Driving ALBANIA'S Worst Road 🇦🇱 | Balkan Van Life Series

[@FromRustToRoadtrip]

+READ ME+ We are home in the UK now, not currently travelling anywhere due to the virus outbreak. We really hope you enjoyed this week’s travelogue! We'd love to hear what you think in the comments. If you enjoyed it, don’t forget to share, like and subscribe! Check out our Patreon for early access to content and help us keep making more films. www.patreon.com/fromrusttoroadtrip See you on the next one 🙌

[@frigate9]

Hey, I totally get it because I've been there too! You might even be crazier than me though, seeing as I was driving a passenger car at the time. It's been such a long time since then, but I've got some really special memories of this trip and those stunning mountains with their rugged canyons. I hope you have an amazing time on your travels! Good luck!

[@djantix1200]

Wow, rough ridin' there. I love that Lucy gets under there to help with repairs and is not afraid to get her hands dirty. Love all these crazy places you take the van to. My family and I are rollin' around in a VW T4 Camper and are just starting to go on some fun adventures. Cheers

[@FromRustToRoadtrip]

Yeah Lucy loves getting stuck in- much better mechanic than I am! I hope you get to have some cool adventures once this all blows over 🙏

[@TREADtheglobe]

HI guys- thanks for sharing another fab video - got to love those roads in Albania - pleased to see you made it in one piece - stay safe - Chris & Marianne xx

[@SamVanDweller]

I'm so glad you videoed that road so we don't have to drive it! Too scary lol Great video again guys 😊

[@FromRustToRoadtrip]

Haha it was suuuch a long day but well worth it for the views. Hope you guys are well and keeping safe

[@CarRide]

Loved it! Car rides are a fun way to discover and explore new places! Thanks for the excellent video!

[@FromRustToRoadtrip]

Very true! Thanks for watching

[@clivetaylor27]

Serene views and majestic landscapes punctuated by moments of abject terror. You have boldly gone where I would never go. But so typically brazenly, and well rewarded. Thank you for crossing that of my bucket list.

[@FromRustToRoadtrip]

Thank you Clive we’re pleased you enjoyed it 😃 it was a hair raising adventure but we enjoyed it so much we’d probably do it again tomorrow if we had the chance haha

[@davidrowe5512]

Amazing footage along those tricky roads! Blimey the market worse than driving through Polzeath in the summer! Glad you sorted the donkin'. Hope your both well, many thanks for keeping us all inspired!

[@FromRustToRoadtrip]

Haha yeah it was pretty hard to drive around that place! Close call with St Ives I reckon!! Thank you keep safe

[@mare0088]

I subscribed a few weeks ago, and every video I watch, I want to see more. Please do not stop! You are both genius. I wish you all the best :)

[@FromRustToRoadtrip]

Thank you so much for the kind words 🙂

[@cornishhh]

It's a warm and sunny morning and I was just about to go into the garden. Then I noticed you'd posted a video. No contest! Wonderful content as always so thank you very much. It's a pity you can't buy travelling vehicles with softer suspension. Vehicles like 2CVs and Renault 4s (and other older mainly French cars) were (and still are) so popular in Africa because their soft suspension soaks up the bumps and stops them from shaking themselves apart. They don't shake you apart either....You deal well with the problems though; you're a good pair. I'm going to look up how to make bureks!

[@FromRustToRoadtrip]

😂 Brilliant. That’s surprising those is vehicles would be so good on bad roads actually. We’ve gotten quite used to vehicle problems now so it doesn’t freak us out as much as it used to- always a good opportunity to learn as we go too 😛

[@tramptruck4859]

And the LDV purrs onwards. Another great watch - just subbed so I don't miss anything

[@FromRustToRoadtrip]

She just keeps going somehow, thanks for the sub 💪

[@ALKUKES]

Im surprised that ldv taken you to Albania-and back to uk, how did you ever get it mot on that rusty van

[@FromRustToRoadtrip]

We know a guy 😉

[@michaeleckstaller3223]

Another cool Video of you two, I love to be part of your adventures. I'm looking forward to the next part. 👍👍😁

[@FromRustToRoadtrip]

Thank you! It’s nice to have you along too- this one was a real adventure! 😄

[@RustyRoseAdventures]

Lovely video, mad roads and amazing views loving all the videos guys! Van is just holding up and hope your doing well! 👍

[@FromRustToRoadtrip]

Thank you! Van did so well on this whole trip I can’t believe it just about got home in one piece 😂

[@padraigcanavan3543]

Gr8 video editting & voice overs. Gr8 episode! Enjoy ur home time : P

[@FromRustToRoadtrip]

Thank you! ☺️ 🐄

[@instavid3160]

Really Nice documentary Thanks for sharing with us.This Road is very risky if you go next please drive safely.Wow very high mountain .There is so many cow here they come from.

