Your first authentic family vacation in Albania

Your first authentic family vacation in Albania 1

Parents love well-planned vacation destinations. It is not surprising either. The annual vacation stands for a relaxing time! Something new? How about the first family vacation in Albania? Albania offers many opportunities and there is a lot to discover! Guided tours or individual explorations in an unknown region. Vacation packages for families are still new territory in Albania. Many travel packages are not particularly family-friendly. We show how you can plan your arrival stress-free and what you need to consider during a family vacation in Albania. First-hand travel tips!

 

But who is a family vacation in Albania for?

Traveling in Albania with children always requires careful planning. What wants to be discovered? Where does the journey start and end? What on-site activities are family-friendly and what type of accommodations are suitable? The positive news that family vacation in Albania are wonderful and varied! A small drop of bitterness are sometimes longer distances.

A pinch of patience is the most important thing for a relaxing and unique family holiday in Albania!

With good planning and an experienced contact person, the two most important building blocks have been laid. A travel guide is recommended depending on the activity and travel region. A professional guide should be organized, especially for long-day tours in areas with little signage or water activities.

On the one hand, a travel guide knows the region like the back of his hand, on the other hand he always offers help with questions or spontaneous rescheduling. A family vacation in Albania is mainly suitable for active travelers. Exploring new things is easy in Albania!

family vacation in albaniaAlbania is often good for surprises – a special highlight when watching: parachute gliding on the coast

 

Self-guided – our travel tip for family vacation in Albania

Our organized self-guided trips are particularly suitable for families! Rental car, hotel and leisure activities individually tailored to your wishes! All reservations and travel plans are made by us. Our guests stroll and explore the country carefree! If you are interested, we look forward to your contact form.

Basic Packing list for Albania trips

  • Sunscreen for summer and winter hikes/ beach vacation
  • Classic first aid kit
  • Reserve medication for chronic complaints
  • ID copies and insurance cards
  • Children’s equipment

Here you will find a helpful article about suitable sunscreen for children (only German). Extensive sun protection (sun hat and long clothing) is very important, especially for children! 

 

family vacation in albaniaOrganized city tour in colorful Tirana – family vacation in Albania

 

Travel tips for Albania holidays

The journey to Albania can be organized very differently. We recommend different routes depending on the destination. For beach holidays in southern Albania near Saranda and further south, such as the small seaside resort of Ksamil, we recommend approaching the island of Corfu. From there, there are various ferries to the port city of Saranda.

There are different options depending on the arrival time. When the weather is nice and the visibility is clear, the mainland is within sight! For Saranda vacationers: This is a readable and detailed article about Saranda! For all other travel destinations in Albania, however, this is neither the fastest route nor the most convenient solution.

Seaside resorts such as Himara, Dhermi and Borsh around the city of Vlora can be reached from Tirana in around three hours. We recommend arriving here via Tirana Airport. Many travelers also enter Montenegro, Kosovo or Macedonia by land. This is particularly useful for longer trips to the Balkans. The coastal road offers countless catering and stopping options.

Often, however, the holiday is not limited to the holiday destinations by the sea. All places in the interior can be easily reached via Tirana. Depending on the city, the travel times differ. Due to the central location of the capital, it is also the hub of the country. Due to the heavy traffic in the city center and conurbation, it is imperative to avoid entering the city center. A supposedly small trip into the city turns out to be a time trap here. Traffic congestion is practically all year round in Tirana!

Depending on the season and weather, the travel times look as follows:

  • Tirana – Durres approx. 1 hour
  • Tirana – Shkodra approx. 3 hours
  • Tirana – Gjirokastra approx. 4 hours
  • Tirana – Berat approx. 2 hours
  • Tirana – Vlora approx. 2.5 hours

 

Ferry connection to Albania

Another way to travel to Albania is by ferry to the port cities of Saranda, Vlora and Durres. Depending on the place of departure (mostly port cities in Italy), you are between 5 and 12 hours at sea. Registrations and passport controls are not included. This is usually only worthwhile if you want to extend your Italian vacation.

Conversely, entry by land and onward travel to Italy as a reverse option is a popular route. Make yourself comfortable in the mountain huts of Northern Albania and travel south. After the city break in Tirana, a few days on the beach of your choice are a welcome change. This way, many attractions can be explored in one route and a long return trip avoided.

Especially with small children, an arrival by plane is preferable.

The arrival via Italy with the crossing of the Adriatic Sea is more of an option for adventurers and patients. The journey by ferry is rarely financially worthwhile.

Familienurlaub in albanienCrossing the Llogara Pass in southern Albania – a panorama for «young and old» – family vacation in Albania

 

Family friendly places in Albania

Albania is a very child-friendly travel destination. Families are in good hands at all holiday locations! However, it is worthwhile to be close to nature. Combined with visits such as in Tirana, Berat or Gjirokastra, this results in an ideal travel mix for families!

We particularly recommend families to plan at least one overnight stay for each city. Better two! So children can adapt to the new ambience and the journey becomes more relaxed. Children are welcome in restaurants or museums. There are often discounts too. Restaurants are happy to cater to the needs of the little ones. 

The choice of accommodation should be made according to personal preferences. The standard of the hotels corresponds approximately to other countries in the Mediterranean area. When choosing accommodation, it is also important to ask for a parking space. Unfortunately, this is not always available. This then leads to unexpected additional costs.

