Traveling to the Balkans without unexpected events

Are you thinking of taking a different holiday than usual, which can give you unexpected emotions? Why not look to the Balkans, with theirs contradictions, their simplicity but also with places and adventures that you would not expect. However, those who love organization and well-defined programs will have to have a lot of patience, because travel in the Balkans can last a very long time and above all they are not always programmable as you would like.

 You will therefore need a good dose of adaptability, especially when you move. We must premise that many of these countries they have no rail transport. And even the (few) railways will force us to travel times similar to those of the bus, if only for the numerous stops scheduled on the few routes available to travellers. So forget the high-speed trains.

In all cases where it will not be possible to book transport tickets in advance, which will often be the case, it will be necessary rely on local people for directions (even the indispensable ones) on bus stops. So here is a series of tips to get the best out of it.

First warning: if you are facing a journey in stages and you have hotels booked in advance, the first thing to do just arrived on site is of inquire about departing buses for the next destination, because they probably won't leave from the place where you arrived, and you won't find the departure times on any website, especially if you are in smaller cities.

A journey, an adventure

The journeys you are going to face by coach will be subject to many variations. Routes of 100 kilometers can last up to 3 hours, for various reasons: first of all, the roads, often with rudimentary asphalt (if not completely absent) and almost always quite intricate in their tormented path along villages, hills, hairpin bends, natural parks. In return you will have a sequence of very beautiful landscapes, interspersed with appreciable signs of willing benevolence for travelers and tourists, as evidenced by the rudimentary but well-equipped local "autogrills" (see photo).

We must say that although these journeys can be long and often require a lot of patience, the drivers they know all the routes by heart and they will have traveled those roads hundreds of times, therefore from the point of view of safety despite appearances you can be relatively calm.

In any case, it is advisable not to plan journeys from one stage to another that exceed 150 km per day, otherwise you would risk seeing the days flying away sitting in the bus, not to mention there are often no links that they go straight that far and then you would still have to stop for a change of Pullman.

Borders in slow motion

Other factors that will contribute to making journeys so long will be borders. You will often come across long lines at the borders, to exit and then immediately enter, from one country to another. In fact, the borders of the Balkans are closely intertwined, in fact it may also happen that you leave one country, enter another and repeat the passage again to arrive at your destination, therefore 4 different checks to be faced. A path that is sometimes done both due to the lack of numerous arterial roads, and to try to shorten travel times, which invariably lengthen as each border passes.

Checks are carried out meticulously, means by means, document by document and always with a little suspicion, a legacy of the old regimes. Therefore, always carry your identity documents with you because they will be collected by the driver at each border and handed over to the police for checks.

On the other hand these long waits have always been an excellent opportunity to make friends, exchange impressions, advice and contacts with other travellers, and if you are lucky enough to have people from the area as travel companions, do not hesitate to ask stories and secrets of these places, full of curiosity, also for their too often dramatic story.

Small and old vehicles, but safe

Another chapter should be opened for the means of transport in themselves which are more or less regular tourist coaches in Croatia, and sometimes also in Montenegro and Bosnia, but the speech changes especially with regard to Albania. In fact, in addition to the winding roads and queues at customs, the reason for the long journey can be the means of transport. They're not always top-notch, but safe enough to get everyone to their destination. You will hardly find terminals for the arrival and departure of coaches, not even in the bigger cities like Shkodra and Tirana.

 You will therefore have to ask the locals for directions as previously mentioned. However, do not look for large coaches because the vehicles are mostly small minibuses capable of carrying a maximum of twenty people, who however can become 23-24 with a few makeshift seats (see photo).

The reason why these little vans are used it is linked to the fact that the large touring coaches, which we are usually used to seeing, could not tackle the narrow hairpin bends, the small roads in the hilly regions and the paths in the natural parks. In return i ticket costs are very low: ranging from 2 to 6 euros for longer journeys.

Advice on documents, water and accommodation

As regards documents and visas, although the Balkan countries are not part of the Schengen area, a passport is not required, for EU citizens, and not even any type of visa. However, this is not the case for the Kosovo, due to the particular status of the country, under the control of the United Nations.

 Running water in most cities it is declared drinkable by the authorities, but nobody actually drinks it, so it is highly discouraged to use it to quench your thirst, unless you are in the natural parks of Albania, where the fresh water gushes out in the fountains, directly from the natural springs (as you can see in the photo of the folkloristic "autogrill").

For overnight stays it is fine get help from technology. In fact, all hostels and hotels can be found on booking, even if reservations and everything that revolves around the hotel, hostel or b&b, are often managed exclusively from a mobile phone. It is always better to book in advance also because these lodgings are often not easily identifiable either because they are hidden or because they will appear to be anything but a hotel (see photo).

As for the telephone network, signal coverage is not always the best. In Croatia it is quite regular, but as regards the rest of the Balkans, except for the big capitals, the signal is often absent (especially in the Albanian natural parks) or very weak. With regard to 4G there is a timid approach in Tirana.

Because it's worth it

There are therefore excellent reasons to undertake these trips. Despite some ups and downs they are always accompanied by a lot Folklore, sympathy and pleasant conversations, making them less tiring and more fun than what they seem to offer us somewhat rudimentary infrastructures and services. Instead, it is a great opportunity for come into contact with the customs and cultures of the local population, well trained in using outdated but still effective means of transport for daily travel. With excellent opportunities to grasp nuances and characteristic stories of the places we are visiting. There are, among other things, opportunities to share food and drink during the journeys.

A holiday trip of this type will not be the most comfortable, but if armed with a little healthy patience, it is certainly an experience to do.

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