Albania : Safety by CityTirana is the capital of Albania.
Many people love Tirana and truly is a beautiful and charming city, where the sprawl of the big city and the charm of a small town meet with a vibrant nightlife.
It’s good to note, however, that Tirana suffers from severe pollution problems, mainly due to the rapid increase in car usage and continuous construction.
The summer is the best time to visit this gorgeous city, take a trip down the beach – or visit the many swimming pool complexes where you can get drinks food and have a nice, relaxing day.
Warnings & Dangers in Tirana
OVERALL RISK: LOW
Tirana is a relatively safe city to travel to. There are mild threats, nothing that should stop you from traveling there. Since it's the capital of Albania, there are no major issues, and the only area you should avoid is Albania's border with Kosovo.
TRANSPORT & TAXIS RISK: LOW
Means of transportation are various in Tirana but not very reliable. Just because there is a schedule, doesn't mean there is a schedule, so you can count on waiting for buses, trains, etc. However, it is mostly safe, but be careful of pickpockets on buses and trains.
PICKPOCKETS RISK: MEDIUM
Petty crime involving pickpockets is common, especially if you're using public transportation. Also, cell phone thefts and wallet thefts do happen, so keep your valuables in a safe place and take basic precaution measures.
NATURAL DISASTERS RISK: LOW
Tirana lies in a seismically active zone, and minor earthquakes and tremors are common. Serious earthquakes are less frequent but do occur.
MUGGING RISK: LOW
Mugging, cell phone thefts, and carjacking do happen, however, these cases are not too common. Tirana is not known for kidnapping, so you should be fine, but use common sense and be vigilant for any dangers at all times.
TERRORISM RISK: LOW
There haven't been terrorist attacks in Tirana's recent history, but they shouldn't be ruled out.
SCAMS RISK: MEDIUM
There's always the risk of getting scammed if you're a tourist, and this also applies to Tirana. Tourists have been overcharged for beers and street food, or given the wrong change, so try to avoid street vendors and negotiate everything in advance and check your change twice.
WOMEN TRAVELERS RISK: LOW
It is safe for women to travel alone in Tirana, and most people will probably go out of their way to help in any way, but you should avoid walking in remote areas and alone at night.
So... How Safe Is Tirana Really?
In general Tirana and Albania are very safe, Albanians are kind people and would go above and beyond to help other people, especially foreigners.
Albania’s bad reputation is hard to shake, although it is a relatively safe place to visit.
Like anywhere else in the world you have to take the everyday measures against instances of petty theft, pickpockets in public transportation and similar occurrences.
Violent crime is very rare in Tirana compared to other big cities in the world.
Most violent crimes that occur in Tirana come down to blood feuds between two or more families.
The usual crimes in Tirana are usually thefts.
Overall, it’s safe to walk around Tirana during the day and night.
Suggestions for safety neighborhoods are Elbasanit, Fortuzi, Mine Peza, and Qemal Stafa streets.
As for petty crime, pickpocketing and cell theft, as well as luggage theft are the most common forms of a crime you’ll find on the streets, and they are relatively common.
Carjacking is rare in Tirana but vehicle theft is common so be sure to lock your vehicle before leaving it, and do not leave any valuables in a visible place in the car.
How Does Tirana Compare?
| City | Safety Index |
|---|---|
| Tirana | 59 |
| Belize City (Belize) | 37 |
| La Paz (Bolivia) | 52 |
| Sao Paulo (Brazil) | 45 |
| Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) | 43 |
| Sofia (Bulgaria) | 73 |
| Siem Reap (Cambodia) | 63 |
Useful Information
Visas
As a tourist, you don't need a visa to enter Tirana. You may stay up to one year in Albania without applying for a residency permit, and your passport should be valid for at least three months beyond your stay in Albania.
Currency
Albanian lek is the currency in Tirana. Some say that Tirana is a little more expensive than Skopje or Bucharest, but it is still cheaper than most European capitals. Use ATM's with caution and exchange your money in banks.
