The Balkans: Part 1 – Albania
Our epic 2-day scenic route from Castelbuono, Sicily to Durres, Albania involved hopping in cars, on trains, ferries, a bus and a motorcycle. Why? We needed to reset the “1-year clock” on Paul’s motorcycle that he imported from Canada. Without a doubt, we certainly benefited from having Paul’s motorcycle with more freedom to explore and reduced travel costs for our 4 months of travel. I think we’ll forever be islanders, so we’ll also find any excuse for a long ferry ride!
After a full year of travel, we were (not surprisingly) exhausted. So, for our 2 months in Albania, we kept it simple with two main cities: Durres & Tirana.
I’ve included my travel tips at the end to help you plan your trip.
Durres
Located on the Northwest coast of Albania, Durres is the oldest city in Albania dating back to the 7th Century. It has endured many invasions throughout its history, which has resulted in an eclectic mix of cultures, cuisines and interesting historical landmarks.
Our home for the next 2 months was at the end of a dead-end street nestled in a small local community, where children freely played outside. My daily dose of animal antics was satisfied with our neighbour’s 60+ free-run chickens roaming the street, and our own little family of turtles chilling in the front garden.
Although we were off the beaten path, we were still well-connected to several beaches, groceries, and shopping. Similar to Sicily, Albania has long hot summers! Fresh baked goods were readily available, and seasonal markets were bursting with goodies.
After wandering the aisles of the main market, our biggest challenge was figuring out how to ride home with our 30-pound watermelon! It often felt like stepping back in time with charming mom-and-pop shops that were ‘cash only’, street corner BBQ corn, and eggs sold individually (instead of by the dozen) at the corner store.
With prices so low at the markets, I decided to try my luck browsing the extensive collection of second hand shops scattered around town. There were loads of items for sale still stashed in boxes. We both managed to find some gems for €2.00-€3.00 each—what a deal! I was determined to find some treasures to take home even if I was on my hands and knees.
Feeling satisfied with a bit of retail therapy, I ventured out for a walk to explore. After finding a sketchy ‘4×4 only’ road, Paul and I returned with the motorcycle to test his skills. During the wild ride, we rescued a turtle stranded on the road, dodged a herd of cows casually strolling by, and soaked in the breathtaking sea views.
Day or night, Durres felt very safe even when I explored solo. Our evening strolls together on the car-free Epidamn Boulevard ended at the waterfront for amazing sunsets. With Paul’s love of chess, he often stopped to admire the daily gathering of men playing chess in the city park with nothing but a cardboard box as a makeshift table, a couple chairs stashed in a tree and a chess set.
During our time in Durres, Paul celebrated his birthday with a beautiful cake from the talented pastry chefs at Pasticeri Vini. And for dinner, we indulged at Westwood Steakhouse, where Paul devoured a fiery steak while I had my first taste of crocodile meat!
Our love for quality food and wine led us on a a special day trip to Abaia Winery and Vineyard, located just 25 minutes from town. Their story began in 2021, so we were thrilled to hear the in-depth history of their wine making process using old communist bunkers. Their newest edition is their fully functioning farm-to-table restaurant. Chickens roamed freely around our table as we enjoyed our 3-course dinner paired with wine + raki tastings.
Tirana
Next up is the capital—Tirana! With its central location, it hosts the main international airport, safe cycling paths, and an extensive bus system with connections to the rest of Albania and beyond. It’s the best place to go for ‘hard to find’ items since Amazon isn’t a thing here.
It’s a bustling city with street musicians and events galore in Skanderbeg Square. Although my love of hockey still runs strong through my blood, it was hard not to get swept up in the excitement as the city transformed during the UEFA Soccer Championship.
There was a buzz in the air with music echoing through the streets as thousands of fans corralled together to support their team. Everywhere we looked, devoted shop owners closed early to join the masses that filled the outdoor patios to watch the live games on the portable flat screen tvs.
Meanwhile, Paul and I had a different craving on the big screen—movie night! Since our options for watching English films at the theater have been limited since we left Canada, we were ecstatic to discover films in their original language (with Albanian subtitles) in the Balkans. We did the 45 mins ride into town a couple times to satisfy our ‘movie night’ urges.
With such a mixture of cultures in Albania, it was exciting to see that Tirana’s culinary scene has something for everyone. We checked out the American-style ‘Bitter Bistro. A highlight was the peanut butter pie—Some would argue (aka Paul) that peanut butter is its own food group.
It also felt nostalgic stopping by Bujtina Jonë. It was a quiet restaurant next to Tirana Park with a childhood favourite – frog legs! My dad’s fearless approach to food is what encouraged me to try the delicacy over 25 years ago. They were just as delicious as I remember.
After an amazing lunch, I cherished the break from the city noise at Tirana Park. I visited on a weekday, so I had the peaceful trails all to myself with the occasional runner. On weekends, they also host outdoor movie nights—I can’t wait to check it out on a return visit!
After 2 months, we barely touched the surface of what’s on offer in Albania. With long coastlines, friendly locals, happy animals roaming freely and many untouched wilderness areas, I’m looking forward to returning one day.
Next stop – North Macedonia!
Travel Tips
Our stay in Albania was longer than 90 days (and Canadians are limited to 90 days without a visa), so we needed to extend our stay somehow. It was easy and safe to travel between Albania/North Macedonia, and between Kosovo/Albania on either the bus or Paul's motorcycle.
Bus:
What to expect:
When my bus arrived at the border crossing, an officer entered the bus to collect everyone's passport. Shortly after, he returned the passports to the driver's assistant. The driver continued on his way while the assistant returned the passports to the passengers.
Motorcycle/Vehicle:
Required documents:
- Registration
- Insurance papers
Paul's favourite border crossing was the 'Blato' North Macedonia crossing near Debar where the border official surprised him with a chocolate creamsicle!
*NOTE*
Ask your insurance company to supply an official paper copy, not just printed at home. Paul paid for his online through email and printed it off, but he had problems with the border crossing between North Macedonia/Kosovo. Eventually, they let him cross but not before issuing a warning!
- The currency in Albania is Albanian Lek (ALL). The exchange rate for your currency can easily be found online, or you can use a currency exchange app, like XE currency converter. It's a handy tool for when you're offline with easy access when you're shopping or dining.
- Credit cards are commonly accepted in Albania especially in major cities, but it's always a good idea to have cash on hand for smaller shops and markets. **In a bind, some places may accept the equivalent in Euros.
As long-term travellers, some non-negotiables are a working phone and (hopefully) reliable internet. And, some language apps to help you communicate along the way.
Paul has been buying his e-sims through Airalo for the past year. It’s typically a good price with different price points and data plans available worldwide.
- Here’s a comparison of the e-sim options available and a breakdown of the differences between an e-sim vs a sim card
My phone isn’t e-sim compatible, so I bought a sim card when we arrived in Durres. You can check if your phone is e-sim compatible here.
- I used the Vodafone phone network, and there are shops all around town to buy a sim card or a top-up on your plan.
If you’re unsure which phone network to choose, these resources may help you:
- This report compares phone networks, such as reliability, download speed, etc. in a specific country.
- This interactive map compares the amount and type (2G to 5G) of coverage available in a specific country
A language translation app, like Google translate, can make or break whether a trip goes smoothly. Be sure to choose the correct language and download for offline use to avoid using up your data.
- Although some of the younger generations know some English, we would've had so many lost connections with the locals without a translator.
