Albania

Health & safety

Dangers & annoyances

Many prejudices surround Albania, but the country is now safe for travel. In fact, despite poor street lighting, the level of petty crime is much less than in most Western countries. You should not feel unduly concerned passing groups of young men on the streets at night. There isn’t a hardcore drinking culture, so it’s almost unheard of to be attacked by drunks after dark.

That said, the mountainous regions of the north still involve some element of risk due to the revival of ancient blood feuds and the rise of organised crime – the latter is also a problem in Vlora. Tourists are unlikely to get caught up in this, but incidents occasionally happen. There are reports of people being held up at gunpoint in isolated corners of northern Albania, though these events are becoming rare. There may still be landmines near the northern border with Kosovo around Bajram Curri.

Take the usual precautions about avoiding rowdy political demonstrations, not flashing money around and being aware of pickpockets in crowded places.

The most serious risk to safety is on the roads. Most people have been driving for less than 10 years, and this inexperience, combined with the terrible state of the roads and a typically Balkan disregard for traffic laws, make for a high accident rate. Other dangers to pedestrians include gaping holes in pavements, missing manhole covers and treacherous black ice in winter.

As Albania was closed for so long, black and Asian travellers may encounter some curious stares; in fact most visitors to Albania, male or female, can expect to encounter such stares! Studiously ignoring the man sitting next to you on a furgon, as he bores holes into the side of your head, will have no effect, so you may as well get used to it.

Do not drink the tap water; locals jokingly refer to it as Hoxha’s revenge. Plenty of bottled water is available. Also, don’t swim in the water at Durrës – you may end up with a nasty skin infection. The standard of health care in Albania is quite poor. Local hospitals and clinics are under-resourced.