Hi Anyone travelled by motorcycle through Albania. 3 of us want to do this as part of trip next summer. What do you know?
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Hi. I am going to do this trip by mbike maybe in May. I will be entering Albania from Greece, and heading for Sarande and Butrint, then back out to Greece.
Don%26#39;t know where you are going, but the F%26amp;C website has some useful info on formalities and the roads -not very good apparently- as well as some sound advice about the dodgy border areas with Kosovo; which is why I am entering from Greece. I hope you all have a great time.
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Thanks for reply. Plan is to travel from UK SE to perhaps Istanbul. Then back home via the former yugoslavia. Probably entering Albania from Macedonia %26amp; leaving by Montenegro then into Croatia.....
Am I stupid? What is F %26amp; C website?
Enjoy your spring trip. Are you riding down to Greece first? %26amp; I%26#39;m curious to know what on.
Happy days.
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I%26#39;m an avid motorcyclist currently living in Albania but unfortunately don%26#39;t have a bike. I have travelled extensively in the country and would be more than happy to provide my opinion on the situation here. In a nutshell, it%26#39;s a great place but only for those who are not too risk averse. Shoot me an e-mail at sksintirana@hotmail.com and I%26#39;ll be glad to share specifics.
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I found an old post I put on another forum. I think it still applies:
Sure. September is a great time to be riding through Albania. The August tourist rush is over but the weather is still great. I don%26#39;t know how much time you are planning to spend riding through Albania, but I will provide a few itineraries based on different time scales. Overall, I would suggest you make a big circle by going Rome, Venice, Trieste, Dalmatia, Montenegro, Albania, Athens, Patras, ferry to Brindisi, and back to Rome. This would prevent you from having to re-ride Northern Italy at the end of September and give you more time to enjoy the Balkan countries.
General advice for riding in Albania is be careful. They are the worst drivers in the world as none of the general public was allowed to drive until 1991. You now have a mix of peasants on donkey carts, old communists driving broken down Mercedes, and the new rich driving top of the line Mercedes at high speed. Be alert and drive defensively with the attitude that a good offense is the best defense. Aggressive but alert. Meidical care in Albania is almost non-existent and if you get injured severely, you will be in big trouble. Get a map. A new one is best as there has been much road construction in the past few years. Also get the Blue Guide to Kosovo and Albania. Lots of good cultural, language, history, and practical advice and it%26#39;s generally accurate. Make sure your bike is in good condition as spares are sparse. Have insurance, international drivers license, and the phone number of the US Embassy there +355 042 32222. If the cops at a routine roadblock try to shake you down for a bribe, whip out your cell and threaten to call your close friend Ambassador Withers. This should get you moving along.
Ride only in the daylight if you can help it especially in the rural areas.
Cows, unlit tractors, and huge potholes are common. Thieves and bandits are not as common, but could be present especially in the north. It%26#39;s a poor country and a western tourist could be a rich target for thieves. Having said that, I never had a problem in the 18 months I spent there. The Albanians are the most pro-American people I have ever lived among (including the Brits, Japanese, and Germans). Albania is a majority Muslim country, but they are very much non-fundamentalist. No need for veils or alcohol avoidance. Only the Elbasan area feels Turkish/Islamic. The rest of the country is more Italian/Greek in ambience.
Drink only botled drinks including water. Food is good, just be sure you eat where others are eating. A restaurant with slow business will not hesitate to feed you old meat which will make you very ill. Yes, voice of experience. Lamb, which left me bedridden for a few days.
If you are just blasting tbrough en route to Athens, then I would suggest you enter at Hani Hoti on the Montenegrin border. I%26#39;ve heard the roads through Montenegro are spectacular. From Hani Hoti, take the main road to Shkoder/Shkodra, then the %26quot;autostrada%26quot; south to Tirana. This should be a 2-3 hour ride depending on weather and traffic. Tirana is a good mid-point for a stop if you want to overnight. There are hundreds of hotels ranging from the Sheraton ($$$$$$) to small mom and pop places which are much more reasonable. I can give you suggestions and provide references if you decide you want to overnight in Tirana. From Tirana, head south toward Elbasan.
