The dynamics of the Albanian railway industry can be summed up in one word: primitivization. This applies to the railway network, passenger and freight traffic, the state of the track infrastructure, locomotive and wagon fleets. In particular, the passenger traffic, which reached 4 million people in the best years. per year, since the beginning of the century, it has been steadily and rapidly decreasing, and now barely exceeds the figure of 300 thousand (Wikipedia). Cancellations and reductions of trains have been accompanied by physical degradation of the road network. So, at the end of 2013, the railway even left the capital of the country: on the Vora-Tirana section, the rails were dismantled, and the station was completely destroyed.
From the once developed network of railways, in fact, there are three sections with passenger traffic: Durres-Vlora, Shkoder-Shkozet and Rogozhino-Librazhd. There are only two junction stations left: Shkozet and Rogozhino.
I deliberately left the Podgorica-Shkoder cross-border section on this scheme, in the vain hope of returning passenger traffic between Albania and Montenegro, until the rails were dismantled there. In my opinion, such a train would be in incredible demand among tourists, since there is no alternative in the form of a reliable bus service between the countries.
It is not known how long the railway will last even in its current state, so without waiting for its terrible end, I decided to devote the day of April 3 to this disappearing form of transport in front of our eyes. There was nothing to choose from: even based in the main railway center of the country - Durres, you can make only one route for a day trip there and back, namely Durres-Librazh. The timetable of all Albanian trains is placed on one A4 page:
So, in all of Albania there are 4 (four) pairs of trains left: two with the Durres-Elbasan route, and one each Durres-Shkoder and Durres-Vlora. Interestingly, the turnover of these trains is arranged in such a way that they all "spend the night" at different terminal stations, as a result of which in the morning only one departs from Durres - to Librazhd; they can also go back the same day. Treat this schedule to a developed railway. country, an attentive reader would be able to assume that in addition to those mentioned, in Albania there is another VBS (Vlora Librazh), and at the Elbasan station, extra wagons are being uncoupled. In reality, there is no wagon re-hitching: passengers from Vlora simply jump onto the agreed train at the docking station, and all the wagons that left Durres are brought to Librazh (and it does not matter that they are empty).
The liberation is so small that there is nothing to do in it even during the hour while the driver is having lunch. Therefore, it was decided to travel not all the way, but only to Elbasan, using the three hours that the train turns around at the terminal station to walk around the city (there will be a separate post). The only difficulty of this whole plan was to get up at 5 in the morning, but we managed it, and half an hour before departure we arrived at the starting point - at the station of the city of Durres. The station building was designed with the expectation of an ebullient life, and today the form looks disproportionate to its content:
The only function of this two-story palace is ticket sales. Fares in Albania are extremely low: a trip of 100 km will cost you the price of a cappuccino - about $ 1. For my round-trip ticket, I gave only 230 leks - the light bulb burned out the day before was even more expensive :)
Having bought tickets, we go to the platform. The station, although large, does not really stand out against the general background:
Pay attention to the covered viaduct on the left side of the frame - this is the passage to the seaport, and in comparison with the adjacent entrance to the railway. train station, it is much more lively in the morning hour - the first ferry has just arrived from Italy. But back to our platform. Absolutely nothing has changed here in a year, since I visited here for the first time:
Even in the list of directions, they did not cross out the now irrelevant cities of Tirana and Pogradets :)
And our train is already on the first (or second?) Track, hospitably opening half of each door (the second, as it turned out later, does not open everywhere anymore). The Albanian train consists of two rather long two-section carriages,
slaves shunting locomotive of Czech production:
The entire locomotive fleet of the country consists of exactly the same diesel locomotives, of which 61 were imported in the 70-80s. Probably half of them remain: about a dozen are busy on the lines, the rest are rusting standing idle at the stations of Shozet and Fier.
