Product Description

Albania is perhaps the last hidden corner of Eastern Europe, opening its frontiers to travellers after decades of tyranny and instability, and now safe for visitors. The Bradt guide takes a look at how and where to explore the heritage of a country influenced by the Greeks, Romans, Italians and Turks, who have all left their mark on the landscape and culture. Gillian Gloyer's guide helps travellers get the most out of their sightseeing whilst enjoying Albania's hospitality and natural beauty. It offers in-depth coverage of the capital, Tirana, as well as detailing archaeological attractions and museums and their historic background. Practical information includes transport links by air, bus, ferry and hydrofoil and an easy-to-follow guide to the Albanian language.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #683707 in Books
• Published on: 2003-11-21
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 272 pages

Customer Reviews

Albania- essential guide
Excellent review of Albania, informative, objective and frequently entertaining!! Essential for travellers, visitor and tourists alike.. I frequently refer to the guide still having lived in albania over a year now.. packed with all you will need to know.

Review from an Albanian
Excellent guide. " It does exactly what is says on the tin!!". The best I have read so far and would recommend it to anyone. Invaluable to those who are thinking about visiting Albania, to those in Albania visiting it and to those who would like to visit Albania again. Well worth the space in your travel bag! Unlike a lot of similar material out there that usually mystify and sensationalise Albania (lie basically!) this book has correct, interesting and useful information. I did feel though that it could have done with more pictures, sometimes the "I wish you were here" vocation was so strong that I felt I wanted to see it there and then! Oh well, maybe Gillian thought that the picture would not capture the reality therefore it would spoil it!

The Only Practical Guide to Albania!
If you want to travel around Albania and do more than just hit the few most visited highlights, this is no doubt the book to take.

It is the only English-language guide devoted to Albania alone, and it offers a good coverage of the places and things to see, fairly up to date details of transport and accomodation options, decent maps of both regions and individual towns or cities, as well as well-written background information on culture and history. All the stuff you would expect from good practical guidebooks like the better-known Lonely Planet series (whose coverage of Albania is dismal!).
It is also fairly balanced in covering both budget and upmarket places to stay, something other books often fail at.

So why only 4 stars?
Well, some of the maps would need to be more accurate - they sometimes showed places on the wrong street or corner. Also, in a few cases, practical details were missing, with the existence of accomodation being mentioned, but not the usual details on how much it cost. Same goes for transport info.
Finally, and most mystifyingly, the author has chosen to use non-standard place names ("definite", conjugated forms) even though she herself admits this form is not what you will see in Albania on maps, destination signs of buses or road-signs!

However these shortcomings are well outweighed by all the useful info in the book. If you are planning to tour this little-visited country independently, don't leave home without a copy!