Driving in Albania has its challenges, but shouldn't stop you from hiring a car and heading on a road trip! Our insider guide will help you to plan and prepare for the good, the bad, and the d*ckheads.

Albania is made for a road trip.

From the imposing peaks of the Accursed Alps in the northern highlands to stone villages dusted across verdant southern valleys, and a clustered constellation of beaches and bays along two seas, the little Balkan country is awash with jawdropping scenery.

Renting your own wheels is the ideal way to see it and stitch together its dusty roads, asphalt highways, steep switchbacks, cobblestone streets, and vertiginous mountain passes.

We love a road trip here at Along Dusty Roads, and we knew that hiring a car in Albania was going to be the only option for our travel style and plans. From a practical perspective, it opens up several hard-to-reach areas of the coast, whilst the independence to go to our own schedule meant the final two-week itinerary could be slow, meaningful, and flexible.

However, we know that driving and car hire in Albania may be something you’re a little concerned about before you set off or confirm anything. Whether it’s your first road trip abroad or your tenth, a few nerves about the rules of the road, driving culture, and challenges of navigating a different country is perfectly understandable.

And that’s where this post comes in.

Across our two weeks driving in Albania, we negotiated hairpin switchbacks and mountain passes, narrow one-way roads with no passing places, dusty beach downhills, congestion, log-jams, young guys speeding in Porsches, hazard lights, potential police stops, and a daily parade of goats, sheep, and the odd obstinate cow staring us down in the middle of the road.

From that experience, we want to share our insights, tips, and suggestions to help ease those concerns, remove some of the stress, save some money, and arm you with the intel you need to make your road trip as memorable as possible.

For younger, nervous, or inexperienced drivers, it will also allow you to make the right decision about whether renting a car in Albania is the right choice for your trip.

The first part of this article covers the logistics, requirements, and costs of car hire in Albania, whilst the second gets into the cultural quirks which you'll need to adapt to on the roads, mistakes to avoid, and suggestions for your road trip route. If you’re arriving with a camper van, it’s all relevant for you too.

This is our guide to renting a car and driving in Albania.

driving in albania | the essentials

/ A great, scenic road trip destination
/ New roads and generally good driving conditions
/ Several steep switchbacks, hairpins, mountain passes.
/ Inexperienced or nervous drivers may struggle
/ A 4x4 or SUV not required, but will make routes easier
/ Look + book your car via Rentalcars.com or AutoEurope
/ Beach parking usually costs €3-5 per day
/ Avoid Tirana and watch out for animals

Car Hire Albania | What You Need To Know

First up though, we just want to cover the absolute basics of renting a car in Albania.

Most of these apply as standard for car hire in Europe - and we go into greater detail in 9 Essential Car Rental Tips for Travellers - but it's essential to know a few specifics in advance of your arrival in Albania.

We recommend looking + booking your car hire in Albania via two aggregators that we use for all our road trips: Rentalcars.com and AutoEurope. It’s a good to check prices and availability on both to make sure you’re getting the best deal possible.

Age & Documentation Requirements

The legal age for driving in Albania is 18 years old, but the majority of rental companies have a minimum age requirement of 21 years old.

Some companies have additional requirements on how long a young driver has held a driving licence (e.g. 1-2 years), so always triple-check the small print and terms if you're under 25 years old. A Young Driver Surcharge usually applies too, which increases the final cost of rental and insurance for those affected (a surcharge for drivers over the age of 70 can also be applied, so ageism goes both ways kids!)

In terms of documentation to bring and show at pick up, everyone must have the following:

- Valid driving licence

- Valid identification (passport is best)

THE International Driving Permit

Some renters will also be required to show a valid International Driving Permit in Albania. This often causes a bit of concern and confusion for travellers, as many car rental companies list it as a mandatory requirement. The IDP is an additional document for driving licences printed in the non-Roman Alphabet, such as Arabic or Japanese, in order for the Albania car rental staff to know the driving licence you present them is legit.

