Safety

Mention this topic to most expats who've been in Albania long enough, and they'll tell you that Albania and Durrës feel SAFE. That's not to say that there isn't crime or other kinds of anti-social behaviour; there are occasional posts on expat forums warning of creepy individuals lurking in tourist locations, but people, and particularly women, I speak to, say they feel safer here than in many European cities or parts of America.

If you're coming to live in Durrës, though, it's worth knowing about an area of town that's best avoided at night, the area around the overpass at the entrance to Plazh. known as Ura e Dajlanit. After dark, it's often the haunt of prostitutes and drug dealers, and many women have reported being approached or hassled there at night. If you find you need to walk from town to the Plazh area after dark, there is a path that avoids Ura e Dajlanit completely, passing around the back of the road junction and in front of the beach hotels. It's marked on the map.

One other potential problem to be aware of is pickpockets on buses. During busy times of the day, many routes have buses full to bursting, and the potential for pickpockets is high. Over the last few weeks, I've been told by expats how they've had wallets and phones stolen while crushed into other passengers. Buses are a great source of transport for those without cars, but remember to keep valuables safe in bags or zipped pockets when travelling on them.

Road Safety

This is a topic to explore