updated: 5 September 2015   This is possibly the single most useful part of this website.  It certainly tries to answer the most frequently asked questions.  I know everyone always says this, but Please try reading here before emailing me?  The “By whatever” at the beginning of each paragraph is a link which will jump you down to more concrete details.  Of course, if the answer isn’t here, do feel free to ask catherine@journeytovalbona.com

By Public Transport  ‘The (recent) report of the death of furgons was an exaggeration.’  (Name that paraphrase, and we’ll buy you a beer when you get here! – Besa says no googling!)  There’s been a bit of news recently about a government incentive to make sure all public transport is properly licensed and metered (and paying taxes!).  There’s even a bizarre twist on this which says that in order to eliminate illegal furgons, people are only allowed to drive one way with passengers (no backsies? thus in one fell stroke doubling the fuel consumption of Albania?!).  Anyhow, although it’s kind of hard to tell, many of the minibuses and furgons operating around Tropoja are actually licensed (if not metered or paying taxes?) , and since about 80% of Albanians are still using this to get around, the minibus system should still carry on well through this year!  I can’t help wonder if this doesn’t have something to do with “looking busy” for the pending EU Candidate Status decision.  And furthermore, since up to now there were rarely ‘formal’ bus stations, and it’s usually easiest if someone from your hotel calls someone’s cousin to arrange you a seat, I can’t imagine that ‘illegal’ furgons will be much more clandestine than what went before!

By Boat  The 2 hour trip on Lake Komani was called “One of the Great Boat Trips of the World” by the Bradt Guide, and now everyone repeats it, because it’s super-true!  The Lakes of Vau e Dejes, Koman and Fierze were created in the 1970s by a massive hydroelectric project (about which there are many wonderful romantic communism-era Albanian films made).  The Drin River was flooded along part of its most mountainous length to create these lakes, meaning that now you float on glassy, bizarrely blue water, twisting and turning through narrow passes, past silent mountain peaks.   Sometimes you can see Chamois leaping about the heights.  It would not seem out of place to see a Dragon.  NB:  In winter there are only two options – the daily “Small Boat” or private tours with Mario Molla.  Berisha car ferry will start running on 15 April 2017!

And in the meantime, here’s a handy cheat sheet for boat departure times – just because it keeps making my head spin to look it up . . . .

By Car  Alfred and I drive everywhere, mostly because we like exploring and filling the car with “bargains.”  Alfred is worse than my grandmother, who was the all-time world champion coupon-clipper.  Anyhow. There is a more-than-ordinarily ‘con’ side to driving yourself around Albania, in that the roads are in an almost constant state of being fixed (at a slightly faster rate than they are also constantly falling apart again) as the EU and USAID (and now the IMF, gawd help us) are pouring money into Albanian infrastructure projects.  This means that the shortest way of getting somewhere is almost never a straight (or even straight-ish) line between two points, and roads frequently suddenly stop (or start) being asphalted with no apparent rhyme or reason.  Given that the roads tend to be narrow and twisty in the first place, and given that many of your fellow drivers may be 12 years old, 90 years old, or rather more than you’d wish, er, feeling happy, driving in Albania is really more fun for the adventurous-minded.  None of which is to say that you can’t.  As I began by saying, we do!

Airports  We are getting asked about this more and more.  There are three convenient airports for us: Tirana (aka Rinas), Prishtina in Kosova (Adam Jashari), and whatever it’s called in Podgorica, Montenegro.

On to the details….

By Public Transport:  NB:  You can’t get to Valbona in a car without passing through Bajram Curri (BY-ram Tsurry)

Most things in Albania start bloody early and knock off by 2 o’clock in the afternoon.  Here are some of the most popular routes (You can see the routes on the road map given under “By Car” below)  and the best information we have for each possibility.

