We are in the early stages of planning our trip to Italy,which will include Venezia and possibly the Dalmatian Coast. Someone recently suggested Albania. Any thoughts or suggestions?
Posted by
San Diego
1540 posts
Ray - you might check on the thread for "To the East" here on the helpline and I'm sure that someone there can tell you about Albania.
Posted by
Danville, VT
12040 posts
I was there over a decade ago, and at that time, the country clearly wasn't ready for casual western tourists. But who knows, maybe things have improved since then?
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32404 posts
Ray, I'd suggest posting your question on the www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/index.jspa boards, which has a section specifically for Albania. There's a VERY large user base there, and I'm sure they'll be able to provide some good information. Good luck and happy travels!
Posted by
Centennial, CO, US
2196 posts
We were in Albania about 4 years ago, as we were trying to get from Croatia to Greece. We did not find it particularly tourist friendly. But more important, how long is your trip? Is this your first visit to Italy? I think you could find plenty to see and do in Italy to occupy your time; if you have your heart set on seeing the Dalmatian coast, a quick trip to Split or Dubrovnik is just a ferry ride away. But getting to Albania from Dubrovnik requires traveling through Montenegro, and from there to Albania puts you in the land of unscheduled buses and very adventuresome travel. I wouldn't recommend it unless you have a specific reason to get to a specific place in Albania.