Andrew holds a British driving licence, and was not asked to show an IDP in Albania, and all our research before and after suggested this is standard. However, we know of several instances of US travellers being asked for an IDP when renting a car in Italy and Greece, and the rule of thumb these days is that it's better for non-European drivers to simply get one for peace of mind.

Each country’s process is different for buying International Driving Permits, but they’re inexpensive and don’t require a lot of admin. We recommend you avoid websites that say you can buy one online via them, and your IDP absolutely needs to be purchased before you arrive in Albania.

Credit Card

You also need to have a credit card in the driver's name.

All Albania car hire companies will ask for this, and a quite significant amount will be 'blocked' on it to cover all or a portion of your insurance deductible and deposit; this amount will be released / 'unblocked' in full if you return the car with no damages.

Debit cards and cash are not accepted in lieu of a credit card and you need to have enough of a limit available to cover a block that could be anywhere from €250-€1,200. Remember to factor this in to our overall balance if you plan on using the credit card for spending on the trip.

This is the second biggest source of confusion amongst first-timers at the rental desk, and we provide more context on how it works in 9 Essential Car Rental Tips for Travellers

Albania Car Rental Insurance

In that same article, we also provide more in-depth context on the primary source of confusion amongst renters: insurance.

For car hire in Albania, you'll be provided with basic insurance by the rental company. This is included in your payment, and usually includes third-party liability, theft, and collision damage coverage, but coverage for personal injuries to the driver or passengers is excluded.

It may not cover or respond to every type of risk or damage i.e. windscreens, undercarriage, lost keys. We recommend that you always review your rental agreement to clarify and confirm the basic coverage as it varies from company to company, and country to country.

That basic insurance coverage is subject to an excess/deductible. This is the maximum amount you will personally have to cover financially in the event of a valid claim - but rental companies often charge administration fees in addition. The excess/deductible varies company to company, and can be anywhere from €250-€1,200 - the cheaper car hire companies always charge more.

Understandably, the bigger the figure, the more financial stress and uncertainty you face as a renter.

Due to this, when hiring a car in Albania, the person at the rental desk will always offer enhanced insurance coverage and / or the option to reduce the excess/deductible to zero.

This is charged on a per day basis and, depending on the company and car, expect €10-30 per day for the cover. This better coverage sometimes work out more than the rate you're actually paying per day to rent the car, and can increase the overall costs of your rental car significantly.

Undoubtedly though, it provides better certainty, reduces your financial exposure, and results in a less stressful experience when you're out on the road.

As we do a lot of road trips, and the rental companies charge more than they should to reduce the excess / deductible to zero, we don’t take the coverage offered at the desk. Instead, we buy a £59 annual insurance policy from insurance4carhire which covers the excess / deductible on all our car rentals worldwide. It’s only available for UK and EU citizens at the moment - find out more about information on the Car Hire Excess Insurance policy here.

Borders Crossings & Green Cards

We only did an Albanian road trip, but some of you may be on a longer adventure in the Balkans, with plans to cross over into Montenegro or Kosovo.

If so, you'll require a 'green card', which is proof that you have the necessary minimum vehicle insurance when driving in those other countries. As Albania and its border neighbours are not in the EU, you can't simply drive over as you would be able to in France and Italy (although in reality many rental companies are very fussy about you taking their cars into another country and often do not permit it).

Therefore, you will have to inform the Albania car rental company of your plans in advance, usually when collecting the car from the desk or when booking online. They will advise on any extra fees or paperwork required for this and the green card. At time of writing, separate insurance is required when entering Kosovo - the green card does not apply - but your rental car agency is best placed to advise.

Some companies may exclude taking their car across borders entirely though, so do double check this when booking in advance on Rentalcars.com or AutoEurope.

