Balkans (Albania, Montenegro, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina)

This year for Independence Day we took a week off to travel around the Balkans.  We decided to do a mini road trip, and it was so much fun! To start, who took the overnight ferry from Bari, Italy to Durres, Albania (ferry including car and cabin €200). Here is a description of what we did by country, but our route is also listed below.

Albania ($1~108LEK)

*Tirana 

Just outside Tirana is a former Communist era bunker, Bunk'art (€5/pp), that has been turned into a museum. It was very interesting to see. There is also a second museum within the town of Tirana, Bunk'art 2, which is dedicated to the victims communist terror. We would have liked to stop and see this if we had had more time.

After visiting the bunker, we took a cable car, Dajti Ekspres (1,000LEK/pp RT), up the mountains. This was unplanned, but we are really glad we found it! We went up and ate at Ballkoni Dajtit, a restaurant that gives a great view of Tirana. The restaurant had local food and wine, and a stunning view. If you have time, there is also mini golf and other activities!

*Shkoder

For sunset we went to Rozafa Castle (200LEK/pp), which overlooks the mountains and Lake Shkoder (which spans the border between Albania and Montenegro). The views were wonderful, and it was nice to walk around the castle. There is parking near the entrance, and even though the office closes at 7pm it seemed like people just came in anyway.

We spent one night in Shkoder at Hotel Lejgenda in the Forest's whispers cabin (€25), though they also have other rooms and camping options to accommodate all budgets. There is a pool and restaurant on site, and we would definitely stay here again.

Matt and I loved our time in Albania, even though it was so short. We would definitely recommend everything we did to others, and hope to come back some time!! 

Montenegro ($1~.89EUR)
*Sveti Stefan 

We spent day two on the beach, and it was wonderful (€15-30 for 2 beds and umbrella, parking near the beach for €2/hr or street parking). The water was still cold, but we were in the middle of a heat wave, so it was nice to relax for a bit! The beach is known for it's pink stones and clear blue water.

*Bay of Kotor

Walk around the old town and take a boat ride (€30/pp). The town is very cute and seeing the bay via boat is a great way to stop at some of the islands (including Our Lady of the Rock, a manmade island with a church) and see the small towns, such as Perast, from the water. We took a three hour boat tour with Kotor Boat Tours and saw Kotor, Mamula, Blue Cave, Our Lady of the Rock.

Croatia ($1~6.5kn)
*Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik was a very cute town, with plenty of alley ways to explore. However it is SUPER expensive and we often paid $6-7 for water at restaurants!!! Crazy.

My favorite thing was probably walking the Walls of Dubrovnik (200kn/pp). If it is summer, you should walk them later in the day to avoid peak heat.

We also drove up Srd to get a view of the city from above. There is a cable car to take you up (it was not running for a while, so check) or you can walk/drive up.

Airbnb: We stayed in Rozat, 15-20 min from Dubrovnik and took an Uber in/out for about $15 each way.  Much cheaper, and really nice place. Would stay here again!  

*Split

In all honesty, we did not love Split! The architecture and Diocletian's castle were cool, but overall it seemed very touristy with lots of restaurants and shopping. We probably wouldn't visit again, and might only recommend it to Game of Thrones fans, or as a base to see other parts of Croatia.

In both Dubrovnik and Split we booked a free walking tour with the same company. The one in Dubrovnik was great, the one in Split not so much. These tours really depend on the guide (don't forget to tip!). If you are a Game of Thrones fan, filming took place in these two cities, and there are many GOT tours! GOT filmed in Dubrovnik (King's Landing) for six seasons.

Airbnb right outside of town ($90/night), studio, not the best (so no link!)

*Trogir

We heard that Trogir was a very quaint town, and wanted to explore it but ended up getting sidetracked by Trogir beach before we reached town 😜 (90kn for 2 beds, umbrella)....we also discovered filters

*Ston

We had also planned to climb the Walls of Ston, but arrived around midday and it was more than 100 degrees outside...

*Plitvice lakes (~$40 in peak season)

This is a MUST SEE. It is Croatia's most visited national park, and there is a reason for that. There are beautiful lakes and waterfalls, and it was a great way to end the trip. We took the 4-6 hour route (H), started at 8am, and parked at entrance 2 (less crowded), which was a good amount of time in the park (though we could have stayed longer). Be sure to take food and water with you.

Airbnb: great host, 15 min from national park. Huge apartment. Wish we could have stayed longer!

Bosnia and Herzegovina ($1~1.75BAM)
*Mostar

Mostar was very unique compared to the other places we visited. The Turkish influence is evident, and visitors should note the architecture. The Old Bridge Area of the Old City of Mostar is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the the tower from the minaret of the Koski Mehmed-Pasha Mosque (€6) provides a panoramic view of the city, including the Old Bridge. 

Airbnb: cute little boutique hotel ($43, cheaper in advance). Not horrible but nothing special. Walking distance from town.

*Kravica Waterfalls (€5/pp)

These waterfalls looked beautiful, however, they are very touristy and the water is freezing. Better to spend time elsewhere.

Route (9 full days)
Friday, June 28 --> Drive Naples - Bari; Ferry Bari, Italy - Durres, Albania
Saturday, June 29 --> Durres, Albania (day near Tirana) - Skhoder, Albania
Sunday, June 30 --> Skhoder, Albania - Bay of Kotor, Montenegro (stop at Sveti Stefan beach)
Monday, July 1 --> Bay of Kotor - Dubrovnik (boat ride Kotor, Sud mountain view Dubrovnik)
Tuesday, July 2 --> Dubrovnik
Wednesday, July 3 --> Dubrovnik - Ston - Kravica Waterfall - Mostar
Thursday, July 4 --> Mostar - Split (morning in Mostar)
Friday, July 5 --> Split - Plivtice (day in Split)
Saturday, July 6 --> Plivtice - Bologna (day in Plivtice Lakes National Park)
Sunday, July 7 --> Bologna - Naples

**Click HERE for a Google Map with loaded locations and route***

*Alternative route: as always, we wanted to see much more, but were limited on time! Because it was summer we decided to stay along the coast and drive through Split. The other option we considered was driving to Sarajevo after Mostar, the Jajce on the way to Plitvice.  (In hindsight this probably would have been a better choice. We personally did not love Split and read so many good things about Sarajevo).

That being said, we had to cut out quite a bit and would have loved to spend more time in each country, especially southern Albania (said to have wonderful beaches), and many national parks in Montenegro (including Biogradska Gora and Durmitor)

Logistics 

*Border crossings: we arrived in Durres, Albania about 50 minutes late and waited another 50 minutes at the border, so be sure to plan for any border delays (here and at other crossings) when you are planning your travels. All other borders were between 20-50 minutes. 

*Insurance: we have insurance for our car, since we live in Italy, and possess a green insurance card. However, our insurance did NOT include Albania, so be sure this is something you check on before starting your trip. We had read that you can buy insurance in some countries at gas stations, but we had to buy some at the boarder and the minimum cost was €50.
*Tolls: You can pay with cash or credit card. 
*Currency: have cash with you when you travel. Every country we went to had a different currency, but we didn't want to take too much out and be stuck with too much cash. Most places will take all of the currencies listed above (but not some places in Croatia). If we were to go back, we would take more Euro cash with us.
*Phone: We have Italian SIMs so our phones only worked in Croatia. We read that SIM cards are widely available and cheap, but were not in any country too long so decided to just turn off our data. Be sure to book a place with reliable wifi so you can look up anything you need to at night!

*Food, Gas expenses: breakfast/snacks $5, lunch $20, dinner $50 (average); Gas $150