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The statue of Skënderbeg, Albania's national hero, in Skënderbeg Square in Tiranë

Albania, which Albanians call Shqipëria or 'Land of the Eagles', was once the most mysterious country in Europe.  It became a Stalinist dictatorship in 1946, and for decades it was almost completely shut off from the rest of the world.  But things have changed.  The Communist regime was overturned in 1991, and in spite of well-publicised troubles in 1992 and again in 1997, most of Albania is now quite safe to visit - you can check with www.fco.gov.uk.   Albania is easy to reach by train and ferry, and EU citizens don't even need a visa - there is just a 10 Euro entry tax to pay.  Why should you visit Albania..? There are some photographs of what you might see in Albania at the bottom of this page.

On this page:

London & Paris to Durrës & Tiranë by train+ferry

Train service within Albania

Things to see in Albania

There are no international passenger trains between Albania and the rest of Europe, and travel in some of the border regions is inadvisable, so the fastest and easiest way to reach Albania is to take a train to Bari in Italy and sail overnight to Durrës on the daily Tirrenia Line ferry.  The journey from London to Albania is quite straightforward and comfortable, and can all be booked from the UK:

London ► Tiranë:

• Travel from London to Paris by Eurostar, leaving London St Pancras at 12:30 and arriving in Paris Gare du Nord at 15:56.  On Sundays there's also a 13:00 Eurostar arriving Paris 16:17.  Cross Paris by métro to the Gare de Bercy.

• Travel from Paris to Bologna overnight on the 'Palatino', leaving Paris at 18:59 and arriving in Bologna at 05:58 next morning.  The Palatino has sleeping-cars with 1, 2 & 3-bed rooms, modern 4-berth 'comfort' couchette and standard 6-berth couchettes - click here for an illustrated guide to on-board accommodation on this train.

• Travel from Bologna to Bari on a modern, air-conditioned Eurostar City Italia train, leaving Bologna at 08:56 and arriving in Bari at 14:52.  In Bari, it's a reasonable 25 minutes walk across town to the ferry terminal near the old city, or you can take a taxi.  Bari's old town is well worth a wander, it was the birthplace of St Nicholas (Santa Claus, no less!).

• Sail from Bari to Durrës in Albania on the overnight Tirrenia Line (formerly Adriatica Line) passenger ship.  The ship sails daily from Bari ferry terminal at 23:00, arriving in Durrës at 08:00 next morning.  A range of comfortable cabins is available. 

• Alternatively, Agoudimos Lines also sail overnight Bari-Durrës 3-5 times per week, to a similar schedule.  Another option is www.venezialines.com, who operate fast ferries from Bari to Durrës in only 3 hours 30 minutes, but these may leave too early for train connections, or get you to Durrës late at night, so see what's available.

• There are eight trains a day from Durrës to Tiranë (Tirana), see the timetable below.  The 09:50 from Durrës will get you to Tirana at 10:50.

2-berth cabin with shower/WC aboard the 'Sansovino'.		Tirrenia Line (formerly Adriatica Line) operates daily overnight sailings Bari-Durrës.  This is the 'Sansovino' at Durrës.		At sea in the Adriatic...

Tiranë ► London:

• Sail from Durrës to Bari overnight on the Tirrenia Line ship, leaving Durrës at 23:00 and arriving Bari at 08:30 next morning.  A range of cabins is available.  Alternatively, try Agoudimos Lines or www.venezialines.com.

• Travel from Bari to Bologna by air-conditioned InterCity train, leaving Bari at 11:12 and arriving in Bologna at 18:31.

• Travel from Bologna to Paris overnight on the 'Palatino', leaving Bologna at 22:02 and arriving in Paris (Gare de Bercy) at 09:10 next morning.  Couchettes and sleeping-cars are available, click here for an illustrated guide to on-board accommodation on this train.

• Travel from Paris to London by Eurostar, leaving Paris Gare du Nord at 12:13 and arriving London St Pancras at 13:28.  On Saturdays & Sundays there's also an 11:13 Eurostar arriving London St Pancras at 12:28.