As for the cars, it is not so easy to determine their origin: I searched for a long time, but I never found a single plate from the manufacturer. However, according to the inscriptions for various auxiliary equipment, it can be concluded that the carriages began their life in one of the German-speaking countries. In general, the carriage is quite comfortable, albeit a little broken-down:
Unlike the chairs, there is not a single living space left on the windows. All the glasses are in cracks, and the vents (where they are) are fixed in the last position before breaking: in a closed, half-open or completely open form:
This circumstance made the blogger's task extremely difficult: driving by an open window meant freezing in 5 minutes (not May), and in other places it was impossible to photograph through the window - either cracks or a layer of dust. In general, the situation with the glass turned out to be the same as a year ago on the cable car - the Albanians are not friendly with transparent windows in transport.
Despite the fact that all the carriages were marked with the 2nd class, we were not allowed into the VIP section of the first carriage - there were officials traveling there: a conductor, a barmaid and a policeman with a friend. So my last hope for pictures of the views from the window vanished. As it turned out later, you can't take much photographs at stops either: the train stopped for more than one minute only when VIPs wanted to have a cup of coffee at a station - although the driver did not join them, he waited patiently for ten minutes.
Here, in fact, is our driver before the start of his working day:
Everything is simple and familiar: I came to work on a bike, in ordinary civilian clothes. Soon, a partner of the same plan drove up, and the loading of bicycles began - it is much easier for two to do this:
Of all the staff, only one person flaunts in a railway uniform - the apron controller:
He does not check tickets, but only keeps order in the territory entrusted to him - for example, drives old women away from the edge of the platform in front of an arriving train. As you can see even from the photo, in Durres he was a good-natured guy, but in Elbasan a very strict man was caught - he immediately forbade me to take pictures and escorted me to the very exit, so that God forbid I would disobey :)
However, it's time to go. Elbasan is 76 kilometers away, which the train travels in exactly 3 hours. Considering the condition of the rails, this is a very good speed, and in some sections the train accelerated to 40 and even 50 km / h. The fullness of the car never exceeded a third, and from one end to the next about 10 people arrived. The main flow fell on traffic between neighboring stations, and even commuters were found near large cities, completely faithful to the usual mode of transport.
In half an hour, the train briskly reached the Golem station, which is in the area of distant beaches. Remembering how difficult it is for vacationers to get there in the summer season - either with a transfer on buses, or after standing in traffic jams in a car - I dare to assume that the train in this position is in no way inferior to its competitors for a passenger. What prevents to start up a suburban train with hourly plying according to the summer schedule?
Moreover, it is more convenient and faster to get to all other cities along the route of our train in this way. For example, there is no direct bus between Durres and Elbasan, and it is difficult to change trains in Tirana - the bus arrives at one place and leaves from a completely different one. So what about the preservation of the railway. transport we have arguments.
Let's go further. Everywhere there is a single-track track, and trains can only part ways at stations. An hour after departure, at the Kawai station, we mark the first oncoming train - Elbasan. It is no different from ours:
The work of the conductor and barmaid is not dusty: the first only checks tickets (the passengers themselves open the doors at stops), and the second delivers drinks once all the way. The policeman walks more often, but only because he is a more sociable person - passengers on the train do not make a public row.
In contrast to Durres, the stations of the other stations look ugly and dull, so I took them just for order:
After about halfway, we reach the junction station Rogozhino (Rrogozhinё). Here we are already waiting for the second oncoming train - Vlora, and some of its passengers make a sports change, literally jumping into our train in a minute of parking. Vlersky left the station so quickly that I didn't even have time to photograph him:
I found a working semaphore for the entire journey only one (at least, the lights were on there). And really, who needs them with such low traffic? Moreover, when passing through settlements, the steam locomotive continuously hums like an elephant. However, barriers still work at some level crossings.