New in 2016! Starting in May, the tour operator “Choose Balkans” is beginning daily service from Tirana to Valbona (in a Landrover Defender via Komani Lake) and therefore logically from Valbona back to Tirana (in the afternoon via Kosova).  They figure that as so many of their clients want to come, they may as well run a daily transport – isn’t that nice?  Cost is 25€ one way (either way) or 45€ if booked as a round trip, and they will travel as long as there are at least 4 people booked (or I imagine if there are less people, but they’re willing to pay for 4 people?  Not sure, you’ll have to contact them about this).  This is especially nice, as they will pick you up from your hotel.  The ‘Rover leaves Tirana at 8:00, and leaves Valbona at 16:00.  Contact is choosebalkans@gmail.com or +355 (0)69 88 01 181.  We’ll offer a sign-up service on our end, if you want to take advantage of the return trip.

Then there’s the minibuses:

Tirana <-> Bajram Curri.  1000 lek.  5 hours. Buses leave Tirana starting from 5h00 and run more-or-less hourly until 14h00.  Ask wherever you’re staying to help you reserve a seat and find the bus in the morning.  In case the hotel doesn’t know, you can tell them that the buses for Bajram Curri leave from a small parking lot on Rruga e Durresit, about 200m from the Zogu i Zi roundabout and opposite the Pallati Sportave (see the map to the right).

Going to Tirana: From Bajram Curri I’m not sure when they start, definitely by 8h00, and they leave every hour or two until 14h00.  ALL buses pass through Kosovo now, as the roads are so much better.  This means you will pass through Gjakova and Prizren (in whichever order according to whichever way you’re going,  obviously!) both of which are actually worth getting off the bus to visit, or even spend a night.  Just be warned that since any minibus driver from Tirana could theoretically have sold your seat for the whole 1000 lek fee, you may be expected to pay full price for the first leg.  After that, they’ll just cram you on (you may end up sitting on a fruit crate) and charge you something fair for the next bit.

Bajram Curri <-> Valbona.  250 lek.  1/2 hour (depending).  Like most buses serving small villages, they go into town in the morning and return in the afternoon.  Coming: The bus from Bajram Curri to Valbona leaves at 14h30 every day.  See the helpful map (Thanks Gillian!) to the right for where to find the minibus.  Helpful Hint:  Make sure you tell the driver where you want to go, as in the name of your accommodation (“Alfred” or “Rilindja” if you’re coming to us!).  If you just say “Valbona” you could end up anywhere along an 11km stretch of valley.  Going:  In the morning, the bus starts from the Western end of the valley in Rrogam at 7h00.  You can just stand by the road anywhere looking hopeful, and they will pick you up.  If you have a lot of bags, wherever you’re staying can call the driver-of-the-day and ask them to swing by and pick you up.  A fun fact is that the asphalt was finished in autumn of 2014, so this trip is now much faster and easier than it used to be.  NB:  If you don’t want to wait around for this, a taxi from B.C. to Valbona is 25€.  We can also arrange this for you.  In Summer, there is a second minibus going around 10h30 from Valbona to Fierze to catch Mario Molla’s ferry.  This runs depending on demand, so you should ask your host to call and let the driver know you want to go.  It usually costs 5€.

Shkoder -> Koman. 640 lek. 2 hours.  Have wherever you’re staying call the night before to reserve you a seat.  We use Prek Palit:  355 (0) 68 39 58 101.  He leaves Shkoder at 6h30 ‘te Plepa’ – from the Poplar Tree.  Mario Molla’s meeting place is shown in the map to the left.  It’s worth noting that when coming the other way,  on arriving at the Koman end, there will always be a minibus waiting for the regularly scheduled ferries.  If you’re taking a private boat trip, Mario will arrange it for you, but the most private transport should cost 5€ per person.

Tirana -> Koman.  It’s BACK!  (Yay!)  All we know so far is that the driver is Gjelosh Susaj, and his number is 068 57 21 759.  It leaves Tirana daily, summer or winter, to catch the 9h00 boat departures in Koman.  As soon as I find out the details I’ll post ’em here.  Otherwise, you can always use the round about method via the Puka Bus, as follows:  take one of the two daily minibuses for Puka and get off in Lac Vau Dejes, from whence it’s a taxi ride to Koman.   First bus (300 lek) leaves Stacioni Trenit (Train Station) at 5h00, arrives Vau Dejes at 7h00 and then you can catch the connecting bus to Koman.  The Second bus (also 300 lek) leaves from Zogu i Zi (ish Shkolla Partis) at 6h00 and arrives Vau Dejes at 8h00.  Then you have to catch a taxi (15-20€).  For this it is best to call Mario Molla the night before for help arranging it.