[@FromRustToRoadtrip]

Thank you! We’re always careful but we enjoy a bit of a challenge 😄

[@nickthomas181]

Loving the Chanel just found you. Albania and the Balkans all the Balkans is on my radar for a budget holiday when allowed as its 25 years since I flew anywhere. But great channel great story and great narration. Cheers PS Great soundtrack as well!!

[@FromRustToRoadtrip]

Thank you! It’s a must visit country when the lockdown is over. The whole Balkans region is simply beautiful, enjoy!

[@alfredhorg]

@@FromRustToRoadtrip I got to ur video because I just bought plane tickets to Albania, one of the few countries that currently let in American tourists without much problem.

[@IowaVanMan]

So very cool! Love you two’s sense of adventure!! 🚐

[@FromRustToRoadtrip]

Thankyou! 😄 I think we’re getting more and more adventurous as we travel haha

[@Bulletguy07]

Subscribed to your channel since viewing one last night and now this one! Really great venture trips and well filmed too. Flashing dash warning light brought back horrible memories for me. Each time i went off on tour i used to spend a couple of nights at Bray-Dune Municipal parking (can recommend the spot!) which was great as it was only 25mins from Dunkerque ferry port. I just used to it to get everything in my van sorted, maps, check routes, plot gps course, and generally chill out a bit as the drive to Dover is a 300 mile trek for me. One year i came to set off from Bray-Dune and a light came on i'd never seen before....Engine Management. Damn!! Had it checked at a garage and turned out to be a fault on fuel pump electronics which put the engine into "limp mode"....double damn!!! No garage in France wanted to take the job on and i soon found why. The fuel pump was a Lucas Epic which were no longer made. The breakdown company insisted on repatriating the van back to UK so i had no further say in the matter as they refused to cover me if i didn't agree. Once i got it back home i had a Bosch mechanical pump fitted plus new injectors. Not a cheap job and had to abandon that years tour.

[@FromRustToRoadtrip]

Thank you! And oh no that sounds like a nightmare! Especially having to cancel your whole trip 😢 We also had to replace our Bosch fuel pump last year and our van has been in reduced fuelling mode since this warning light came on our dash so it’s a bugger to start in the morning. Vans, eh? Why do we have them? 😂

[@jonmartin1272]

Love watching you vlogs. We are always amazed how well you take the constant bad weather and MH problems in your stride. Whilst your at home, mybe your content could include a bit more about you both, I know you covered this a bit in a previous video, but would love to know more about you both and what made you into the adventurous people you became. Looking forward to seeing the Balkans via your vlogs, we prefer to stick to Southern Europe in our van. All the best. Jon and Jayne 🥂👍🏻

[@FromRustToRoadtrip]

Thank you both ☺️ Glad you’re enjoying the videos, we’ll see what kind of content we can put out once all of the travel videos are done. Cheers ☺️

[@brianfd622]

Respect to you guys and the LDV a Master or Relay would've fallen apart. Respect to the cattle too. Really enjoy the vids guys.

[@FromRustToRoadtrip]

Haha she holds up pretty well for such a basic budget van, good old British engineering 😂 Thank you!

[@catvando3209]

That road while bad for the van was awesome for the views. Nice one.

[@FromRustToRoadtrip]

A fair trade off we’d say 😄 Thanks for watching

[@BasBrand]

nice roads, love it. We had mud roads in Albania, that was a bit more challenging. we have 4x4 that did help.

[@elecogr535]

Love your channel and your amazing videos ❤️

[@FromRustToRoadtrip]

Thank you! So glad you enjoyed this one ☺️

[@swdman1234]

Sensory overload, those views of the canyon were epic. You should have sent the drone out to really kick in the vertigo. Close up of a burek next time, that or a recipe. Glad you're both back in the UK and are keeping healthy, how much more footage do you have left? Love your journies, LDV's rock! Guy.

[@FromRustToRoadtrip]

Good idea! Unfortunately we were losing light by that point and we just wanted to get off this awful road and rest 😂 We’ll certainly be making our own burek back in the UK! We have at least another eight videos’ worth of footage so don’t you worry 😉

[@GoingThisWay]

Awesome! We drove the exact same road as you did! We stayed on the same spot as in the beginning of the video and actually stayed on another on which you drove by ;) It is definitely NOT the worst road in Albania! For us it was the SH74 from Ballaban, we tried to drive to Berat but had to turn around. Then the road got even worse but we pushed on ;) Amazing experience! Really offroading and rockclimbing.. Cool video's!

[@FromRustToRoadtrip]

That’s cool to hear! Great spots eh. Oh yes we know that road well too! This certainly isn’t the worst road we just didn’t know what else to call it 😂 keep an eye out for a couple of videos time you will see us also fail at driving the SH74! What a terrible road that is 😂

[@GoingThisWay]

@@FromRustToRoadtrip Yeah and that one is a yellow road on Google Maps, so you think it will be a better road as the small white ones..

[@FromRustToRoadtrip]

Exactly haha. We found it so difficult to get to Berat

[@eraldo_3830]

Man you have to do the Tirana-peshkopia

[@FromRustToRoadtrip]

We were actually going to but suddenly ran out of time! Never have enough time in Albania but it’s a good excuse to return

[@mirgezyf6425]

Thank you for the videos... I was born in erseka, I wish you d made some shots of the town. Take care x

[@FromRustToRoadtrip]

We’ll have to visit on our next time there! Thanks for watching ☺️

[@chicagomike]

Beautiful video again. Can you send one of Cornwall too. LOL. Don’t be selfish. I am in quarantine in Chicago. LOL. Best wishes Cornish.

[@garyoliver6702]

Lovin’ the music accompanying the video.

[@FromRustToRoadtrip]

Thank you! It’s from our friends Undying Heads, they make excellent music ☺️

[@spinosauruswearingboots4156]

Yes I second that really enjoyed the music.

[@richardjones460]

Think that light flashes when there is a problem with the glow plug control module, the duraturd engines glow plugs come on and off even when the engine is running, not just when you start it cold, it may just be a knackered plug, as you're using easy start, it'll be something in that system.

[@FromRustToRoadtrip]

Thanks for the tip! We still haven’t figured out what the problem is these months on, although the light on the dashboard eventually wore out from so much flashing 😂 We have a relay and some spare glow plugs now we can change over so we’ll see if that helps!

[@elecogr535]

Great video ❤️

[@bonowales8003]

You two are the best on you tube. Enjoyed all your videos. The roads you drive. You must be a little bonkers lol. Love it guys. Maybe we will bump into you some time. Hope so anyway. Keep it up and stay safe guys Kaye+neil

[@FromRustToRoadtrip]

Thanks guys! So glad you like the videos ☺️ Maybe we are a little bit mad haha Hope to see you on the road some day!

[@bornfreefreedom4900]

Truly beautiful. 💜☀️🚐☀️😊😊🌟🌍 The best real life travels on KZbin Forever best wishes. 🌟🙏🌟

[@blackdogwildtrails3123]

It must be weird as you put these out. Looking back on those free and easy days now we are all in our virtual prisons! I always have my heart in my mouth with that old van of yours when you're in the back of beyond. Although after saying that, I think its newer than mine!

[@FromRustToRoadtrip]

Very true! But on the other hand it’s nice to have a rest and not feel pressured that we ought to be doing something else right now as we can’t get out anyway! Our LDV may be a 2002 but the design wasn’t changed from 1996 onwards so it’s like driving a much older (shitter) van 😂

[@VanBooter]

I would love to see a flimsy travel down that road, I get those nests, the lower branches I cut and burn, usually around 40 in a nest, usually Feb-Mar they go on walkabout. another super video, I need to try borek.

[@FromRustToRoadtrip]

Haha very true 😂 Unfortunately Albania is infested with them, it’s going to take a big operation to get rid of them

[@bevtrue6937]

@@FromRustToRoadtrip they were all over Europe this year, too.