The same station on the way back. Here our train arrives a little earlier than Vlora, so that people have time to change trains:
Here we have already turned east and are moving up the valley of the Shkumbini River. The valley is wide, picturesque, intensively plowed up:
But the river itself - it would be better if the eyes did not see: all the coastal bushes are so densely covered with debris that they resemble a New Year tree. But what does not settle on the branches floats to the sea.
The city of Rogozhin (accent on the last syllable) is famous for its many kilometers aqueduct(part of it can be seen in the background of the previous picture). Apparently, the ancient Albanians built it to water their gardens. For the sake of such a sight, I had to contrive and shoot it through the glass at full speed:
The next station - Pechin - pleased us with a creative sign:
More in this regional center, nothing remarkable was found from the window, well, perhaps a maximum security prison :)
Further, the road went noticeably uphill, even tunnels 100-300 meters long appeared. Almost an hour before Elbasan there were no large stations - the only city of Cerrik was located across the river. During the years of socialism, Cerricus was a large industrial center; there was even a small refinery here. A branch of the railway leads to the former plant, marked on all maps as "valid for freight traffic". In fact, driving along it is problematic, and there is no need for more:
Here you can clearly see the "garbage banks" of Shkumbini.
At the entrance to Elbasan, the train passes by (or rather, passes through) another giant of the socialist era - a metallurgical plant. The factory, no less than the size of the city itself, looks abandoned, but life still glimmers in some workshops. Unfortunately, I was not able to take a single angle.
Three hours behind, finally we arrive in Elbasan. The station looks much more modest than the Durres one, but still it is clear that the station is large:
There is even a dedicated first track, but the drivers ignore it. But they are always ready to chat with friends:
Then the platform guard spotted me, and the last shot had to be taken on the way back, and even then surreptitiously:
This is a view of the western mouth of the station. First, there is some kind of track development at the station. Secondly, freight cars were noticed for the first time (this was later, on the way back we came across a whole freight train). Thirdly, there is a spare carriage pair on the siding. I don’t know for what reasons (maybe out of superstition), but at the end stations the locomotive leaves the brought cars and picks up new ones. So, on the way back, we were already traveling in other cars, albeit with the same personnel.
It probably looks much more spectacular from below than from the window of a train going overhead, but it would still be interesting to ride. Well, let's leave that for next time, unless the traffic closes before I’m going to do it.
Vlora (Albania) - the most detailed information about the city with a photo. The main attractions of Vlore with descriptions, guides and maps.
Vlora city (Albania)
Vlora is a coastal town in the south of Albania. It is of particular importance for all Albanians, since it was here that their independence from the Ottoman Empire was proclaimed. Also Vlore is one of the main resorts in the country. The city is located in a picturesque place of the Albanian Riviera on the border of the Ionian and Adriatic seas and is surrounded by beautiful beaches, ancient monasteries and historical monuments.
Geography and climate
Vlora is located in the southwestern part of the Albanian coast. The city is located in the southern part of the Adriatic Sea and in the northern part of the Ionian Sea. Distance from Tirana - 135 km. The climate is typical of the Mediterranean Sea. In summer it is very warm and dry, and winters are mild and humid.
Practical information
- Population - 131 thousand people (the third largest city in Albania).
- The area is 12 km².
- The language is Albanian.
- Currency - lek.
- Time - UTC +2.
- Albanian authorities allow visiting the country without a visa during the tourist season. This is usually the period from April to October. The exact dates vary slightly each year. Visa-free travel is only permitted for tourist and private travel. The maximum stay is 90 days.
- Vlore is famous for its fresh seafood.
History
The city was founded by the ancient Greeks in the 6th century BC. During the Roman period, Vlore was an important port. After its collapse, the city was part of Byzantium. In the 5th century, a bishopric was founded here.
In 1477 Vlora was occupied by the Ottomans. At the end of the 17th century, the city was only briefly captured by the Venetians. In 1912, the independence of Albania was proclaimed here. Vlora became the first capital of the independent Albanian state. During the First and Second World Wars, it was occupied by Italy.
