Back to Albania for adventurous budget slow travel in early retirement

Affordable living, welcoming people, mountains, lakes, trails, and the Adriatic Sea. Albania offers a lot! Recent headlines proclaim the European country has been ‘discovered’ by budget slow travelers in early retirement like us, along with the digital nomad crowd and American expats looking for a less expensive European residency. But the truth is, we’ve known about Albania’s potential ever since we first visited seven years ago.

A lot has changed since our first visit. Prices are certainly higher today — like everywhere. Yet compared to the European Union, Albania is a bargain! Our sea view, one bedroom Airbnb apartment two blocks from the beach in Durres is around $700 for the month. Woohoo! I just looked out at the Adriatic Sea!

Back to Albania for budget slow travel

Americans can still stay for up to one year (!) on a free, automatic tourist visa. This is handy for budget slow travelers like us, although we’re not staying a year.

Compared to our first visit in 2018, the increased development and number of new small businesses in this former communist country is stunning. Some businesses fly the American flag – just like they did seven years ago. I’ve never seen businesses in other countries do this.

The basics

The former Albanian communist dictator convinced the population we (Americans) wanted to use nuclear bombs on them. Albanians lived in fear and poverty until 1991, when the dictator Enver Hoxha died. The country was backwards, but slowly began to modernize. Today Albanians know Hoxha was an evil psycho, and they welcome capitalism because they want to live like upper middle-class Americans.

Ongoing development is everywhere — from apartment buildings to roadways — way more than what we saw in 2018. Even Jared Kushner is developing a ‘private island’ for the rich and famous on the Adriatic Sea, which, of course, we upper middle-class Americans will never see.

In fact, the entire coast is a tourist magnet. Lower costs and beautiful views draw people from all over Europe, and us Americans, of course.

One thing I find endearing: there are zero Starbucks here, but neighborhood cafes are everywhere. Coffees can be cheap! An iced coffee at most ‘normal’ neighborhood cafes is 80 lek (about $1), a little extra for milk. But — prices triple if you want AC.

And while we budget slow travelers find joy at such bargains, Albanians have it rough. Out of about 2.75 million Albanians, more than half of them — a whopping 1.6 million people — live abroad to earn money. The Western Balkan nation’s diaspora are found mostly in Italy, Greece, Germany, the U.K. and the U.S.

Fun facts on Albania

• At least 175,000 concrete bunkers are leftover from the communist/dictator era
• The capital Tirana (also spelled Tiranë) is the largest city, followed by the coastal cities Durres (#2) Vlore (#3)
• Albania has a parliamentary constitutional republic, like many European nations
• It is a candidate to join the European Union
• 11 million tourists came to Albania in 2024
  • that’s the same number as South Korea
• 45 – 50 percent of Albanians identify as Muslim
  • it’s higher outside the capital of Tirana
• There’s a history of religious harmony
  • interfaith marriages are accepted
  • mosques and churches stand side by side
  • Mother Theresa was Albanian
• Sadly, 40% of Albanians smoke (I think that might be the highest in Europe)
• Toilet paper cannot be flushed in older buildings; tap water is not drinkable
• The average gross monthly salary is anywhere from $750 to $935; income varies widely
• Public health care is paid for by taxes and mandatory health insurance contributions by workers and employers
  • Private health care clinics and hospitals have set up in Tirana for expats who stay here and locals who can afford it
  • a private doctor consultation usually starts at about $35

Current challenges, from a foreign traveler’s perspective

Albania still has challenges to overcome. While they can be annoying, these are not deal breakers for us. Your mileage may vary.

The smoking

There is no escaping the smoking here. It is everywhere, even inside some restaurants, which are supposed to be smoke-free indoors. There’s just no enforcement.

Additionally, cigarette butts are everywhere – including the beaches. Even though I rent beach lounges ($4 to $6 for the day), I feel like I’m sitting in an ashtray.

Trash

The other issue with Albania is the trash. It was bad in 2018, and it’s still not straightened out. However, I will say that collection in Tirana and on the coast seems to be more frequent now. There still are no recycling bins, however.

And it’s worth noting: no country has figured out the trash issue… except Japan and perhaps Singapore.

Public transportation

Buses from the airport to Tirana run every half hour, 24 hours a day. It’s about a 30 minute ride and costs about $5.

In 2018, I wrote about traveling from Tirana down the coast to Saranda via a furgon. Today this route and other routes to the bigger tourist destinations are often done by bus or a minibus instead of furgons.

Read: Fun furgon ride down the Albanian coast

Aside from the airport, things are still not exactly easy for English-speaking travelers.

For example, if you go from the beach road in Durres to the center of Tirana, it will take three buses and three hours (2.5 hours if you’re lucky). First, the beach road bus (Durres-Plepa bus), then a bus to South and North Bus Terminal on the outskirts of the city, and then a third bus into the center of Tirana. That journey will cost 480 Albanian lek ($5.83 USD as of this writing).

The Tirana terminals (plural)

A new South and North Bus Terminal is under construction on the outskirts of Tirana (the location is actually to the west of the city; the terminal name comes from the buses that will take you to southern and northern parts of the country). The current adjacent temporary ‘terminal’ is only a parking lot, with no public toilets.

I do not know when it will open.

Around this location, there are four smaller ‘terminals’ (which are only bus stops). These are for local city buses that run to the center of Tirana and into the ‘burbs.

There also is a new, finished bus terminal (a real terminal) called the Tirana East Terminal that is actually to the south of the city, at Tirana East Gate Mall (named that way because buses take you to eastern Albanian destinations).

Ride sharing

Uber, Lyft, Grab — non-existent in Albania. There are Albanian taxi apps. I downloaded them all. The ones that translate to English have ridiculous prices — they cost more than Uber in Vienna! Try to take a public bus if at all possible. But sometimes, like late night journeys home or when you have luggage, taxis are necessary.

Haggle if you don’t use one of the apps. The prices quoted by drivers are usually only a tad higher than I saw on the apps.

The transportation future looks bright

I used this official government site to plot my route from Durres to Tirana on that day trip example. It has a built-in English translator and routes and times for buses all over Albania. However, it still has hiccups as of this writing. Therefore, confirm your route in advance with drivers, including returns if needed. You will likely need a translation app to communicate with drivers.

Finally, if you are an alcoholic trying to go from Durres to Tirana for the 12-step meeting, contact me. It’s an adventure, for sure!

I’m grateful for being able to navigate this journey, on the road to happy destiny.

Life is Now!

Thanks for reading, “Back to Albania for adventurous budget slow travel in early retirement.”

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About Ellen

Ellen and spouse Tedly started a budget slow travel lifestyle in 2015. She was diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer while traveling in Europe in 2018 through an annual mammogram. She had a double mastectomy in Croatia, recovered from surgery, and kept traveling.

As a recovered alcoholic, Ellen seeks out spiritual growth opportunities in a variety of ways during her travel life, including service work, volunteering, and the occasional silent meditation retreat.

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