ALBANIA: GENERAL INFORMATION

Advice from the UK's 55,000-member Cyclists' Touring Club

Useful Addresses: Albanian Embassy, 24 Buckingham Gate, Westminster, London SW1E 6LB Tel: 020 7828 8897

Visit the Cyclists' Touring Club website: www.ctc.org.uk

The Country: A mountainous country somewhat larger than Wales, Albania is situated on the Adriatic coast in southeast Europe, having borders with Yugoslavia, Macedonia and Greece. Subject to invasion by powerful foreign neighbours for centuries, the Albanians, descended from the ancient Illyrians, have nonetheless preserved a distinct identity.

From the end of WW2 until 1985, Albania was under the Communist dictatorship of Enver Hoxha and remained isolated from the rest of Europe. Communism finally collapsed with student demonstrations in 1990 and this once closed and mysterious land is now open for exploration.

Getting to the Country: It is possible to fly to the capital Tirana or cross by road from Montenegro, Kosovo (Serbia), Macedonia or Greece. I took a boat from Corfu which leaves at about 10 am from the quayside and cost a modest 2,000 drachma - about £5.

Visas etc: No visa is required by UK nationals but you must pay a tax on arrival - in my case this was 2,000 drachma, but I think it may be 'flexible'.

Money: The unit of Albanian currency is the lek. The exchange rate appears reasonably stable at about 100 lek to the US dollar. I found it perfectly safe to change money on the street - look out for the men standing around in front of hotels etc with pocket calculators. Dollars are preferred over other currencies. Apparently, banks will change travellers' cheques. Albania is generally quite inexpensive.

Places to visit: Tirana, the capital, is fairly small with, amongst other things, art and history museums.

In the far south, at Butrint, there are ancient ruins. The museum town of Gjirokastra with its citadel and stone-roofed houses is well worth a visit. Korce in the southeast is known for its rug-making, while Pogradec on Lake Ohrid is a popular but not overcrowded tourist town. Elbasan, south of Tirana, is a large industrial town but with an old bazaar area. Other places to visit include Vlora, Berat, Durres and Shkoder.

The road in the southeast between Permet and Korce is very scenic, as is the ride over the mountains from Elbasan to Tirana. The terrain in the north on the Rreshen – Fushe Arrez route is even more rugged. With suitably-equipped mountain-bikes, a visit to the Lure Lakes in the north could be exciting.

Climate: Summers are hot and dry; winters are cold and wet. There did not seem to be a prevailing wind direction.

Language: Albanian is unlike any other European language. Italian is the most common second language. Better-educated people often speak English.

Food and Drink: The many little shops and kiosks are open long hours and one can buy bread, cheese, tins of fish, biscuits, chocolate, beer, wine and 'raki' at modest prices. The locally-grown fruit is excellent. Bottled water and soft drinks are widely available, though I suffered no ill effects from the tap water.

Cuisine is largely influenced by the Turkish style. The choice of dishes at most restaurants is extremely limited, though a few of the better ones offer a wider selection, still at reasonable prices compared with elsewhere.

Accommodation: The infrastructure in Albania is in quite bad shape and that includes the hotels - however, they are cheap: I paid between US $2 and $17.Usually there was no shower, sometimes no, or intermittent, cold water. The beds were often saggy but always clean.

The larger towns have the more expensive tourist hotels which you are expected to use but there, and in smaller towns, there are usually cheap hotels intended for Albanians and normally empty - if you don't mind 'slumming it'.

In tourist towns (eg Gjirokastra) it is possible to find rooms in private houses which may well be a better bet than a hotel.

There are no campsites, but wild camping is possible if undertaken with considerable caution. It is possible that paraffin and camping gas may be obtainable; unleaded petrol is not.

Roads: Surfaced roads are in generally poor condition, but rideable; unsurfaced ones - the vast majority - are very rough indeed. Signposts are pretty sparse but as the main road system is fairly limited this is not a problem. Daily mileages tend to be quite modest.

