Came to Tirana on vacation and I'm very disappointed
Posted by kalopssya@reddit | AskBalkans | View on Reddit | 143 comments
So yeah,... We were (my boyfriend and I) planning on going to Georgia but since there seems to be a bit of a political conflict at the moment, we were a bit worried so we were stuck between choosing Serbia or Albania, since it was only for 4 days. We ended up choosing Albania because the reviews online said Tirana was more relaxed and tranquil, versus Belgrade which is more loud and nightlife is thriving.
We are not very heavily outgoing people so we preffered the first option. But we do regret it now.
We feel like we just wasted time and money because we didn't see anything, we didn't have much fun at all, and everything is crazy expensive.
In 4 days we've spent nearly more than we did in Romania when we visited for 2 weeks. It's insane. And again, we didn't even see anything. We wanted to go to Apollonia but we are terrified how much that would end up being because also, everything is in cash. Nearly nobody here accepts payment with card. And I'm pretty sure they've ripped us off more than once already.
We're at the hotel just thinking about how much we hate it here and why all the reviews lied about the reality lol.
I'm sorry to Albanians, I didn't mean this to be offensive but we've spent so much money, we came with some cash money, but like we did in Romania so not THAT much as we didn't expect that even restaurants don't accept cards. IN THE CAPITAL. If It was some small village I would get it, but the f* capital?!???
I got someone telling me that Albania is worth visiting if you go see the nature and historical landmarks but those are nearly impossible to see if you don't have a car, or you gotta pay a shitton of money to go with taxi everywhere, Cuz when time is tight like our case, the bus option isn't ideal since literally everywhere you wanna go is around 3 hours.
All I've been saying these days is, wtf. Because, truly, a capital, wtf. I'm sorry, I needed to vent and apologize to Serbians for disregarding Belgrade lol. Now I WISH I was in a nightlife paradise.
Also, you don't even have Bolt here, wtf. I moved around Romania with Bolt everywhere, and very, very cheap. I'm just confused. I don't know why I expected it to be similar to my country. It's not. My head hurts. I don't understand how people survive here genuinely. Isn't the economy even worse? I'm confused.
RushDry9343@reddit
I was in Elbasan, Shkoder and Tirana. Those places looks like they are in middle east. There is so much work to be done there…. I will return maybe in 30 years. Balkans isn’t best place to be, not the prettiest cities for tourists, but Albania and Kosovo are the worst options there. Sorry guys, this is reality
dwartbg9@reddit
NoDrummer6@reddit
"This" lmao. You realise Albania gets similar amount of tourists to Bulgaria despite having 2.5x less population and being much smaller?
Born-Somewhere94@reddit
Dude, you're from Serbia or Bosnia wherever. Have you ever travelled around your country for real haha? You aren't Norway, and not even close.
RushDry9343@reddit
Dude. Everything in Europe is Norway for Albania
Hot_Satisfaction_333@reddit
Did you receive the bread ration today that your dictator gave you 😂😂😂?
RushDry9343@reddit
Dude do you know that 90% bakeries in Balkans are operated by toothless Albanians? 😂
Born-Somewhere94@reddit
Dude, I've been to Belgrade, your people's jewel lol. If that's Norway to you I might say you're delusional or you have seen Norway from 360p youtube videos.
Lgkp@reddit
Your post history says a lot about you as a person 🤗
RushDry9343@reddit
Sure. I didn’t find club 🥲
Xinpincena@reddit
I would say that Albania is enjoyable only if you go there with an Albanian. If you don't it can be an hit or miss.
It's still a bit behind many countries in Europe also because of a really turbulent history. Now it's trying to get its shit together but being a small country with no resources doesn't help.
I am sorry for your experience for what it can matter.
Born-Somewhere94@reddit
Sorry for experience, lol why. You don't have Bolt or Uber in Milan, Rome. Are Milan and Rome really the worst places in the world haha. This post is a pathetic attempt to trigger albanians.
Xinpincena@reddit
But in Italy you have alternatives for transportation in Albania not. Honestly Albania is not that tourist friendly, it lacks of organisation and structure. It can be a troll and could be especially regarding the sentence that she would have choosen the serbian nightlife paradise but the critics on Albania are spot on. Albania needs to get better in this regard. And yes I am sorry because even if she is trolling these critics are relatable, they are not out of this world.
Born-Somewhere94@reddit
I'm from Tirana and there you have public transport. It's not the best but it works. Locals are using it you know. Not everyone has a car or money for a taxi everytime they want to travel. You also have a very extended taxi service where you can pay in cash or card. You can also take buses to other cities. All this travel options are very cheap. It's not Berlin or Munich, but it works and true it's not the most tourist friendly, but still OP is coming from Romania lol. I have been to Bucharest. It's okay and all but it's still Romania, not Oslo.
Xinpincena@reddit
Of course I am not saying there isn't anything but there is room for improvement, especially transportation. It kinda gets me this question cause probably I expect a bit too much perfection by Albania, which is kinda average compared to the neighbours and definitely not worse.
Born-Somewhere94@reddit
And also you and me would not be here commenting on a troll post to a village girl because I doubt we'd care what a romanian think, cause in the end they're romanian.