Fierze <-> Bajram Curri. Can’t be more than 200 lek. ½ hour.  The boat captain will make sure the minibus drivers know the boat schedule, and they will be waiting hungrily – I mean happily.  One note of caution: Sometimes there will be people with minibuses waiting who offer to take you all the way to Valbona.  Beware ! Each of the boats is now met by one minibus which goes direct to Valbona, but these other fellows will actually be charging taxi rates, or 35€ (5000 lek).  Meaning, you may arrive in Valbona and be asked for as much as 5000 lek, or 1000 lek each if 5 of you split the cost, which is fair from their (taxi) point of view, but NOT what you are expecting if you thought you were getting on a normal (250 lek) Bajram Curri minibus!!!!  Make sure you ask the price before you get in!  Or better yet, let the boat that brought you put you on their bus.  Again, if you don’t want to be dealing with public transport, we can arrange for a taxi to meet you.  Once again, Fierze to Valbona is 35€.  The other direction (Bajram Curri to Fierze) is a bit more free-form.  If you ask around where the minibuses leave from you WILL find transport to Fierze.  It’s only 20 minutes, so it really shouldn’t cost more than a couple of euros, 5€ absolutely maximum for a taxi.  If taking a taxi, do ask the driver to stop at the Kulla of Mic Sokoli in Bujan which is a very interesting 200 year old Kuvendi (council meeting) tower of local hero Mic Sokoli.

Theth -> Shkoder. 1000 lek (1400 lek in July & August), 2 ½ hours.  Of course this is on the other side of some whopping great mountains, so I’m not sure what is really happening over there, but in 2014 it worked like this:  The number of minibuses on any day was really dependent on how many had come the night before (makes sense – why would someone return empty?), but there was for sure at least one.  They generally leave between 12h00 and 14h00, or whenever they’re full.  Thus it may be possible to rush and hike from Valbona to Theth in time to catch a minibus and leave immediately (yes, laugh, but you wouldn’t believe how many people were doing this last year!!!!), but you may equally possibly miss the bus if you try this.  If you are actually enjoying your leisure, and take time to spend a night in Theth, your host can for sure reserve a seat for you.  On the other hand, a taxi is 35€ (unless it changed this year) so once there are 5 of you it’s more or less the same cost to take taxi.  Again, your host can arrange this.

Valbona -> Shkoder.  If you look at the map under “by car” you’ll see that taking a bus from Valbona to Shkoder (or the other way) without using the lake (aka: boat) is a bit crazy.  But you can do it.  You take the minibus from Bajram Curri for “Tirana,” you can get off the bus in Milot and change for a bus going North to Shkoder.  If you leave Valbona on the daily minibus around 7h00 in the morning, you should get to Shkoder by 15h00.  It’s actually much faster to walk to Theth.  How funny is that?

Prishtina -> Gjakova.  Prishtina Aeroport is becoming a popular way of arriving – cheap flights!  This from the incredibly helpful people at Buffalo Backpackers Hostel in Prishtina: Our hostel is located about ten minutes by walking from the main bus station in Prishtina. From that station you can catch a bus to Gjakova.  They run every 20 minutes from 8am-9pm every day of the week. From Gjakova you can grab a bus to Bajram Curri. From Prishtina there are also two direct buses a day to Shkodra.  

Gjakova -> Bajram Curri.  Mini-Buses leave every hour(-ish, aka: ‘when they are full’) from 10h00 to 14h00. However, be aware minibuses don’t depart from the official bus station in Gjakova, but normally they are the vans from Bajram Curri who travel direction of Tirana (and vice-versa), and those vans are normally located in Mula Jusuf square, in a straight line from the Old Bazaar (Ismail Qemajli Street) near the Catholic church.

