Albania.
So you're heading to Albania? Let's get it right.
Where to go (and what to skip)
The Theth → Valbona hike, day by day
Where to stay
How to get around — the buses
Costs, food, money, and raki
Common scams (don't miss these)
What members actually said.
Spent three weeks trying to plan Albania off blog posts and YouTube and got nowhere. This had everything in one place — the regions, the buses, the right hostels, when to go, what to skip. I went from confused to having a real itinerary in about 90 minutes. Worth every cent.
Booked the whole Theth-Valbona-Komani loop through the Wanderers in Shkodër the way the guide tells you to. Mentioned Aussies In and they sorted my furgon, both guesthouses and the ferry in five minutes. Zero stress, zero logistics headaches. Hiking with them was the best three days of the trip.
Swam off the headland in Himarë the guide points you at and I genuinely couldn't believe the water. Photos don't do it justice — it's clearer than anywhere I've snorkelled in Aus. Saved me from wasting two days in Ksamil too. Best fifteen bucks of the whole trip.
I'd wanted to do Albania for two years and could never work out how. The information just doesn't exist in one place anywhere online. This pulled the whole thing together in an evening, the furgons, the routes, which coast towns are actually worth it. Best fifteen bucks I've spent planning a trip.
Spent four nights in Gjirokastër off the back of the guide and absolutely loved it. Bus from Saranda was actually easy once I had the playbook — would have been a nightmare guessing. The Ottoman stone town at dusk is unreal, and the food recommendations were on the money. Highly recommend.
Honestly didn't expect to love a country I knew nothing about three months ago. The guide read like a friend who'd just got back was sitting across from me telling me how to do it. Every restaurant pick, every hostel, every furgon time landed. These guides are worth every cent.
Mention you're with Aussies In — they'll sort your furgon, both Alps guesthouses, and the Komani ferry in one go. Zero logistics headaches.
Every hostel, restaurant, viewpoint, transport hub and hike start in this guide — pinned in a Google Maps list. Save it once, your whole trip travels with you offline.
Mistakes the guide saves you from.
Taking a 'fixed price' taxi from Tirana airport instead of the A$2.50 Rinas Express bus or a metered ride
Every first-night arrival who hasn't been warned — quotes routinely double the real fare
Exchanging cash at the Tirana airport bureau instead of an in-town bank or ATM
Anyone landing without lek already in their pocket — airport rates are 8-12% worse
Buying a SIM at the airport tourist booth instead of a Vodafone or One shop in Tirana
Every traveller who 'sorts it on arrival' — A$30 for what costs A$5 with the same data
Using Euronet ATMs + accepting AUD 'conversion' (DCC) at the keypad
Most arrivals, every withdrawal — a few clicks the wrong way
Paying in euros on the coast instead of lek (the exchange they apply is brutal)
Daily, accumulates across the trip
Ordering at a Saranda or Ksamil restaurant without a posted menu
Trusting the 'chef's special' on the coast — tourist markup is real
Basing yourself in Ksamil instead of day-tripping it from Saranda
Anyone trusting the Instagram-reel 'paradise' photos — 3 nights of inflated rates
Durrës for a beach holiday instead of the southern Riviera
First-timers who don't know the Albanian coast splits in two
Skipping a hire-car day on the Riviera (missing the coast's best bits)
The intangible one — you just miss the unsigned beaches
Renting from the airport's international car desks (Hertz, Avis) instead of a Tirana local agency
Across a 5-7 day Riviera hire — local agencies are 40-50% cheaper
Mis-timing the Theth-Valbona hike (snowed-out passes, closed guesthouses)
Anyone planning it for May or November without checking
Booking Theth + Valbona guesthouses on Booking.com instead of through The Wanderers direct
Default move for solo planners — direct rates are 25-35% lower
Your trip, planned.
Where to go. Where to stay. What to eat. How to get around. What to skip. Every answer in one place — researched by Aussies who've actually been.