Perhaps this is a new back door.....

I went last year. Loved it. Beautiful and incredibly interesting place from coast to mountains, and all in-between.

The Travelling Through the Alphabet thread that Nigel started on this forum over a year-and-a-half ago, and is still going strong, began with Albania. Perhaps its time as a travel destination has arrived. Will Rick film an episode or two, soon, exploring the backstreets of Tirana? Perhaps.

We went to Tirana, Albania on a tour back in the good ole days of 2019. We loved it but I don't know what the infrastructure is like in less touristed areas. Our guide was very pro-American-after the Soviet Union dissolved, the US gave them some foreign aid that they apparently found very helpful.

A book just came out about growing up in Albania during the political transition that sounds terrific:
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/18/books/review/lea-ypi-free.html

Thanks Ken for sharing. Another resource about the book mentioned up thread:
https://amp.theguardian.com/world/2022/jan/03/author-memoir-communist-albania-met-vicious-abuse-lea-ypi

Albania will be the new Croatia, especially after Croatia enters the Schengen zone.

Cala, Tirana is one of the less touristed areas. Not a bad city, but primarily where most arrive and depart. The principal tourist destinations include Berat, Saranda, Gjirokastra, Kruja, Shkodra, Vlore and Lake Koman. And for me, the infrastructure was adequate for visiting. Fly fishing was "good" too.

Barbara not sure how Schengen will change the already over-touristed Croatia?

Ken, thank you for pointing out an amazing destination. Pair it with Kosovo and Montenegro for a terrific trip.

When long term travelers needed to go some place after their 90 days, Croatia was sometimes mentioned. When they are part of the zone, Croatia will be off that list so Albania would be able to fill in. Also, it is less expensive then Croatia but on the same coastline.

When long term travelers needed to go some place after their 90 days, Croatia was sometimes mentioned. When they are part of the zone, Croatia will be off that list so Albania would be able to fill in. Also, it is less expensive then Croatia but on the same coastline.

Barbara, there might be some truth in that. Dont know. But I hope those that do switch to Albania know that switching from Croatia to Albania is a little like switching from The Cayman Islands to Belize...... A bit more "rustic".

It's definitely on my radar, but it's not a country where I'd want to need medical help, so I'd prefer to wait until the COVID situation has improved. Albania's vaccination rate is quite low.

Medical care would certainly be a consideration for any destination that I travel to. The Canadian government lists this information about Albania on their official travel website.....

<"Good health care is limited in availability. Quality of care varies greatly throughout the country.
Access to medical equipment, pharmaceuticals, and specialists is limited. It is best to avoid government hospitals, which often lack basic drugs and equipment and have poor hygiene standards.
Hospitals are not equipped to handle cases involving severe trauma or serious illness. Medical evacuation can be very expensive and you may need it in case of serious illness or injury.
Make sure you get travel insurance that includes coverage for medical evacuation and hospital stays."

When planning a trip to Albania, I'd feel lost without a RS guidebook to plan my trip ;-)