Back to Top / By Car

By Boat via Lake Komani:  

Car Ferry: Back in the Saddle Again . . . . 

The Big Car Ferry “Alpin” started running again 15 May 2016.  For private tours you can try contacting them directly.  Chatty bits remain as before:

Well, will wonders never cease?  After 3 years of financial obsolescence, the Car Ferry (rechristened ‘Trageti Alpin’) is redecorated, glamorized and up and started running again in Autumn 2014.  The contact number of the boat is 355 (0) 68 80 12 731.  It now (as of 16 May) runs daily but only if there are enough reservations to make it worth their while! so if you call or book online you may get a message the night before saying “Nevermind, we’re not.”  However, assuming all goes well, it departes Fierze at 9h00 and Koman at 12h00.  The rates are basically 3,000 – 3,500 lek per car (depending on how big they are) and/or 1000 lek per person.   They do have a website at www.alpin.al.  Last question is if the car ferry is doing anything about arranging a bus to Valbona, which I haven’t worked out yet, but you can (somewhat confusingly) ALSO call Mario Molla, who is taking reservations for all the boats on the lake (the service being just to make it all simple to get you from Shkoder to Valbona and/or back again, with minimum bother).

The Small Car Ferry 

Brand New in 2015, the Small Car Ferry “Berisha” leaves Koman at 9h00 daily, and Fierze at 13h00.  Cost is 5€/m2 for a car (so usually around 25€ for a normal car) plus (or) 5€ per person.  They have a working agreement with a minibus which provides transport to Valbona directly.  Or a taxi to Valbona is around 30€, and for sure there will be some hanging around. Despite the fact that they can only take about 10 cars, they don’t seem to be bothered about reservations – but still you can always call the night before (probably a good idea especially on weekends):  069 68 00 748.  They are owned by the same people as the “Dragobia” (below) and both boats share the same WEBSITE.  They arrive and depart at the “Breglumit Ferry Landing” (not the Fierze Bridge like some of the smaller boats).  Berisha will start operating in 2017 on 15 April!  And NEW is that you can now reserve a ticket online, and have it emailed to you!  Check it out HERE.  Just be aware that the ticket doesn’t specify which boat you have to get on – doesn’t matter!  The price is the same.  So the same ticket can get you on either boat (but not both ;).  They ALSO have information about accommodation options in Koman, or near Shala River.  I think they might also have some kayaks . . . . ?!

Passenger Transport: The “Small Boat” or Anija (an-EEE-ya)

Also called the “Bus Boat” and actually named “Dragobia.” 5€ per person (about 700 lek). 2 hours. This boat runs all year, weather permitting, as it is the transport for people who live on the lake.

Departs Fierze for Koman at 6h00.  Departs Koman for Fierze at 9h00.  At either end the boat is met by a dedicated minibus.  The one in Fierze takes you directly to Valbona for 10€ (which he calls a ‘tour.’  I’m skeptical.)  I’ve just learned that they’ve organized transport daily from Tirana, as well as from Shkoder, either of which costs another 500 lek per seat.  (See “Gjelosh Susaj” under “By Public Transport.”)

This boat is also available for hire for large groups from Fierze in the afternoon, after they’ve finished their daily route.  355 (0) 68 52 70 934.  Please note that the small boat docks in Fierze at the new “Breglumit” Ferry landing, which is about a 10 minute drive away from Fierze proper.

Daily and Private Tours and Ferry:  Mario Molla

Mario is an excellent young man from Koman, working hard to develop tourism services on the lake.  Like any good water rat, he knows that “there is nothing—absolutely nothing—half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats,” (another beer for that one!) and so he has a bunch of ’em, and accordingly offers a bunch of different services.  With his own boats he is concentrating on doing private tours of the lake, focusing on really enjoying Koman (rather than just crossing it from one end to the other).  I’ve heard he also has a floating barbeque dock.  In addition, he is also converting his family farm on the banks of the lake to a guesthouse.  You should definitely ask him how that’s going.  He has excellent English, and answers emails promptly.  His number is:  355 (0) 68 52 63 884, or check his website: www.komanilake.com.  In recent years he’s branched out to fill the Albanian service void, and is actually taking bookings door-to-door from Shkoder to Valbona (or vice versa) which is handy if you don’t want to deal with any of it yourself.  On the other hand, I suppose it must cost a bit extra?  Anyhow, the rate for this booking service is 20€ from Shkoder to Valbona, or 15€ from Koman to Valbona, and I suppose it must work the same way coming back, if you replace “Koman” with “Fierze.”