Traffic is not very heavy. The standard of driving is low. Some passes in the north are closed during the winter months.

Bikes: I toured on a standard tourer fitted with 700 x 37c tyres, which was adequate for the surfaced roads. For unsurfaced roads, a mountain bike, preferably with suspension and not too much luggage, is essential. The hilly terrain and poor surfaces made a 20 in bottom gear useful, whilst I didn't need anything higher than 80 in.

In the flatter areas and towns Albanians ride basic bikes and even mountain bikes. I saw a youth in a street in Elbasan selling tyres, including 700c for US $4, as well as other parts such as basic hubs and derailleurs. The bad surfaces give your bike a battering: ensure you have a spare tyre, axles, two inner tubes, spokes, carrier and pannier spares, nuts and bolts, cone and headset spanners.

Equipment: Given the hilly terrain, the cheapness of accommodation and the lack of campsites, you may decide it is not worth taking camping equipment. Low-key, casual clothing - not multi-coloured cycle clothing - is recommended. Restaurants and hotels are generally informal.

The sun can be very hot. Take long sleeves and trousers to cover up if necessary. I found Ibis sun-block useful. With the lack of hot water in many places, some kind of antiseptic soap is a good idea, as is a plug for sinks which never have one.

A pack containing sterile needles etc is recommended.

Transporting Bikes: Bikes can be taken on the many cheap buses; lorry drivers are keen to offer lifts.

Maps and Guides: The best map is the 1 : 300 000 Geocenter Euromap of Albania (ISBN 3.575.332221.5), published by R V Verlag, available from Stanfords (12 -14 Long Acre, Covent Garden, London WC2E 9LP Tel 0171 836 1321), among others. This makes a useful distinction between surfaced and unsurfaced roads, has an index, town plans of Berat, Durres, Shkoder, Tirana and Vlora, and a distance chart.

The other commonly-seen map, published by Bartholomew, Lascelles and others, is inaccurate in several places.

The appropriate chapter from the 'Lonely Planet' guide to Eastern Europe is essential reading for anyone contemplating a tour of Albania. I took photocopies of the relevant pages and threw them away once I had visited the areas in question.

'Albania - a Guide and Illustrated Journal' by Dawson, Dawson and White, published by Bradt (ISBN 1-56440-697-0) contains useful information and gives a good feel for the country. The Berlitz 'Eastern European Phrasebook' contains an Albanian section.

General: Albanians are a mixture of Muslims and Christians. Attitudes towards women, dress and alcohol are quite relaxed, though unaccompanied women are seldom seen in cafes etc. Despite tales to the contrary, I found Albanians friendly and helpful. They were interested in me and what I was doing there but not intrusively so.

Nonetheless, there is considerable poverty in the country, while some places are rather remote, so you need to be mindful of your personal security: appear confident and friendly, keep a low profile as far as possible and, if you don't like the way things are turning out, use your bike to make tracks.

I thought I would offer to all those who will travel to Albania some practical tips from an Albanian point of view. You might find these tips come in handy and I am sure that the majority you will not be able to find in any travel guide to Albania:

ALWAYS negotiate a price BEFORE you get in a taxi. Taxis in Albania do not have meters installed, so the price will vary depending on your negotiation skills and naturally the distance to be travelled.

NEVER make public the place where you hold your wallet. Especially be careful on public buses. Pick-pockets are skilful, just like anywhere in the world.

NEVER change money with individual 'kambists' in the street. Always use established foreign exchange offices, which you will find everywhere. Although in the street you will find a better rate, the chance of being tricked in the amount changed is by far the largest. When in Tirana (the capital), individual 'kambists' (those who exchange money) will be staying behind the National Bank of Tirana building.

Wherever you are: AVOID staring at Albanian males. Prolonged eye contact is offensive for Albanians, and in many cases has been a cause for fights.