Xinpincena@reddit
Why not? I have seen many progresses by Romania and actually they could be an example (I doubt thanks to OP but nvm). They are now a renowned center for cybersecurity and many IT companies are delocalising there. They are Romanians sure but we are also Albanians, Shteti i Saliut.
Born-Somewhere94@reddit
It's 20mln people country compared to a 2mln one. If you think they're developed by looking at their "it companies", take a taxi from Bucharest airport to city center and compare it with the same route from TIA to sheshi i Skenderbeut and come here and tell me the difference.
Xinpincena@reddit
Don't look at OP's comment and don't be biased. Romania actually developed more than just the capital city but most importantly there are differences between those cities: Bucharest seemed to me a city in development but developing in the right sense, some work to do but with a decent public transportation and a good vibe in general. Tirana isn't any of this: there's a need for metro now that the city is expanding or at least a metro, the bus are shit and the traffic is a nightmare (like in Bucharest but there you have an alternative). Outside Blloku the city looks randomly developed and mostly ugly tbh. The atmosfere is cool but alone it's not enough.
And mind that Tirana is the best city in Albania by development, if you look and Durres or Shkoder it is worse.
I am harsh judging like this Albania? Ok can be but we must face that Romanian cities are developed better than most Albanian cities.
Born-Somewhere94@reddit
I wasn't comparing their cities to Albania and Tirana lol. I was just reminding them that they're still Romania lol. If you travel to Bucharest you'd see not much difference development wise. It's not like going from Tirana to Munich. It's fucking Bucharest lol. Also, of course Albania is only Tirana wtf. it's 2.5 mln people country. By that logic Croatia is only Zagreb and it's twice Albania. Romania is a 20 mln country, it they'd be only Bucharest, they'd be a shithole.
Xinpincena@reddit
Ok you're right, there isn't much of a difference but for example Croatia has other cities which are quite important economically. Even Albania has some cities which shouldn't left behind because of Tirana like Durres and Vlore.
HeyVeddy@reddit
Following this thread I'm confused, how can you say there isn't much of a difference between Tirana and Bucharest? It seems to me that Bucharest is more developed in every aspect
Xinpincena@reddit
It is more developed indeed but not Switzerland. It is a developed city for being in the Balkans.
HeyVeddy@reddit
True but nobody said it was Switzerland. Although I went to Brasov and the surrounding area and that part of Romania really did look Switzerland like
Xinpincena@reddit
They are using well EU funds indeed, kudos to them.
HeyVeddy@reddit
Well they also have their own industry, English fluency, tech focused and international companies, tourism, etc. it's not just EU funds
Xinpincena@reddit
They have all of these mainly thanks to the EU and there is nothing wrong with that, it is what EU was meant for.
HeyVeddy@reddit
The EU also funds Albania, as they fund Greece and Bosnia. Clearly all of these countries use their EU funds differently. The way you say it, you're trying to strictly attribute it to EU funds when in actuality it's EU funds and Romanian planning.
What you have in Bosnia is eu funds and Bosnian planning, and in Albania it's EU funds and Albanian planning. Clearly, Romania planned better than Bosnia and Albania.
Xinpincena@reddit
Greece I would is a case of endemic corruption tied to a big scandal which still today leaves many marks, although they are improving.
Albania and Bosnia well... they are not in EU to begin with? There is a reason why countries want to enter in the EU, you receive far more structural fundings compared to when you are only a candidate. So there isn't really a comparison here, Romania could be compared with Bulgaria.
Romania 20 years ago was much more similar to Albania. Guess what was the difference?
Romanians have some credits too, of course, but shadowing or even saying that EU funds weren't crucial in this development is simply wrong.
HeyVeddy@reddit
I'm not saying EU funds weren't crucial, but you are implying it's strictly because of eu funds. Compare Bulgaria to Romania and it's a huge difference. Compare Slovenia to Croatia and it's a huge difference. Compare Estonia to Latvia and it's a huge difference. Countries run themselves how they want, some better some worse.
If you keep saying Romania is more developed because of EU funds, it sounds like you're making an excuse for Albania. The reality is Bosnia and Serbia are not in the EU and they are fluent in english and accept cards, they have team lines for example. At a certain point we should also acknowledge when our countries don't develop appropriately.
You said it yourself, Greece is EU but is endemic corruption, so perhaps it's the same in Albania. I imagine Albania is more corrupt than Romania on a government level
HeyVeddy@reddit
It's a nice clean highway and drive through the city center in Bucharest from the airport to the city. I have no idea what your point was here. Bucharest is clearly more developed than Tirana
kalopssya@reddit (OP)
First of all, I'm not a village girl, lol I was born in Arad, which a pretty nice Lil city. Second of all, I don't even live in Romania now, 3rd of all, I visited many cities and villages in Romania and they all accepted card payment with no issues, we had cheap transportation, even by car, Cuz Bolt.
And finally, i know you may be angry because I've given a negative review about your capital but I don't hold any negative sentiments towards Albanians. Quite the fuckin opposite, i had an Albanian friend, I find the Albanian language fascinating, i love Albanian music, and due to all these things + the amount of people that recommended Albania to me is why I decided to visit.