Book In Advance & Collect In Tirana Airport

Although some of you may be arriving the ferry from Italy, crossing over from elsewhere in the Balkans, or even driving your own car in from Europe, the majority of you will likely be arriving in Albania via Tirana International Airport (Google Maps)

If you're arriving for a standalone Albania road trip, picking up and dropping off your rental car here is going to be your most convenient and best value option.

There are over a dozen local and international car hire companies based at the airport, with a long row of their kiosks situated just outside the arrivals terminal. Although it remains possible to just turn up, this will severely restrict your options on car type, availability, and cost, particularly if you're visiting Albania in the peak summer months of July and August.

As mentioned, we recommend checking prices and availability for your dates on Rentalcars.com and AutoEurope. For our Albania trip, we got a slightly better last-minute rate with Alamo on AutoEurope, but it's best to check both - note that the rate on Rentalcars includes free cancellation up to 24 hours before collection, which may be worthwhile if your plans and dates aren't fully finalised.

Only hire a car from a company that gives you unlimited mileage / kilometres. Some companies limit the miles you're permitted to do with the vehicle, and charge a crap rate for every mile extra. For road trips of any meaningful distance or length of time, this is just not feasible.

There are also small car rental companies in the towns and cities most travellers will include on their Albania itinerary, and that’s still an option if you’d prefer to have a car for a few days, rather than the whole trip. In Albanian, rent a car is ‘makina me qera’ and you’ll see signs with that on, with more options available in holiday towns like Saranda / Sarandë.

Typical RENTAL CAR Albania Costs

A lot of people talk about the country as though it’s a tourism backwater, but the truth is that it’s shot up in its popularity in the last decade.

Rates for the the peak months of July and August are higher than they used to be, and crowds are also much bigger on the best Albanian beaches than many expect, so if a road trip is on the cards we’d recommend trying to go for late May - June or September when prices are typically more affordable.

We paid £62 per day for our July trip, but only booked the car four days in advance of arrival.

You can get it a lot cheaper than that though, with October rates at £20/day and deals for £35-50 day for bookings in May-August next year. For a week’s rental in summer, you should budget at least £300.

In terms of fuel, we started full and returned full, spending €205 / £175 on petrol over the two weeks.

If budget is a big consideration, then get an idea of prices and availability for your own Albania dates on Rentalcars.com and AutoEurope. Both have the option for free cancellation too.

It’s very difficult for us to give a ringing endorsement of any specific rental company unless we see how they act when there’s a dispute or damage. We thankfully returned our jeep without any issues but, from our experience, the guys at Alamo were friendly, spoke excellent English, diligently logged all the scratches and bumps we spotted on the first car, and we had a positive overall rental experience (in spite of the door issue on the first car)!

Travel Tip // Whilst most of the Tirana Airport car hire companies have their desk outside arrivals for you to go through the documentation and get the keys, it's a short walk from there to the 'lots' where most keep their cars and you'll do your checks on the hire car. A handful of them don't have a desk outside arrivals, and their offices are in the same area as the 'lots' or across the road.

Whichever company you rent from, note that it's a two-lane one way road when you exit, so edge out sloooowly and wait for a decent gap.

Big Car vs. Small Car

We always recommend our readers go for a small car on Italian road trips, as they give you a much easier drive in the old cities and towns, and open up a bunch more parking spaces.

Using this logic, we went for the cheapest option for our car hire in Albania - a little Fiat Punto - but discovered during our checks that it had issues with the driver’s door (namely, someone had broken into it once upon a time and, though it could shut and lock, it didn't seal fully and would have been very easy to 'jimmy' for anyone looking for a quick opportunity).

Fortunately, once we pointed this slight hitch, the rental attendants upgraded us on the spot to a brand new MG SUV.

We weren't complaining and, once we hit the first of many mountain passes to Theth two days later, we were very thankful for the extra horsepower.

We are not saying that you absolutely have to go for a bigger vehicle or an SUV in Albania - not at all, especially for those shorter road trips or if budget is tight.

