Riding in Albania
The total length of roads is 18,000 km. Roads with a hard surface – 12,920 km, unpaved – 5,080 km.
There is a two-lane road connecting the port city of Durres with Tirana, Vlora and partially Kukes. There are three official motorway sections in Albania: Tumane-Milot-Rreshen-Kalimash (A1), Levan-Vlora (A2) and partially Tirana-Elbasan (A3).
Toll roads
All roads in Albania are free.
Albanian road map
Rules of the road in Albania
Speed limit
Standard speed limits in Albania (unless otherwise noted on signs).
Cars (up to 3.5 tons) and motorcycles:
- construction – 40 km / h
- outside settlements – 80 km/h
- Fast roads – 90 km / h
- Motorways – 110 km / h
Vehicles (up to 3.5 tons) with trailers:
- construction – 40 km / h
- outside settlements – 60 km/h
- Fast roads – 70 km / h
- Motorways – 80 km / h
The current speed limits for cars on the roads of European countries.
Alcohol
The maximum allowable blood alcohol content is 0.1‰ .
If the blood alcohol level exceeds the legal limit, a fine of 2,500 to 10,000 ALL (20-81 euros) is imposed, and the driver’s license is terminated for 6-12 months.
If the driver refuses to undergo a blood test for alcohol, he is fined from 5,000 to 20,000 ALL (41-162 euros) and his driver’s license is suspended for 6-12 months.
The maximum alcohol limit for drivers in Europe.
dipped beam
Low beam headlights are optional for daytime driving and mandatory for night driving. When visibility is poor due to bad weather, low beam headlights should be switched on.
Failure to comply may result in a fine of 250 to 1000 ALL (2-8 euros).
In which European countries is the use of dipped beam during the day mandatory?
Children in cars
Children under 12 and under 1.5m cannot travel in the front or back seat as passengers unless they use the appropriate child safety locks.
You cannot transport a child under four years of age in a vehicle without a child seat/seat.
Failure to comply may result in a fine of 250 to 1000 ALL (2-8 euros).
Seat belts
Seat belts are mandatory for both front and rear passengers, if any.
Failure to comply may result in a fine of 250 to 1000 ALL (2-8 euros).
Using a mobile phone in Albania
The use of a mobile phone while driving is limited to the use of a hands-free device.
The hands-free phone can be either a stand-alone device or a hand-held device that provides a hands-free function, provided that the user does not need to hold the phone with either hand.
Failure to comply may result in a fine of 250 to 1000 ALL (2-8 euros).
Penalties for using a mobile phone while driving in European countries.
Fines
When a car is stopped by a police officer, he must explain the reason for the stop.
Road fines in Albania:
| Road fines in Albania | |
| violation | Good (in place) (ALL) |
| If this is not done, give a signal before the trip | 500-2000 (4-16 euros) |
| dangerous overtaking | 500-2000 (4-16 euros) |
| Violation of the passage through the railway crossing | 500-2000 (4-16 euros) |
| Inability to release the car to use the moving | 500-2000 (4-16 euros) |
| Driving in the left lane with a free right lane (if two lanes are in the same direction) | 500-2000 (4-16 euros) |
| Insufficient distance from the vehicle in front of you (tailgate) | 500-2000 (4-16 euros) |
If the fine is paid within the first 5 days after the imposition, the amount of the fine is reduced by 20%.
Speeding in Albania
| Speeding in Albania | |
| violation | all is good) |
| 1 – 10 km / h | 500-2000 (4-16 euros) |
| 11-20 km / h | 1,000 – 4,000 (€ 8 – 32 euros) |
| over 20 km/h | 2,500 – 10,000 (20 – 81 euros) and license revocation from 1 to 3 months |
useful information
Fuel prices
Fuel prices are regulated by the state.
The quality of fuel at small gas stations, especially outside cities, can cause problems. Therefore, it is recommended to refuel only at large gas stations.
Emergency numbers in Albania
- European emergency number – 112
- Police – 129
- Ambulance – 127
- Fire – 128
- Street Police – 126
Must take with you in the car
- warning triangle
- Reflective jacket
Winter equipment
Winter tires
Studded tires
Studded tires are allowed.
Chains against snow
From November 1st to April 30th it is allowed to use snow chains in combination with summer tires. They must be transported on at least 2 driving wheels. Snow chains are only permitted if the road is completely covered in snow or ice.
Traveling by car in Albania – features of roads, fuel prices, parking, speed limits, fines and other features of the traffic rules in Albania. Attitudes towards alcohol while driving and breeding on the roads, as well as the cost of travel on the roads of Albania. Everything that may be of interest to a car traveler, read in the article.
Do I have to pay tolls on Albanian roads?
I’ll start with the good news. All roads in Albania are free, there are no tolls. This is very cool, given the number of interesting places in Albania and the length of its roads – 18 thousand km. of which 13 thousand km. with hard asphalt. Roads are constantly being built, and by the time this article was written, the number of asphalt roads is guaranteed to have increased.
