Social ConventionsNearly half of the population lives in urban areas, with the rest pursuing a relatively quiet rural existence. Some Albanian characteristics and mannerisms resemble those of the mainland Greeks, most notably in the more rural areas; for instance, a nod of the head means ’no’ and shaking one’s head means ’yes’. Handshaking is the accepted form of greeting. Albanians should be addressed with
Zoti (Mr) and
Zonja (Mrs). The former widespread greeting of
Shoku (Comrade) has all but disappeared. Small gifts are customary
when visiting someone’s house, although flowers are not usually given. Any attempt to speak Albanian is greatly appreciated. Visitors should accept offers of raki, coffee or sweets. Dress is generally informal. Bikinis are acceptable on the beach; elsewhere women are expected to dress modestly although attitudes are becoming increasingly relaxed. Offices and restaurants are often unheated. Visitors should be aware that foreigners tend to be charged a lot more than locals, with this applying to entry fees as well as general merchandise. Smoking is permitted except where the sign
Ndalohet Duhani or
Ndalohet pirja e duhanit is displayed. Penalties for drug-related crimes are severe. Homosexuality, although legal, is not fully accepted and discretion should be exercised.
International Travel:Getting There by AirThe national airline is
Albanian Airlines (LV) (website:
www.flyalbanian.com). Established in cooperation with
Tyrolean Airways, the airline operates services to major European cities.
Departure TaxUS$10 is levied on all foreign nationals. Nationals of Albania pay Lk1,000.
Main AirportsMother Tereza (TIA) is 26km (16 miles) from the capital.
To/from the airport: An
Albtourist shuttle runs to the city center every three hours (journey time – 30 minutes). Taxis are also available.
Facilities: Small duty-free shop, car hire, bank and light refreshments are available.
Getting There by WaterMain ports: Durres has ferry connections to Italy (to Bari is about 9 hours, to Brindisi and to Trieste is 23 hours, to Ancona is 16 hours).
Vlora has ferry connections to Bari (journey time – 9 hours) and Brindisi (journey time - 18 hours).
Saranda has a connection with Corfu.
Shen Gjini has ferry connections to Bari.
Ferry services are run by
Adriatica Line (website:
www.adriatica.it) and
Agoudimos Lines (website:
www.agoudimos-lines.com), amongst others.
Getting There by RailThere are no international passenger services at present.
Getting There by RoadRoad links to the Kosovo region are either closed or too dangerous to use, owing to political tensions in the region. There are possible crossings at Hani i Hotit (Podgorica in Montenegro), Bllata (Diber in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia), Qafa e Thaës (Struga and Ohrid in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia), Tushemisht (Ohrid in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia), Gorica (Resnja in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia), Kapshtica (Florina in Greece) and Kakavija (Ioanina in Greece).
Parking places are generally available near hotels or at other designated areas.
Bus: There are
bus services to Istanbul, Sofia and Athens.
OverviewThe following items may be imported into Albania without incurring customs duty:
200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250g of tobacco;
1l of spirits or 2l of wine;
250ml of eau de toilette and 50ml of perfume.
Prohibited ImportsFirearms, ammunition and narcotics. Special export permits are requiredfor precious metals, antiques, national costumes of artistic orfolkloric value, books and works of art which form part of the nationalheritage and culture.
Internal Travel:Getting Around by WaterA fast ferry service links Durres and Vlora.
Getting Around by RailTrains are diesel, dilapidated and mostly overcrowded. Services operate from Tirana to Shkodra, Vlora, Fier, Ballsh and Pogradec. There are long-term plans to build railways connecting Pogradec with Kicevo (Macedonia, FYR) and Florina (Greece).
Getting Around by RoadTraffic drives on the right. There are around 18,000km (11,250 miles) of roads in Albania, but only 7,450km (4,656 miles) are considered main roads. Maintained by the State, they are supposed to be suitable for motor vehicles, although only 2,850km (1,781 miles) are paved and, of those, three-quarters are in very poor condition, with numerous potholes: 4-wheel drive vehicles are recommended. Visitors are advised to exercise extreme caution when driving, owing to the poor condition of the roads and the unpredictability of local drivers. Night-time driving should be avoided, as there is no street lighting except in urban areas and major inter-urban arterial routes. In addition, whilst petrol stations are available in urban areas, they are not common in the countryside. Cars should be fully self-sufficient, carrying minor repair equipment since there is no national recovery system.
Bus: This is the main form of transport within Albania. The main routes from Shkodra, Korça, Saranda, Gjirokastra, Peshkopia and Durres to Tirana are operated by private bus companies.
Regulations: There are strict speed limits according to type of vehicle and type of road as well as within towns. International road signs apply.
Documentation: International Driving Permit and national driving license are required. A fully comprehensive insurance policy is absolutely essential.
Getting Around Towns and CitiesA cheap, flat-fare urban
bus service operates in the main cities, although the buses are usually crowded.
Taxis can be found in Tirana in front of the main hotels housing foreigners.
Journey TimesThe following chart gives approximate journey times from
Tirana (in hours and minutes) to other major cities/towns in Albania.
| Road |
| Durres | 1.00 |
| Shkodra | 2.30 |
| Vlora | 3.00 |
| Korça | 4.00 |
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