Which is why I'm rather disappointed. That's all. You can get angry, it's in your rights, but I don't think attacking Romania or Romanians should be the go to reaction.
LetopisetuRedditului@reddit
Why wouldn't you care? There are around 2 mil Romanian tourists going to Greece and Bulgaria every year for the sea, you could easily replace Bulgaria as a destination and even attract a big chunk of those that go to Greece, considering that you have access to the Adriatic sea which is beautiful...
Born-Somewhere94@reddit
No offense to you and all romanians, but Albania is already is full in summer. I'd wish less people were coming and the gov focused more in other industries rather than tourism. But if the average romanian spends more than the average italian/spanish/french that fills albania in summer, than please outprice them and come lol.
LetopisetuRedditului@reddit
Fair enough, I'm not a big fan of tourism either, it's an industry that should have a small percentage of the GDP.
Born-Somewhere94@reddit
If Tirana or even Albania was as you'd wanted to be, pretty sure romanians like OP couldn't afford it, cause it would be called Switzerland and you'd have to pay 15 euros for a coffee and a brioche haha.
Xinpincena@reddit
Also true, you're right. But I think if we get European funds it would also easier to adequate to an optimal level everything.
kalopssya@reddit (OP)
The thing is, it seems like your country is trying to expands and improve, because there's construction sites everywhere in Tirana, but sadly that only adds to my bad experience in this case, because i didn't think I would find the capital to be mid-construction.
I'm assuming in about a decade or so, it might be even totally different experience once everything is finished, but as of now, to me, Tirana feels more like a village than a capital. That's what my impression is.
And no, I'm not trolling or trying to trigger anyone. I just genuinely can't comprehend how a capital is in this condition lol. Because if it was a smaller city, or a village I would understand, but as a capital to me it's just wild.
Xinpincena@reddit
You know, Albania is not like Rome or Paris which are quite renowned and used to have an influx of tourists, other than being the capital of two major countries. Albania is a small country who got into the harshest communist dictatorship in Eastern Europe and from 500 years of Ottoman occupation which left nothing other than mosques. Comparing Tirana to Bucharest, which received plenty of funding from the EU, is quite wrong but also with Belgrade, which was capital of Jugoslavia, isn't the best way to judge the city.
I agree there is a lack of services in Tirana but this is changing and cannot be imputed directly and only on Albanians. Lastly, as aforementioned, countries like Albania are definitely enjoyable and rich of experiences with a guide or someone who could at least tell you what to look and when.
Born-Somewhere94@reddit
Lol no. Greece has been in EU since the 80s and Athens looks like Tirana plus Acropolis minus mountains. Romania/Bulgaria have been in EU since 2007 and Albania is closer to catch them economically than they Germany lol. You people are delusional.
kalopssya@reddit (OP)
Have ever been to Romania?
Xinpincena@reddit
We are not close to catch Romania and Bulgaria, by far. We do not have an industry, not decent universities, especially technic ones, no transportation throughout the country and not even a good agricultural sector.
They simply had more funds and at least a part were invested wisely. We did not have that chance and its visible. There is no need to mask this as we still have a stable country for room for improvement, we are not influenced internally by extern powers and we got a good energy supply industry.
Born-Somewhere94@reddit
Economically wise we're closer to them than they're to us, per capita I'm saying not as a total. They're also much bigger in size and population. You can't expect us to function the same as them. Totally different countries altogether. Also, Tirana is half a million despite how big it feels. You don't need a metro system. It doesn't make sense at all. Lol you don't even need the train network the communist built cause it doesn't make sense because the country is small.
I don't know if you objectively can read and understand what I wrote but I hope you do.
Xinpincena@reddit
The city can be even 100k but if travelling through it is difficult, you need some public transportation system other than the buses. Metro or tram can depend but the system is not satisfactory at the moment. Gdp per capita doesn't really say everything because it doesnt consider the cost of living. I see in Albania, Tirana especially, many things have double or even tripled their price in a year. Groceries are at the same level of Italy or even Germany. In Romania Groceries were almost as much expensive as in Albania but with a gdp per capita double the Albanian one. The trains actually could help especially between Durres and Tirana, making it possible to commute and scale the economy of the region.
kalopssya@reddit (OP)
Also, by the way, I'm Romanian but I live in Spain. Although idk why that should make a difference. I don't think the gap between Spain and Romania is that big.
kalopssya@reddit (OP)
I'm Romanian and i havent even been to Bucharest, but I have been to Timișoara, Cluj, Sinaia, Brașov, even Craiova. I did not have these issues in any of those....
Even transportation by car, we paid half of what we paid here for every route.
And we tried to pay with card the taxis, and no one would accept it. I asked one of the taxi drivers and he told me very few accept cards, so yeah, good luck finding one.
