Albania

Sign at the Albanian - Macedonian border crossing on the southern shore of Lake Ohrid [Photo: Rolf Palmberg]

Visas

Most European and U.S., Canadian, Australian and New Zealand nationals can enter Albania without obtaining a visa but you'll have to pay an entry and exit fee of €10. This is strictly enforced when entering the country by Air but land borders are less strict. The Albania guards are very nice and do their best to help out and will, on occasion, allow fees to be paid in dollar or will forget to charge you. It's worth making sure you've got the €10 on you as the customs officers at Mother Teresa airport don't give change.

By plane

Tirana's "Mother Teresa" International Airport [4] is located just 15 minutes away from the city. It is served by numerous European flag carriers such as British Airways, Alitalia, Lufthansa, Austrian, and the low cost carrier Germanwings. A new, larger terminal opened in 2007. At the airport exit there are numerous taxis 24/7 that can take you to the city. The taxi fee to the city center is 25 Euros. Taxi fees to other locations are posted on a placard just outside the exit doors. There is a bus that runs once an hour between the airport and Skanderberg Square in the centre of Tirana. It costs 200 lek each way, leaves on the hour from the airport and at 25 past the hour from Skanderberg Square. It runs from about 8am to 7pm.

By train

There is no possibility to cross the border to Albania with a train, because there are no connections.

By bus

You can reach Tirana by coach from Istanbul, Turkey (20hr, €35 one-way), Athens,Greece (16hr, €30), Sofia, Bulgaria (13hr, €25) and Tetovo, Macedonia

By boat

Ferries to Durrës arrive from Bari (9h, €50) and Ancona (19h, €70). A high-speed service operates from Bari (3h, €60). There is also a reliable overnight ferry service operated by Skenderbeg Lines from Brindisi to Vlore Skenderbeg Lines

By car

You can reach Albania by car from: - Podgorica, Montenegro - Ohrid , Macedonia - Prizren, Serbia (Kosovo) where pass the main roads. There is a 10-euro/person tax, which must be paid upon entering Albania. After payment of the tax to the police, the customs officer will issue a "road tax certificate", which you must keep until you leave the country. When you exit the country, you'll pay 2 euro/day and return the certificate.