How to get there
The nearest airport is located in Tirana. From the capital of Albania, you can get here by train and bus. Vlora also has a regular bus service with Saranda.
sights
The Independence Monument is the centerpiece of Vlore's main square. It was installed in 1972 and is a prime example of socialist realism.
The Karaburun Peninsula is a picturesque natural landmark located in the place where the Adriatic Sea meets the Ionian Sea. Declared a national underwater park. The peninsula includes magnificent beaches and cozy coves, mysterious caves and crystal clear sea waters.
The Muradi Mosque is an ancient Muslim religious building dating back to 1542. It is believed that the mosque was built by order of the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire Suleiman. The building was built of red and white stone by a famous Albanian architect of the time.
Zvernetsky Monastery is an old Byzantine monastery dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Located 20 minutes from Vlore. The monastery was built in the 13th or 14th century.
Marmiroi The Marmiroi Church is a medieval church, probably built in the 13th century.
Ali Pasha Castle Ali Pasha Castle dates from the first half of the 19th century. Initially (in the 15th century) a Venetian fortress was built here, destroyed by the French in 1798.
Kanine Castle is a medieval castle that rises on the slope of Mount Shusica 6 km from Vlore. The fortress was founded here in the 3rd century BC. In the 6th century, the fortress was rebuilt by Justinian.
The editorial office of "The subtleties of tourism"
Roads and public transport in Albania still leave a lot to be desired. The distance that a traveler can cover in an hour in capitalist and well-equipped Western Europe can take 3-4 hours here. Please be patient and prepare for a long trip.
You can get from Durres to Vlora by taxi, private minibuses, buses or train. The latter runs once a day, check the current schedule at the railway station. The trip will take about 5 hours, tickets cost about 200-300 ALL. The cars are old, and many trains have no toilets.
The Durres bus station is located next to the station, the activity of minibuses and buses falls in the first half of the day. Prices are comparable to railway prices, but it is better to negotiate the cost of the trip in advance. It is also worth going to the station a day before the planned trip and trying to navigate the place by the time of departure. Schedule is a conditional concept, it often depends on the driver and on the filling of the cabin. Buses tend not to go, but to crawl, so it would be good to take a seat by the window and in a chair, and not on the proposed inverted bucket or bench built in the aisle from the board.
A comfortable and fast Florentia Bus (website) runs once a week.
Another option is to rent a car. This method will save you from the headache of finding the right bus, but will not save you from traffic jams and bad roads.
Add answer
Albanian coast
- Where to stay: in any of the Vlora hotels or in apartments with a sea view. In Saranda, the choice of hotels is small, but in Durres you can find a room for any budget. The most expensive hotels are in Pogradec, but their panoramic windows offer excellent views of the lake and mountains.
- What to see: the conditional border between the Adriatic and Ionian seas, ancient Greek buildings and medieval fortresses in Vlore. In Saranda, it is worth visiting the "new Troy" - the ancient city of Butrint and the world's largest acropolis in the excavated by archaeologists Foinik. In Durres there are more monuments of the Roman era: an aqueduct, baths, an amphitheater, and in the vicinity of Pogradec there are many medieval castles, bridges and churches. Its main attractions are
Vlora is located in the coastal part of Albania at the point where the Adriatic and Ionian Seas meet. It was built by the ancient Greeks - the first buildings in the city date back to the 6th century BC. e .. Like the entire territory of Albania, these lands have experienced many invasions - Roman, Byzantine, Turkish. In the 15th century, the Vlora coast was under the control of the King of Naples for several years, until the Turks took over it again. Vlora was finally freed in 1912 and at the same time was declared the Albanian capital for 8 years.
How to get there
You can get from Tirana by car. The distance from the capital is 135 km along a rather good road for Albania. Several roads lead to the city also from neighboring Macedonia and Greece.
There is a bus from Tirana to the Vlora coast. You can also get there by bus from Athens - a daily day or night bus costs about 30 euros.