Lgkp@reddit
Why are you acting as if these things she’s complaining about are not avoidable? If she would’ve taken 30 minutes of her life to just look around the internet to find tips and other information it wouldn’t be so horrible
Sure, Albania 100% has it’s issues but acting as if it’s hard to be a tourist in Albania is crazy
Xinpincena@reddit
If we have to split the hair in half it is hard being a tourist in Albania, as in much all the countries in the Balkans. You have to organise for everything, English is not that common as a language and real valid gems are difficult to discover as there isn't a valid alternative to a car outside Tirana. Honestly the only point she made I didn't like which makes me believe she did the post to troll is the comparison with Belgrade, which was quite unnecessary.
Still, in my opinion Albania should be really critical about this as we can get really far as a country, more than our neighbours.
kalopssya@reddit (OP)
I'm not a troll, the comment about Belgrade was because we really we were down to choosing between Belgrade or Tirana, as we only had 4 days Cuz I need to go back to work, and only those destinations were available through Wizzair in the Balkans...
dwartbg9@reddit
Milan and Rome have adequate public transport. Are there trams or a metro in Tirana?
Born-Somewhere94@reddit
Tirana is half a million. You don't need metro. It has a bus system. And Rome has metro. Have you ever been to Rome and used their metro system haha. You'll mostly use buses, same as in Tirana.
kalopssya@reddit (OP)
But even the bus system here is a mess... I thought the bus system in Spain was terrible but this is a whole new level. We had a hard time finding even the bus stop because there's no bus stations, you just have a sign with a bus on it, no bench, nothing.
And even asking people, it seemed like they themselves barely knew which bus went where. They assumed us it was a certain bus and we got on and it wasn't that one. A whole mess.
DarkSeid1912@reddit
Almost every bus station in Tirana is marked on Google Maps, also bus routes. Timing maybe a little off though.
Dim_off@reddit
Roman metro is a bit sh*tty even if useful for its purpose
dwartbg9@reddit
Actuallly, that's true to be honest. I realized it after I wrote my comment. Rome metro is so bad and filthy.
kalopssya@reddit (OP)
But if i go to Milan or Rome I'm already expecting the trip to be pretty expensive. I work as waitress and many of my clients recently visited Albania and they all recommended it to me and told me they absolutely loved it, and kept going on about how cheap it was.
So yes, I'm disappointed, i found it to be the total opposite. If I didn't have so many people insisting on how Albania was such a great surprise for them I wouldn't have come here.
jaleach@reddit
Twenty years ago when I was reading a lot of stuff about Albania I clearly remember reading that if you go make sure you hire a local to help you navigate around (and also to avoid getting scammed). Probably not bad advice for any country you visit. They'll know all the spots.
Xinpincena@reddit
It is valid for every country to have a local to guide you and especially for countries which still have to develop a solid tourist economy. Albania's problem is not that it is easy to get scammed but the fact that gems are often hidden and not in big cities.
Tyragram@reddit
Honestly, when you go on vacation you need to know what you're looking for. For example, I've visited Romania and I loved it sm and want to visit again. My cousin visited Romania and she was annoyed and bored to death. Wandering around aimlessly can be really hit or miss Vs planning out beforehand.
The advantage of Albania is that within a couple of hours you can go from the mountains to the sea, from a city with nightlife to one with historical architecture. You just have to research what each place offers and then pick. But I can't imagine being lost in our Urban hell is enjoyable for most people.
Also, Tirana is not quiet at all imo. Safe? Yes. Quiet? No. I'm sorry to hear that you've received incorrect information.
Lastly, yeah the prices have noticeably gone up during these past few years. Hopefully the feedback from tourists makes an impact on improving the quality of standards in a way that justifies the price.
Either way, kinda sad to hear about your experience. Hopefully you learnt something from this trip and have a lovely one next time, wherever that may be.
fruitandcheeseexpert@reddit
Lmao who travels to a different country without doing research first? & who travels in ALBANIA without a car? What a waste
Moronic post
kalopssya@reddit (OP)
Well excuse me for not having a fuckin car I guess
fruitandcheeseexpert@reddit
No more like excuse you for not doing an ounce of research before traveling internationally? PS - There’s this concept called a “rental car” - you can find them all over Tirana and proceeded with renting one with all that money you’ve spent
kalopssya@reddit (OP)
I don't have a license.... That's the issue. If I had it, I would have rented a car.
fruitandcheeseexpert@reddit
Ok girl it takes 2 seconds to google if Albania has reliable public transportation - it doesn’t. It was Europe’s North Korea until the 1990s, idk what you were expecting
chocokokoal@reddit
Damn, if there's something worse than a Romanian tourist, it's a diaspora or second generation immigrant Romanian tourist.
Infinite_Procedure98@reddit
Wtf? I've been several times to Tirana, it's adorable and one of the cheapest destinations. When you travel to a country, you google some information before. Taxis and credit cards in Albania are a no-no. So what's the fuzz? I'll come back to Tirana with pleasure, and I have started to learn Albanian.
kalopssya@reddit (OP)
I wanted to learn Albanian and I do love Albanian music and I really wanted to have a good time here, that's why I'm so sad and frustrated.
I will probably give it another try eventually, but I was mostly frustrated that I didn't enjoy it because I literally start work after arriving back and I won't have a chance to go anywhere again for a whole year.
If I had more time here I would gone to different areas.