But, if you are heading up to the Albanian Alps and exploring a lot of the more secluded beaches at the end of dusty roads in the south, the higher clearance, suspension, and power may make everything a bit easier.

Manual vs. Auto

Most importantly, particularly for North Americans, if you can only drive 'automatic', then you need to make this request clearly on your booking. However, in Europe, manual cars are the standard and it's quite common for automatic cars to be booked but a manual given on arrival.

We have American friends who have had to cancel entire road trips because they can't drive manual and the car hire company didn't actually have any automatic vehicles, and in Tirana there was actually an older couple facing this very situation (we don’t know how it panned out).

The broader piece of travel advice is to master manual sooner rather than later for your European road trip, but for your Albania car hire make double sure to double check that you're receiving the manual car you requested when going through the paperwork at the kiosk.

Driving distances in the country, following a reasonable itinerary, should never be more than four or five hours on your longest travel days.

Plan // We’ve shared more advice on renting and the checks you need to make before you accept + return the car in 9 Essential Car Rental Tips for Travellers.

Driving in Albania | The Rules of the Road

Choose Your First Stop Wisely

Tirana International Airport is just a 20km drive from airport to the city centre, which can take 30-45 minutes depending on traffic.

For road trippers however, we recommend that the capital is not your first stop.

If you've already read our two-week Albania Itinerary, you'll know how intoxicating the mountains were for us, and we highly recommend every reader makes them an essential part of your route. However, the drive up to the gorgeously remote village of Theth involves many switchbacks, a lot of first gear ascents, and many narrow roads with few passing places.

We loved that drive - much of which is along a brand new road - but it is quite the introduction to driving in Albania and, if you've never driven up and across mountains before, it will be a challenge you should approach cautiously and sensibly.

From Tirana Airport, Google Maps says it should be a 3.5 hours / 159km to Theth, but we'd say you should factor in at least five hours for it.

Due to the nature of that drive up to Theth, and the challenges it will present for some drivers, you should only attempt it when there is enough time and daylight ahead. We therefore do not recommend trying to reach the mountains in one go on your first day unless you are ONE HUNDRED PERCENT certain of a flight not being cancelled, delayed, or rescheduled.

It is not a good idea for any driver, let alone an inexperienced or nervous one who has already had a long travel day, to take it on in the dark.

Therefore, if you are following our road trip itinerary + advice and heading north to the Albanian Alps first, you should instead chose one the small city Shkodër as your day one stop; the former is 83km / 3 hours from Tirana Airport.

If your flight arrives later in the afternoon to Tirana Airport, you could instead consider the small historic town of Kruje (20km / 35mins) as your first destination. A very pleasant and pretty place, we stopped there for a few hours on our way from the Airport to Shkodër.

If you're in Albania for less time and not keen on the mountains, then you should consider Tirana or head south to Berat (114km / 2.5 hours) or your first stop on the coast.

Read Later // Our Albania Road Trip Itinerary

Always Have Your Lights On

It's a legal requirement in Albania that you've got to have your car lights on at all times when driving.

Perhaps this is what inspired The Smiths to pen one of their best tracks.

Our rental car guy said the best approach is set the dial to 'auto' and keep it there - obviously adjusting to full beam as required in the evening.

Oh, and before we forget: you drive on the right hand side in Albania.

Prepare For Obstacles

A good Albania road trip is going to take you deep into the mountains and countryside, but you'll face several animal-based obstacles on the road by the coast too.

Nearly every day, there would be a shepherd with a flock of sheep or goats. This was a wonderful sight, but there would always be an errant animal or two and their movements are obviousuly unpredictable. A group of mooching cows was also quite common in the middle of the road, but they'd often be on their own, resulting in quite a hilarious stand-off / stare down (the cow always won).