From Brindisi (Italy, south of Bari), a ferry departs every evening, arriving at the port of Vlora in the early morning.
Transport
As elsewhere in Albania: buses and vans (minibuses). Taxis are also available.
Communication and Internet
There are several mobile operators in Albania, the most popular of which are Vodafone and Telekom Albania. By showing your passport and indicating your place of residence in Albania, you can buy a local SIM card. You can also buy an Eagle Mobile SIM card. It is owned by the state-owned company AlbTelecom and has good coverage, which saves money on calls. Roaming for subscribers of the largest Russian operators is available, but expensive.
The Internet in Albania as a whole is still not very developed due to the fact that for a long time it was one of the most isolated countries in the world. Wi-Fi connection can only be found in some large hotels and libraries. There are internet cafes in Tirana and some major cities.
Resting places
Vlore is the beaches. Their number is almost 30% of the total number of beaches in the country. Here begins the best recreation area in Albania - the Riviera of Flowers, stretching to Saranda in the very south of the country. You can swim from May to October, the average water temperature is 22-25 ° C. The beaches are mostly small pebble and sandy with a developed infrastructure.
Treatment in the city
The climatic resort Ujet-e-Ftokhta (which means "cold water") is located not far from the town of Vlore. Many rest houses and hotels have been built here, and children's camps are organized here in summer. The mountains located in the northeast block cold winds, creating a comfortable microclimate. In local health resorts, diseases of the respiratory and nervous systems are treated.
In addition, deposits of sodium chloride mineral waters containing also iodine and bromine were found nearby.
What to bring
Traditional Albanian souvenirs: various crafts made of carved stone and wood, textiles. Local olives and oil from them, local wine from Merlot and Cabernet grapes.
What and where to eat
Here is the best seafood in Albania. Best of all, octopuses, shrimps, fish and other marine life are cooked in the Paradise Beach and Makareshi restaurants.
You should definitely try the local cuisine: kukurek (a dish of grilled offal), koumeshtor (a dessert made of milk, eggs, vanilla, sugar and flour) and harapash (a meat pie with cheese and lamb, corn flour is used for the dough). Lamb cooked on a spit is very popular in these places - “Mish ne hell”.
The local cuisine is typical of coastal and mountainous areas - grilled products of the highest quality. The best dishes of the region can be tasted at the Kuzum Baba restaurant. It is located on the terrace of the same name, towering over the city and emerging under the influence of sea waves.
Prices in most restaurants, as well as throughout Albania, are quite low - from 7 to 11 euros per person for a three-course lunch with local wine.
At the confluence of the Adriatic and Ionian Seas, mineral springs flow into the sea water. Locals take empty bottles to the beach to fill them with healing water.
Entertainment and attractions
Among the most visited attractions in Vlora are the Ethnographic and Historical Museums, the Muradie Mosque, and the Museum of Independence.
In and around the city there are many ancient castles, the most famous of which is Kanina. It is located 6 km from Vlora in the village of the same name in Shushik, 380 km above sea level. It is believed to have been built in the 3rd century BC. NS.
There are several caves around the city, where you can see rock paintings from the Neolithic and Paleolithic times.
Vlore Monthly Weather
The climate on the coast of Albania is typical of the Mediterranean - mild, wet winters and dry, hot summers. Vlore receives 2,000 hours of sunshine annually - more than any region of the country. The summer heat is softened by the sea breeze, with precipitation mainly in autumn and winter.
