ALBANIA

WHAT TO EAT.
WHERE TO GO.
WHETHER TO STAY.

Most guides to Albania are a phone book with photos, and they put the work back on you. I keep the list short, and everything on it I have sat in myself.

I am visitingI am moving here
VISITING

DURRËS.

A pin is a promise, and I do not hand them out.

Durrës is a working city, and most visitors drive straight through it on their way to the beaches in the south. There are hundreds of restaurants and cafés here, and I am not going to hand you forty of them. Below are the ones I go back to, and then the few things you need on the first day.

PizzaPizzeria Al Forno makes the best Neapolitan pizza in the city, and Pizzeria ROMA makes the best Roman.
CroissantsCroissant Artisanal Durrës, and nobody else comes close.
CocktailsThe best signature cocktails are at Bottle Brothers, and it is here on the map.
BeerTaproom Durrës pours the best craft beer here.
MeatWestwood Meathouse, when meat is the whole point.
TransfersSergiy does the airport run, anywhere in Albania, and across the border. Message him on WhatsApp.
BusesThey leave from the station, and the two you will want are Plepa and Golem.
With kidsThe aquapark runs in summer. There is bowling and there is a pool.
MOVING HERE

THE PRACTICAL PART.

Moving here sounds complicated until somebody tells you the order to do it in. The internet takes one day and the equipment costs you nothing. The bills are paid at the post office with no commission. Below is the short version.

RentA one bedroom flat in Durrës is about 500 euros a month.
InternetYou choose the speed, go to the provider's office, and a technician comes to your flat the next day. The connection is free and so is the equipment. There are 6 providers, and Tring is the one people warn you about.
DoctorA pharmacy is called a FARMACI, so that is the word to look for on the street. This hospital takes adult emergencies, and children go to this one.
SchoolsA nursery is a çerdhe, a kindergarten is a kopësht and a school is a shkolla. Search those three words on the map. Every district has both state and private ones.
BillsYour electricity comes from a company called OSHEE and your water from one called Ujësjellës. Pay the bills at the post office, where they charge you no commission.
MoneyCheck the day's exchange rate at Iliria98, then change your money at an exchange office. This one and this one are both fine, and Western Union gives you a decent rate too.
FishThe fish bases sell cheaper than the shops, but they sell whole. A salmon is 5 or 6 kilos, and shrimp start at a 2 kilo pack. Here, here, here, and the old men at the market.
BEFORE YOU ASK

THE QUESTIONS EVERYONE ASKS.

Is Albania safe?

Yes, and the question says more about the internet than it does about Albania. Petty theft is rare and violent crime against visitors is rarer still. What will actually hurt you is the driving, so take that part seriously.

What should I eat in Albania?

Byrek in the morning, and buy it from a bakery rather than a restaurant, because the bakery makes it and the restaurant reheats it. Tavë kosi if you eat lamb, and fli if you are lucky enough to find it. On the coast, order fish by weight and ask what it costs before it goes on the grill.

What currency does Albania use?

The lek. Tourist places will happily take your euros at a rate that insults you, so change your money at an exchange office and never at a hotel.

Is Albania cheap?

Yes. A coffee is 1 or 2 euros, and dinner for two runs 15 to 30. If you are staying longer, a one bedroom flat in Durrës is about 500 euros a month.

Where is Albania?

On the Adriatic and Ionian coast, directly across the water from Italy. Corfu is a short ferry ride from the south, and most of Europe is inside a 2 hour flight.

Do they speak English?

In the cities, and with anyone young, yes. Italian is widely understood along the coast, which tends to surprise people who arrived expecting to be stranded.