Safe Travel in Albania
After years of isolation from the rest of the world, the small nation of Albania is slowly welcoming curious visitors who want to travel safely through almost forgotten land (known in ancient days as Illyria). Reclusive Stalinist dictator Enver Hoxha kept the country cloistered during much of the post-WWII era, shunning freedoms and even alienating Albania from communist Russia and China. Only in the 1990s, several years after Hoxha’s death, did Albanians begin to see a future through connections with the outside world.
Hoxha’s legacy is one of stunted development, meaning that Albania’s infrastructure is almost the poorest in Europe and the crime rate is much higher than in other countries. Visitors to Albania will be introduced to a remarkably underdeveloped democracy, so they must take precautions to ensure that they travel safely through what sometimes seems like a lawless nation. While travel to other Balkan countries is never truly worry-free, visitors to Albania must be especially prepared to handle some government corruption, increased violent crime rates, everyday pickpocketing, and other factors which render travel less safe.
Getting to Albania Safely
Safe travel to Albania begins with preparation for entry. Although citizens of the United States do not need a visa, they are required to have at least 60 days left on their passport and to obtain an entry card from Albanian authorities (at the airport or at a border crossing). The entry card is valid for 30 days. If for some reason you plan to stay longer, you would need to visit a police station for an extension. Since Albanian police, particularly outside of the capital of Tirana, are sometimes connected to organized crime rings, it is recommended to pursue any entry card extension (if necessary) while still in Tirana. The cost of the 30-day entry card is only about $12. American dollars may be accepted, but it is advised to carry some Euros into the country if you are unable to get Albanian lek ahead of time.
There are no direct flights from the United States to Albania, and the only connecting commercial flights will take you to the capital, Tirana. Alitalia and Austrian airlines are two reputable carriers with regular service to Tirana. The airport is a good 30 minutes from the city, so you will probably need to take a cab into town. To stay safe and avoid a total ripoff, look for a registered yellow taxi with yellow license plates.
Although the rest of Europe is incredibly well-connected by train, you cannot enter Albania safely this way. The tracks are in utter disrepair, the stations are in neglect, and service is on-again, off-again. There was once regular service between Albania and the former Yugoslav Republic of Montenegro, but this has been discontinued. Be wary of anyone who tries to sell you an international train ticket in Albania.
Besides air travel, the second safest choice for travel into Albania is bus. Although uncomfortable and less reliable, buses are inexpensive and culturally instructive. Service is available from Macedonia, Greece, Bulgaria, and Kosovo. Given some tensions with Macedonia and the ongoing unrest in the UN-administered Kosovo region, buses from Greece and Bulgaria are the safest bets. The buses from Athens and Sofia both travel overnight and arrive in Tirana the next morning. Although the Tirana airport is truly bare bones, the bus station is nonexistent, so be prepared to hit the ground running once you arrive in the capital. Luckily, you will pull into Tirana during the daytime. It’s much safer to get off a bus in the middle of a random parking lot during daylight hours.
Before traveling to Albania, it is recommended that you register with the United States embassy in Tirana, which can be accomplished through https://www.travelregistation.state.gov (be sure to include the “s” in https). However, once you arrive in Tirana, you should check in with US officials at the embassy (Rruga E Elbasanit 103) so that you are advised of any new security details that may affect your visit.
Getting around Albania
Unless you are with some kind of escorted group or feeling extremely adventurous, you should avoid the northern parts of Albania, including the city of Shkoder. According to the US State Department, armed crime is a disproportionate problem in this region. British and Australian authorities also advise avoiding the northeast sections of Albania near the Kosovo border because of armed gangs, so that advice applies equally to US visitors, since criminals will not discriminate.
Tirana, Butrint (an archaeologically significant town near Greece), and Durres (a port on the Adriatic with rich history) are relatively safe tourist destinations when compared with the northern regions of the country. Street crime, including pickpocketing and theft of passports, is frequent, but armed crime occurs less often in these cities. To be safe, leave copies of passports and other paperwork at your hotel and carry money on more than one part of your body.
Bus service is the primary way to get around Albania, unless you hire a private guide and rent a car (which can be rather expensive). In Tirana itself, the bus service is a little unpredictable but no more or less safe than walking the streets. With fares less than a quarter, it’s worth riding just for kicks. If you become frustrated with the poor quality of the buses and the weather is inclement, you may want to hire a taxi. Again, remember to look for the registered yellow cabs with red and yellow license plates. International tourists, while always on their guard in Albania, will probably feel the least isolated in Tirana. Frequently, American ex-pats exploring Albania are eager to help one another navigate.
Accommodations in Tirana
To the surprise of some travelers, there are a number of well-equipped western-style hotels in Tirana with plenty of English speaking staff, like the Rogner Europark or Hotel Mondial, but be prepared to pay handsomely for the accommodations. If you opt for one of the smaller, family-owned hotels, know that some are located in safer areas than others and some are more sanitary than others. Travelers may wish to check www.inyourpocket.com, which lists hotels and hostel-like accommodations along with reviews.
If you are staying in a smaller hotel and want to keep your belongings a little safer, you may want to carry a fatter combination lock and be sure to keep your belongings in your luggage. This is no guarantee, but it may be enough of a deterrent. Avoiding theft is about reducing your exposure.
Other Recommendations for Safe Travel in Albania
– Most Albanians are friendly and welcoming to visitors. They don’t tend to harbor significant animus toward Americans. If you notice that people are a little too hospitable, though, be warned. The perception on the part of the poor Albanian populace is that American travelers in particular are wealthy and somewhat naÃ?¯ve.
– Don’t take pictures of anything that could be construed as suspicious. Museums, parks, ruins, and other normal tourist spots are fine, but avoid anything even vaguely military or infrastructure-related. It is also best to take pictures openly rather than trying to take them surreptitiously.
– This should go without saying, but don’t hand anyone your camera and ask them to take a photo for you. Even Albanians who speak English well may be out to steal from you. Your best bet may be to ask other obvious tourists to take a photo for you. Chances are that someone who already has a camera does not want to steal yours.
– It may be frustrating to be so suspicious of Albanians, especially since many of them are warm, welcoming people who are not out to cause harm. But the years of poverty and isolation have also made for a desperate and disproportionately large criminal minority that foreign travelers cannot detect readily.
– Albanian is a very difficult language to learn because it is unrelated to most European tongues, so you probably won’t learn more than a few basic phrases before you go. Depending on the part of the country you’re in, some Greek or Italian can really help you, although basic English is spoken by many younger residents of Tirana.
– Many Albanians are Muslims. Accordingly, the nation is conservative socially. Don’t behave with the same reckless abandon you might in, say, Amsterdam or Berlin.
In Summary
Don’t let all the talk about safety discourage you from visiting this charming country. There is no other nation like Albania because it has a strong history, taking the visitor from ancient Illyria through the Soviet-style repression of the Enver Hoxha reign. Inexpensive, authentic, and (in some ways) unspoiled, Albania can be safely explored if you are informed and prepared for a gritty adventure.