|
month |
day air temperature ° C |
air temperature at night ° C |
water temperature ° C |
|---|---|---|---|
| +13 | +9 | +15 | |
| February | +15 | +10 | +15 |
| March | +16 | +11 | +15 |
| April | +20 | +13 | +16 |
| May | +23 | +16 | +19 |
| June | +27 | +20 | +22 |
| July | +31 | +23 | +25 |
| August | +31 | +24 | +26 |
| September | +27 | +21 | +25 |
| October | +23 | +17 | +22 |
| November | +19 | +14 | +20 |
| December | +15 | +9 | +18 |
Detailed city map
Do you know what bothered me the most when planning my trip to Albania? Its public transportation and terrible roads. The prospect of moving around the country at an average speed of 30 km / h in jam-packed old buses without ventilation is a delight for everyone. Globally, I talked about difficult tourist everyday life in the short report "Albania: Operation Manual", so here I will focus only on transport. Some things I will have to repeat from the original text, as they are relevant. Take it as an axiom that Albanian roads eat up the lion's share of your time, and the search for non-existent bus stations is the lion's share of your nerves. And yet Albania is beautiful, this is an indisputable fact. Let's start with the Albanian railway, which is distinguished by its considerable flavor -
Friends, did the photo above scare you? Do not worry, this car is on the side tracks and has not seen passengers for a long time. In fact, you will travel in Albania in other cars, somewhat better than this one. The fact is that several years ago Albania bought old (by Italian standards) carriages from Italy, and now these old Italian carriages are running along Albanian rails. And do not be confused by the broken windows everywhere, these are the kids who amuse themselves with stone throwing on passing trains. However, according to locals, in recent years, the hooligan practice has come to naught and it has become absolutely safe to ride -
From the inside, the wagons look quite civilized, at least better than some long-distance trains, where in truth hell and horror, as if they are transporting not people, but cattle. Albanians travel in substantially better conditions than Russians -
But what Albanian trains have in common with Russian electric trains (in terms of distance, the Moscow-Petushki train corresponds to the longest crossing in Albania from Shkoder to Vlora) is the lack of toilets. More precisely, there are toilets, you understand that even 40 years ago in Italy people did not urinate in the passages between the cars. But for some reason the Albanians walled up the toilets, so the passengers found their way to relieve themselves, something like this -
Albanian railway stations do not differ in the elegance of their architecture, this is not Budapest or Moscow. Everything here is sustained in the strict colors of socialist realism of the sixties, when Albania fell out with Khrushchev and adopted the fiery ideas of Maoism -
Travel on Albanian trains, there you will meet beautiful girls -
And here are the schedules -
And prices (for convenience $ 1 = 100 Leke) -
The interior of the station -
Albanian trains are driven exclusively by old shunting diesel locomotives, now they will attach it to those wagons and a passenger train will go from Durres to Tirana -
I respect railway transport and always prefer it to bus transport. But in the case of Albania, the reality is that it only makes sense to use the train if you have an insanely large amount of free time. It's not even about the broken cars and closed toilets. Not only is the railway transportation network very limited, in fact there are only two lines: Shkoder - Durres - Vlora, Durres - Tirana and Tirana - Pogradec. Almost all trains run through Durres, which is a junction station. There are very few trains, for example, on the Shkoder - Vlora line there are only 2 trains per day, on the Tirana - Pogradec line there is only one. On the Tirana - Durres line, there are about 5 trains a day, 35 km they cover in more than an hour. It is not difficult to calculate how long you will travel, say, from Vlora to Shkoder, where the distance is about 200 km. And this is still provided that the check-out at 4.30 in the morning is fine for you.
p.s In development of the Albania railway theme, I strongly recommend that you familiarize yourself with the report of a colleague griphon , who spoke in great detail about his experience of traveling in Albania by train.