Remember, Albanians are overprotective of their women. If you go to clubs, pubs, etc, DO NOT hit on accompanied women. You might laugh at this advice, but it can save your life. Just to illustrate my point, back in 1998 an American marine was shot and heavily wounded by the owner of an Albanian club in the city of Durres. The reason? The marine had touched the owner's fiancee on the buttocks. Point taken I guess?!

Albanians do not widely accept homosexuality. So, I would advise gays NOT to express their sexuality publicly, since they may become prone to attacks by individuals.

When you are offered something, like a drink or a present, by an Albanian be ADVISED that a rejection can be highly offensive. Albanians are very friendly people, especially towards foreigners, but they do not take rejection very lightly. So when offered something, ACCEPT it.

The same happens when an Albanian offers to pay the bill. He/she will go to great lengths to have his/her way, so my advice is: DO NOT ARGUE!

When talking to Albanians, do not be surprised when they ask you personal questions about your job, family, etc. This is very usual. They will tell you all their problems and their points of view, even if they are very personal. However, you are not obliged to answer these kind of questions.

Albanian men who do not know each other usually shake hands when they meet. If they are friends, usually they kiss each other on the cheek twice, or four times. Women tend to do this only twice.

Albanians LOVE coffee (espresso or Turkish). You'll see that whenever they sit to have a drink, coffee will be one of them. However, when an Albanian says: "Let's go for coffee!" this does not necessarily mean that you're expected to drink only coffee. It is just a saying. Also, if you are OFFERED to go for a drink, usually the offeror will pay for you. Always ASK PERMISSION to pay for drinks. Doing so without your Albanian companion's knowledge CAN be offensive.

If you drive a car and you want to wash it go to the so-called: LAVAZH or LAVAZHO. There are usually up to 5-6 young men who will wash your car thoroughly (you need to specify if you want it washed either inside or outside, or both). The price of an inside/outside wash is about 4,500 old leks (3 euros). Usually, Albanians leave the car keys with these people, but my advice to you is DO NOT, just to be on the safe side. But stay close since you will be needed to move the car.

If you drive a Mercedes Benz then I would suggest you pay extra attention to this tip: NEVER park your car in ill-lighted areas, or in less crowded areas. You are ADVISED to park your car in a parking lot, which most of the time will have one guy carrying a GUN and guarding the cars with his life. Usually you'd have to pay 500 old leks a night up to 1000 old leks (from 30 cent to 70 cent a night). Since the Mercedes is the most popular car in Albania, it is also more prone to stealing than any other brand name. As for the other cars, you can park them by the side of the road and nobody would touch them. This is a more likely situation in Tirana and other big cities like Durres, Fier, Vlora and Saranda.

Remember, ALWAYS take your car CD player with you when parking and leave the glove compartment open so as to show that nothing of value is inside!

When in Tirana and looking for a lovely night out, then roam the 'Blloku' area (the Block Area). It is close to the city centre of Tirana and has a lot of cafes, clubs and pubs frequented mostly by the Albanian youth. Also, the cafes of Sheraton Hotel and Towers close to the 'Qemal Stafa' stadium are very popular, with good coffee and a large variety of traditional and foreign spirits.

When in Tirana, buy the Tirana City Guide 2005 (maybe 2006 edition is out). This is a useful source of information on major business and establishments in Tirana. I think it costs something like 2000 old leks (but the price could have changed). Also if you're looking for apartments to rent, or cars, laptops, etc to buy, then buy the CELSI (the KEY) newspaper. It is quite useful.

The majority of the foreign embassies in Albania are located in the capital. They are located in the so-called 'Rruga e Ambasadave' (literally meaning the Street of Embassies) which can be accessed through the Kavaja or Durres streets. The Volkswagen car shop, which is very close to the street, serves as a major point of orientation. However the US, Dutch and Italian embassies are located close to the 'Qemal Stafa' stadium (or close to the RTSH - Albanian Radio Television building).