It's difficult to anticipate the animal obstacles, but just be aware that they're common. If you're the first car on the scene, just slow down gradually and it's not a bad idea to push your hazard button to let the driver behind you know (although, as we explain later, the hazard lights take on several different meanings on Albanian roads...). It can sometimes result in a bit of a tailback, and levels of patience on this varies according to each driver, but we recommend enjoying the moment rather than trying to dangerously rush through it.

In the town of Shkodër, there are lots of people on bicycles sharing the main roads with you.

As a rule, we recommend avoiding nighttime driving on road trips; it just makes everything more difficult and means new towns/cities become particularly challenging to navigate. We were caught short on the drive from Shkodër to Berat and had about an hour and a half drive through the countryside under cover of darkness. Several villages had little to no street lighting, and there were quite a lot of adults walking, children playing, and animals mooching beside the road - including a man walking a donkey and a woman with three goats on leads - as well as random bicycles with no lights and cars parked up with and without hazards on - so do be extra cautious and aware.

New Roads & Google Maps

The standard of most main roads and highways in Albania is good to excellent, and we were amazed by the number of brand new roads across the country.

Some of these stretches of tarmac are so new in fact, including one that had just completed outside the beautiful UNESCO town of Gjirokaster, that Google Maps hasn't yet caught up! There were a couple of instances where the GPS would send us off a highway too early via a small village because the new routes and access hadn't yet been registered.

These new roads have opened up several places for tourism and road trips, particularly the recently completed strip through the mountains to Theth (completed just over a year ago) and a large coastal section on the Albanian Riviera.

This development in infrastructure and accessibility does mean the popularity of some places will also increase dramatically in coming years.

Road Trip Tip // We never pay extra for a GPS in a rental car. With Google Maps and data on your smartphone, it's just no longer necessary, whilst many hire cars have in-built GPS too. We've shared more on local SIM card costs and where to pick them up in 23 Things To Know Before You Visit Albania.

You can also easily download Google Maps offline and still us it for GPS if your data is limited - find out how in this short explainer: How To Use Google Maps Offline When You Travel.

Hazard Light Parking

A common quirk amongst Albanian drivers is pulling up and parking parallel to a row of parked cars, sticking their hazard lights on, and getting out to run some errands or have a chat; this means all the other cars on the road have to go around them to continue.

They'll sometimes do this on roundabouts, or just after they've exited one, to pop out and buy some fried corn or fruit from the various sellers that you'll see set up around, and sometimes within, the roundabout.

The hazard light parking stops can happen quite unexpectedly at times in the most random or inappropriate places or highway sides, and the hazard lights aren't always used, but it's so common that we have to mention it here.

Road Trip Tip // We recommend avoiding driving too much in Tirana itself except to arrive and leave. The city’s traffic isn’t that bad, but presents the usual challenges and stresses associated with navigating a busy capital city.

Along Dusty Beach Access Roads…

Although most of the main roads and highways you'll encounter on your road trip are in good condition (expect outside Durres), that doesn't mean that all the roads you'll drive are in good nick.

Along the spectacular Ionian Sea coastline, which is home to the best beaches in Albania, you will have to negotiate bumpy, dirt roads for a few minutes or a few kilometres.

This is no bad thing or criticism - indeed it's a fun part of the whole experience - but it may come as a surprise given the attached beaches are so popular come summertime, and the infrastructure elsewhere is pretty good for road trips.

For two of our favourites - Pulëbardha and Mirror beach - the downhill drive on the narrow, uneven dirt road is short but can be a bit challenging, whilst for the remote Aquarium it's very important to park up well before the beach in order to avoid unnecessary damage to the wheels or undercarriage of your hire car (one guy we walked past had bust his fuel tank).

These beach access roads are one of the reasons why renting a car that's got a bit more clearance isn't a bad idea, but you can absolutely still negotiate them with the normal economy car options - just be a bit more cautious and aware of big bumps.

We have shared all the details on access road conditions and everything else you need to know in our guide to the 19 Best Beaches in Albania.

