| Tirana travel tips posted by real travelers and Tirana locals. Tirana Map |
 | Tirana Warnings or Dangers | Tips 1 - 10 of 12 |  |
I read a warning on here about seedy characters hanging around outside the main hotels. I noticed this too, but I think I have an explanation. There was a group of five seedy looking characters hanging outside my hotel. They turned out to be the hotel guard and his friends, who were all very friendly and helpful. It turns out that official hotels in Albania are required by law to post a guard, presumably armed, outside the hotel. I guess it's a hangover from the days when life was less stable in the capital.
It doesn't mean that a seedy character hanging outside your hotel is actually a nice guy looking out for your interests, but don't immediately be concerned if there's some shaven headed, rough and tough looking dude with some of his friends watching you as you enter and leave the place. Leave a Comment
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Despite Albania's Wild West reputation, Tirana proved to be a very relaxing city. People were curious, and I caught many people staring at me, and then quickly looking away when they saw that I'd noticed, but whenever I interacted with anyone, they were always incredibly friendly. A suprising number of Albanians also spoke English.
Even late at night I didn't feel like there was any threat, at least on the main streets where it is well lit and busy long into the night. Off the beaten path there are some empty and badly lit streets that might well be safe, but felt a bit edgy at night. Leave a Comment
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LP is well below its usual high standards in regards to Albania, as is the rest of the West Balkans guidebook it forms a part of. Unfortunately there are few alternatives to this less traveled part of the world. However, if you find yourself getting cheesed off at the fact that half the restaurants it recommends are no longer in business, and its maps are about as useful as a pinning a tail on a donkey, get yourself an In Your Pocket city guidebook.
While they tend to be a little over enthusiastic (everything is FANTASTIC even if it is a bit average) they tend to be more up to date, complete, and accurate than their rivals. You can even download the Tirana guide for free at their website, or buy the full Albania guide book. They also cover other parts of what we used to refer to as East Europe. Leave a Comment
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There seems to be a problem with shops selling fake brands in Tirana, so be careful what you buy. I bought a 35+ Nivea sunscreen from a pharmacy near the train station. Despite it being a greater strength than I'd normally use, I got quite badly burned. When I then examined the bottle, I realised it was a fake. The bottle was covered in spelling mistakes, including "fil tering" and "iereland". Leave a Comment
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Tirana is an incredibly difficult city to navigate around. There are almost no road signs anywhere. That plus the fact that there are very few, if any, good maps of the city, and the Lonely Planet one was pretty poor, and you'll find yourself getting lost a lot of the time. My recommendation: even if a place seems pretty close, you might find yourself saving a lot of time by getting a taxi. They know where the places are! Leave a Comment
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Foreigners have never been a real target to attack or steal. However, just like in every other european city, be careful when walking alone after midnight in the suberb areas of Tirana. The center is rather safe anytime. Leave a Comment
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 pavement by call_me_rhia
The city's pavements are being rebuilt and there are smaller and larger potholes everywhere. If you are not being careful you are found to fall, sooner or later. Leave a Comment
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A lot of the pavements in Tirana are in a very bad state of repair - you will have to watch your step. Similarly if you are stepping off the pavement into the street, care should also be taken. Many streets have quite a drop, and in places, there are missing manhole covers or drainage grates. Proceed with care! Leave a Comment
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Being a pedestrian in Tirana can be kind of dangerous- the pavements often had gaping holes in them (~ 1m square, 1-2m deep...) with no covering or warning whatsoever.
At other times, the pavement would simply stop, leaving you to carry on walking in a mud/gravel mixture.... Leave a Comment
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 by tim07
As well as missing drain covers, holes & missing paving stones, quite a few of them were just gravel. There are often gaps between them & the road, also at night not all of the streets are fully lit.
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