Boat Tours:  Do check out the Eco-Tour on his website, which sounds really nice as it spends maximum time on the most beautiful parts of Komani, but it won’t get you to Valbona which is important to realize.

If you want to design your own tour, start budgeting at 30€ per hour.  His boats range from 30-40 people capacity, 10 people, 4 people or a motor launch which can take 2 people, super-fast.

Airport Transport:  Mario also does airport transfers from Podgorica (Montenegro), and maybe even from Rinas (Tirana).  Contact him for prices.

Back to Top / By Public Transport

By Car:  Here is a handy-dandy map – please note that the routes are correct on the map, but for time (duration) please refer to the text which reflects new asphalt.  (I’ll update the notes on the map as soon as I can find the file!)

Via Puka.  Bajram Curri <-> Tirana.  7 hours.  This is now absolutely the silliest way of going, unless you either like crazy roads, or if you want to pass through Puka, where you can stay at the very nice Guesthouse of Perparim Laç.  So of course it’s my favorite!  It was the old overland minibus route, but now that the highway to Kukes is open, probably absolutely no one will be going this way. Which means you’ll have the whole crazy road to yourself! On the downside, it also means that no one will be maintaining it, so be very cautious about driving on it in bad weather (this includes rain, as parts of the mountains may fall on the road). This may be the longest, twistiest, most hair-pinny and death-defying road in Albania.  Leave yourself 7 hours. You can probably do it faster, but I wouldn’t recommend it. Avg speed: 30mph  The only place to stop mid-way through the twisty bit is in Dardhe, where there is the very nice Hotel Alpin, although I’m feeling a bit conflicted about them (a bit?) now that they’ve got two Brown Bears in a cage.  Not nice.

Via Has & Krume.  Bajram Curri <-> Tirana without leaving Albania.  6 hours.  Yay!  They finished the asphalt!  So this is now a very nice, quiet route, which avoids going through any borders.  It is really beautiful, passing through many small villages so you get a better feel for rural Albanian life, and there is almost never anyone ON the road, so it’s really fun to drive.  Plus you pass through the “Three Fields or kingdoms – Tre Polje” area that gave Tropoja its name.  Well, that’s what someone told me.  At night, the rabbits leap around like pop corn (er, I mean, like pop-corn popping.  Not so hot, I hope – for the rabbits’ sake.)  Do see “Beware the Stupid Road Sign” below, as you’ll encounter this too if you’re arriving in Bajram Curri this way.

Via Kosovo.  Tirana <-> Bajram Curri through Kosovo.  5 hours.   This is really the most sensible way of going, in the sense that the roads are so much better, so it’s safer and faster.  I used to think this made it also boring, but it has recently come to my attention that Prizren and Gjakova are both really beautiful and interesting towns, if you get off the main road and go exploring.  In Prizren, Galdrim the owner of Prizren City Hostel is happy to show you around and stuff you full of coffees and beers – for FREE he says (though that doesn’t seem fair, we should give him something, I think)!  Anyhow, it’s a beautiful old Ottoman administrative center.  Really Gorgeous cobbled roads along the river.  Gjakova is a bit more wild-westy, as befits the urban (well, urban-ish – more of a big town, really) economic center for this half of the Malesi (Highlands).  But it also has a some of the nicest  things in Kosovo, including a really beautifully frescoed Mosque, all based around the “Old Pazar” area which has been completely authentically reconstructed, including now having the main street closed to cars with little benches and what not.  It is really, honestly, worth a stroll around.  If you go into the Old Hotel, they may even let you ride up and down in their elevator.  Well, we always do.  I also just noticed that “Gjak-kova” must mean “Buckets of Blood” which is just too wonderfully Piratey, don’t you think?