Road Trip Tip // It's common in Albania to see 4x4 jeeps and camper vans parked up on the beaches. For Gjipe beach in particular, locals with a 4x4 like to drive it down to the sand and stay overnight; we don't recommend doing this with your hire car but you can park it overnight in the car park about 20-minutes walk up the hill.

You’ll also see lots of travellers driving motorhomes and camper vans. Campsites are very common across the country and most accept vans, and some car parks are designated for camper van stays too. Quality and facilities vary quite bit. Talking with other travellers, typical costs are €5-10 for an overnight space.

If you can’t rent a car, note that you can rent scooters in Ksamil and Sarandë (we didn’t see this offered elsewhere). Great for beach-hopping this stretch of coastline, but those dirt road downhills and uphill may be a bit difficult for those who have never driven one before.

...And Beach Car Park Costs

Free parking is not standard on the Albanian coast, particularly during peak summer, and you have to budget beach parking into your road trip costs.

Whilst some beach clubs, restaurants, and hotels have free on-site parking for clients, they will charge non-clients who may be using the sliver of free public beach available.

Beyond this, there’s usually one or several private car parks that are the main option for convenient beach access, but car parks not that conveniently situated will still charge something. On our trip, the average price was 400-500 lek (€4-5) for full-day parking, but this went up to 800 lek at the main car park in Ksamil. Due to the propensity of private beach clubs in Albania, locals tend to stay for the day, rather than just popping by for a few hours. However, on our beach hopping days, we were always able to negotiate a price of 100 or 200 lek with the attendant if we just wanted a couple of hours.

There were a handful of beaches that we could park up at for free and, for nearly every beach, there would always be cars parked up on the roadside or up the hill for free, with the beach a few minutes' walk away. We'll leave it up to your judgement when to do this and when not, but for certain beaches paying the car park offers a far more convenient experience.

Scooters don’t pay the same rate, but I’m afraid we don’t know costs.

As we explain further in 23 Things To Know Before You Visit Albania, cash is still king in the country, so you should always have some small change and notes on you for parking.

Driving Tip // On weekends in summer at the popular beaches, the roads in and around the beaches (dirt or asphalt!) and parking become very busy and congested as the day progresses - this was almost comedic at Drymades. If you have your heart set on a full day at a particular beach, then it's going to be lot less stressful and easier to park if you arrive earlier in the morning.

Find out the best for your budget and travel style in our guide to the best Albanian beaches

A Few Drivers Are Dangerous

We've done a few road trips in southern Italy - Sicily, Calbaria, and Puglia - and expected the slightly idiosyncratic freestyle approach to driving etiquette to be similar in Albania.

However, we found the vast majority of drivers in Albania to be a lot more predictable and reliable than those across the Adriatic Sea. Once we got used to the approach to overtaking on highways, hazard lights, and giving way, it was pretty much a smooth, stress-free experience outside of Tirana city centre.

There is one massive caveat to this though.

We have never seen such dangerous driving anywhere else.

On at least four occasions across the two weeks - always in a new, often customised, Porsche jeep, BMW or a Mercedes - someone would weave in and out of traffic at high speed and bear down on you at such speed that you had no option but to cede ground before it was too late.

It was like a police chase, but with no police chasing, and we were incredulous at the risks taken and selfish irresponsibility of it all.

Nowhere else in the world have we seen someone drive or overtake like that in real life.

The minority of dangerous, unpredictable drivers are however quite predictable.

The common denominator - both at the extreme end and the more frequent episodes of just going way too fast and expecting everyone to move for them - was young guys in very fancy, expensive cars.

This pairing was so predictable that it almost became comedic at times, especially when two guys who couldn't have been a day over 19 passed us in a custom paintjob BMW that must have cost at least €150,000, just as we were discussing the possible circumstances behind this phenomena.

So, here's a useful rule of thumb when driving in Albania: if the car bearing down at high speed behind you is 1) new 2) a BMW, Mercedes or Porsche and 3) driven by a guy under 35, you need to let them pass as soon as is safely possible.

