For most passport holders, you are going to scan your passport, and passport control is going to be automated. You are unlikely to deal with a human being; one will be in a booth watching, and there will be helpers on-site in case you have an issue scanning your passport.
You will notice cash machines that should work for all major debit cards that have a chip in them, but you may want to let your financial institution know ahead of time what's going on because, in some instances, Albania is on the naughty list.
Make sure to never accept the conversion rates the cash machine offers when getting cash because they're going to stick you with bad rates. Don't worry about hitting cancel because what will happen is you'll get the better market rate instead. Don't think just because you have a card that reimburses your fees that somehow you're going to get the best currency conversion rate.
You're also going to find out that there is free Airport Wi-Fi, but it is often unreliable because many people use it. You’re also going to notice that there’s not much in the way of customs controls. You’re not going to have to fill out any silly declaration forms, and since I never check any baggage in, I just cruised by while the customs officers were texting their mistresses. That being said, I'm sure they do profiling, so don't play the fool. But you're not going to deal with a Mexican customs agent trying to tax you for bringing in an extra laptop. For this, Albania is way better.
Once you get to the general arrival area, what's going to happen is you're going to see a Vodafone shop almost right away, and there you can get your tourist pack or monthly pack for less than 20 or 25 euros. In many cases, this must be done in cash as, surprisingly, many of their stores do not accept credit or debit cards, so you're going to want to hit the cash machine first. This works great if you have a dual-slot SIM card holder in your smartphone. I don't know how well eSIMs work. You’re also going to likely have to show them photo ID, unlike in other countries where you can just sign up for phone service without supplying such proof.
If you're not ready to do any of this or use your data, then you're going to want to hit the doors on the left and find the KFC to use their Wi-Fi. To get the password, you're going to want to go up to the counter where it is posted on the wall.
The best taxi service to use, in my view, is Green, which charges 20 euros to pick you up from the airport and will take you just about anywhere in Durrës. Then once you are in the city, you're going to want to use your feet, the bus, or yes, BS Taxi.
Buses cost 40 Lekë each way and typically run at least twice an hour. I don't know when they start in the morning, but my guess is six, and supposedly they run until 10 at night during the summer, then it goes down to eight in the winter. The latest I've ever taken a bus from the centre of Durrës to Plazh (the beach area) is 9:30 at night.
You are going to buy your bus ticket from the ticket seller on board. It's best to have exact change and to not try to break a big bill with them.
There is a way to get back to Tirana by bus, and that can be done at the main terminal in Durrës. In this country, it's best to just show up at the bus terminal or stop with cash and wait patiently or find someone in the know.
People in this country tend to be friendly, especially when you learn a few basic words. Many people will even help you if you show them the Google Translate for what you are trying to accomplish. Do understand that sometimes different translators screw things up in Albanian; this is not a code of English, and this is not an easy romance language you can fake.
You are likely going to see stray dogs, and for the most part, they are going to be friendly if they don't completely ignore you. I'm not the biggest dog lover, and I have zero issues here. Sometimes they get excited if you are riding a bicycle or motorcycle, if you have loose coins in your pocket, or if you are walking around with leftover chicken. Otherwise, it is unlikely they are going to bother you, especially during the day. They are mostly sweet and have been tagged by the municipality.
You are going to see some people begging for coins, but for the most part, they are not going to be aggressive. You are unlikely to encounter pickpockets, for example. This is not to say that you should lower your guard.
If you are looking to rent a car, it appears the daily rate is around 25 euros from mom-and-pop operators. It is also possible to rent a paddleboard for 15 euros per day, though I have yet to do so personally.
Chairs and umbrellas at the beach should not run more than 10 euros. Massages at the beach seem to be possible at or under 30 euros an hour in Golem. You may need to shop around. These are only indicative prices.
The season this year is nowhere near as busy as I've been told it was last year or as was anticipated or expected. This does not mean prices have softened too much.
Plazh is the beachy area. Most people, including many expats, live in Vollga and Curilla, which is uptown or downtown depending on how you look at things.
You should always try to get a printed receipt to make sure that you're not overcharged and that the establishment is paying their VAT.
You should also understand that if you don't find your waiter to get a bill or a check, you could be waiting many hours or more.
Prices in Durrës tend to be much lower than in EU countries, but that doesn't mean you can't blow through money here fast. Because when items are priced less, what happens is you have a false sense of increased purchasing power.
Groceries and toiletries are not necessarily much less than you'll find in France or Italy. In some instances, they are more because this is a smaller consumer market, and those items have to be imported if they are not produced locally.
The internet, for the most part, is fast and reliable. The electricity, a little bit less so, especially if you are staying in Plazh.
The best times of year to get into a long-term let would be September and January. If you are staying in Plazh or just about anywhere in Durrës, a one-bedroom should not run you more than 500 euros a month. You can pay as little as 200 or as much as 1,000.
There is a ferry that connects us to Bari, Italy, but I've never taken it, and the flight is much faster and less expensive. We are also not too far from the border with Montenegro. GetByBus.com, among other sites, is going to be one of your friends to find transportation there. This is great for day tripping and border running, though the latter doesn't quite work here as well as it does in places like México.
It's best to try and pay for things here in Lekë rather than to negotiate in Euros, since they don't give you great rates at stores for Euros.
