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Albania
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{{infobox Infobox Country
|country = of Albania
|in = Europe
|map= <map lat='41.02623044860001' lng='19.3853759765625' zoom='6' view='0' float='right' />
|language = Albanian
|capital = [[Tirana]]
|pop = 3,600170,523048
|currency = Lek (ALL)
|hitch = from {{good}} to {{very good}}<rating country='al' />
}}
'''Albania''' is a country in the [[Balkans]] in [[Southern Europe]]. The capital is [[Tirana]]. It has borders to [[Montenegro]], [[Kosovo]], [[North Macedonia]] and [[Greece]].
In Tirana one can easily get accommodated in so called private sector: these are people who have their apartments arranged to accepts occasional tourists. It is safe, quite cheap (you can talk about how much you can pay), you get friendly company (if needed) and tips how and where. To find these kind of places just ask some more tidily looking folks on the street, or in Internet cafes and other similar places.
There is a nice and individual hostel in the center of Tirana. Tirana Backpacker Hostel, Rruga Elbasanit 85, Tirana.
For free you can stay at Couchsurfer house. Albanians are very good hosts and they can help you by showing the city you will stay or giving directions.
[[User:MOAH|Mind of a Hitchhiker]] had an awesome time freecamping and squatting in Albania. There's lots of building going on in Albania, especially at the coast in [[Sarandë]] there's a whole rise of ugly concrete structures, presumably to launder money. There's not enough people who actually buy those apartments, so squatting is really doable for the night if you manage to sneak in unnoticed. There's empty buildings in the whole country. If you walk about 4km north of [[Dürres]] centre there's a few beaches and hills excellent for pitching a tent.
== Personal Experiences ==
Albania is a great country for hitchhiking. Although beware there is some kind of taxi 'mafia' on the Albanian side of the border when entering Albania from Greece between Ioannina and Gjirokastër. Twice now taxi drivers there have prevented me from hitching further into Albania.
In July 2022 (and back in ~2017 a similar situation occurred) we walked across the border and stopped a ride going to Sarandë between the border and the taxi stands. The taxi drivers rushed over and told us and the driver that its illegal to hitchhike there. I guess the taxi guys threatened the driver with something, and he was afraid to take us after that.
Best to not try and stop a car until you're past the taxi stands and out of sight of them. keep walking to the gas station around the corner and if they ask where your going tell them you're meeting someone. Keep walking further down the road if they hassle you at the gas station.
== Links ==
[http://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Albanian_phrasebook Albanian Phrasebook] on Wikivoyage
[http://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Albania Albania] on Wikivoyage
== Nomadwiki & Trashwiki ==
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{{IsIn|Balkans}}
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[[Category:Albania| ]]
[[Category:Southern Europe]]
[[de:Albanien]]
[[fr:Albanie]]
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