Weather
Tirana has a Mediterranean climate, with hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters in the lowlands. In the highlands, it is cold from November until March, and snow is a regular occurrence.
Airports
Tirana's main and busiest international airport is Tirana International Airport Nënë Tereza, commonly known as Rinas International Airport.
Travel Insurance
Just like anywhere else, we recommend getting travel insurance when traveling to Tirana, since it covers not only the costs of medical problems but also theft and loss of valuables.
Tirana Weather Averages (Temperatures)
Average High/Low Temperature
| Temperature / Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °C | 11 | 12 | 15 | 18 | 23 | 27 | 30 | 30 | 27 | 21 | 16 | 12 |
| Low °C | 2 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 12 | 17 | 17 | 14 | 10 | 6 | 3 |
| High °F | 52 | 54 | 59 | 64 | 73 | 81 | 86 | 86 | 81 | 70 | 61 | 54 |
| Low °F | 36 | 36 | 39 | 46 | 54 | 54 | 63 | 63 | 57 | 50 | 43 | 37 |
Albania - Safety by City
| City | Safety Index |
|---|---|
| Tirana | 59 |
Very weird content
Why you wrote ” the only area you should avoid is Albania’s border with Kosovo.” what’s going on up there? The country is perfectly safe to travel.
The border with Kosovo is bot dangerous, this is a complete bullshit!
Kosovo safety
When talking about safety, Albanian’s border with Kosovo is one of the safest places in Albania.
Kosovo is a very safe place for tourists. Our well known hospitality for foreign people makes it even a better place to travel to.
Kosovo has a lot of beautiful places to visit too.
We have a very very rare nature wonder which is known as Bifurcation. That is a natural phenomenon when a river splits into two tributaries and flows into different marine catchments.There are only 2 nature wonders like this (one is in Brasil and one is in Kosovo). Despite that, we have other nature wonders too.
LETS SEE IF TRAVEL SAFE IS RIGHT!
UM TIRANA IS SAFE I THOUGHT. I WILL GOOGLE SEARCH TOO SEE IF YOU ARE RIGHT,OK.
Tirana is crap town
You should avoid travel to Tirana. Public transport is cheap but not reliable at all, no public transport maps, no time table, no any info on Google maps, even in buses there’s no public transport maps. Mans who selling tickets in the buses are rude and if they see a tourist they will try charging you twice and sell you another ticket. Lot’s of beggers, very polluted city, people are also not much nice, city is very dirty and river looks like sink with rubbish. Trains looks like be just going to scrap yard.
Tirana isn’t a place of wealth. You can’t go here expecting it is something that isn’t there. In terms of safety, I think it is fine. I don’t understand going somewhere without researching it or looking into it more. You would have likely not had a cultural shock that you did, just my opinion.
please everyone who wants to go to Tirana please don’t go
worst country in world
Worst country prob even from Sierra Leone, theft is very common, they stole wheels overnight from my car, also pick pocket my friend. We are foreigners, worst decision in my life to visit Tirana…Man actively flirt with my Wife…. HORRIBLE.
Not a must visit, but there are a lot of benefits
I’ve been living in Albania (Tirana and Durres) since I was born. I’ve visited a lot of cities in Europe and I can tell that there are a lot of differences. Tirana isn’t a well organized city (still the most organized city in Albania). It has a high pollution rate. Public transport is very bad (no timetables, usually very crowded and it can contain pick pocketers at times). Good things are low prices (still Tirana has the highest prices in Albania). Criminality is low. There are some beautiful beaches. The nature is amazing. There are a lot of mountains you can climb and the views are fantastic. The food is very good and cheap also. Night life in Tirana is good. Locals are friendly with foreigners and always willing to help (unless they own a business. They will usually have the tendency to charge more (not all of them)).
In overall I think it is a good idea to visit Albania. Don’t expect much from a country where democracy didn’t exist until 90′. 10+ years ago it wouldn’t have been worth it to visit, but now I think it is worth it and probably it will get better with time.
Peace
Albania is the hidden gem of Europe and Tirana is really safe. Me and my wife had a wonderful few days travelling around this beautiful country.