Camping in Albania

Albania has roughly the land area of Belgium and a fraction of its campsites, which tells you most of what you need to know. Formal, licensed campsites cluster in three places: the northern Alps around Theth and Valbona, the Ionian coast between Himarë and Ksamil, and a thin line of family sites along the lakes at Shkodër, Ohrid and Prespa. Everywhere else, you are looking at farm stays, tolerated parking, or nothing at all.

That gap is exactly why a map like this exists. The difference between a licensed campsite, a farm where the owner said yes, and a lay-by where nobody has said anything is enormous — and it is the difference we mark on every listing.

Season matters more than in most of Europe. The coast is unbearable and full in August and perfect in May, June, September and October. The Alps are snowbound until late April and can close early in October. Central Albania — Berat, Përmet, the Vjosa — works almost year-round.

Roads have improved dramatically since 2020, but the improvement is uneven. Main corridors are good. The moment you turn off toward a village, assume single-track concrete with no barrier and a drop. Nothing here is undrivable in a normal van; plenty of it is unpleasant in a 8-metre motorhome.

Prices are low and mostly cash. Expect €8–18 per night at a real campsite, €3 for a service point, and free for anything informal. Card acceptance is growing but is still the exception outside Tirana and the big coastal resorts.