Is Vlorë Safe for Travellers and Tourists?
Bell | 8th August 23
Vlorë is one of Albania’s top coastal destinations with a local population of 130,000.
It’s the perfect summer holiday spot with beautiful beaches, crystal clear waters and tons of day trip options.
But is Albania and Vlorë specifically really safe to visit? Would I recommend holidaying in Vlorë as a solo, female traveller? Read on to find out more about crime statistics, overall security and my personal experience.
As one of Albania’s key tourist destinations, Vlorë is very safe to visit right now.
The Albanian people are very kind and Vlorë has a prominent police presence overall. The city is bustling with tourists in summer so you will never really be alone.
If you take the normal safety precautions, such as not walking at night in a rough area or having your valuables on show too much, Vlorë is a perfectly safe city.
The crime rate in Vlore is overall low. The biggest concern is corruption and bribery, which should not really affect you as a tourist.
I have seen and experienced first hand how Albanians will use bribery to get out of car tickets and other police matters but they left us foreigners completely out of it.
Your biggest risk is falling for a scam or being in a road accident as public transport isn’t the most reliable and there are no real safety precautions. That being said, I took several buses while in Albania and never had or saw anything happen.
The UK government rates Albania good for general security and reports that crimes against foreigners are extremely rare.
Again, they point out the danger of driving and the unsafe roads. Which can be mitigated if you do your research and stay on main roads. We rented a scooter to see cities near Saranda and had no issues.
Yes, Vlore is safe for solo, female travellers.
Locals are friendly and always open to help, even if they don’t speak English. I once had a local offer to call my host when I couldn’t find my accommodation and made sure I got there safely, going pretty far out of their way to help me.
One thing to note is that you will attract attention. In Albania, it is not common that women travel solo or as backpackers. Hence, Albanians are extremely curious about what you are doing and will probably stare (including on the beach – just use your beach umbrella as a view shield if it starts to bother you).
I think this will start to change more and more with more tourists visiting and exposure to this type of travel.
That being said, I never had a situation where I felt uncomfortable or in danger while in Albania.
I felt very safe in Vlore and Albania in general as a solo, female traveller.
The people are kind, you can leave your stuff on the beach without having anything stolen and the touristy areas are perfectly safe to wander at night.
The one thing that you can expect is beeping – Albanian boys and men love to beep at you and possibly shout out the car to show their appreciation. Catcalling is never great, but they never shouted horrible or demeaning things. It was mostly just the words “gorgeous” or “beautiful”.
As a solo, female traveller, I am no stranger to catcalling and it has sadly happened in almost every single country I have been to. Albania was no different but harmless in comparison with other countries.
They may also approach you but I never felt uncomfortable or pressured. My “no” was respected and I was left alone when I wanted to be.
It’s also worth noting that I hitchhiked for the first time in Albania. Apparently the country is known for safe hitchhiking and I can only confirm it. The people who picked me up were all friendly and just very curious about foreigners.
I also had a good experience on the public transport in Albania as a solo female. I was often the only non-Albanian on there and never had any issues or moments where I felt unsafe. Just make sure you know exactly where you need to go and have downloaded a local map of your destination as the buses don’t really have a set drop-off point.
Albanian people are the friendliest people I have met in a while. And I recently spent 7 months in Canada.
They are always happy to help and will go out of their way to do so. Even if they don’t speak English, they will try to communicate with you and be so kind.
If you are walking along the road, they will often stop and offer you rides.
So, yes! Albanian people are friendly and you should add Albania to your bucket list.
I can recommend these hotels and hostels from my own experience or that of other travellers I have met. They are all in great locations that feel safe.
- Valza Boutique Hotel – super clean, friendly owners and incredible breakfast. It is a little out of town but there are beautiful paid and public beaches nearby.
- Yacht Hotel – if you want true luxury at a fair price, this is the hotel for you.
- Vlora Backpackers Hostel – for all my solo and budget travellers, this hostel is central, clean and offers free breakfast.
Vlorë is safe for travellers and tourists alike. Crime rates are low, locals are friendly and welcoming and it is perfect for solo, female travellers.
Albania’s reputation is a little behind the reality. Albania is a very safe country to travel to and a must-stop on any Europe trip.
The best way to get to Vlorë is by bus from Tirana Airport, I have written a detailed guide on every step of this journey here.
Hi, I'm Bell
My blog is here to show you that there isn’t one correct way to travel the world. Together, we can figure out what that means for you. Learn more about me here!
