Albania surprised me – but not quite in the way I expected. After spending two weeks traveling through the country, I learned a lot: about everyday life, paying for things, food, beaches, and all those little details you rarely find in a traditional travel guide. In this article, I’m sharing the best tips and insider knowledge that could be useful before your trip to Albania:

🛒 Shopping & Supermarkets

No Lidl, No Aldi – But Plenty of Good Alternatives

Don’t expect to find a famous European discount supermarket in Albania. Instead, you’ll find chains such as Conad, Spar, and Jumbo. Jumbo is particularly useful because it sells not only groceries but also household items and beach essentials. If you need a beach umbrella for around €10, Jumbo is a great place to look. There’s a surprisingly large selection of affordable umbrellas.

If you’d rather sort out your beach gear before you go, our Albania packing list on Amazon has everything you actually need – from water shoes to a lightweight beach blanket.

Card Payments Only from 500 ALL

At many supermarkets, card payments are only accepted for purchases of 500 ALL or more – roughly €5. For smaller purchases, you should always carry some cash.

💳 Paying & Cash

Albania Is Still Very Much a Cash Country

This is probably the most important practical tip for anyone traveling to Albania: cash is king. Restaurants, bakeries, beaches, parking areas, and many smaller shops accept cash only. Card payments are becoming more common at larger restaurants and hotels – but you shouldn’t rely on being able to pay by card everywhere.

Free ATM Withdrawals Don’t Exist – But You Can Keep Fees Low

Not a single ATM in Albania offers fee-free withdrawals for foreign cards. The cheapest options are Union Bank and ABI Bank, which charge a flat fee of 500 ALL for Visa cards – around €5. By comparison, BKT and Raiffeisen are among the more expensive options, charging around €6–7 or 800 ALL per withdrawal.

Our tip: Withdraw a larger amount once rather than making several smaller withdrawals – that way, you only pay the fee once. In Tirana, we withdrew 20,000 ALL at the ABI Bank branch on Rruga E Kavajës. With a 500 ALL fee, we found this to be a very fair option.

Important when withdrawing cash: If the ATM asks whether you want the conversion to be handled by the Albanian bank or your own bank, always choose “Without Conversion” or “Decline Conversion” – otherwise, you may be charged additional exchange-rate fees of 8–10%.

Euros as an Emergency Option

If you happen to run out of Albanian lek (ALL), some restaurants and shops also accept euros – particularly in tourist areas. The exchange rate is rarely ideal, but it can be a convenient backup option in an emergency.

Exchanging Euros

In Tirana, you’ll find exchange offices – known locally as kambio offices – on almost every block, with exchange rates displayed digitally. Exchanging money is quick, straightforward, and usually requires no paperwork. Rates at these exchange offices are significantly better than those offered at the airport or in hotels.

🍽️ Food & Local Specialties

Eating Out Is Surprisingly Affordable

One of the most pleasant surprises in Albania: two people can often eat at a good restaurant for less than €20 – including drinks. At local family-run restaurants, you’ll often spend considerably less. Find out more in our Himarë Travel Guide, Sarandë Travel Guide, and Berat Travel Guide.

Byrek – The Perfect Beach Snack

Byrek is a warm, flaky pastry filled with spinach, cheese, or meat – and one of the best snacks Albania has to offer. You’ll find it in bakeries, known in Albanian as furrë buke. Fresh from the oven in the morning, it’s perfect to grab on the way to the beach.

Ice Cream at a Pastiçeri

Looking for ice cream in Albania? Don’t necessarily head to an ice cream parlor – look for a pastiçeri instead. These pastry shops often sell excellent ice cream alongside cakes, pastries, and other sweet treats. Our recommendations: Pastiçeri Delight in Himarë and Baci A Tutti (near the Sarandë promenade).

🏖️ Beaches & Parking

Most Beaches Are Free

This genuinely surprised me in the best possible way: at most beaches around Himarë, Sarandë, and Ksamil, you can simply bring your own towel and beach umbrella – no entrance fee and no requirement to rent a sun lounger. There are exceptions at private beach clubs, such as some locations in Ksamil or Plazhi i Llamanit, where sun loungers must be rented. Find out more in our Albanian Riviera Beach Guides.

For tours like boat trips and kayak excursions along the coast, Viator has a solid selection – from the Sea Breeze boat tour out of Himarë to full-day trips to Gjirokastër and the Blue Eye.

Buy a Beach Umbrella Locally

Don’t want to pack a beach umbrella in your luggage? Jumbo sells inexpensive models for around €10 – saving valuable suitcase space while making it easy to pick one up after you arrive.

Parking Is Free Almost Everywhere

Outside city centers and designated parking areas at major attractions, parking in Albania is generally free – and that applies surprisingly often. It’s one of the nicest surprises for anyone traveling around the country by rental car. There are exceptions, such as the Blue Eye, where a small parking fee is charged.

🚗 Rental Cars & Roads

A Standard Car Is Enough – But Be Careful on Gravel Roads

For most routes along the Albanian Riviera, a regular rental car is perfectly adequate. However, there’s one important thing to know: many rental car companies track their vehicles via GPS and exclude gravel roads from their insurance coverage. If you want to visit Aquarium Beach or Guma Beach, it’s therefore better to leave your car at the side of the road – as many other travelers do – and walk the remaining distance. Find all the details in our Albania Rental Car Guide.

🗣️ Language & Local Etiquette

A Few Albanian Words Go a Long Way

Albanian isn’t the easiest language to learn – but even knowing a few simple words shows locals that you’re making an effort. It’s appreciated almost everywhere:

Albanian	English
Faleminderit	Thank you
Ju lutem	Please
Mirëdita	Hello / Good afternoon
Po	Yes
Jo	No
Sa kushton?	How much does it cost?

English Is Getting Better All the Time

Especially in tourist areas, many Albanians speak good English – communicating in restaurants, hotels, and when booking tours is generally no problem. In remote villages and when speaking with older locals, things can become more challenging – but gestures, patience, and a friendly attitude go a long way.

💡 More Surprises

The Hospitality Is Exceptional

This isn’t a cliché – it’s genuinely our experience: Albanian hospitality is warm, generous, and sincere. A complimentary bite from the kitchen, a spontaneous glass of raki offered by the owner, or a friendly conversation while shopping – these things simply happen and make Albania a country where you quickly feel welcome.

The Infrastructure Is Improving Rapidly

Albania is investing heavily in its infrastructure. New roads, renovated historic centers, modern restaurants, and well-developed tourist attractions – anyone who visited the country ten years ago would hardly recognize it today. At the same time, much of its authenticity is still intact – a rare balance that makes Albania particularly fascinating right now.

May Has Perfect Weather – And Is Cheaper Than June

We traveled through Albania in May and June and experienced very similar weather during both months. The difference? Accommodation prices rose noticeably once June began. If you’re flexible with your travel dates, May can be an excellent time to visit – you can enjoy essentially the same experience for less money. Find all the details in our Albania Climate Guide.

For accommodations in Albania, booking early through Trip.com is the smart move – especially for Himarë and Sarandë, where prices climb fast once summer hits.

Our conclusion: Affordable food, free beaches, genuinely welcoming people, and landscapes that look almost unreal in photographs. If you travel prepared – with cash, water shoes, and an open mind – you’ll discover a country that still has plenty of genuine surprises waiting around the corner.

What surprised you most about Albania – positively or negatively?
Share this guide with your favorite travel buddies and leave us a comment below!

Discover Your Next Travel Destination: