Visiting Tirana from Cyprus

How easy is it to get from Saranda to Tirana please.

My Wife and I are considering coming from Cyprus to Corfu (staying a few days as we love the island) and trying to get a ferry across to Saranda, as we are not sure how to get to Durres.

We want to visit Tirana and specifically buy some items in the shops in town and thought we could use a short visit to discover more and come back for another vist with real time on our hands to discover some of the lovely places mentioned above.

But it seems so difficult to find out how to get to Albania except say a direct flight via Athens from Cyprus.

Would very much appreciatte some advice please.

Many thanks

Alan

|||

Hey Alan,

Visiting Albania from Saranda is very easy. there are ferries several times per day. it is only 15 Euros per person and last around 40 min. From Saranda there are buses to Tirana. they are also regular.

I would recomend you stay for a day or two in Saranda, visit Butrinti and perhaps visit Gjirokaster on the way to Tirana. Tirana is beautiful city but my favorite here are Gjirokaster, Berat and the coast from Vlora to Saranda.

Enjoy your trip,

|||

Dear Rozafa,

How do I get from Corfu to Albania - is there a ferry from Corfu?

Is that where you refer to Saranda?

Where in Corfu does the ferry leave to go to Sarnade?

Best wishes,

Alan

|||

world66.com/europe/…getting_there

Hey Alan,

There are numerous web site to help you with it. This is one of them. I myself have never traveled this way but many of my friends have and they did not report any problems.

Hope this helps,

|||

Dear Rozafa,

Thanks thats brilliant - EXCELLENT advice.

So next question is once at Saranda how to get from there safely (we are not teeneagers anymore) to visit Butrinti and perhaps visit Gjirokaster.

May not have time to visit Tirana and so will perhaps take your advice and stay for a day or two in Saranda, not sure it sounds so great.

Any suggestions or links please (sorry to be a pain)

Bye the way, how could I get to Tirana from Saranda and how long to do a quick trip there and back, but perhaps I am trying to pack in too much!

Regards and many thanks again for your advice.

Alan

|||

Hey Alan,

Please buy one of the guides, Bradt by Gilian Gloyer Albania or planet guide. I have Bradt and is good, gives you incites in the coutnry culture and history.

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/albania

I have a Bradt version and is good, helped me especially in the begining.

From Saranda to Tirana is around 6 hours trip so you cannot do it in one day. Unless you prolong your stay I would stay with my first recomendation to stay in Saranda and visit Butrinti and Gjirokaster, you will enjoy it.

Let me know if I can be of any other help,

|||

Sorry forgot to answer your question how to get from Saranda to Butrinti. I believe you have small vans frequently, ask in your hotel, they should help you. Also there are small vans from Saranda to Gjirokaster, it is only 1,30 hours drive. To Butrinti is half hour.

If you need recomendation for accomodation I can give you some tips also and where to eat while in Saranda.

|||

Dear Rozafa,

Good idea about the book - just ordered it on Amazon.

So got the holiday booked for the spring to Corfu and hopefully will go across to Saranda for one or two day and maybe visit a few more places once I have got the book.

Do you think like in other parts of Europe, you can get a guy with a reasonable car and hire him for the day to drive you around?

Whats the average pay for a day say in a bar or hotel do you think? Maybe I could negotiate and they get a good day out or two! Visit Burinti, Gjirokaster, Berat and the coast from Vlora to Saranda

Yes would love some ideas about the hotels and the restaurants in Saranda.

Thanks for all the tips.

Bye the way, will Saranda have any larger shops as I wand a satellite card while over there but not sure if thats the kind of thing you must go to The Mall at Sheraton for in Tirana.

Best wishes,

Alan

|||

hi Alan i have just got back from such a trip, only thing i would advise about it when you book the ferry between corfu and sarande to make sure you know exactly what time and which ferry you are travelling on, when i was leaving sarande i bought a ticket and asked what time the ferry was leaving and was assured it was 4.30 pm and it turned out that tour groups seem to have priority and will be accomadated first! i did not get to leave sarande until 5.30, maybe when you are travelling it will be different but this was on the 5th of September!

if you want to go to Tiran it will take about six or seven hours on the bus but the scenery is great and they will stop probably twice on the journey, if you do go to Tirana you must go up mount Dajti in the cable car and sample the great food and scenery at the top.

i did not find the buying of a ferry ticket in corfu the easiest purchase in my life, you have to buy it in some shop in a street nearby and then go to the port, but in sarande the ticket shop is at the ferry port, and you cannot buy a return it has to be two singles.

anyway as usual i had a great time in Albania AGAIN!

REGARDS

VALERIE BROPHY

|||

Sorry Alan you did ask how easy it was to get from sarande to tirana, very easy albeit early in the morning which is a good time to go to get to Tirana at a reasonable hour, get a taxi to the bus stop,(taxi driver will know where) i was there at 5.30 to go to Korce which was over seven hours but some spin! and arrived at 12.45 which meant i could get to Pogradec and on to Ohrid in Macedonia in the one day!