In Albania, payment is usually made for a room, regardless of the exact family size. The details are listed for relevant booking portals. If necessary, we recommend asking the hotel directly. There is often the possibility to make minor changes. Hospitality is very important and usually a suitable solution is found! We hope to have sparked interest in family vacations in Albania!

 

We look forward to your questions and feedback!

THROUGH-ALBANIA

Is Albania safe to travel? 3 unknown information

Is-albania-safe-to-travel

Is Albania safe to travel? 

Many travelers ask us questions concerning the safety of travel in Albania. Despite many positive travel experiences via the travel destination of Albania, the question still often arises: Is Albania safe to travel? 

We would like to thoroughly address these questions and dispel any concerns about safety. Since questions of safety are often grounded in historical events, it is very important to put these events into context for the sake of travelers’ understanding. And due to the current world situation surrounding the COVID-19 outbreak, questions of travel safety in Albania are becoming ever more prevalent. However, we would like to stress that our contribution here only deals with this in passing.

At the end of this article you will find links to travel and safety guidelines provided by a number of national representatives. There are severe travel restrictions globally, and so travel to Albania is currently not recommended.

 

Albania’s safety image

Albania’s beautiful landscapes and cultural riches have become increasingly well-known in western Europe. Did you know that Albania has a section of Adriatic coast in the north and a section of Ionian coast in the south? Saranda, Dhermi, and Ksamil are the hot spots of the Albanian Riviera in the summer months. The Albanian tourism board works constantly to improve infrastructure and safety. Despite these efforts, Albania’s image to outsiders is plagued with negative impressions.

Even today, Albania’s image is not what it should be, as the country is often thought of as a dangerous travel destination. But the opposite is actually true! Situated in the middle of the Balkans, Albania is often associated with the civil war in Yugoslavia. Actually, Albania was never a part of Yugoslavia.

This confusion is one reason for the common misgivings among travelers worldwide. The Albanian border town of Kukes played a significant humanitarian role during the Kosovo conflict. And the images circulated around the world!

 

A short excursion into hidden history 

First founded in 1912, Albania was a staunchly Communist country after World War II, up until 1991. This kingdom of nature, located in the middle of Europe, was highly isolated for a long time. During this time, many Albanians learned to speak foreign languages, primarily Italian. Old radios were the only window to the outside world. Due to its geographic proximity to Italy, the country received primarily Italian media, which often comprised the only stream of information available. In fact, along the road from Otranto, the distance across the strait from Italy to Albania is only about 70km!

Traveling (especially coming in) during this era was strictly regulated by the Communist regime and was only possible under certain conditions. Exiting the country was reserved solely for Communist party leaders.

Today, hundreds of thousands of bunkers from the era of Enver Hoxha still exist. Scattered throughout the entire country, they were intended to resist any invasion. After the Communist regime collapsed, Albania stood on its own for quite a while. Dictatorship and planned (command) economy held the country back for decades, resulting in substantial emigration to Western Europe after the fall of the regime.

is albania safe for travel?Politically motivated processes – communism in Albania 1944-1991 – is Albania safe to travel?

 

The Albanian turnaround – Lottery Uprising

After the fall of the Communist regime, a democratic system was established in Albania. But triggered by a fraudulent investment scheme, unrest broke out in Albania after several years of change. Many people lost their only possessions, and the country found itself in a state of anarchy.

The question: Is Albania safe for travel, was born at this time.

This brief phase in the spring of 1997 negatively influenced news reporting for years to come. But, largely unaffected, Albania recovered, and tourism has made considerable progress. Nevertheless, Albania’s image as a volatile country is still present in western Europe. No longer ask yourself with the question “Is Albania safe to travel?”…

Durres after unsure turn Durres around the year 2000 – building boom after the state crisis

 

Are there unsafe areas in Albania?

No. Due to its long-standing isolation and rather small-town flair, petty crime is not prevalent. In larger cities like Tirana and Durres, instances of theft can occur but are rather uncommon. We recommend simply being aware of your surroundings, as usual. But some areas in Albania are so friendly and familiar that some people leave their homes and gardens open! In retrospect, many travelers wonder where the question “is Albania safe to travel?” ever came up!

 

How can I travel safely in Albania? Our recommendations

In a word, we should first say that Albania is a safe travel destination. The traffic is somewhat challenging for western Europeans, and so defensive, cautious driving is advised. Unfortunately, aggressive overtaking maneuvers and impatience in traffic are commonplace. And lighting conditions outside the cities do not correspond to Western European standards. So we advise that you avoid driving at night whenever possible. Is Albania safe for travel? Yes, but unfortunately this does not apply to the transport sector! This is also a reason why we particularly recommend a guided group tour for first-time travelers.

And please be aware of the following topic of stray animals. Albania, along with a number of NGO’s, has been trying for years to relocate these stray animals away from public areas. The first substantial improvements have been observed in the cities and metropolitan areas. But this additional traffic risk persists, especially at night.

The second danger involves rabies, which has not yet been eradicated throughout the entire Balkan region, including Albania. Thus, we recommend avoiding all contact with wild animals. We also recommend that you get a medical consultation ahead of time, particularly for longer individual trips in Albania.

 

Travel and safety advisories from several national representatives

 

We at THROUGH ALBANIA constantly stay up-to-date on safety and infrastructure developments, in order to offer our guests a safe, unique travel experience. Please take note of our safety tips to ensure as safe a visit as possible.

Is Albania safe to travel? We hope to have answered this question for you.

 

We look forward to your questions and feedback!

Is Albania safe to travel? 3 unknown information 2