the death or deprivation of the rights of one of the parents, it is necessary to confirm the reasons.

Transit through Albania

During the summer, Russians do not require a special visa to cross the country in transit. At all other times, you must obtain a short-term permit of category C. Visa-free transit is allowed if you have a Schengen, English or American visa, used at least once.

If transit occurs from Croatia or Montenegro as part of a tourist group, then documentation of the transit visit takes place directly at the border.

Albania visa cost

The amount of the consular fee for issuing an Albanian visa depends on the type and frequency of permission:

Category C			Category D
One-time	Double	Multiple	Category D
30€	50€	50€	50€

Payment for the cost of obtaining a visa is carried out in rubles, according to the euro exchange rate on the day of submission of documents.

In case of refusal, money will not be returned.

Deadlines for registration

In most cases, you do not need a visa to travel to Albania, but if the need arises, the applicant’s documents will be reviewed as soon as possible. The standard period for opening a visa is 7 working days, excluding Russian and Albanian holidays.

Validity periods

Visas issued to visit Albania can be of two types: short-term and for long-term stay in the country. A visa is usually issued and is valid for one year. Permits issued at the border by tourist groups are valid for 72 hours from the date of issue.

Albania visa refusal

It is extremely rare that they may not be given a visa to visit the country. The reasons that prompted the Consulate to refuse must be very serious. Examples could be:

Violation of law and order during previous trips;
Deception of Embassy employees;
Being on the black list;
Incomplete package of documents.

We left by car from Ulcinj (the southernmost city in Montenegro on the coast). Initially we were going to go through Podgorica to Shkodër, but in one of the guidebooks I saw a direct road from Ulcinj to Shkodër.

I asked the locals - they said that the road is good, you can drive without problems, but it’s better not to go there at all. Looking at my determination, they advised me at least not to abandon the car, since with someone else’s license plates a new car could be quickly stolen. Poles lived in the apartments next to us, and I asked if they had been to Albania. It turned out that they were. They confirmed that the road from Ulcinj is good, but the road from Podgorica to Shkodra is very bad.

They also warned that at the entrance to Shkoder there is a one-way bridge, that is, you can only go in one direction, and on the other side they wait for the flow to end and only after that they begin to move in the other direction. So, they recommended that at this moment, while you are standing waiting for your turn, all the doors and windows should be closed, because there are crowds of children who are climbing into cars and stealing everything they can reach.

We left in the morning following the signs for Vladimir. There are only 2 roads to the south from Ulcinj - to Ada Boyana and Vladimir.

Very quickly we reached the Montenegro-Albania border from the Montenegro side, the border town is colorfully called Sukobin. There is a queue for 3-4 cars, passports and documents for the car are checked, and after 10 minutes we go through border control.

Since I did not find clear information about the procedure for crossing the Albanian border, I prepared in advance as best I could, especially since people shared information that some were not allowed in by car, some only with a group, and some not at all. I printed out a page about the visa regime from the website of the Albanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, kindly provided in the ru_travel community, inserted the coat of arms of Albania there, highlighted the headings and text in different fonts, in short, got creative, and in the end it looked almost like an official document for border guards. NOT NEEDED!

On the Albanian side, the border town is called Muriqan. After passing this town for another 10 kilometers, I began to strongly suspect that there would be no Albanian control. And so it turned out - the Montenegro-Albania border control is a joint point.

About navigation There is no electronic map of Albania! I haven’t seen a paper map of Albania - but I suspect it doesn’t exist either. There are main roads - without details. I drove using iGO, which knows only 2 roads, from Shkodra (Podgorica) to the center of Tirana and from the center of Tirana to the port of Duress.

That? It’s true that there are a lot of Mercedes on the roads. Not 90 and not 100%, of course, but a lot.

From wrecked ones to turbocharged compressors and others with them for a lot of money. Especially in Tirana. But in percentage terms it’s not Moscow, of course.

There are traffic cops on the roads. They blinked at me once before an ambush with a radar, very useful. But I was surprised that out of 10 cars only one blinked.

Either this is not accepted among them, or perhaps there are severe sanctions for this, or they didn’t like my license plates (Croatian) with a sticker (RUS) - (how can all this be seen from afar while moving?) - I don’t know in one word, but the fact is that the warnings are not very active, to put it mildly.

From border control to Shkodër it is only 30 km, from Shkodër to Tirana another 100.

The road is normal by Russian standards, you can drive, in many places repairs are widening the road and making 2-3 lanes in each direction. In 2 years I think driving will be much more pleasant.

There is a road junction 20-30 kilometers before Tirana. Using iGO you need to go right, get to the highway to Durres and then follow it to Tirana. But the sign shows that you need to go straight. I followed the sign straight and found myself in the very center. By the way, Google already knows this road, I discovered it when I returned. I didn't know in the summer.

Tirana

We were in Tirana on a weekday, in the very center. The traffic is amazing, but they climb more and more brazenly than ours and beep a lot in the manner of the Arabs (but still less). Despite the fact that there are signs everywhere, everyone who is bolder climbs the rings. But again, our people can go, you’ll squeeze/cut in here, you’ll get through there, they’ll cover you here. Nothing supernatural at all. The only thing is that I have to be more careful, since in this country, with a rented car, I can’t imagine the disassembly and consequences of an accident. Considering that no one speaks English.