Don’t forget about insurance
A “Green Card” for a car is required and is asked at the border.
Travel insurance is not required, but I don’t think it needs to be reminded how important it is.
Gas stations and the cost of gasoline in Albania
Despite the declared cheapness of Albania, the cost of gasoline is the same as in Montenegro and slightly cheaper than in Croatia (1.40 Euros) and neighboring Greece (1.50 Euros). The price of A-95 gasoline is 270 ALL (Albanian lek) or 1.29 Euro per liter.
The quality of gasoline is not good at all gas stations. Choose large network gas stations – this is the advice of local residents. We refueled twice in Albania . Once at a gas station of the Kastrati network , the second time at a small, but also ELDA network gas station – in both cases, the gasoline was of good quality, the car did not cough and drove pretty well, despite the mountain serpentines, total mileage and age.
We saw only one type of gasoline in Albania – A95 unleaded, diesel fuel is represented by conventional diesel and Euro-diesel. I think that if a diesel car is refueled, it costs euro-marked fuel.
Payments at gas stations are theoretically possible with a payment card – VISA, Mastercard badges adorn most of the stands of gas stations. But often the waiting for the payment by the card ends there. Almost all gas stations prefer cash – you can pay with both the local currency and the Euro. At the same time, some are still trying to cash in on the local currency rate and foreigners’ ignorance of it. Read below about breeding on the roads of Albania.
Leaving Tirana , we made about 10 stops, hoping to pay by card, as a result, we still had to get cash Euros. The card was able to pay the only time at the exit from Zermi (Dhermi), I think, just lucky. I don’t think this is a big problem – just know that it’s better to change the Euro for medicines (the local currency is the Albanian Lek) – save a little on the course or just pay in cash.
Highways in Albania, quality and features
The roads in Albania are good . If we take 10 as the highest mark, then in Albania the roads are on a hard eight. In the south of Albania, where most of the sights are, the roads are better than in the north. The road in the mountains on the section Vlora – Saranda is equipped with retroreflectors built into the asphalt – driving in the evening is a pleasure, despite the serpentines.
About serpentines. Albania is a mountainous country, the mountains in the south come close to the sea, and in order to drive along the coast, you will have to overcome a hellish serpentine. In places, the road winds, turning almost 360 degrees with many blind turns. Albania has a single small tunnel on a mountainous stretch along the road leading from Tirana to Elbasan .
The roadbed is in 90 percent of cases of excellent quality. Roads, especially in the mountains, are monitored. We saw several times current repairs on mountain roads and large-scale construction of an autobahn near Vlora .
When planning a trip by car in Albania , it should be borne in mind that a distance of a hundred kilometers will have to be traveled for two or three hours, this applies to mountain roads south of Tirana or inland.
In Albania, they saw the only autobahn (motorway) – this is a section of the road from Durres towards Shkoder , after the serpentines in the south of the country, I got high and practically rested behind the wheel.
It does not pull on a full-fledged video – a small cut taken from a car window
Features of driving in Albanian
The driving style is almost the same as you might be used to in Western Europe. In some places it looks like Georgian or Kyiv. But unlike Kyiv drivers, there is no aggression on the roads in Albania. That is, stopping in the middle of the road in front of you, without pulling to the side of the road to talk to a familiar pedestrian is the norm. No turning lights showing when changing lanes or turning – this is the norm for 90 percent of Albanian drivers. However, there is no aggression towards each other – everyone is just patiently waiting for the person to talk to his friend. This is never disrespectful – it’s just such a driving style, a normal norm.
More than half of the cars are used BMW, Audi or Mercedes, in Albania , just like in our country, this is a way to show “status”. According to rumors, most of these cars are stolen and resold.
There are police on the roads of Albania , but they don’t bother about trifles. This means that if the flow goes with an excess of speed by 20-30 km. per hour, no one will be stopped. But if autoham appears or you turn around through a double axle, you will most likely get a fine. From my own experience, I can say that if you follow the traffic rules and behave decently, then you are unlikely to be of interest to the Albanian police. They won’t stop you just like that in Albania – when you stop, the policeman is obliged to give the reason.
Parking in Albania
The parking rules are the same as what we saw in the Schengen Europe. There are many underground parking lots in Tirana , along the streets of small towns and beach centers parking is free. There is still enough space, for the night one day they left the car on the street in the back of the yard next to other Albanian cars – no problem, even most of the things were left in the trunk. The Dhermi park on site was free.
Speed limits in Albania and other features of the traffic rules in Albania
Albania has the following speed limits:
- within the settlement – 40 km/h
- outside the settlement – 80 km / h
- on the road – 90 km / h
- on the highway – 110 km / h
The permissible norm of alcohol in the blood is 0.1 ppm, the fine is from 2500 to 10000 lek. They won’t stop you just like that without violations, but it’s better not to try your luck on the fortress.
Dipped headlights are required only in the evening and at night; it is not necessary to turn on the lights during the day, even the dimensions.
