I keep seeing conflicting reports in the safety of Albania for solo females. Anyone have any personal experience to offer?
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Whilst I didn’t go on my own (went with my bf) I did wander around on my own occasionally and never ran into any issues and felt completely safe. I wouldn’t hesitate to go there solo just take the usual precautions that you would anywhere as a solo female
Awesome Ty!
Not female, but been to Albania - Tirana is as safe as you would want. In fact, women being approached is not the done thing here, as the country is largely Muslim.
Its a sleepy country which is trying to catch up with the rest of Europe.
Very encouraging :)
women being approached is not the done thing here, as the country is largely Muslim.
A country being Muslim doesn’t necessarily reflect how safe/comfortable a woman feels, as reflected in Cairo and for blonde/pale women in Marrakech, for example.
Noted. You make a valid point. In fact, Istanbul is about as bad as it gets when it comes to unwanted male attention.
But Albania seems different - there’s lots of pork being sold and alcohol is widely available. They seem to have a very different approach to things than the likes of Egyptians and Moroccans.
I’ve been to Albania by myself for a month and with my partner recently. It’s very similar to other European Mediterranean countries and I wouldn’t worry about safety at all. They aren’t religious at all pretty much so I wouldn’t worry about any religious crap.
The only threat to anyone in general is the obsession of the drivers in Albania (and Balkans) with diesel vehicles. A nice stroll in Tirana will easily be ruined by a 1990’s Mercedes Diesel smoke as it drives by! 😂
I have been thinking about that lol. I guess I’ll try to go out in lower traffic times
Check the safety section at DigitalAlbania
I’m a male, but I spent 6 weeks just in Tirana and it was probably one of the safest places I’ve visited. Communities in Albania are not very big. Everyone knows everyone. If you have a good hostel owner they should be able to help you.
If ur a male why are u answering? They asked for other women lmao
Because I have eyes and can see what women do in the places I have been. I have also traveled with women. I have also been to places that, even as a man, I can tell women would be unsafe.
Finally, why be a dick when I’m obviously just trying to help? How is shutting the fuck up not the better option?
Same experience. Super safe and from what I could gather, women there lived their lives completely unpreoccupied.
It’s great to see so many comments about people having only good experiences in Albania, but I’m gonna be a bit less positive.
I work in the travel industry, Albania being part of my region. I’m a guy, but most of the people I take care of are women under 30. So, here’s what I can say based on personal my experiences, but also on what I was told by my clients and co-workers.
In general, Albania is not-unsafe - like someone else mentioned, crazy drivers are the biggest danger. If you’re sticking to touristy areas and cities, you probably won’t have any issues. However, parts of the countryside (and even of Tirana) can be very different and not a safe place for a lone foreigner no matter their gender. I’ve heard enough first-hand accounts of real horror stories.
Another thing is that Albania can feel unsafe, especially if you’ve only travelled in western countries. It’s a poorer country, with a “traditional” view of gender norms and a rampant drug problem, which had a military conflict not that long ago. People tend to stare more, men can be wayyyy more pushy, it can feel uneasy even if you can’t exactly pinpoint why.
It’s a beautiful country, with some fantastic people and some of the best food I’ve ever eaten. You absolutely can go there in a safe way and have a great time, it’s just not as perfect as other comments might make it seem.
If you’re white, it’s very safe, even as a women. As a POC, Tirana was the most mentally unsafe place I’ve ever been to (both physical and verbal racism).
I have to agree with that. If you are poc or asian you will have many people looking at you if you stand alone.
even latino? I’m Brazilian
Brazil is an extremely diverse population, so I do not know what you mean by Brazilian, but if you are simply “tanned” then you will not stand out at all. Albania is after all a Mediterranean country and we are a bit tanned as well.
I spent 3 months there earlier this year and I felt very safe.
I am an Albanian living in Germany since 3+ years and I can tell you that even from an western point of view Albania is extremely safe country. There has not been a single raping/disappearing case for the last 20+ years for tourists and this shows that you will be safe wherever you go. In my city here in Germany my girl friends are afraid to go out late at night alone, but that is never the issue for my sister and my girl friends in Tirana.
I felt safer in Tirana than any western big city, and I’m a guy.
It is more safe than many western states and people are very helpful. But, if you have any doubts do not go. People who think Albanians are religious, have no idea that Albania was proclaimed as the first Atheist ntion in the world. If you wana visit a place insted of asking offensive questions you better do a research on your own. I dont think Albania would mind not having you as a tourist, theres too many tourists anyways.
Asking for others personal experiences of safety in Albania is not an offensive question, gtfo lmao
Hi OP, I’m female, and solo traveled all across Albania for a few weeks. It’s safe, but I experienced a lot of racism in Tirana. That is the one city in Albania I will never go back to.
I’m so sorry to hear that :(
Albanian here, sorry to hear that.
Our society needs a lot of education when it comes to racial matters. People can be really ignorant and the n words can be throws as the most random thing. Also a lot of racist jokes can be heard.
very unsafe, 99 % of population are cannibals, the rest are vegetarian digital nomads