Remember that most roads in Albania and consequently in Tirana are under construction. Careful driving is ADVISED. The speed limit in the city is 40 km/hr and the seat belt must be fastened. Although you will see most Albanians do not bother to fasten their seat belts, this does not mean that they cannot get fined. The road police usually pull over most foreign number plates for document check-up. Fines in Albania are very severe although you may sweet-talk the Albanian police, playing the "I am a foreigner" card to get off the hook once or twice.

During the night you might notice roadblocks set up by armed police in most Albanian cities. DO NOT fear. This is very usual. When approaching a police roadblock, reduce speed to 5km/hr and switch on the cabin headlight. This is normal procedure so that the cops can see your face. If you get asked to pull over, then do so!

IF you need a mobile SIM card, then you can by an AMC (Albanian Mobile Communications) card or a Vodafone card. I am not sure of the price though. However, you can buy the individual number, either on contract or prepaid. Vodafone prepaid top-up cards cost 10,500 old leks (9 euros), those of AMC are 10,000 old leks. REMEMBER: Cards get also sold on the street by little boys who also sell tobacco. If you decide to by a Vodafone card from these guys, TOP UP right there and then BEFORE paying for the card. They will not protest, as this is a known procedure. Once the balance has been credited, then you pay up the money.

IF you will need to go grocery shopping, remember that Albania does not have major supermarket chains. Usually you have the so-called 'fruta-perime' (fruit-vegetable) shops or you can go to the villagers' market (where you'll find fresh vegetables and fruits). If you want nice Albanian bread, then look for shops with the name BUKE (which means bread). However, there is a shopping centre which was recently built on the side of the highway to Durres: Universal Shopping Centre - Albania. Here you'll find a very complete supermarket – EUROMAX - and other shops ranging from electronics to clothes. There is an ATM inside if you need more money. The prices are reasonable and the distance from Tirana city centre is only 15 minutes by car. There is also a bus, free of charge, that takes you there and back.

If you are in Tirana and you'd like to eat outside, then you are in the right place. Just out of curiosity, the 2 most rapidly growing type of businesses in Albania are: Clubs and Restaurants. Tirana has tons of good restaurants and new ones get built every 2-3 months. I am going to name but a few:

'ERA' Restaurant - this can be found in the 'Blloku' area. Just ask any Albanian where it is and he/she'll tell you straight away. ERA (which in Albanian means 'THE WIND') has a very wide variety of traditional and foreign (mostly Italian) dishes. The prices are relatively cheap. With 20 Euros (together) two persons can have a first, second and third dish with drinks included. The waiters speak English and Italian and the menus are both in English and Albanian.

'SERENDIPITY' Restaurant - this restaurant can be found on the street behind the 'Presidency Building', which is close to Tirana University Building (you cannot miss this building). This restaurant is slightly more expensive than ERA but it also features 2 - 3 traditional Mexican dishes, alongside other Albanian traditional dishes. If you go there, ask for a 'Caesar's Salad' which is very nice.

Another good restaurant, and relatively cheap, is the one in the 'Qendra Tajvan' (Taiwan Centre). This is a complex building in the 'Rinia Park' where you can find bowling, a big casino (the first of its size in Albania), cafes, and lastly the restaurant I am going to talk about. The Italian dishes prevail here and they are very delicious. You have a great collection of white/red wines which range from 5 euros to 400 euros.

If you are into posh restaurant, then I would suggest the 'Piazza Restaurant'. This is by the side of the Albanian National Museum at Scanderbeg Square (the main square of Tirana). The prices are expensive but the food is excellent, as is the red wine.

There are other restaurants which mostly you will find in the Blloku Area. This is the main point of reference for most Albanians because the majority of pubs, restaurants, clubs are there.

