Help us Decide – Should we go to Albania?
Hi all!
The Greece map is out, taking up all of Dave’s table and then some as it seems to have a fair chuck of Albania, Macedonia, Bulgaria and Turkey on it. We’ve got a rough planned route as far as Athens and for a few days after that, but the big question is whether we should head north into the unknown nether regions of Europe also known as Albania. Greece is so beautiful, it is tempting to stay here and meander for weeks on end, but perhaps we should take the opportunity to go and see one of the most (until relatively recently) isolated countries in Europe?
What do you think? Our UK insurer (utters curses) won’t cover us so we’ll have to get insurance at the border. We’ll have to check whether our health insurance covers us there too…
There’s a poll below and on the sidebar, but if you’ve been to Albania, or otherwise have any thoughts, please feel free to pop ’em in the comments section below, or email ’em to us!
[poll id=”12″]
Cheers, Jay and Ju (Charlie has no say in this, he’s just along for the ride!)
Yeah go – see it before everyone else does. We hope to go there after we’ve done Turkey & Greece. Will follow your blog to see how you got on!
Do it, we met a couple, Adrian & Ellie, in Tropea a couple of years ago, they went to Albania in their VW camper. You can read all about it (& other places they visited) at http://www.wherevertheroadgoes.com.
Btw, love your posts, they are either inspirational or irrational, dunno which….
Norman
Hiya, Norman!
Yep, we _loved_ Albania. No need to ask what our vote is! Some friends of ours flew out over Xmas for a couple of weeks split between Tirana and Gjirokaster – they loved it, too, and they couldn’t even see our favourite places.
Ju/Jay – get hold of the Bradt guidebook before you get there. The only place we saw a copy for sale in country was the bookshop on Tirana’s Skanderbeg Square.
Yes! Go for a look.
I don’t know enough about Albania to give a view on whether to go or not, just make sure you’re safe. Know you will.
Love n hugs
Anne
xx
I haven’t the faintest idea what Albania is like, so go and tell us all about it.
Go, if it is no good you can always pop back to Greece!
Hi Jay and Ju,
I’ve been reading your blog for nearly two years now – on a daily basis – Thank you for all of your open and descriptive pieces. I bought your Monkey Ate my Breakfast book and read it all in one go…a lovely antidote to a Buxton winter (Derbyshire). Now Greece and the possbility of Albania…go while you have the chance…and I and all the other lurkers will have a fabulous time. But before you go….spend a little more time in Greece…sharing with us all your experiences, especially the sunshine. We do hope to be joining you soon….we just haven’t bought the means to do it yet.
Hi Gill
Thanks for your kind words, and glad you enjoyed our book. Don’t worry there is still quite a bit of Greece to come – I never realised just how big the place was, and that’s without heading over to the islands. We’re loving it here and hopefully you’re enjoying reading about it too.
Be sure to get yourself down to the local motorhome dealers and have a play, who knows it might inspire you to make a purchase – it did us!
Julie :)
I think Jay could do a mean Norman Wisdom impression so on that basis alone I tink you should try Albania. I tink.
We’ve certainly planned visits there in the past but haven’t succeeded in actually following any of those plans so your view of how the land lies would be appreciated.
So, boldly go – you know Dave wants to.
Best,
Simon
What’s it like having 47 plus backseat drivers. lol
It’s getting packed in here! I’m thinking of upgrading to a Concorde. :)
oooh!!! I just followed the link to Concorde. Would they do a conversion on a Unimog chassis? You know you want one.
There’s a mad, bad, dangerous thought. I do want one. I’m now thinking what I can sell, but having two kidneys seems sensible.
I’m thinking the Silk route and Mongolia, but hey if you think you need both kidneys. ;)
I’ve always wanted to go to Albania! This looks like a sign:
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/europe/travel-tips-and-articles/77718?intaffil=lpemail