Are you thinking about a leisure or business trip to Albania? Are you interested in discovering this Southeastern European country? Whether you are alone or with your family and business partners, Albania is the go-to country for your endeavours!
Albania is a Balkan country located in Europe between the Adriatic and Ionian seas, sharing land borders with Greece, North Macedonia, Kosovo and Montenegro. Albania is a breathtaking county with a large diversity of landscapes (from aesthetic mountains in the Albanian Alps to the relaxing sea shores) and cultures (influenced by the Greek, Roman, Byzantines and Ottoman empires).
Read along to find out all there is to know about booking a trip to Albania in a smart and efficient way! We will cover all there is to know before travelling to Albanian shores, from preparing your trip to useful tips once arrived!
Before travelling to Albania: country-specific tips
Visiting Albania may seem pretty straightforward for European travellers, but Albania is not a European Union member state! There are a couple things to be aware of before travelling, consider the following.
Check passport and visa requirements
All EU citizens (including Irish citizens and UK citizens) do not need a visa to enter Albania for short visits only (up to 90 days). You should be fine for a leisure or business trip, but make sure you have an up-to-date passport, valid for a minimum period of six months after your official entry on Albanian soil. For more information on the validity of the Schengen Visa, check out this webpage.
If you are of a different nationality, check your passport and visa requirements here!
Stay in touch with your local embassy or consulate
If you are an Irish citizen, your closest Irish point of contact is the Irish Embassy and Consulate in Athens, feel free to follow their Twitter or Facebook for useful live updates on the country’s situation!
If you are a European citizen, staying in touch with the EU Delegation to Albania can be a good idea! Check out their website detailing all useful information for travelling or living in Albania as an EU citizen, information about consular protection, and all European member state embassies in the country.
Comply with local authorities and administrations
Albania is a seismically active zone (especially in the southern part of the country), so be sure to comply with local authorities and administrations in the event of natural disasters. Useful contact information for local authorities is given below:
- Call 129 for the police;
- Call 126 for road police;
- Call 127 for an ambulance;
- Call 128 for the fire department.
Please note: the country caller code in Albania is +355.
Other useful travel tips for travelling to Albania may be found on the Irish government’s website.
Check out the best time to travel
Albania is a relatively humid and warm country, so travelling over the Spring or the Autumn is often the most popular amongst leisure and business travellers. The weather is usually milder and cities are usually less populous.
Visiting over the Summer may also be interesting, but bear in mind that the capital and coastal cities are usually rather crowded and warm during this time of the year.
Make appropriate currency arrangements
Albania’s currency is the Albanian Lek (ALL). At the time of writing this article, one euro (EUR) is approximately equivalent to 100 Lek (ALL), but make sure to check out real-time exchange rates before you travel!
Overall, Albania is quite an affordable country for European travellers. 100 Lek (i.e. 1 euro) is enough to get you a coffee or a snack in the morning, or a bus ticket. With 300 Lek (3 euros), get yourself a beer or a portion of fries in a typical Albanian bar!
Be mindful to have the Albanian Lek with you when arriving in the country. Although credit cards are accepted in most establishments across the country, keeping some cash may be a good idea for smaller institutions or for urgent situations. You can exchange cash at the airport or at cash converters in town.
Regarding credit card exchange fees, you may join Revolut for free to buy ALL with EUR and pay all around the country with your dedicated Revolut debit card!
Get yourself an offline Albanian-to-English dictionary
Mobile applications such as Google Translate enable you to download offline dictionaries to get around in a foreign country even without any network. Download the app and the Albanian offline dictionary now, and consider learning a couple useful everyday words in Albanian using the Ling app for instance.
Making Travel arrangements: all there is to know
Book ahead
The best way to save money on plane tickets to go to Albania is to book ahead, whether you are travelling for leisure or business purposes. According to our flight planner, booking your trip over a month in advance can help you save up to 40% on your overall trip costs, don’t miss this opportunity!
Book smart
Booking your trip to Albania can be done in a smart and convenient way using Trazler! Use our intelligent flight planner to organise your trip: just enter your travel dates, and we’ll take care of the rest (airport transfers, car rentals, hotel and accommodation and much more!). Tralzer is a quick and smart tool to book your entire trip in one go, try it out now!
Save on your overall journey costs
There are a couple tips for saving money when flying to Albania, at Tirana International airport. Consider the three following tips:
- Travel during the off-peak season, this is probably the best way to save money. For instance, travelling in September or October instead of over the summer can help you save up to 50% on your overall travel costs! There are no small savings!
- Book your flights at lower-cost days and times. There is one simple rule for this: travel during midweek (from Tuesday to Thursday), and go for early morning or late evening flights, the latter is usually much cheaper! See for yourselves in a couple clicks via our search engine!
- Don’t book direct flights. We are usually tempted to book flights direct from our home airport, but this is not always the cheapest solution. For instance, catching a transfer flight to get to Tirana from Dublin may help you save some precious money that you’ll be able to spend on restaurants instead! Our motto: book smarter!
How to get about in Albania
Most parts of the country are relatively well linked by train or bus. To find out more about your travel routes for day trips in Albania, have a look at Trainline or Checkmybus. Bear in mind that public transportation routes will only get you to major towns and cities, so consider other solutions if you want to discover more of the country’s hidden gems.
To this extent, travelling by taxi can be an appropriate solution. Taxis are usually cheaper than in Ireland, but make sure to agree upon a fare with the taxi driver before you enter the taxi, this could save you a hefty bill!
Lastly, renting a car is probably one of the best solutions you have. You’ll be fully flexible and autonomous on your trips, whilst being able to get wherever you like in the country. Good news, our convenient online booking platform helps you book your car rentals all in one place, check it out now!
The best places to visit in Albania
Things may get a bit tricky when deciding what to visit in Albania given the abundance of places to visit in the country! Here are a couple must-sees that you should consider!
Tirana
This goes without saying, but the capital city of Albania Tirana is definitely a must-see! The colourful eye-catching buildings are definitely a must-see, especially if you’re into photography or sightseeing. The city is vibrant and the nightlife is exciting, so you’ll never be out of things to do in Tirana!
Berat
This UNESCO world heritage site is better known as the “city of a thousand windows”. Sounds interesting? The best way to find out is to visit Berat for yourself! Most of the city is a unique historical testimony of Ottoman architecture in the region, you’ll definitely like the city if you’re going to Albania to get acquainted with its culture and traditions!
The Butrint national park
Visiting the Butrint national park is probably one of the most breathtaking adventures you can experience when travelling to Albania. The ancient city of Greek, Roman and Byzantine ruins on the southeastern coast is now a vibrant national park. For all hiking and culture adepts, this is your way to go!
Conclusion
Travelling to Albania from Ireland is a great opportunity to get away from home for a couple days for business or leisure purposes. Before you leave, however, make sure to check out travel restrictions and passport or visa requirements to make sure you can travel without any hassle.
When making travel arrangements, use Trazler’s online smart and convenient booking platform to pick the round trip best suited to your needs, including accommodation, transfers, flights, and more!
Finally, Tirana, Berat and the Butrint national park are amongst the many must-sees when visiting Albania, so make sure to check out these historical and cultural gems!
If you would like more information about travelling to Albania, check out our website!
