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Game is in Shkoder


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On ‎7‎/‎24‎/‎2018 at 3:16 PM, Barney Rubble said:

Great choice and venue!!

PM me if you need more info - happy to help.

Cheers Barney :D

I always make a point of staying in the host city for a few days and if it's a provincial city, tag on a few days in the capital (think Trnava/Bratislava or Novi Sad/Belgrade).

Albania will be no different.

FRI-SAT-SUN in Shkoder, preceded by umpteen days in Tirana.

Thing is, I'd quite like to have a weekend in Tirana and that would mean spending 10 nights in Albania and likely 7 of them in Tirana.

Would 7 nights in Tirana be excessive? Is there lots to see and do? The guidebook I've read doesn't indicate so, but I don't necessarily believe they cover everything.

Would you recommend anywhere else, midweek, in between Tirana and Shkoder?

 

P.S. Shkoder looks a nice wee town; good of weekend?

 

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I'm not going, but what is Lake Ohrid like from the Albanian side?   Pogradec and so on if anyone's up for touring?

Loved the Macedonian side (tourist friendly, but small).   Didn't get across, but drove near the border and while checking a map, some police/army checked us out in their armoured car.   A smile, a wave and a wink and they were happy and on their way... the missus didn't need to do anything :blush:

 

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On ‎7‎/‎30‎/‎2018 at 9:51 PM, Rich NATA said:

Cheers Barney :D

I always make a point of staying in the host city for a few days and if it's a provincial city, tag on a few days in the capital (think Trnava/Bratislava or Novi Sad/Belgrade).

Albania will be no different.

FRI-SAT-SUN in Shkoder, preceded by umpteen days in Tirana.

Thing is, I'd quite like to have a weekend in Tirana and that would mean spending 10 nights in Albania and likely 7 of them in Tirana.

Would 7 nights in Tirana be excessive? Is there lots to see and do? The guidebook I've read doesn't indicate so, but I don't necessarily believe they cover everything.

Would you recommend anywhere else, midweek, in between Tirana and Shkoder?

 

P.S. Shkoder looks a nice wee town; good of weekend?

 

Hi Rich,

7 nights in Tirana is not excessive at all, especially if you are building in a few trips to surrounding areas. I'm assuming you won't be relying on public transport.

Here are some recommendations based on 7 years plus of living in Tirana:

1) In Tirana itself, you can easily spend a couple of days on foot checking out the sights, the old town, and the National park at the foot of the town. The town centre itself is jumping every night of the week, and there are no shortages of great bars and restos to choose from. You could comfortably have a great 7 nights in Tirana without leaving the city itself.

2) Nearby the city there is Mount Dajti, which is worth it for the cable car trip alone which provides a stunning view of the city. There is also a resto with its own trout farm a 20 minute walk from the upper cable-car station.

3) Petrela Castle (25km) - after a long climb up to the castle enjoy the rustic food in the excellent resto while admiring the view of the surrounding countryside.

4) Durres (45km) - worth it for a look around the roman ruins in the old town.

5) Fushe Kruje (25km) - pleasant little town with a street full of artisanal textile shops.

6) Berat (125 km) - if you do only one day trip out of town do this one. It has an excellent UNESCO heritage site.

Shkodra itslef is a great wee town with a fair bit to see (castle, old town, Lake Shkodra). It's normally lively at the weekend. It will be abnormally lively on the weekend we are in town.

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On ‎7‎/‎30‎/‎2018 at 10:32 PM, Grim Jim said:

I'm not going, but what is Lake Ohrid like from the Albanian side?   Pogradec and so on if anyone's up for touring?

Loved the Macedonian side (tourist friendly, but small).   Didn't get across, but drove near the border and while checking a map, some police/army checked us out in their armoured car.   A smile, a wave and a wink and they were happy and on their way... the missus didn't need to do anything :blush:

 

If you've been to Ohrid itself then most likely you would find Pogradec to be disappointing. Although pleasant enough in its own right, it lacks the charm of Ohrid as a town, not as many bars and restos.

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On 7/30/2018 at 9:51 PM, Rich NATA said:

Cheers Barney :D

I always make a point of staying in the host city for a few days and if it's a provincial city, tag on a few days in the capital (think Trnava/Bratislava or Novi Sad/Belgrade).

Albania will be no different.

FRI-SAT-SUN in Shkoder, preceded by umpteen days in Tirana.

Thing is, I'd quite like to have a weekend in Tirana and that would mean spending 10 nights in Albania and likely 7 of them in Tirana.

Would 7 nights in Tirana be excessive? Is there lots to see and do? The guidebook I've read doesn't indicate so, but I don't necessarily believe they cover everything.

Would you recommend anywhere else, midweek, in between Tirana and Shkoder?

 

P.S. Shkoder looks a nice wee town; good of weekend?

 

We had 3 nights in Shkoder last year - really enjoyed it.

If you're looking for a (very) roundabout way to get to Tirana, check the Komani lake ferry. One of the most spectacular ferry journeys I've taken.

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On ‎8‎/‎1‎/‎2018 at 2:10 PM, Barney Rubble said:

Hi Rich,

7 nights in Tirana is not excessive at all, especially if you are building in a few trips to surrounding areas. I'm assuming you won't be relying on public transport.

Here are some recommendations based on 7 years plus of living in Tirana:

1) In Tirana itself, you can easily spend a couple of days on foot checking out the sights, the old town, and the National park at the foot of the town. The town centre itself is jumping every night of the week, and there are no shortages of great bars and restos to choose from. You could comfortably have a great 7 nights in Tirana without leaving the city itself.

2) Nearby the city there is Mount Dajti, which is worth it for the cable car trip alone which provides a stunning view of the city. There is also a resto with its own trout farm a 20 minute walk from the upper cable-car station.

3) Petrela Castle (25km) - after a long climb up to the castle enjoy the rustic food in the excellent resto while admiring the view of the surrounding countryside.

4) Durres (45km) - worth it for a look around the roman ruins in the old town.

5) Fushe Kruje (25km) - pleasant little town with a street full of artisanal textile shops.

6) Berat (125 km) - if you do only one day trip out of town do this one. It has an excellent UNESCO heritage site.

Shkodra itslef is a great wee town with a fair bit to see (castle, old town, Lake Shkodra). It's normally lively at the weekend. It will be abnormally lively on the weekend we are in town.

 

Barney,

Thanks for the info; very much appreciated :ok:

 

Just one more thing...

I haven't yet booked my return flight; even with the border crossing, would it be better to fly home from Podgorica rather than Tirana?

 

 

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1 hour ago, Rich NATA said:

Just one more thing...

I haven't yet booked my return flight; even with the border crossing, would it be better to fly home from Podgorica rather than Tirana?

I'd say it depends on a number of factors - but mainly flight availability to your destination, cost and distance.

Shkodra to Podgorica is 60km and even with the border crossing is easily done in 80 minutes by car. The coach takes two hours I think. The newly upgraded border crossing opened last week, and in November there should be no delays worthy of the name as the tourist season is well gone by that time. The road to the border has been totally upgraded in recent years too.

Shkodra to Tirana airport is 95km and can be done in around 90 minutes, but the road can be variable, as can the antics of the Albanian drivers. It's really up to yourself, but if it comes down there being no difference, I'd probably advise Podgorica as the better option.

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