The Albanian traditional drink is 'RAKI'. This is made out of grapes (mostly) but other fruits are used also. Nevertheless, Rakija can be found as a traditional drink also among Bulgarians, Macedonians and probably Serbs. Albanians have traditionally used Raki as a drink "for every need". If you had a toothache, drink a bit of rakia and the pain would go away; if you felt a bit dizzy you smelt a bit of rakia and you'd feel great again; if you had a light wound on your body, you could spray a bit of rakia on it and the wound would clean out. This, my friends, is ALL TRUE! However, Albanians also drink rakia with almost everything. You have it before lunch, during lunch, after lunch (accompanied with fruits or cheese or a bit of salami). So if you get invited into an Albanian house, where you will most probably get offered a glass of raki, DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT, reject it as it is very offensive to the Albanian host. You can take a few sips and then leave it on the table but by NO MEANS are you to refuse a glass of it.

Jumping to religion, statistics speak of 70% of the population in Albania being Muslims and the rest Roman and Orthodox Christians. Although I doubt the figures are right, I wouldn't want to go against it, since I don't have solid grounds. Nevertheless, as a foreigner you should understand that Albanians have had religious harmony for hundreds of years, and they respect each other's religions. Most probably in every family you'd find different members from different religions. So I would ADVISE you to be careful when expressing your views on one or the other religion; you might offend somebody unintentionally!

When having a friendly discussion with an Albanian, it will most probably drift towards POLITICS. This is one topic that Albanians spend probably 40 - 50% of their time talking about. My advice to you is DO NOT get involved in such discussions.

Albanians can become very passionately involved in such conversations, and it is no news that friendships have gone sour because political views did not match! Listen, but do not volunteer any ideas which might upset your host. Instead, talk about something else! REMEMBER, Albanians are great company and can sit down and talk for hours with you!

Weekdays in Tirana, and most of Albania, are normal with people going to work as early as 08:00 in the morning until 16:00 or 17:00. After that, Albanians populate the numerous cafes until probably 22:00 in the evening. However, Fridays and Saturdays are the nights to go out in Tirana. Usually Albanians sit in cafes until 21:00, or maybe a bit later, then go to nightclubs and pubs until early in the morning. The most frequented club is 'The Living Room', which is opposite the Parliament Building in 'Elbasani Street'. The music is loud so you won't be able to converse, but the drinks are of great variety and the music is nice (as are the girls), so you can dance your night away. REMEMBER, if you smell trouble get out of the club or pub. Albanians love a bit of a fight and, from my experience, they can get nasty!

In Albania, credit cards or debit cards are rarely used. CASH can get you through any transaction of your choice. However, my advice is put your money in a bank account and draw cash when you need it. DO NOT walk around with great amounts of cash.

Usually, the language which will be most helpful in Albania is ITALIAN! That's because most TV channels in Tirana used to be Italian ones. However, English is also spoken by the Albanian youth so I do not think you will have much trouble. In the south, Greek is the language of the day, since that's where the Greek minority is. Also if you have knowledge of Russian, it can help with the older generations.

Albania was a communist country for 50 years, thus law enforcement was one of the pillars on which our late dictator Enver Hoxha (pronounced Hodga) built his ruthless 'empire'. During his regime crime was a rare thing. You could get jailed for shouting profanity to women, let alone hitting them or raping them; drugs were non-existent; blood feud, which was so common in the north, was abolished by LAW and fanatically enforced for that matter. However, in 1991 with the collapse of the regime, Albania threw its borders open to the world and thus become prone to the 'forbidden apple' of the advanced society. Drugs, corruption, physical abuse and human trafficking started to flourish in Albania. The Italian mafia started extending its tentacles towards Albania, seeing that Albanian gangs were very keen to learn from their 'godfathers' across the Adriatic.

So, you can imagine what the first years of democracy were like in Albania. From a very isolated country, Albania was free to all the goodness and badness of the world. Then the so-called pyramid schemes started to set up in Albania. People would put money in and get 50% - 100% return on it after only a couple of weeks. In 1997 the schemes collapsed, and that's when all hell broke loose. Sources say that an estimated 1.3 billion dollars of savings were lost in those schemes and Albanians become poorer than before. So the next thing they did was to loot the army bases and 1.3 million rifles dropped in the hands of the civil society.

