1

My impression up to now is that Albania is safe. I'll be in Gjirokaster in a few days.

2

Nonsense. As safe as most other European countries; significantly less pickpocketing and rip-off dangers, but be careful in traffic.

3

Can just agree with Jeroen, been here for over 6 month by now and never anything happened. From my experience it's a very safe country to travel, doesn't matter if city or countryside.
We're in Gjiro at the moment, drop me a message if you like to meet.

4

I'm now in Gjirokaster, and it seems very safe to me.
A pity the slopes are littered by garbage. Otherwise a remarkable place.

5

There is not a single country in Europe that is unsafe.

Safety has more to do with what you do, as well as bad luck, than with the country.

It sounds like you had a bad experience in Athens, which is too bad. At the same time many visitors surely visited athens without any problems. Every city has its share of petty crime. Sometimes it's just bad luck although preparation can do a lot to reduce the risks. It doesn't make any of these countries dangerous.

People worry about safety and crime but often the biggest risk in visiting a place like Albania is the traffic. Pay attention when crossing the road.

6

i think i have to make a remark, about being in greece before you travel to albania, giving my own experience.

greece has a centuries long tradition of a bad relationship, politically and otherwise, with albania.

the greeks i met, and talked to about albania, were very negative. both on corfu as in athens. i visited an albanian family on corfu, they changed their names officially, in 'greek', though they WERE from greek ancestry, but that could (albania had no previous records of that, all destroyed!, their family names were previously 'albananized' and they lost ALL their posessions) not be proven any more.

at the moment i write this, there is a dispute again, about babies, no less, born in greece, but not with a greek passport, so they have an albanian passport, which is officially recognized by all EU-countries (greece being one!), but the families are told: 'your babies cannot travel with you, as the name of the greek city they were born in, is... not the way WE accept it to be written.'

that new biometric passport is the ONLY one they still accept, and was introduced in january 2011, so we're talking about one year olds - being refused at the border.

gjirokastra has been (read my earlier posts) in the midst of a very complicated and large scale anti-drugs trafficking and growing operation, supported by italian forces. the operation is finished, the road check-points by albanian forces are still there, but tourists have absolutely nothing to fear.

the fact that the rubbish albanians have to throw everywhere, is a real problem. there is NO garbage collection system, NO way of proper destruction, so they dump everything in the nearest river of stream, or burn it in the open fields. tirana now is, 'clean air' and healthwise, worse than athens was, in the 80s. it is estimated that only because of that, 1500 people every year die.

enjoy your stay and the hospitality of the albanian people, they will go out of their way to help you.

7

Thank you everyone for your messages. We have now been to Gjrikostar and loved the town. Stayed in the old town. Caught a bus to Saranda and visited Butrint. We then hired a car and driver and are travelling through Albania. What a beautiful country. Glad we came.

8

We had no problems in Albania including Gjirokastra in June/July....nor did we have a problem in our month in Greece. So just bad luck for you I think. We are very careful and always lock bags left in the rooms and are careful with bags that we carry.

Albanians are friendly and helpful.

I agree.....pity about the rubbish!

The biggest danger is if you decide to drive.Their driving is aggressive and roads pretty bad in parts.

Go and enjoy!