Albania

Vlorë Quickstart: Everything You Need for Your First Month

Planning to stay in Vlorë for a few weeks, not just a holiday? Here's the essential overview with links to the detailed guides.

Planning to stay in Vlorë, Albania for a few weeks or longer? This is your quickstart. The essentials in one place, with links to deeper guides where you need them.

Important: Albania is developing rapidly. Infrastructure changes, new services appear, old ones close. This reflects my experience in late 2025. Verify details locally.

When to Come

Short answer: September or October.

September still feels like summer: hot days, warm sea, barely any rain. By October, the tourists thin out, the sunbeds disappear, and you see the real city. Average temperatures drop from 27°C to 21°C, but shorts weather continues.

Summer means crowds and higher prices. Winter means rain and closures. Shoulder season hits the sweet spot.

The full picture: Why I Loved Vlorë in Shoulder Season

Getting Here

The route: Hermes runs a direct Vlorë-Airport bus (2.5 hours, book ahead).

Journey time: 2 hours 30 minutes. Return cost 2400 - 3000 LEK (£22-£27)

The buses are often minibuses, not coaches.

More options and step-by-step guide: Taking the Bus from Tirana to Vlorë

Where to Stay

The quick take:

Area	Best For	Trade-off
Lungomare	Sea views, modern, sunset walks	Higher prices, touristy in summer
Old Town	Character, local feel	Fewer apartments, further from beach
City Centre	Budget, market access	No sea views
North Vlorë	Nothing, honestly	Avoid

My pick: Start of the Lungomare where it meets the city. Best of both: seafront on your doorstep, shops nearby.

Expect to pay: Around €700/month for a decent one-bedroom. Negotiate directly with agents for better rates than Airbnb.

Full neighbourhood breakdown: Where to Stay in Vlorë

Working Remotely

WiFi: Solid. My apartment hit 99 Mbps. Mobile backup on 5G reached 280 Mbps.

Best cafés for working:

URA Specialty Coffee — Coworking vibe, large table, international crowd
INI - A Place To Be In — My favourite, stylish, cheap, relaxed

SIM cards: One network, 12GB for £14/month. 100GB tourist packages around £26.

Reality check: The digital nomad scene isn't really established. No coworking spaces packed with laptops. But the infrastructure works and it's growing.

Full guide: Where to Work and Meet People in Vlorë

Meeting People

The spot for expats: Beer House 24 on the Lungomare. Most evenings, you'll find expats there. Many Americans (thanks to the one-year visa), Australians, and other Europeans. Hard to spot Brits.

Also: Vlorë Facebook groups are active. Join before you arrive.

More detail: Where to Work and Meet People in Vlorë

Food & Shopping

Supermarkets: Conad, Big Market, local shops. Fine for packaged goods.

The real value: Local markets (northern end of city), fishmongers, bakeries. Fresh produce is excellent and significantly cheaper than supermarket equivalents.

Must try: Birek (flaky pastry, cheese or spinach filling). 80-120 LEK each. Available everywhere.

Full cost breakdown: What a Month in Vlorë Actually Cost Me

Coffee Culture

You don't rush coffee here. The culture is built around sitting, talking, watching the world pass.

Espresso: around 80p. Seafront cafés charge more for the view.

Surprise find: Çaj mente (Albanian mint tea). I drank it half the time instead of coffee. Refreshing, good for digestion, cheap.

More on this: The Albanian Tea That Replaced My English Breakfast

Practical Bits

Currency: Albanian Lek (ALL). Closed currency, so you can't buy it abroad. Hit the ATM at Tirana airport on arrival. Fee around 600 LEK.

Cash: Still king. Cards accepted in supermarkets, but don't rely on it.

Water: Avoid tap water, bottled for drinking.

Language: English spoken by younger people, especially near the coast. Google Translate handles the rest. Learn "Faleminderit" (thank you).

Getting around: The city is walkable and flat. Dedicated bike lane runs the length of the city. Taxis; vlore.online or Hola taxi work well.

The Honest Summary

Vlorë isn't polished. The infrastructure is developing. Some buildings look neglected. The bus system runs on informal efficiency rather than timetables.

But it's affordable, safe, and genuinely relaxed. The food is excellent. The sea is beautiful. The cost of living is closer to half what you'd pay in the UK for a comparable lifestyle.

If you're testing whether life abroad might work for you, Vlorë is a low-risk place to try and find out.