Since 1998, when the new government took power, the security situation in Albania started to improve. Most of the weapons were collected from the people, using incentives like "Get paid 500 euros for handing in your gun" (felt like Wild Wild West during that time). Now Albania is as safe as any country in the region can be. But just like anywhere, you can hardly keep up with a criminal mind, so being cautious when visiting Albania will help. This is the reason why in most cities you will feel a heavy police presence, but honestly speaking foreigners have nothing to worry about. In Tirana and the southern cities the security situation is very good. The north does not fall behind, although it is advisable to be careful in these areas since the Serb army mined the area during the Kosovo Conflict. However, the view in the northern highlands is breathtaking.

Although Albanians have been depicted in the foreign media as ruthless criminals, drug lords, human traffickers etc, the reality is that this is the worst part of our society - just as the Americans have the Cosa Nostra, the Italians have the Sacra Corona, the Russians have their Mafia, the Greeks have their November 17 etc. What these criminals are and do does not in anyway depict the whole society. I feel the foreign media has been very misleading in portraying Albania, thus many people still think that there is war in Albania or that you get kidnapped in the middle of the day and held for ransom. Fairytales!

Nevertheless, as a foreigner you should be careful not to force yourself in harm's way. Most Albanians still carry a gun around with them, although this is illegal, but most of the time they have it just to show off. After all, what can we say about the Americans who are LEGALLY allowed to have weapons?!!!

You may have heard of the so-called "Gjakmarrje" (blood feud) which is still present in northern Albania. Traditionally blood feuds date back to the 1300's and only become 'regulated' by the Code of Lek Dukagjini in the 1400's (Kanuni i Lek Dukagjinit). This is a book containing rules that have governed northern Albania for over 500 years. They are still applicable in the north, although not as fanatically followed as before. The rules touch upon most aspects of life like marriage, family, religion, death etc. The rules also legitimise blood feud, although it needs to conform to ancient rules: children and women are not to be touched! Thus if there is a quarrel about land and a male from a family gets killed, then the victim's family has the RIGHT to kill another male member of the murderer's family (or the murderer himself). However, they are not allowed to attack the house in which the males will be confined (probably for the rest of their lives unless the 'blood is forgiven').

However, my dear friends, blood feuds in NO WAY affect foreigners. First of all it is unlawful by the Code's rules; secondly, you'd have no reason to get involved. Albanians, be they in the north or south, are very friendly and will go out of their way to help you. This is a characteristic which has distinguished Albanians for generations.

Albania suffers even more than most Balkan countries from a perception that it is unsafe for travellers. Mention that you are planning a visit and you are likely to be warned against all kinds of dangers - usually by people who have never been there. Based on my own experience there, reports from others who have travelled there recently, and advice in guidebooks, I don't believe that tourists in Albania are at any more risk than in other European countries. I didn't feel unsafe or uncomfortable at any point during my travels there. The main risks are more likely to relate to poor road safety than to the crime and violence, which tend to preoccupy potential visitors.

There may be an additional risk in travelling to the north-east region near the Kosovo border. I didn't visit this region so I can't comment from personal experience. The Bradt Guide says that the security situation has greatly improved in recent years, but as of October 2006 the UK Foreign Office still advised against travel to the area, citing a number of dangers including mines near the border. It appears that a traveller simply passing through on the way to Kosovo shouldn't have problems.

Montenegro is the only one of Albania's neighbours that doesn't have direct bus services from Tirana. The first step is to get to Shkodra, the city nearest to the border. This is easily done from Tirana, with frequent buses and minibuses taking 2-2.5 hours. There are also a couple of trains daily, but these are much slower.

From Shkodra the only scheduled public transport is to Ulcinj (Ulqini), on the Montenegrin coast. When I visited in September 2006 there were four minibuses daily on this route, with a fare of 5 euro (if there are a few of you, you might want to compare the cost of a taxi). They leave from outside the Hotel Rozafa, an easily spotted concrete block in the centre of the city. Journey time is supposed to be about 1.5 hours but it took well over 2 hours when I did it, due to heavy traffic at the Muriqan/Sukobin border crossing. The minibuses go to the centre of Ulcinj, which is handy if you want to stay there - it is quite an appealing town. If you want to continue along the coast you should ask to be let out at the bus station on the outskirts. There are a few direct buses along the coast to Kotor, Budva, and even once daily to Dubrovnik; if you don't find one leaving soon, get yourself to Bar, which has much more frequent services.