There’s really only 2 important things to know about this route (that I can think of):  1st is about Car Insurance and 2nd is about one really stupid road sign outside Bajram Curri . . . . read on!

updated 2 Sept 2013 – Car insurance for Kosovo: Thanks to Ralph Seybold, for giving me the absolutely correct information (as of 2/9/13):  It’s 30 euros for 15 days of insurance, for anyone except:  1) people with Albanian plates (in which case it’s free) or 2) Serbian or Montenegrin Plates (in which case it’s half price).  This was for quite big car camper.  Bear in mind that they once tried to charge us 70 or 120 euros or something like that, on the grounds that our Pickup Truck was a “commercial vehicle” (as they say in NYC).  However, Ralph’s camper was about 3 times the size of the truck, so I think you can count on 30 euros).

Beware the stupid road sign:

If you’re driving from the Kosova Border at Qafa e Morina, please read all of the below, it is useful (in addition to making me laugh). 9 April 2017

Those of you who have been here before will remember my warning which was posted here for years, and was accurate up until last year:

“Outside of Bajram Curri to the East (coming from the Kosova Border), you will find this road sign.  You might imagine that the correct thing to do to get to Bajram Curri (and from there to Valbona) would be to turn right, but here you would be sadly mistaken.  The correct answer, boys and girls, is to turn LEFT.  The sign predates the roadworks that have made the left hand road a beautiful (and smooth) approach to Bajram Curri, and which allows you to enjoy a beautiful stretch lined by Poplar trees that makes me happy every time I drive along it, just because it is so beautiful! Still, if you do (or did!) turn right, you will end up in Bajram Curri as well – only it’s a bumpy crazy road that will almost shake you to bits.  Then again, I suppose it’s good practice for other Albanian Roads?”

Last year, in 2016, someone finally altered the road sign, so now it looks like this (sorry – the light was bad, but you get the idea):

But the joke IS, they then repaired the asphalt on the right-hand road, which is actually much shorter, and very pretty, passing over a bridge, on the far side of which you can get out by an abandoned “lokali” (cafe) and have a nice poke around the river (or going Kayaking if you like such things!).  You will pass through one small village where you have to choose between going right or left and there’s no sign, but just keep heading downhill (right!).  SO!  The message in 2017 is STILL:  Ignore the dumb sign, and go the opposite way.  Ha!

Back to Top / By Public Transport / By Boat

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And here’s ALL the old stuff from years before . . . . hopefully I’ll tidy it up and put it away but there might be something useful down there!

13 August 2013:  Okay, could this be the last time I write this?!  There is NO car ferry anymore.  Hasn’t been for two years!  None.  Zip.  Nada.  Do not listen to anyone who tells you there is!  Rumor has it that the “Small Boat” fellow is building a little car ferry, for maybe a couple of cars, but it’s not running now, since it doesn’t in fact yet exist.  Okay?  No cars.  Whew!

ON the other hand, there is now an afternoon boat from Fierze, thanks to Mario Molla.  Therefore you can leave Valbona on the daily minibus (7h15), catch a minibus in Bajram Curri for Fierze (departing every hour, according to Mario, and costs 200 lek per person – whereas a taxi is about 500 lek), and then take Mario’s boat at 13h00.  This afternoon boat costs 10euros, and is more of a tour, including swimming stops.  Mario arranges transport on the other end (Koman) to Shkoder for about 5 euros per person, and you should arrive in Shkoder around 20h00.

Minibuses from Tirana are more of a challenge.  Right now only Lulash Bush Gjoka is making the trip.  We did have a complaint about him last year, so he wouldn’t be our first choice if he wasn’t the only driver doing it.  If you’re up for the experience, his number is: 355 (0) 68 25 12 467.  1000 Lek / person

First Order of Business (in answer to the Most Asked Question):  The Latest we’ve Heard about the Lake Komani – Fierze Ferry Situation