Children under 12 years old and less than 150 cm tall must be transported in special car seats. Seat belts are also required for both front and rear passengers. I had an unpleasant experience in Slovakia, when the rear passengers sat unfastened, paid a fine.
The phone can only be used with a hands-free system (hands free). For violation – a fine of 250 drugs.
The usual fine for standard violations is 500 – 1000 lek, this includes violation of the lane, the termination of solid lines and parking in the wrong place. My knowledge of this is purely theoretical – I have not come across it.
Road infrastructure in Albania
By infrastructure, we mean road signs, markings, the number of gas stations on the roads, places to eat and sleep, parking along the roads and observation decks with good views.
In Albania , all this is good, given that the country has recently begun to develop tourism. There are enough gas stations near cities, on mountainous sections of roads there can even be even a hundred kilometers due to the terrain and low demand. The general advice is to leave the place of lodging for the night with a full tank, or at least enough gasoline for the next settlement – Albania is a small country in the distance.
All roads in Albania , including inside settlements, are equipped with the number of road signs that is enough to drive around the country without a navigator, only with a paper map. It is impossible to get lost, even if you, like me, suffer from geographical cretinism. This made me very happy.
There are many roadside cafes and restaurants. I wanted to write that only in tourist places, but it’s true all over the country. With the development of capitalism, the middle class raises its head and sometimes it seems that there is a cafe in almost every yard. Add here the quality of goods – in Albania they have not yet learned how to add chemistry to food and reasonable prices.
There are also a lot of mini-hotels and inns. Theoretically it is possible to book on site especially over peak season (July, August). But with the format of autotravel in several countries, in which there is no extra time, it is better to plan in advance. There are far from all booking options on Booking, so HotelsCombined (RoomGuru) – Albania to help.
Parking pockets and viewing platforms are periodically found on mountain passes, there are also no problems with this, as well as with views of the Ionian and Adriatic Seas. Still to clean up the garbage and the terrible painted ruins!
Road criminals in Albania
Many people are afraid to go to Albania because of the horror stories about breeding on the roads, gypsies and crime. I, most likely, will disappoint adventure seekers – in Albania , the crime rate is much lower than, for example, in Catalan Barcelona . People are kind and helpful, especially the owners of small guest houses, cafes, restaurants. We often talked with the locals, including shepherds in the mountains, tankers, men who drink tea in the morning in a cafe and the family with whom we lived in Durres. An incomprehensible thing when communicating is the constant feeling that you don’t know or don’t understand what they really have in their heads, they rarely smile, which is typical of the highlanders.
The gypsies did not cling, but we did not linger at their camps. As far as I understand, communication with the locals is a common problem for them, too, but in tourist places this public is few or almost non-existent. We met only two gypsy camps – right after the border with Greece, in the mountains before reaching Girokastra and in the city of Shkodër, right next to the pedestrian promenade in the center. There were no problems in any other place, in Shkodër we stopped for a short time.
Now about the criminals on the roads in Albania. The only meeting with those who wanted to receive my money was at a gas station. I already described it, but I will duplicate it.
We drive up to the Kastrati gas station, I ask – Credit card, Visa? The answer of the guy in sweatpants was not surprising – only cash, Euro – OK. Okay, I give 50 euros, having previously calculated how much fuel the gas station should give me – it turned out about 40 liters.
The guy pours 22 (!!!) liters and nods his head good-naturedly, OK, they say? No, I answer, let’s press on the gun and don’t play around. In English, which he does not understand or pretends not to understand. However, he still presses the trigger and tops up another 10 liters, pulling the gun out of the tank. I say calmly, about 10 more liters and then it will be OK. The answer to me is refusal and slight aggression. I had to explain less calmly what would happen to him if the divorce continued and remember the word police – it worked. This was the only case that I heard that the Kastrati network often sins, so I advise you to bypass them.
By the way, a cooler story happened to me in prosperous and civilized Hungary right in Budapest. Just be careful and there will be no problems.
The most beautiful road in Albania
Logara is the most beautiful road, mountain pass and National Park of Albania. I wrote about this in detail in the article Holidays in Albania – Incredible Logara.
There is not a lot of information about this place on the Internet, although in our opinion this is one of the most interesting natural places for a car traveler in Albania. Useful information for drivers
emergency numbers
- European emergency number – 112
- Police – 129
- Ambulance – 127
- Fire Department – 128
- Traffic police – 126
Mandatory equipment in a car in Albania
- Warning triangle
- Reflective vest
Can I bring food and alcohol into Albania?
Products can be transported across the border for personal use, unless there is a special quarantine. So there were at one time restrictions on the transportation of pork, for example. But I haven’t seen a thorough examination anywhere. And I have more than 100 episodes of trips to different countries of Europe and Asia by car.
Alcohol is also allowed within the normal range, but I also did not see that they checked the number of bottles of wine with me. I did not abuse the trust of the customs officers, whom I respect.