If you want to go to Podgorica or northern Montenegro, the route via Ulcinj involves a large diversion - the direct route via the Hani i Hotit border crossing will save you a lot of time. I have seen widely varying reports of how much a taxi on this route costs. See the Shkodra section of the 'In Your Pocket' website for further details of transport in this area.

There is a train line between Shkodra and Podgorica, but it is only used for freight. There are rumours that a passenger service may begin operating soon, but don't hold your breath.

Until quite recently Albanian had no ATMs linked to international systems, so you may come across advice to carry all your money in cash. However the situation has changed in the last couple of years, and the number of ATMs seems comparable to the rest of Europe. In August 2006 I found plenty of ATMs in Tirana, quite a few in medium-sized towns such as Berat and Gjirokastra, and even one in the small resort of Himara. Naturally you should carry cash if you are heading to very rural areas.

An alphabetical listing of seemingly random useful facts for the traveller.

Albanians, like Bulgarians, Turks, Indians and a handful of others, shake (or perhaps wobble) their heads to mean 'yes' and nod (or rather jerk the head backwards while emitting a bold cluck) to mean 'no'. Every time you see it done, it's a pleasant little culture shock. To attract attention, Albanians cluck, hiss 'sh' (or in more desperate cases honk madly - or emigrate to Italy).

You'll find that names of cities (and, for that matter, all other nouns!) have two different endings in Albanian. One is definite (for instance 'Tiranė'), the other is indefinite ('Tirana'). Even when the names appear in English text, translators don't agree on which version to use. Don't let this throw you.

In this Islam-influenced society, the well-being of honoured guests (you) is a major source of concern and pride for the locals, ao rather than being mugged, you're more likely to be overwhelmed with hospitality. Still, the same rules for personal safety that you follow elsewhere in the world also apply in Albania. Stay alert at all times, hide valuables or leave them at home, don't wander around unfamiliar areas alone in the dark. Long-term residents report feeling relatively safe in Tirana but pockets have been picked in areas such as the central market.

Customs inspection is usually cursory, unless you're carrying loads of electronic goods. Personal items are not subject to customs fees. Special export permits are required for precious metals and antiques, including coins, books and artwork.

Travellers may import the following products tax-free. Tobacco (if over 15): 200 cigarettes or 100 cigarillos, or 50 cigars or 250 gr tobacco; alcohol (if over 18): 1 litre of spirits or strong liqueurs (over 22% volume) and 2 litres distilled drinks (under 22% volume) and two litres of wine; 50 g of perfume; any medical products for personal use; goods and gifts up to a value of 30,000 lek.

When it works, electrical current is 220 Volts; you'll need standard European plugs. The power cut is slowly becoming an endangered species in Albania, and depends on season (more in winter) and which area of the city you are in (for a more reliable supply, try to find out where the politicians have their apartments). In winter, it's important to ask if your room heaters runs on electricity, and if the hotel has back-up generators (most do, nowadays).

Although the locals say the water is safe to drink, it's probably best to stick to bottled water, which is readily available. The city is extremely dusty, so contact-lens wearers should carry eye drops with them or consider wearing glasses. Travellers should beware of holes or bits of metal sticking out of the pavement, and missing sewer lids. Piles of garbage attract stray dogs at night. Pedestrians should use caution when crossing busy streets, even ones with traffic lights. Finally up-to-date tetanus and hepatitis-B inoculations are recommended if you want to play it safe and are staying some length of time in Albania, particularly rural areas.