Fares:

London to Paris  by Eurostar:	Return fares start at £59 2nd class,  £149 1st class.  One-way fares start at £44 2nd class.  Advice on one-way Eurostar fares.  Child, youth & senior fares
Paris to Bologna  by sleeper train:	In a couchette		In a sleeper
	6-berth	4-berth	3-berth	2-berth	1-berth
Special one-way fare:	From £28	£47	£98	£110	-
Special return fare:	From £56	£94	£196	£220	-
Normal one-way fare:	£86	£90	£125	£141	£208
Normal return fare:	£134	£150	£212	£244	£384
Normal child fare one-way:	£43	£47	£79	£86	-
Railpass fare one-way:	£20	£36	£51	£59	-
Special fare = Book at least 14 days in advance for couchettes, 30 days for sleepers. Limited places available at these prices, no refunds, no changes to travel plans. Normal fare = Refundable and flexible.  There are no senior or youth reductions. Child fare = Child 4-11 years with own berth. Return fare twice the one-way fare. Children under 4 free, if they share a bed with an adult. Railpass fare:  What you pay if you have railpasses (Eurail, Interrail, etc) covering both Italy & France. If your pass only covers one country, there's a higher supplement. You can save about 6% on these Paris-Italy fares by paying in euros at voyages-sncf.com, instead of paying in pounds with UK agencies or websites.  Bookings open 90 days before departure.  On certain dates, 10-20% higher fares may be charged.
Bologna to Bari  by Eurostar Italia:	About £34 one-way or £68 return in 2nd class, £44 one-way or £88 return for 1st class, including 'Eurostar Italia' supplement.
Bari to Durrës  with Tirrenia Line:  (formerly Adriatica Line)	Return fare, including a basic cabin berth in 2, 3, or 4-berth inside cabin with washbasin: £82 low season, £99 high season (July-September).  With a berth in a 2, 3, or 4-berth outside cabin with shower & WC: about £125 return in high season.  50% supplement for single occupancy.  With just a reclining seat, the fare is about £75 return in the high season.  Check current fares at www.tirrenia.it or www.agoudimos-lines.com.

How to buy tickets:

Above: The 09:30 to Durrës at Tiranë.

Step 1, book the ferry by calling Tirrenia Line's UK agents, SMS Travel & Tourism, on 020 7244 8422.  SMS Travel & Tourism have an online reservation system and can normally confirm your reservation there and then.  You can confirm prices and sailing times on the Tirrenia Line website, www.tirrenia.it, but can't yet (except possibly in Italian) book online. 

Alternatively, you can book Agoudimos Lines and Venezia Lines ferries online either at the Seat61 Ferry Shop or at the operator's own websites, www.agoudimos-lines.com & www.venezialines.com.

Step 2, book the trains from London to Paris & Paris to Bologna.  It's easiest and cheapest to book online, following the detailed instructions in the London to Florence section of the London to Italy page and using either www.raileurope.co.uk (in English, for UK residents, tickets sent to any UK address) or www.voyages-sncf.com (for any user, in several languages, English button at the bottom, tickets sent to any address in Europe, fares in euros).

Step 3, book the Bologna to Bari train at www.trenitalia.com.  You pay by credit card and simply quote your reservation reference to the conductor on the train.  Easy!  Before using this system, see the advice on using the Trenitalia website.  The Trenitalia website has been known to struggle with some UK-issued credit cards, so if you have any difficulties, you can buy Italian rail tickets online in the UK using the Seat61 Rail shop.

Alternatively, you can book the trains by phone with any European rail agency, such as Ffestiniog Travel on 01766 512 340 or Rail Europe on 0844 848 5 848.  Click here for a list of agencies and other information on how to book.

Travelling by train in Albania is an experience not to be missed.  Second hand coaches from Italy and Austria hauled by Czech-built diesels clickety-clack across the countryside at about 35 mph.  Don't be surprised by torn seats or broken windows, but then, what do you expect for 30p..?  You can check these train times at www.hsh.com.al, but please also double-check locally.  All trains are one class only.

Durrës ► Tiranë
Durrës	depart	06:10	08:45	09:50	13:00	17:30	18:40
Tiranë	arrive	07:10	09:46	10:48	14:01	18:30	19:40

Tiranë ► Durrës
Tiranë	depart	05:55	08:30	14:15	14:50	16:15	20:00
Durrës	arrive	06:58	09:29	15:12	15:50	17:12	21:05

Tiranë & Durrës ► Shkodër						Shkodër  ► Durrës & Tiranë
Tiranë	depart	-	-	13:15		Shkodër	depart	05:55	-	-
Durrës *	depart	08:15	13:05	|		Milot	depart	07:40	-	-
Vora	arrive	08:50	13:41	13:40		Vora	arrive	09:05	-	-
Vora	depart	-	-	14:05		Vora	depart	09:00	09:54	15:19
Milot	arrive	-	-	15:22		Durrës *	arrive	|	10:36	15:55
Shkodër	arrive	-	-	16:42		Tiranë	arrive	09:23	-	-

* to / from Durrës, change at Vora. 

