Bus service from Albania to Greece

You can start your explorations on Rome2Rio.com, which actually shows some not-bad options. I'm pleasantly surprised. As you click on the itinerary options, you'll in some cases find links to bus companies. Sometimes simply Googling "Bus XCity to YCity" produces useful results.

I've never been to Albania, and my one visit to mainland Greece was about 30 years ago, so I don't remember many details. I know that Ioanina (which is a possible bus transit point) was very interesting for its Turkish influence.

Much closer to Athens is the town of Arachova, known for embroidery and needlepoint rugs--or at least it was back in the 1980s.

I suggest buying or borrowing from the library a guidebook that covers Greece comprehensively, not one that only hits Athens and the islands. That will allow you to pinpoint some good stopovers. However, unless things have changed, be prepared for some frustrating public transportation schedules. I remember that we were unable to reach a relatively nearby town we hoped to see without spending the night there; actually, it may have required two nights. There are mountainous areas in the part of Greece you'll be crossing, and that tends to complicate transportation.

Thank you very much acraven. I know of rome2rio but have never used the service to judge its authenticity, scheduling or pricing. Maybe it is time for me to put rome2rio to a test? Trip Advisor also posts some information about bus service but not sure how reliable information is either. I do not use bus service here in the states due to the lack of service; and, the inability of bus drivers in the U.S. to stay awake behind the wheel. Bus service is different abroad than in the U.S. and bus service abroad is a good way to connect with locals. I will continue to ask questions. Thanks again.-Lorenzo

I wouldn't rely too much on Rome2Rio.como. When I go directly to bus websites I often find quite different results. I wonder whether Rome2Rio focuses on buses due to leave in the immediate future (within a few hours of the time of your inquiry). And the actual cost of buses is often lower than what Rome2Rio shows. But it is usually (not always!) a decent indicator of whether there is bus service, and where one might conveniently switch from bus to train, or vice versa. And the links to individual companies can be helpful.

I will say that I found the online bus information for Romania, Montenegro, and Croatia pretty accurate last year once I drilled down to specific websites. But it's probably significant that, when I stopped in at a tourist office to ask about a bus schedule, the staff member usually reached for the telephone rather than the computer mouse. They simply called the bus station in the departure city. You really cannot check schedules too often, especially when you're trying to cross a border or get to or from an obscure destination. And of course you have to be very careful if you hope to travel on a Sunday or holiday, which is often not possible.

I hope you'll come back and tell us about your trip after you return. We'll all learn something, and I do want to get to Albania one of these days.

When we were researching this for a trip years ago, the bus trips sounded long and dreary and slow. We ended up flying from Tirana to Athens -- cheap and quick.

For more info on traveling in this part of the world, check out the Balkanology website, or post a question on the Lonely Planet Thorn Tree forum

Thank you for feedback. Trip is not until next year so plenty of time for research. Information super highway says it's 500 miles from city to city. I will plan on 2 days for journey. In the mean time I will keep looking for information.-Lorenzo

How do Albania and Greece fall under "Beyond Europe"?????

Do not worry about it. Or if you want to worry about it spend some time thinking about it and figure it out for yourself????? How does your post contribute to the thread?

Might cause you to want to post it under GENERAL EUROPE or Greece where it is more likely to get seen and where he might be more likely to get some help? That would be a contribution?