Infinite_Procedure98@reddit
You are not describing precisely your experience and don't give further details about what went wrong, so people who had a great experience there can't understand you. If you don't details I can't but add you to my "picky arrogant insufferable Romanian tourist" list. Myself a Romanian, I consider one third of Romanian tourists are normal good nice guys and two thirds are just demanding, criticial, unpolite, rude, and I avoid them like pest. Don't worry, I am talking also about people of my own family. When I see them coming by with their judgement and their "smells like Romania", I run away. I am not saying it's you, but sorry, you are exposing poorly your experience so don't wonder people might be offended. To say "everything awful nothing to see boring horrible exprience" about a country most people has a good experience about - well, expect to be frowned upon. On my side, after having been to some countries of ex-Yugoslavia, I almost don't want to go back to Romania anymore. Not that there are not awesome things in Romania, or not bad things in ex-Yugo and Albania, but there is something in people who is great over there south and a little less on the north.
Blasphemous1569@reddit
My husband and I are addicted to marijuana, so let's try some crack:) It's the same logic. Both Georgia and Albania are terrible places to be in. Instead, go to Austria, Czech Republic, Slovenia, and basically, a bit richer country.
kalopssya@reddit (OP)
I wanted to visit the balkans, I'm not interested in visiting western or Central Europe.
Blasphemous1569@reddit
Slovenia and Greece are pretty good choices.
Markomannia@reddit
Well, you saw the Balkans in all its glory.
First-Egg-713@reddit
Yea nevermind the millions of tourists yearly going to albania reporting a safe destination because you apparently know of a second hand story about someone getting kidnapped.
Reddit is peak lol these days
Blasphemous1569@reddit
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories.html/ "Increased caution". It may not be as bad as some other countries, but it isn't safe either.
First-Egg-713@reddit
Yes the same “caution level” as denmark. I guess denmark is not safe for you. Lmao.
Eastern-Collection39@reddit
Coming from EU's biggest dump
Blasphemous1569@reddit
I know we are a dump, and that's why Bulgaria isn't on the list
Born-Somewhere94@reddit
Albania is pretty safe, statistically but also told by other tourists. The 90s were wild, but judging every east european country now but how it was in the 90s I'd assume I wouldn't travel there as well.
LektikosTimoros@reddit
Why didnt you suggest Greece? You have beef with us?
/s
Blasphemous1569@reddit
No, just forgot to mention you
devjohn023@reddit
You reek of entitlement, proștilor! Nu v-ați făcut temele, 4 treceți la loc!!!
Albania is not EU, believe it or not Albania is very small compared to Romania which adhered to EU in 2007. There are more Albanians living abroad than in Albania. Country is run by corruption what do you expect? "oMg sO eXpEnSivE" , Did you also speak with an obnoxious American accent as well?
Stați acasă dacă nu aveți bani, săracilor!
kalopssya@reddit (OP)
I know it's not EU, but it is still Europe. And I know it is smaller.
Bruh, also, who tf are you calling dumb? Why would I speak with American accent? Wtf is wrong with you?
I'm not poor, by the fuckin way, I'm just complaining about my first experience in Albania vs my expectation with where sky high. I think it's valid to say you didn't really enjoy or vibe with a place.
I also disliked Timișoara a lot compared to all the other places I visited in Romania, chew me out on that as well, since you're at it. I've also disliked many places I've visited where I live in Spain, because we are allowed to dislike certain parts.
My disappointment with Albania in particular took me so much by surprise because everyone swore it's the gem of the balkans and it's the cheapest and etc.
Maybe I've been getting scammed the entire time here, then, because otherwise I don't get it. Even the price for some actimel yogurt was higher than where I live (in Spain, not Romania, Bc again, i dont live in Romania).
I came to Tirana, knowing it wouldn't be the same as going to a deeper more cultural part of the country, but I also thought I would still have things to do inside here. And I found it to be rather empty.
devjohn023@reddit
Revisit in summer, go to the beachside and bring more money with you ... ;) Albania has the best beaches in Europe hats down. You pretty salty fyi, you know, if people don't like you, they tend to scam you ;)
PeterSandnes@reddit
You didn't do any research before going there? Green taxi is one of the very cheap taxi companies, no need for Uber there
The fact that most places in Albania do not accept cards is also well known. I do not know about prices in Romania, but Albania is definitely one of the cheapest places in Europe for a tourist
kalopssya@reddit (OP)
Then we were definitely getting scammed. Or we didn't understand the monetary system well, because by our calculations the products even at supermarkets seemed to be around the same as where we live.
I mean, again, I do know that, but I assumed the no card usage was mainly like in Romania, but outdoor markets, for kiosks, maybe some bakeries, but I didn't expect a full on restaurant to deny it.
DardanianGOD@reddit
Your expectations were high, your planning was shit. It’s your fault, no one elses. Next time plan more. Every Balkan country has shitty public transportation so plan to rent a car and plan to visit the place. Albania isn’t just Tirana, were you expecting to go to the beach in Tirana as well lol? Apollonia is a few hrs away so again you probably thought and planned wrong. Cash is King in Eastern Europe not just in Albania. Poor planning is what ruined your trip, vent to a mirror.
kalopssya@reddit (OP)
I definitely know it was partly due to me planning it wrong, but I did do research, and everything seemed to be fake or I either understood it wrong. And also, so many people i know came here and no one warned me about anything, and I'm just frustrated that they all had a great time and I didn't.