Buses
I have already talked about the peculiarities of traveling in Albania by buses, for those who have not read, I will repeat myself very briefly. Traveling in Albania will be unreasonably long, painful and in poor conditions. Add to the lack of roads the difficult mountainous terrain, killed buses with inoperative ventilation and you get the following figures: the average speed of movement in the northern part of Albania will be about 40 km / h, in the southern, more mountainous part - 30 km / h. Do not be confused by the small size of the country, you will spend more time in transport than visiting attractions. Frankly, I didn’t believe how you can drive so slowly? And the casket opened very simply: a mountain road, all potholed, crawling a truck the age of our parents, followed by a hundred cars and twenty buses. On the opposite lane - an identical picture. Then someone stalls, you are in a traffic jam. So relax and proceed from the above formula 30 and 40. A relatively good road is built between Tirana and Durres, but even there you do not accelerate faster than 50 km / h, and if at some point your chauffeur gave 100 km / h, then the correct sign - there is a traffic jam ahead and you will get up for an hour due to an accident or breakdown of another bus. They are also actively building a highway from Tirana to Shkoder, but it will take several more years until it starts working.
Now it is very easy for you to calculate the travel time. Gathered from Tirana to Gjirokastra? Excellent, worthy place. There are 170 kilometers, the road to the south. This means that 170 is divided by 30 and we get about 6 hours of travel. Going to Rinas airport from the center of Tirana? Do you think that 25 km is not enough? Put an hour on the road - you can't go wrong.
So, Albania has been one of the most closed countries in the world for half a century. It is not surprising that subtleties are formed in it, unknown to us. For example, being in Shkoder, I wondered for a long time how to get a taxi to the Rozafa fortress, which is 5 km from the center. Not a single taxi was seen on the street. According to the Russian habit, I stretch out my hand - no one stops, people look in bewilderment. Then I notice that almost two dozen ordinary cars are lined up along the street not far from me, all of them have open doors. It turned out that this is a taxi, more precisely, "bombiles". But they themselves may not approach you, although they perfectly see that you are catching a car. The funny thing is that the official taxi drivers pay taxes and issue receipts, and the bombiles are forced to, at least formally, go into hiding. If you fit yourself, they will take you, they say, the person asked, could not refuse. But if they themselves imposed on you - this is already a risk of running into an inspector for illegal business activities. Actually, one of the bombers told me all this.
Let's go back to the communist past of Albania. Previously, people did not cut across the country and abroad, but only moved from home to production. Those traveling to the pipe plant were waiting for a shuttle outside the city next to the monument to the Albanian communist. Now the monuments have been demolished, but the waiting system for buses and minibuses in strange places has been preserved. In the town of Fier, minibuses to Berat leave from a certain point, which is between an abandoned boiler house and a city dump. For a long time, a local English-speaking guy explained this to me, “You go straight for a kilometer, then two hundred meters to the right. There you will see the factory chimney, go to it. When you reach the pipe - look to the left, there will be a rubbish heap, you reach it, and then go to the opposite side of the road - there will be a minibus ”. In a fucking state, I went all the way, but I could not find a minibus, but I was barked by a pack of stray dogs. As a result, it turned out that the minibus runs several times a day and today the last one has already left. I had to go back to the center, look for a minibus to some village (whose name I forgot) and from there change to Berat.
In large cities there are some semblances of bus stations, for example, in Durres, all buses are clustered at one point, next to the railway station. You will not find the schedules, do not hope. Some locals will tell you that there is a bus to Tirana every hour. Further, a small collection of Albanian buses, in which you have to spend a considerable part of your journey around this country -
Some buses are quite civil, but this is rare. The bus that you see below is a huge rarity, I would say the only one I have met. Even the air conditioner worked there, which is an absolute nonsense -
In 9 out of 10 cases, other buses will be waiting for you -
The buses will always be overcrowded as the drivers wait until the last seat is taken. And even when all the seats are occupied, buckets will be handed out to the latter and they will ride in the aisle on buckets. It seems to be very convenient.
And once I had to go in the trunk of a minibus, sitting on a spare wheel -
Transport prices
Trains cost $ 1 for 50 kilometers, buses $ 1 for 30 kilometers, minibuses (vans) $ 1 for 20 kilometers. Accordingly, a trip by minibus from Saranda in the extreme south of Albania to Tirana 180 kilometers will cost $ 10-12, from Tirana to Durres only 35 kilometers - just over one and a half dollars.