The Albanian currency is the lek (plural leke). The exchange rate (20 September 2005) is: €1 = 123 lek, £1 = 183 lek, US$1 = 101 lek. Bank notes come in denominations of 100, 200, 500, 1000 and 5000 lek, while there are coins of 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 lek. Although hotels and some other services quote prices in foreign currency, payment is nearly always made in lek. If payment in foreign currency is possible, it usually means you're getting a bad rate.

Recently, Albania became the last country in Europe to have ATMs (bankomats) connected to the international grid, and nowadays getting cash using your debit or credit card is no problem in Tirana. Elsewhere in Albania, most major towns now have a few ATMs you can use. Albanian ATMs do not charge for transactions, but your home bank may.

If you insist on bringing along cash in foreign currency, you can change your euros or dollars at banks and (better) at exchange offices dotted around town, but their rates are not as good as using an ATM. People who still believe in traveller's cheques in this electronic era can cash them at most banks for a fee. Finally, the money changers waving wads of banknotes outside the National Bank offer competitive rates and are generally honest, but it's always wise to ask the exchange rate and carefully count and examine the lek they give you.

Before 1991, only Party officials were allowed to own and drive around in cars. There were about 600 cars in Albania, most of them deluxe Mercedes and Volvos. When the restriction was lifted, Albanians brought thousands of cars into the country from Italy and Greece. At the time, there were no traffic regulations, no driver's licence requirements, no traffic enforcement and no traffic lights. Fortunately, all this has changed. The quality of the roads has improved dramatically and driving around is fun, as foreigners gain 'new Albanian driving skills'.

Travellers should always beware of pickpockets, particularly in large crowds or on buses. Young boys may offer to sell you cell phone cards and mobile telephones, probably stolen goods. Gold for sale on the streets is also probably stolen or fake. Taxi drivers are usually honest; however, it's always a good idea to have the hotel or restaurant phone a reliable taxi, or negotiate a fare before getting in the car.

Here's a typical Tirana address: Rr. Sami Frashėri, Pall. 20/1, Shk. 1, Ap. 8. And here's how to decipher it: Rr. means rruga, or street (sheshi is square). The abbreviation 'P' or 'Pall.' stands for pallati (building, or block of flats). 'Shk.' stands for shkallė ('entrance' - since there is often more than one), and 'Ap.' means apartment. Unfortunately for guidebook writers and other foreigners, Albanian addresses often do not include street numbers. Instead, a close landmark (like a building, school, ministry, statue, etc) is mentioned for reference, prefaced by 'pane' (near), or 'pėrballė' (in front of). The medieval logic behind this is that the locals know where it is and you can ask them, so why bother painting an ugly number on it when you can sit down and have a nice cup of coffee instead? I hope you'll find your destination!

Other terms you may encounter:

It's customary to tip about 10% or round up to the nearest lek note at restaurants and bars, and for short taxi rides. At restaurants the tip is usually given directly to the waiter upon paying, rather than left on the table.

From Montenegro through Hani i Hotit or Murriqan - Sukobina. The first road leads to the Northern City of Shkodra and Shkodra Lake, while the second links Shkodra with Ulcinj.

From Macedonia through Qafe Thane pass leading to Pogradec, Librazhd and Elbasan.

From Tushemisht at the South-eastern extreme of Lake Ohrid leading to Pogradec.

From Bllata, leading to Peshkopi or Bulqiza and Burrel.

From Gorica the road leads to the northern shores of Lake Prespa.

From Kosovo, through Morina pass, which links Kukes (Albania) with Prizren (Kosovo).

From Greece through Kapshtica for the road leading to Korca, or through Kakavija for the road to Gjirokastra.

Qafe Boti connects Konispol with Filat, and Tre Urat connects Permet with Konica.

There is a regular bus service which travels the followings lines:

Tirana-Tetova (Macedonia) through Qafe Thane

Tirana-Prishtina and other towns in Kosovo through Morina

Korca-Thessaloniki through Kapshtica

Tirana-Athens through Kakavija

Tirana-Sofia and Istanbul from Qafe-Thana