I also know biggest reason is because I don't have a car or license. But again i figured we could hang out in Tirana, walk around, see some stuff, check out the restaurants, etc. We nearly got run over the first night Bc we couldn't figure out how to cross the roads, with half of the crossroad signs being nearly fully erased by use, and the cars not stopping.
I know it's a few hours away, but again, time was tight and we mainly came to relax, thinking we could just stroll around here and unwind. And quite honestly we were a bit worried of taking the bus because we took it once and it was so crowded, everyone was pushing us around and complaining about us and I felt really bad both they way we were being treated and because I felt like an inconvenience to everyone.
CrystaSera@reddit
Thats what you get for choosing any other place in the world versus Serbia
itport_ro@reddit
What? 4 days in Albania costs more than 2 weeks in Romania? Wow... No offense intended, neither to the locals nor to you, but somehow you managed to get screwed... DEFINITELY!
kalopssya@reddit (OP)
Yes, that's what I'm thinking, and it's part of my frustration. I feel like we've been getting scammed left and right because we didn't manage to really figure out the money system here. Cuz there's no way everything cost as much as we've been charged lol.
Cuz, like even at the hotel we're staying at things seem cheaper than when we were out around.
HeyVeddy@reddit
Everyone having a shit time in Albania lately? This is the second post in day 🤔
Born-Somewhere94@reddit
I guess following the Romania vs Kosovo game apparently romanian internet warriors got triggered (even more than us albanians) and started saying that Albania sucks cause they don't have Bolt and you cannot pay with cards. Most of Italy including Milan doesn't have Uber or Bolt and try using cash on Berlin lol. What a pathetic post. Clearly some village girl who has never travelled.
kalopssya@reddit (OP)
Lol you're just fuckin hilarious. Why do you insist I'm a village girl. I live in fuckin Barcelona. Also, I didn't even know there was a football game going on.
We were walking around and seeing everyone wearing Albanian hats and flags, so I assumed maybe a football game. It's only next day when I got to the hotel that I realized the game was against Romania.
I don't fuckin care about football.
drjet196@reddit
You live in Barcelona and Tirana is fucking expensive????
kalopssya@reddit (OP)
That's literally why I was surprised?
fj0r1@reddit
No, we were not playing against Romania. Get your facts together.
kalopssya@reddit (OP)
Well, then idk wtf happened, i know some shit went down. And why do I have to get my facts straight when I said I don't give a fuck about football? Y'all are fuckin weird about this.
As if it's a must to know anything going on in the football world. Tf. I just saw some tweets about there being an issue between Albanians and Romanians, that's it. Why tf yall getting so aggressive.
a_bright_knight@reddit
least insecure Albanian diaspora
manfromAUNT@reddit
SeaMobile8471@reddit
All I read is that you’re a bit trash at researching destinations. Albania is notorious of using only cash method options, if that is against your convenience then the destination is not catered to you…
Secondly…yes if you want to visit the country you better get a rental, which in itself is not expensive at all, especially in November. You are coming into a country where the most common method of transportation just 80 years ago was horseback and carriage. The whole country is a mountain…do you expect trains here from north to south? We already have the roads…use them.
Yes, we don’t have Bolt here because multinational corporations take time to enter the market…especially a market of 2mil residents. Do you expect to use Bolt to go to another city 3 hours away?
SantoriniDweller@reddit
Give it a couple of years for Tirana metro to be operational, or in the meantime enjoy some Balkan canal boat cruising since nightlife isn't really your thing either.
Fickle-Message-6143@reddit
I find hard to believe that card thing is true espiccaly in Tirana that is capital.
In my small town(30k people) in BiH almost every supermarket, pharmacy, shop and restaurant have POS terminals, even google pay is becoming thing, only kiosks don't have.
Hot_Cauliflower_402@reddit
Tourist areas are different even big city’s in Croatia on the coast are cash only.
TPGNutJam@reddit
It’s pretty known that Albania doesn’t really use cards, not trying to sound rude or anything, but it seems like you didn’t research enough and plan out
a_bright_knight@reddit
i'm sorry, but how the hell is it "known"? I didn't know it. I wouldn't have even thought to research if you can pay by card because I'd assume that in 2024. in Europe you can in every big city.
Hot_Cauliflower_402@reddit
Even in Croatia on the coast a lot of places are still cash only, got a little bit better in recent years.
TPGNutJam@reddit
If You type in google “a guide to traveling to Albania” multiple articles pop up mention that only a few places accept cards. Also, it mentions about the traveling situation. https://www.lonelyplanet.com/articles/first-time-guide-to-albania . You can’t blame anyone, but yourself for poor research into a foreign country you’re about to visit
a_bright_knight@reddit
The fact she's done a poor research doesn't make the fact cards aren't accepted in Tirana in 2024. any less of a disappointment.