It's not super easy to live here using Bitcoin or Crypto, but it's not impossible.
You might notice fireworks going off around midnight each night; supposedly, that is due to birthday celebrations. Sometimes you'll hear random drumming, and sometimes that has to do with Muslim holidays.
Though the city has a Muslim majority, it's not hard to find alcohol or even 24/7 bars. For those that like pork products, they also exist here. I have not seen any gambling parlours in town. There are some gentlemen's clubs, but I've never been to any, and it's unlikely wise to frequent such establishments unless you have money you can afford to lose.
The port is being renovated, supposedly by an outlet from Dubai, and will feature recreational yachting. There is also a rail link being constructed to the capital city, Tirana. So the outlook for the region is promising as infrastructure improves.
Lami is a clinic that I have used and has affordable rates as well as home care services. They, like taxi companies, are only a WhatsApp away, so in case you don't have WhatsApp, this is one of those kinds of countries where you're going to want the app, and you're going to want to use it. When you do use it, try to set up your account using your Vodafone SIM card number and try to communicate with people using Google Translate before hitting the send message button.
There is no shortage of dental cabinets in town. The best one in the centre of the city is often ClassDental, and in Plazh, there is White City Dental. You might find ones even better than those two. Don't be afraid to shop around. Both of those recommendations are clean, English-speaking, good prices, and also only a WhatsApp away.
Housekeeping services are not impossible to find, but it's still a relatively new concept here, so chances are you'll be better off cleaning your own place, but there are solutions to get cleaning ladies.
Haircuts for men should not run more than about 5 or 7 euros. You'll get a decent cut for that price just about anywhere.
There is not a tremendous amount of international cuisine in Durrës. Oh, do I miss a good curry or fish and chips! Rescue me! This is the land of pizza, pasta, seafood, byrek, and sometimes you'll get good sushi. Great American-style burgers are not so easy to find, but it is also possible. You are unlikely to find thick Argentine steaks or Starbucks coffee, but you don't need to worry because the coffee here is great, and it's not unusual to get served a good espresso on the beach for less than a euro. You can also have breakfast on the beach for well under five euros if you know what you're doing.
It should also be noted that there are not many rubbish bins on the beach, and you're going to need to find big public rubbish bins to dump your rubbish.
There is also no real regular postal service, and there aren't formal addresses in the same sense that you'll find in Western Europe or North America. This is not to say that there aren't street names or numbers, but it's a little bit different here.
You're going to want to rely on expensive services like DHL, or you're going to want to find couriers and make sure they have your WhatsApp number. Post Office boxes are also available and are not hard to secure, though their reliability I am still testing.
Yes, it is possible to open a local bank account here, but you're going to need to demonstrate some kind of proof of address, and this can come from Vodafone, or you could have your Airbnb, property manager, or landlord supply you with some kind of prepared statement if you don't have a lease and if you don't yet have residency. The procedure is painless but can take upwards of an hour, and you may not get your debit card the same day; it could take upwards of a week for you to have to return to the bank to obtain it. It will be much smoother if you tell them the reason you are opening an account is that you're looking to secure residency. Short, direct, honest answers are always best.
As for residency, you're going to want to look at e-Albania, and you're going to want to ask many questions in different groups and find facilitators if needed.
Waiters at restaurants will bring over an ashtray if your table doesn't have one. Does that answer your question?
It's likely not hard to find, but I don't know. It's not my bag or my scene. I would stay within the law, or if you must, fly up to Amsterdam.
I'm not sure, but straight guys and gals hold hands here, and there are winds of change blowing throughout the region. Grindr supposedly works here
No, there are quite a few Black Americans as well as Black French and British people around. You're not going to stick out or get odd looks as much as you might think. Lots of Roma people here look like they are from South Asia for obvious reasons
Don't expect creepy or cringe guys to follow you. Don't expect catcalls or other nonsense. This is a family-friendly place. You'll see lots of guys holding their little daughters' hands. Don't judge them for blowing cigarette smoke, their gold chains, tinted aviator glasses, or beer bellies. These guys are big teddy bears for the most part. If someone is messing with you, they'll likely pounce on the perp.
רבים בעיר מתגאים בכך שמשפחותיהם הצילו רבים מאיתנו במהלך המלחמה. לאחר המלחמה הייתה באלבניה אוכלוסיית יהודים גדולה יותר. מוצרי כשרות ניתן למצוא ברשתות שיווק גדולות, מיובאים ממערב אירופה, אם כי האפשרויות מוגבלות למדי. אין מניין פעיל, אפילו במהלך החגים. כדאי להימנע מדיון על הסכסוך הנוכחי כאשר מדברים עם המקומיים.
So when you need a break from espresso, raki, and barking into your phone while it's in speaker mode, try joining this group: https://facebook.com/groups/2452857311582832/. Yeah, you're going to want to have Facebook, at least on a burner phone, so that you can access different groups, events, and Facebook Marketplace to get deals on stuff, including apartments. This is a Facebook country. Instagram is likely popular too, but I'm not on it. I'm also not the owner or admin of the above Facebook group, but they've helped me a lot and done me many solids.
Remember when your teacher told you there are no dumb questions to ask? Well, guess what? Your teacher lied. Don't ask such questions. Ever. Enjoy your stay!