Leaf on the wind

Traveling Albania is done by private buses of varying sizes and repair state. You might get one that has no Aircon at all and boil in the heat or one where it blows cold air on full tilt until you get sick. (But most are okay)
Schedules are printed on street signs or just by asking drivers. No buying tickets up front, you show up and get on(exception sarande). Some buses might wait until they are full too, or leave early when they are. A lot more improvisation and spontaneity here.
Some of them, you could even enter or leave at any part of the trip at the side of the road.

Traveling here in general feels very safe, no petty crime or scams I could see or hear from any traveler. Even at night in non touristy corners it feels safe. While only some can speak English, most locals are helpful and friendly.

Public transport in cities is often very vague. Very rough schedules e.g. only times of the starting location known or not at all.
Hard to find information on what bus goes where, or where stops are. Especially problematic in bigger cities with more than one line, like Tirana. But if you are in a hurry there are always plenty of affordable taxis.

Many places have local cat and dog populations that live on the street, so far they were all friendly too.

Street vendors for fruit and veggies, roasted corn, drinks or other snacks can be found at many streets. Combined with the cafe culture makes the cities feel a lot more alive.

The country is good for hiking, but the hiking culture hasn't really arrived yet. Most places you need to know someone or a car yourself.
Similar with bicycles, hard to find and then overpriced or only full day rentals, or in a very poor state.

I enjoyed it here. Will likely come back when it's hiking weather again.En savoir plus