I've travelled to 10-15 countries around Europe and not a single time did I (or need to) research logistics about such a mundane thing.
It's something she could've prevented sure, but if you need to do research like "can i pay with cards in [european capital]", i'm not visiting that capital.
TPGNutJam@reddit
Okay, then don’t visit? What you’ve said has literally has nothing to do with what I’ve said. If you go to a foreign country without researching then it’s on you. I’m pointing out that if you ask google for a simple guide to Albania it mentions that card isn’t widely accepted. Along with other recommendations.
There’s a difference in being disappointed and being ill prepared. Yeah, it’s disappointing to me too that Tirana doesn’t accept card in many places, but i wouldn’t be surprised or pissed when I get there and they didn’t accept the card.
kalopssya@reddit (OP)
I've done some research and I also supposedly found i could rent a car for the entire day for about 70-100 euros which was totally false because just from the airport to Tirana I was charged 20 euros. It's insane.
kalopssya@reddit (OP)
What shocked me is that I didn't have any issue paying with card in small cities in Romania but somehow it's such a big issue in a capital, that just blows my mind.
Born-Somewhere94@reddit
Have you ever been to Germany and craved a dönner at 5am lol
vivaervis@reddit
Most of restaurants/bars and supermarkets in Tirana accept cards tho. The only ones that you might have a problem paying are the small markets and bars in suburbs.
kalopssya@reddit (OP)
We literally tried different restaurants yesterday in Tirana and they all said only cash... We only found 2 in the entire trip that let us pay with card.
vivaervis@reddit
Yes but can you please call them out? It's pretty strange to me that they didn't accept, specially in Tirana.
TPGNutJam@reddit
Maybe, I’m just pointing out that travel guides online mention Tirana isn’t as up to date with card stuff as other nations are. I usually look into guides and stuff before traveling to a foreign country. So that I know what to expect
vivaervis@reddit
Yes, I agree with that.
Infinite_Procedure98@reddit
I went in Tirana. I had such a great time that I went back twice. I travel on a budget and to me everything was cheap. Romania is horribly expensive now. When you go to a country, you gather some information and adapt. NEVER take a taxi without asking the price before, also. The bus to the airport is good and costs 120lek/1euro. What could be more fair? Eat local. Walk. Maybe it's not your case, but I find sometimes romanian tourists horribly picky and critical. I hosted my aunt and her daughter in Paris and they were horrible, arrogant and unpolite but convinced they are fine persons. Anyway. I'll always go back to Tirana, Belgrade, Banja Luka or Pristina with all my pleasure. My last trip to Tirana had cost me 100€ for 2 nights (including bus, plane, hotel, food). I could make it cost even 70-80€.
LetopisetuRedditului@reddit
That's typical of Eastern European/Balkan tourists, when they travel to another country they expect it to be better than their countries. I've seen this especially with the Ukrainians and Russians, they always criticize other countries from Eastern Europe while their countries are shitholes as well.
Infinite_Procedure98@reddit
Russian tourists are horrible everywhere. Romanians are not the best lot, when I hear speaking Romanian around, I rush away.
LetopisetuRedditului@reddit
Eastern European/Balkan tourists are the worst I agree but I hate tourism in general, thank God we are not flooded with them, I hope it stays that way.
Infinite_Procedure98@reddit
I stopped telling people how great the secret paradises I know are. I tell them they are shitholes, so they don't go there. The real respectful tourists are the globetrotters.
LetopisetuRedditului@reddit
This is why I don't mind the horrible image that we have, it helps keeping away the tourists and even the migrants. I also hope the foreign workers leave as soon as we get into Schengen as I don't want them around.
Infinite_Procedure98@reddit
Amen!
SonilaZ@reddit
It seems you didn’t do much research before traveling and now you regret it!
I honestly think you should research a country before you visit, what do you want to see, how will you get there and how will you pay for it.
It’s like going to a church and expecting Buddhist music, then walking away throwing a tantrum!!
It’s not like things were not as advertised, it’s you didn’t do your research!!
And please refrain from using the word HATE when visiting a country because more than showing what’s wrong there, you’re showing your bias!!!
Albania has it’s issues, it’s not perfect but everyone that visits it after doing their research know what they’re getting going into it.
Good luck in your travels and hope you open up your mind before going to your next vacation spot!
kalopssya@reddit (OP)
It really saddens me that I've had such a bad time here, because I truly came with the highest expectations. I've wanted to visit Albania for years and everyone only told me nice things about it that's why I'm so frustrated because my experience wasn't like theirs. It is partly my fault because I had very short time, so we couldn't really organize bigger journeys and excursions.
But I figured the capital would be nice for a chill holiday for 4 days. I don't know though, I've been laughed at my locals already Bc I was confused about the money system here, and I've been pushed about in the bus and yelled at.
Just not the greatast experience, we've been nothing but nice to people. The one person that stood out to me was the first man at the first hotel we stayed at, who was the sweetest person ever and even though he didn't speak English we managed to understand each other and was super helpful.