The road between the two cities is amazing for its insanity. The communists built it on top of the ridgeline and the first time I was driven over it I almost had a heart attack. Winding, no guardrail, and 500 meter drop offs here and there keep things interesting. It is the main direct route from Tirana to Elbasan and is very scenic. Be careful. Very careful. From Elbasan, take the new road east towards Librazhd, over Qafe Thane, and into Macedonia. From the border head to Struga, Ohrid (great place to overnight). Then on to Bitola and southeast to the Greek border.
Alternatively, you could continue south from the pass at Qafe Thane along the west shore of Lake Ohrid to Pogradec, east to Tushemisht and the Millenium Hotel before crossing into Macedonia. This route is longer, but has better views of the Lake and offers the opportunity to stop at Shen Naum
(Sveti Naum) monastery in Macedonia. A cradle of Eastern Orthodoxy. Or, from Pogradec, continue south to Korce, and then on to the border crossing at Kapshtice. The road is new yet still winding. The Greek town of Kastoria is also very beautiful further south.
If you want to spend more time in Albania or if the weather is unusually cold and you want to hug the coastline while shooting through Albania, here%26#39;s a good route. Hani Hoti, Shkodra, south along the %26quot;autostrada%26quot; until you see signs for the Airport/Durres. Head west to Durres (lots of hotel opportunities here) on the coast and then south to Kavaja, Lushne, Fier, and Vlora. South from Vlora along the coast road before Orikum there is a Hotel Grand on the bayside if you need a stop.
Continue south along the coast road. It%26#39;s spectacular, particularly at Qafe Llogara descending into Dhermi. Farther south the road quality deteriorates badly but is passable in all weather. Just not very comfortable. Continue through Himare, Porto Palermo, Qeparo, Borsh, and on to Sarande. Good place for a stop, lots of hotels and a ferry link to Corfu if you are interested.
If not, continue south along the coast to Butrint, take the ferry across the river and continue to the Greek border at Konispol. Alternatively, you could go east from Sarande, through Delvine to the main road in the Drinos valley. Turn south and cross the Greek border at Kakavija. It%26#39;s the busiest crossing and prone ot backlogs.
If you have lots of time and are very adventurous do this ride: Hani Hoti, Shkodra, east to Puke and then Kukes (daylight only and be careful). The northeast is still the most dangerous place in Albania and the poorest.
It%26#39;s not Colombia dangerous, but there have been incidents in the past. The Hotel Gjallica in central Kukes is acceptable. Ask them to park your bike around back inside the fence. Lock it securely. Take everything mobile in with you. From Kukes, head south to Peshkopi along a very challenging road.
From Peshkopi, south to Librazhd, west to Elbasan, west to Rrogazhine, Lushnje, and Fier. South to Patos, Ballsh, Tepelena, Gjirokaster (a good stopping place with a castle). Then either south to Greece, or west to Sarande via Delvine for a much deserved seaside rest either in Sarande or in Ksamil, about 30 minutes south and on to cross at Konispol.
This should be enough to fuel your interest. If you have other questions, I%26#39;m more than glad to provide my opinions. I%26#39;m in DC now, but hope to be in Tirana by the time you come through. Keep in touch and I%26#39;ll be glad to help out in whatever way I can.
Ride safe,
Steve
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Sorry not replied for awhile. F%26amp;C is Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Useful site.
fco.gov.uk/en/…
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OK Thanks for that. Enjoy trip. Perhaps swap stories after August.
Have fun
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Thanks Tirana Transplant
Fair piece of information in your last post. Wow!
Guess you are still in Albania.
Definately sounds to be place to experience.
Looking forward to August.
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TD Man,
Is your trip still on? If you are coming down, e-mail me and I can give you updates on your planned itinerary. I just completed a two-day trip from Tirana to the Greek border (unfortunately in a cage) and have seen the positive changes happening all across the country.
E-mail me at sksintirana@hotmail.com if you have questions.
Steve
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