Albania: The Bradt Travel Guide [Paperback]

Gillian Gloyer (Author)

Book Description

Series: Bradt Travel Guide Albania | Publication Date: February 1, 2004

Albania is perhaps the last hidden corner of eastern Europe, newly opening its frontiers to travelers after decades of tyranny and instability. The Bradt guide to Albania takes a fresh look at how and where to explore the heritage of a country influenced by the Greeks, Romans, Italians, and Turks--who have all left their mark on the landscape and culture. Albania boasts breathtaking natural beauty, splendid and empty beaches, excellent local wines, a Mediterranean climate, and a tradition of hospitality making it a potentially prime vacation destination easily accessible by air, ferry via the Greek islands and Italy, or even by road via mainland Greece, Montenegro, or Kosovo. In addition to all the usual practical information, there is a detailed and easy-to-follow guide to the Albanian language.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'The best all round guide yet to this fascinating country.' The Sunday Times 'An indispensable companion for all visitors.' Mail on Sunday '[A] lucid and readable guide book... invaluable.' The Observer 'Engaging and detailed book contains a wealth of information about the scenic, friendly country.' Times Educational Supplement 'Very useful.' The Gazette (Montreal) --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

From the Back Cover

Albania - the last hidden corner of Europe - is worth discovering. Its mountains form a breathtaking backdrop to a rugged coastline, and 2,000 years of occupation by Greeks, Romans, Italians, and Turks have resulted in a rich architectural legacy. With a Mediterranean climate and warm hospitality, this is an exceptional country to visit.
This new Bradt guide explores Albania as it is today, having recently opened its frontiers to travelers after the anarchy of the 1990s.
Every aspect of the country is covered, from its turbulent history and politics through culture and natural history to the practicalities that will affect every visitor.
Inside you will find information on: getting there from neighboring countries; accommodation, food and drink; in-depth coverage of the capital, Tirana, including Communist "nostalgia"; archaeological museums and sites, including Butrint; national parks and natural history; essential Albanian words and phrases.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Bradt Travel Guides; 1st edition (February 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1841620807
• ISBN-13: 978-1841620800
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,333,700 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Indispensable guidebook for Albania, March 4, 2005

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Anthony W. Skaggs (New York, NY) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Albania: The Bradt Travel Guide (Paperback)

Gloyer's book inspired my trip to Albania, and it was useful every step of the way.
She offers tips on how to get through the airport without hassles, which hotels are worth booking, and what to see in just about every part of Albania a tourist might go to. Her writing style is well beyond the norm for travel guides, without a hint of the Weltschmerz that afflicts so many travel writers. She has a sly sense of humor, and will even boldly tell you to avoid a hotel run by the local mafia. Also, there aren't many travel guides that include tips on how to help alleviate poverty and suffering in the country being visited, but Ms Gloyer thoughtfully includes such information. She obviously loves the country and is very fond of its people, and it's quite a gift to Albania to have such an honest and worthwhile travel guide available in English.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Only Practical Guide to Albania!, September 3, 2006

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Laszlo Wagner (Hungary) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Albania, 2nd: The Bradt Travel Guide (Paperback)

If you want to travel around Albania and do more than just hit the few most visited highlights, this is no doubt the book to take.

It is the only English-language guide devoted to Albania alone, and it offers a good coverage of the places and things to see, fairly up to date details of transport and accomodation options, decent maps of both regions and individual towns or cities, as well as well-written background information on culture and history. All the stuff you would expect from good practical guidebooks like the better-known Lonely Planet series (whose coverage of Albania is dismal!).
It is also fairly balanced in covering both budget and upmarket places to stay, something other books often fail at.

So why only 4 stars?
Well, some of the maps would need to be more accurate - they sometimes showed places on the wrong street or corner. Also, in a few cases, practical details were missing, with the existence of accomodation being mentioned, but not the usual details on how much it cost. Same goes for transport info.
Finally, and most mystifyingly, the author has chosen to use non-standard place names ("definite", conjugated forms) even though she herself admits this form is not what you will see in Albania on maps, destination signs of buses or road-signs!

However these shortcomings are well outweighed by all the useful info in the book. If you are planning to tour this little-visited country independently, don't leave home without a copy!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars travel guide works, January 11, 2007

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R. Carr (albania) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Albania, 2nd: The Bradt Travel Guide (Paperback)

i live in albania as a foreigner employed by the UN. we have found this guide to be mostly accurate. many guides on albania miss things or are just plain wrong. this is one of the better ones--take it fromo a resident who has bought many bad travel guides about this little explored country.