Stay On The Right Hand Side on Motorways

Their presence and predictability is particularly prevalent on the highways & motorways.

For your first few days on these two-lane roads, it's a good idea to stick to the right hand side. That's the slower lane, and the left hand side is for faster drivers. Although we used the left a lot too, sticking to the right will avoid more panicked moments when a Mercedes is hunting you down at several notches above the speed limit, and is the best place for nervous or inexperienced drivers.

If driving in the fast lane, the expectation is very much on the slower moving vehicle to move back into the right hand side lane in order to let the upcoming faster vehicle overtake. They will often flash their lights or indicators to let you know, and it can sometimes be a bit fraught when they continue to do this even if it's not yet safe or appropriate to go back in the right lane.

If you're on the right lane behind a vehicle that's going quite slow, they will sometimes use their indicators to encourage you to pass them and/or go a little bit off road to make it obvious.

As ever when driving in a country that's not your own, don't feel that you have to adapt to each and every part of the driving culture, especially if you don't feel it's appropriate to overtake or be more 'aggressive' in your driving. However, after a few days, you will get used to some of the rhythms and quirks of driving in Albania, and it can make things much easier.

One cultural point you should never cede on though is using your indicators! As in Italy, many drivers don't use them when when merging into a lane or coming off roundabouts, and indicating is more often to tell you to pass, or demand that you let them pass, than to give you a heads up on their own movements. It's definitely best to keep religiously using yours throughout your trip though.

Road Trip Tip // Speed limits in Albania are 40km/h (25 mph) in urban areas, and 90 km/h (56 mph) on most highways, increasing to 100 km/h (68 mph) on motorways; slower speeds are often required and signposted.

We didn’t see any speed cameras although there are several signs for them, and police standing with radar too. As always, do not drink and drive.

Police Stops & Watermelon Stops

Police cars at the side of the road or a roundabout are quite a regular sight, and they'd sometimes have a few drivers pulled over. It didn't appear to be for speeding, but rather for document and vehicle checks, and it would usually include one or two of the aforementioned fancier vehicles.

We were never asked to pull over, but a little subsequent research indicates that the police stops aren't particularly interested in foreign drivers or rental cars, and will waive you on once they’ve realised you're a visitor. However, it's a good idea to always have the documentation provided by the rental company in your glove compartment, your driving licence, and photos of your passport on your phone.

If you do have any negative or different experiences, please do let us know in the comments so we can keep the post as helpful as possible for other travellers.

A wonderful, unexpected part of the Albanian driving experience were our own spontaneous stops at the various stands you'll see at the roadside. The July trip coincided with watermelon season, and there were lots of farmers selling absolute beasts from the field right behind them for €2. Stalls selling honey (an Albanian staple) were also common, and we made a point of stopping for an ear of flamegrilled corn whenever we could.

By the way, if you ever find a definitive answer to whether the guys selling CDs are really just selling CDs, and what’s on the CDs, please do let us know!

Mountain Passes + Switchbacks

As we mentioned, the roads in the Albanian Alps aren’t for the faint-hearted.

You’ll be in first or second gear most of the time, face some very tight squeezes with oncoming traffic, and the number of hairpin switchbacks is enough to make one dizzy.

They are absolutely stunning though, and the drive is an adventure to savour.

If in a tight jam, do a parallel park manoeuvre to make space, rather than just reversing back in a straight line.

Beyond the Alps in the north, you’ll encounter many steep hills and passes in Albania. The vertiginous Llogara Pass (maps) is the pick of the bunch, carved into the mountainside with a dozen or so head-spinning turns as you descend toward the Adriatic Sea and the Albanian Riviera.

Due to the ubiquity of mountain passes, consideration has to be given to conditions and snow in winter.

Plan // The one occasion where car hire in Albania makes a lot of sense but also causes logistical issues is for the Theth-Valbonë hike. We talk about this in our Albanian road trip itinerary post, and will have much more detail on routes + options in the Theth-Valbonê guide (published soon).