Eastern-Collection39@reddit
What even is the point of that post. Don't Come to Albania if you're broke, idk
Chranium@reddit
Translation: “Don’t come to Albania if you’re not rich enough to be ok with getting scammed”
kalopssya@reddit (OP)
I'm not broke, but ok.
PeterSandnes@reddit
And there are buses going to all the historic/cultural places, no need to pay for a taxi everywhere
Born-Somewhere94@reddit
My god you're pathetic. It's like you're from the village and have never travelled anywhere, even though I get that this post is mostly to piss people especially us albanians since we're very gullible. Anyways, can we group these posts in just one thread stating: I'm romanian (obviously the greatest country on earth on par with Norway) and I started to hate on Albania (obviously the worst country in the world right now). Thank you! And if you trully are in Tirana, please leave we don't care.
kalopssya@reddit (OP)
I'm literally from Barcelona and was born in Arad. I'm very much not a village girl.
I didn't write this to piss you off, I wrote it because I was always so excited to come here and I was very much let down. What do you want me to do? Just not voice my disappointments?
And I never said Romania is the greatest country, but it's true that even the smaller cities offered basic stuff that the capital here doesn't, like payment with the card.
Zeyrox788@reddit
Who cares if u didn’t enjoy or not we don’t want u here
Mindless_Landscape_7@reddit
generally in the balkans cards aren't accepted that much... Inform yourself before traveling, your main complain is the lack of card acceptance. You can't visit because... you don't have cash? so it's not Albania/ Tirana's problem, honestly it's your problem. This post is very childish and immature. And I'm saying it as Serbian... so all respect for my friends in Tirana being unnecessarily accused of something they are not wrongful for... Do you know you can withdraw from an ATM right? Damn, people like you should really stick to their places and don't travel lol
loleenceee@reddit
First of all I would not travel anywhere in the Balkans in Novembar 😭, idk a lot about Tirana but I feel like Belgrade is a better city destination in my opinion cuz it is bigger and you have more stuff to see and do… When visiting nature sights and smaller towns all over the balkans you need a car, very complicated without one.
First-Egg-713@reddit
Ive never been to belgrade but i also would assume it is better than tirana if youre interested in city seeing and nightlife. Albania doesnt really shine for city tourism imo, tirana is still early in the developing stage.
Also completely agree on the car point. Renting a little car is cheap (30eur per day) in albania so makes no sense not to in my opinion. Just be careful driving because everyone drives like they are about to miss the plane lmaooo
thepulloutmethod@reddit
Yes unfortunately every time I visit the Balkans (my wife is Serbian) it is a basic necessity to rent a car.
Meanwhile in France for example you can get to so many places by tram or train.
SignificanceSlow2850@reddit
Next time deffo choose Belgrade, I have never taken part in the nightlife but I still had the most amazing time there. The nightlife is amazing but it is for sure not even 1% of what Belgrade has to offer. Deffo give it a visit. I havent been to Tirana so I cant agree or disgaree with this post, but just wanted to say that Belgrade is one of my favourite cities on earth so 10000% worth a visit. It is expensive if you dont know where to go though so shoot a message for some reccomendations if you choose to go at any point
rydolf_shabe@reddit
sorry for not having bolt i guess? also could you tell me what restaurants did u go to that didnt accept card? i pay most of the time with card when going to a restaurant and ive never had such an issue before
second of all idk what research u did for going to Apollonia cus it wouldnt cost you that much. i dont know how much research you did at all, cus it doesnt look that much. would you mind giving me a price comparison since you claimed that everything is so expensive here
tirana is no way near perfect and i ask myself tf do tourists even see in tirana, tirana is mostly like a jumping point to other much more beautiful areas of albania but even here theres at least like 1 or 2 days worth of shit to do.
First-Egg-713@reddit
You spent same in 4 days in tirana as 2 weeks in romania? You either got very ripped off or this is exaggeration lmao.
Albania is still not expensive compared to just about anywhere else in europe.
latalatala@reddit
Looks like you don’t know how to have fun.
Lgkp@reddit
I give your ragebait a 2/10
If you’re serious you must be an idiot or something. All of these complaints come from not being able to do simple research. It is well know in Tirana that you only take taxis with a taximeter, also learn how to walk. Tirana is not that big
Even then, ask the locals for directions. Buses are plenty and there’s 2 terminals in Tirana. (again, this research could’ve been done before traveling)
All of this post screams inexperienced ignorant traveler with no common sense. With a tad bit of hate for us Albanians because of the football game
vivaervis@reddit
You didn't come here to vent, you came to sht on a country because you didn't plan a sht yourself beforehand. Yes, we have problems, but you can't compare Romania a country that is in European union with Albania. Yes we don't have Bolt, but we have similar apps that can help you with a taxi. Yes, you can visit nature and historical landmarks by simply paying max 20 eur for local tourist guide, that could have sent you to see the North for example. Hell, you could've even wrote here in Reddit beforehand and I'm sure everyone would have been happy to help you. I'm afraid you're just too lazy af because coming to visit nature and thinking that 3 hours bus drive is a lot, is kinda crazy. Care to share which restaurant in Tirana didn't accept cards? I use cards everywhere here, restaurants, supermarkets, even for a 1 eur coffee in a bar.