It is impossible to park in the center. Having made three circles around the central square and surrounding area, I found two taxi ranks. Parked there. As soon as I got out of the car, the men from the newsstand began to actively explain to me in Albanian that I had parked the car in a taxi rank and there was no need to do that and it would be very bad. Then one saw a RUS sticker on the bumper and said - well, you are Russians - you can, OK, in short. Despite the fact that we were warned about the possibility of the car being stolen, no one wanted to stay in it. We left the car and went to see the sights.

We looked, took pictures, bought souvenirs. The city is noisy, everyone is noisy, running somewhere, throwing themselves under the wheels. After walking around the center we decided to slowly get out. Luckily for me, the car was still standing there two hours later. We loaded up and moved along the “Durres highway” towards coastal Durres. The Tirana-Durres road was built by Italians 30 years ago and is in excellent condition. 2 lanes in 2 directions with reinforced concrete divider. Free. Despite the fact that at that moment a terrible downpour began, I drove along it at 140-150 in my small Chevrolet Aveo, overtaking the ML and other compressors. Duresse is only 30 km away.

Duress

Large port and resort city. Since there is no map, before the trip I just recommend seeing what it looks like via GoogleEarth. The highway goes all the way to the sea and then a roundabout to the port (we don’t need it - although someone may need it) and to the resort coast. It is on this embankment that the entire center of local tourism is located, many hotels and houses and a narrow beach with sand, but very long.

The group got hungry and decided to go somewhere to eat. In the first place we encountered a problem - only Albanian and Italian languages. In the second place the situation is the same. And in 2 more it’s the same. We sat down - the menu is in Albanian and Italian. We decided not to experiment with ordering pizza. In Italian, you can basically understand what tomatoes and some other things are. With tea and dessert it was a little more complicated. Intuitively, I understood several times what the waitress wanted from us in Albanian, after which she mistook me for a person who actually understood Albanian, but pretended not to. And in a provocative way she spoke to me in Albanian slowly with good diction and looked straight into my eyes with hope all the time, looking for a spark of understanding. He answered her - “uh-huh okay” - and everyone was happy.

Durres is a resort for Albanians and Italians. Which, as I understand it, are very popular here. And also for Kosovar Albanians. Indeed, as someone wrote, there really are inscriptions on the walls of Kosova. Cafes and hotels - Kosova, Prishtina and inflections with these words. But I didn’t see any aggression, I didn’t feel any anxiety. In the summer there is definitely a hectic life here, but maybe everything is completely different. September, of course, is no longer the season there, all the buildings on the beach are closed, there are practically no people. But the water is much warmer than in Montenegro and Croatia at the same time. We wandered around Durres a little. We hung out on the beach. Personally, I wanted to stay here for a day, but the women didn’t really like it there and in the evening they moved back towards Montenegro.

At the exit from Durres on the highway, for some unknown reason (road repairs had been completed), there was a sign 40 - I was driving at least 90, for which I received the go-ahead from the traffic cops. I started to stop and drive up to them on the side of the road - having seen my Croatian license plates, and quite possibly a RUS sticker - both without saying a word began to actively wave - drive by, drive by. I concluded for myself that the sticker helped again.

The way back is no problem. The only thing I can warn you about is the driving culture. If a car rushes head-on into the oncoming traffic, this does not mean that the driver has everything under control and definitely has time to complete the maneuver. rather, on the contrary, you just need to slow down and move a little towards the side of the road. Such moments are constant, in principle it’s nothing to worry about, you just have to keep it in mind.

During the entire trip, we didn’t meet a single European number except the Italian ones; everyone else, except us, seemed to know more about Albania and didn’t go there. There are a lot of Italian numbers, and it feels like the Italians are very aggressively pouring money into the Albanian economy.

Everyone looked with great interest at our sticker and the people inside the car with cameras and cameras; in the eyes of the traffic cops more than once one could see the desire to stop us just for the sake of talking, fortunately the law enforcement representatives still restrained themselves from doing this.

On the way back, on the above-described bridge in Shkodër, we personally saw how children jumped on the running board of a large truck and pulled something out through the window and ran away from the apparently non-local Albanian driver, who was stunned by surprise.

On the way, it was raining heavily in the morning and there were no children. From Shkoder to the border there is another 30 km and in small settlements you can buy souvenirs if you forgot or decided to buy something else.

A hint for souvenir hunters, if you don’t want to go deep into the country, just cross the border, go 5-10 km deeper, buy a T-shirt with the inscription Albania and quickly return. It’s completely safe for yourself, but at home you can tell anything you want.

Crossing to Montenegro, the same checkpoint and another stamp and another 2 euros were asked.

I also forgot - when entering Albania, they gave me some kind of piece of paper for my car and registered a completely different person from our company as the driver. This is about the question of how carefully people are checked in their passports and in reality. I handed it over when I returned.

Here's a short trip to Albania.

A summary of myths on the Internet and comments from myself (a purely subjective view, of course).

1) 99.9% of Albanians do not know any other language other than Albanian - the absolute truth. On the coast and in the tourist industry they also speak Italian.

2) the dominance of Kosovo Albanians - I didn’t notice

3) they don’t drive very safely - but it’s quite acceptable and sometimes even very familiar.

4) they treat Russians well - it’s true, although I haven’t seen crazy joy in the eyes of the Arabs, but at least they’ve never been aggressive, that’s for sure. RUS stickers at least didn’t hurt, and a couple of times they definitely helped

5) Tirana is a must visit - in my opinion, no

6) Durres is a must-visit - if you lie around for a few days, it’s quite possible, at least unusual. If possible, I would spend more time there.