How to Get Around Albania

Getting in. Tirana International is the main airport, with new airports at Kukës and Vlorë opening up other regions. Ferries run from Bari and Brindisi in Italy to Durrës and Vlorë, and from Corfu to Sarandë in half an hour.

Furgons — shared minibuses — are how Albanians travel. They leave when full rather than on a timetable, cost very little, and cover the whole country. There is no national booking system; you turn up and ask.

Buses run the main intercity routes and are more predictable. There is essentially no useful passenger rail network; the railway is a relic.

Driving gives the most freedom and requires attention. Main roads are now good, mountain roads are not, and standards are assertive — overtaking on blind bends is routine. A four-wheel-drive is needed for Theth and parts of the north.

The Koman ferry through the flooded Drin gorge links the road network to the northern mountains and is a journey in its own right.