Tiranë & Durrës ► Vlorë & Elbasan						Elbasan & Vlorë ► Durrës & Tiranë
Tiranë	depart	0555	1415	1450		Vlorë	depart	-	0540	-
Durrës	depart	0713	1530	1610		Fier	depart	-	0700	-
Rrogozhinë	arrive	0826	1618	1723		Lushnjë	depart	-	0754	-
Elbasan	arrive	0930	1800	|		Pogradec	depart	-	|	1245
Pogradec	arrive	1240	-	|		Elbasan	depart	0600	|	1552
Lushnjë	arrive	-	-	1753		Rrogozhinë	depart	0648	0827	1721
Fier	arrive	-	-	1845		Durrës	arrive	0800	0933	1828
Vlorë	arrive	-	-	1954		Tiranë	arrive	0946	1048	1945

Fares & buying tickets...

Fares are incredibly cheap - Durrës to Tiranë one-way costs 55 Lek, or about 30p.  Durrës to Shkodër is 135 Lek, about 75p.  Tickets are not sold in advance, but only for the next train.

What are Albanian trains like?

Trains offer one class only.  Some trains use decrepit second-hand Italian coaches with a side-corridor and compartments, like the ones shown below on the 14:15 train from Tiranë to Durrës.

Other trains use slightly newer second-hand Austrian coaches with open seating, like these on the 09:30 Tiranë to Durrës.  There are also now some second-hand German suburban coaches.

Above left, the statue of Skënderbeg, Albania's national hero, in Skënderbeg Square in the centre of Tiranë.  George Kastrioti (1405-1468) was an Albanian who at a very young age was handed over to the Turks as a hostage.  The Turks converted him to Islam and gave him a military education in Edirne in Turkey, where he became known as 'Alexander' ('Iskënder') after Alexander the Great.  He was made a lord ('bey') by the Turks before he turned against them, driving them out of Albania.  'Iskënder' + 'bey' = 'Skënderbeg'.  Above right, the communist mural on the front of the National History Museum on Skënderbeg Square.

Above left, the former residence of Enver Hoxha (pronounced 'Hodja') in Tiranë.  Enver Hoxha was Albania's president and dictator from 1946 until his death in 1985.  Above right, the former Enver Hoxha museum, now home to several cafes.  Albania aligned itself with the USSR from 1944 until 1960, when the two countries fell out over Khruschev's demands for a Soviet submarine base at Vlorë.  In 1961, Albania broke off diplomatic relations with the USSR and re-aligned itself with the Peoples Republic of China.

Above, the mosque of Ethem Bey, dating from 1793, on Skënderbeg Square in Tiranë.  The clock tower next to it dates from 1830.		There are some 750,000 of these small concrete bunkers all over the Albanian countryside.  The bunkers were built on the orders of Enver Hoxha after the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968.

The Roman amphitheatre in Durrës, dating from the 2nd century AD and first excavated in around 1960.		The historic town of Kruja is 38km from Tiranë, and can be reached by minibus-taxi in about an hour.  Skënderbeg made Kruja his capital from 1443 to 1468.

The 14:15 train from Tiranë to Durrës calls at Vora.		'They went that-a-way...' A statue in Durrës.

The Thomas Cook European timetable has train & ferry times for every country in Europe, plus currency & climate information.  Published since 1873 and costing £13.50, it's essential for any serious traveller and an inspiration for armchair travellers.  More information on what the Thomas Cook Timetable contains.  You can buy the latest monthly edition online at www.thomascooktimetables.com with worldwide delivery, or buy it in person from any UK branch of Thomas Cook (ask at the bureau de change).  Or buy the independent traveller's edition from Amazon.co.uk:  Winter 2007/8 edition (December 2007 to June 2008) or Summer 2008 edition (June to December 2008). 

The Thomas Cook Rail Map of Europe is the best and most comprehensive map of train routes right across Europe, from Portugal in the west to Istanbul, Moscow & Ukraine in the east, from Finland in the north to Sicily & Crete in the south.  High speed & scenic routes are highlighted.  Highly recommended!  Buy online at www.amazon.co.uk (worldwide delivery).  See an extract from the map.

Compare quotes from both Direct Line & Columbus...

Travel insurance..

Travel insurance is a boring subject, but it's a real necessity, so make sure you budget for it.  Make sure you get adequate cover - for example, at least £1m or preferably £5m medical cover, from a reliable insurer.  Remember that an annual multi-trip policy is often cheaper than several single-trip policies even for just two or three trips a year.  Here are some suggested insurers to try.  Seat61 gets a small commission if you buy after clicking these links.

  If you live in the UK, get quotes from Direct Line (whom I've used myself) and Columbus Direct.

      If you live in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland or the EU, try Columbus Direct Australia.

  If you live in the USA or Canada, try Travel Guard USA.

EU health card...

UK citizens travelling in Europe should carry a European Health Insurance Card.  This replaces the old E111 forms as from January 2006.  The EHIC card is available free from www.ehic.org.uk and entitles you to free or reduced rate health care if you become ill or get injured in many European countries, under a reciprocal arrangement with the UK's NHS.