Fill Up Before The Coast & Mountains

A few points on fuel stations in Albania:

· Fuel on the coast is always quite a bit more expensive so it’s a good idea to arrive with a full tank.

· Fill up before you head into the Alps too, as stations are few and far between.

· Along the highways and motorways, there are a good spread of modern fuel stations on both sides of the road. They usually have a small shop and toilets, and the newer ones are large with a snack bar / restaurant. Tiredness is a real danger when on road trips, so always keep yourself hydrated and don’t hesitate to pull in for a break or drink if flagging. We highly recommend espressos and cans of Golden Eagle!

· Not all petrol stations are on the map, but on a road trip, we recommend never going below a 1/3 of a tank so that you don’t end up in sticky situation.

· There is always an attendant at the pumps, and he is responsible for filling up and taking payment. ‘Full’ is universally understood, but if you just want to top up, we recommend having the correct cash on you and just showing that with a smile - it’s pretty obvious if you have a 2,000 lek note that you want that much! Tipping is not expected.

· Not all stations currently accept card but some do - always have cash.

Road Trip Tip // Ever been pulled in and realised the pump is at the wrong side for your rental car? A little hack for knowing which side is the one to fill up on is looking at the fuel pump guage on your driver’s dashboard, and the little arrow on the right or left of it tells you which side it’s on!

When To Book Accommodation With Parking

Trying to find parking in a new place is always a downside to road trips.

It may not be possible for every guesthouse or hotel on your Albania itinerary, but booking a place with private parking will make your day a lot easier, especially if you're arriving after a long drive or after dark.

In Albania, we made a point of booking accommodation with free private parking for guests in Tirana, Ksamil, Himarë, and one night in Shkodër, and recommend doing the same for each. We stayed at the following:

Tirana | Hotel Stela

Ksamil | Area Hotel

Himarë | Beachfront Apartment

Shkodër | Hotel Tradita

For the historic towns of Gjirokaster and Berat, many accommodations in the old town will not have parking for guests, so it’s up to you whether to stay there or just outside. At our lovely little guesthouse in Berat (Hotel Osumi), they did have public parking spaces just outside, but these are sometimes full on arrival, whilst in Gjirokaster the only option was a public parking area about five minute’s walk away. For the other night in Shkodër at the fantastic Mi Casa Hostel, which didn’t actually have parking, we lucked out and got a free space on the main road outside.

For your Albania road trip, it really comes down to personal preference. Requiring a guaranteed car parking space may exclude some wonderful accommodations or preclude you from staying in the old town areas, but you may prefer the accessibility and convenience of knowing you don’t have to drive around for 15 minutes up hills and down one-way streets looking for a free public space.

We recommend searching for accommodation on platforms like Booking.com and Airbnb with a filter for parking to get an idea of options.

Note that at some hotels, you may be required to leave your keys at the desk so they can rearrange cars in the parking lot.

Don’t Panic!

If you’ve made it this far, then you’ve earned the one golden piece of advice for driving in Albania.

Don’t panic!

Keeping this in mind is as important as knowing what checks to make when picking up the rental, how best to negotiate a switchback, a logjam on a narrow beach road, or a reversal into a passing place, when to go fast or turn in if a big new car flashing his lights at highway at high speed, and anticipate random cars on random spots with the hazards on (or not).

Your GPS and navigator / co-pilot are going to be a big help here - Emily is invaluable on our road trips - and you’ve really got to work together rather than argue and make a stressful situation even more stressful.

Be slow and cautious, particularly on your first few days, until you get to grips with the new car, driving etiquette, and (for any Brits) driving on the wrong side of the road.

With advance knowledge of the quirks and obstacles you’ll likely face when driving in Albania, you now simply have to ease yourself in, adapt to them, and - to an extent - wholly embrace them as a big, enjoyable part of the whole travel experience.