Albania: Tirana and the Southern Coast

Entry: the Government of Canada's travel advice for Albania, linked below, states that Canadian citizens can visit for tourism without a visa for up to 90 days in a 180-day period. Passport validity and any insurance requirement are set by Albania and described on the Government of Canada page and on the Albanian government's e-visa.al site, both linked; this page states neither.

Children: Global Affairs Canada states that Albania may consider children born to an Albanian parent to be Albanian citizens even if they were born in Canada and hold a Canadian passport, and that children under 18 may only leave Albania with both parents or with the consent of both. If a child in your group has an Albanian parent, read the Government of Canada page, linked below, before booking, and read the consent-letter guide linked at the end of this page.

Pets: animals arriving by air are inspected by the customs veterinarian at the airport on arrival. The rules belong to Albania's food-safety and veterinary authority, which is who to ask; no document requirements are stated here, and the airline sets its own rules for the route.

Tirana International Airport (TIA, also called Rinas) is the country's only international airport, about 17 km from the centre. The airport's official taxi operator is Auto Holiday Albania, branded TIA Taxi: yellow cars with airport branding, under an exclusive contract, with a fixed fare to central Tirana published on the airport's transport page, linked below. This page states no figure, because sources disagree and drivers are reported asking for more at night; read the published fare and agree it, in lek, before getting in. The Rinas Express bus runs between the airport and the centre roughly hourly; the airport page has the timetable.

Uber, Bolt and Lyft do not operate in Albania. Local ride-hailing apps do, and they are paid in cash. City taxis are required to run a meter; confirm it is on, or agree a price before the car moves.

Intercity travel is largely by furgon, a shared minibus that leaves from informal stops without a fixed timetable. Ask your accommodation where the furgon for your destination leaves from and when it tends to go; that is the only reliable source.

Money: the currency is the lek (ALL). Albania is not in the European Union and does not use the euro, though euros are accepted in some tourist areas at a markup. In 1965 the currency was redenominated ten to one, and more than 55 years later many people still quote prices in "old lek", ten times the written figure, so persistently that the Bank of Albania has run a national campaign to end the habit. Written prices are always current lek. If a spoken price sounds ten times too high, ask "new or old lek?" or point at the written price. This is a habit, not a scam.

Albania is largely cash-based outside central Tirana. There are ATMs in the airport arrivals hall; at ATMs and card terminals, choose to be charged in lek rather than in your home currency. The lek is not freely convertible abroad, so change leftovers before you leave.

Southern coast: the coast road between the beach towns is served by furgon and by car; ask your accommodation about the current furgon and about taxis, since schedules and prices are set locally and vary through the season.

A few words go a long way; none are expected. Two Albanian words: "Mirëdita" (good day) and "faleminderit" (thank you). FlyingWith has no Albanian reviewer, so these are offered as an optional courtesy with no pronunciation guide, and no other phrase is given.

Paying in euros at a poor rate when the price was in lek. Mishearing an old-lek price and paying ten times the written figure, or walking away from a fair one. Expecting Uber to work. Expecting to pay a taxi or a ride-hailing driver by card. Carrying no cash outside the capital.

The Government of Canada's travel advice for Albania, linked below, is the primary source for safety, laws and entry.

Children with an Albanian parent: see the citizenship and exit rules under official rules above; this is the one thing on this page to settle before booking.

Accessibility: no source was available for step-free access in Albania. Pavements and step-free routes vary widely outside central Tirana, so ask your accommodation directly about steps, lifts and the route from where a taxi can stop. Airport assistance is arranged through the airline. The mobility and disability pages below cover what to request.

Pet: the customs veterinarian inspects animals at the airport on arrival; Albania's food-safety and veterinary authority sets the rules, the CFIA sets the rules for the return to Canada, and the airline sets its own for the route. Ask all three. The pet page lists what to confirm with the airline.