[@trevorhartley5166]

The front axle was made at Albion trucks Glasgow my part was machining the wheel hubs hope they held up🙄

[@FromRustToRoadtrip]

Ah no way! Yes that’s one of the few things that hasn’t broken on our van haha

[@stefanomazzon4075]

You both blend right in ,for sure ,

[@FromRustToRoadtrip]

Haha cheers 🤙💪

[@cashbonanza963]

8:29 I don't know why they bothered to put a speed limit sign on such a road.

[@stevecooney1361]

Very brave. Great vlog

[@FromRustToRoadtrip]

Thank you 🙏

[@walkmehome22]

Ugh, I had NO idea about those caterpillars and I adopted a dog while I was living in Saranda, Albania. I LOVED this video and I never managed to get to take this road but you're kinda making me jealous. Those roads in Albania were crazy, but did you ever take the coastal road from Saranda up through the villages?

[@FromRustToRoadtrip]

Thanks so much! I think we took that route once but it was just after loads of flooding so the whole coastal access was washed out. So great you adopted a dog! There’s so many strays there 😢

[@leishagreenleaf833]

Well Albania your roads are still as scary as ever ! Guys that is scary 💩😬! I’m terrified watching this 😳 I’m so glad you two and the van survived! Just as scary as your last trip 😬

[@FromRustToRoadtrip]

Haha it’s a bit of a bum clencher this one 😂 Last time the bad roads we drove were by chance, this time we actively sought them out 😂 There’s an even worse one to come in about two episodes’ time but we won’t spoil it... 😛

[@leishagreenleaf833]

From Rust to Roadtrip my bum cheeks are aching 😆 oh dear more scary 💩to come ! Truly terrified guys for you on that road ..... I shall brace myself for more !!!?

[@albionrovers6018]

@@leishagreenleaf833 those are not National roads, those roads are Just for far montain's villages.

[@leishagreenleaf833]

@@albionrovers6018 wow they are still scary !

[@tooyoungtobeold8756]

Excellent video. Glad you ignored advice about driving the road - you need to try everything yourself. I fancy doing that road too. Now try Afghanistan and Nepal - both hairy drives. Nice to see a female clamber under van.

[@FromRustToRoadtrip]

We’re hoping to head that way on our next big trip 🤞

[@OutOfThisVan]

That pastry.... I must have! How is it spelled? Burik?

[@FromRustToRoadtrip]

Haha once you try it it’s addictive! The spelling varies by country but it’s generally spelled as burek

[@duncanobrien4951]

Is it possible to drive from Tirana to Korcë via surfaced roads only? As some of these roads in the video would rip my little Fiesta to shreds.

[@FromRustToRoadtrip]

You can take the A3 out of Tirana then the E852 towards Libradzh then the SH3 down to Korçë. It’s all paved, but beware of the drivers

[@rosaotero6526]

Hello, very Interesting video. I’m hoping to travel from Greece, through Albania to Montenegro, up to Croatia and back but now not so sure the road trip with this road. Is there a safe alternative? 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

[@FromRustToRoadtrip]

Hey, yeah there are plenty of great roads in Albania that are far safer than this one! 😊

[@jwatkins5155]

LDV's they do have issues, but you can usually always fix them with basic tools 👍

[@FromRustToRoadtrip]

Yep that’s why we like LDVs. Although ours is becoming increasingly unreliable, not sure why.. lol

[@jwatkins5155]

@@FromRustToRoadtrip its had a hard few years, doing all those miles, maybe the social distancing break might do it good😜, cant wait to get my convoy back on the road.

[@richarddavis9599]

Hi How many miles have you done in the van since you had it ? Also how many miles has it done ? I have one myself

[@FromRustToRoadtrip]

We’ve done around 80,000 miles since we got the van four years ago, but we don’t know the actual mileage anymore as the odometer stopped worked in Albania so it’s stuck on 151,375 😂 Probably around the 155k mark now at a guess

[@richarddavis9599]

@@FromRustToRoadtrip wow some miles that is . I'm converting mine I started last summer and continuing it now as summer's here but in uk where in lockdown. I was watch your videos last year and been looking again lately. Some serious missions u 2 do . I'm in Birmingham

[@gavinlumb]

What a road, where is that in Albania, looks a must do!!

[@FromRustToRoadtrip]

It starts in Korcë in the southeast of Albania and ends near Gjirokaster. Probably best done with a 4x4 like most places in Albania 😂

[@vasilikalazaj3159]

Welcome to Albania 🇦🇱😎

[@vasilikalazaj3159]

Welcome to Albania 😎

[@padraigcanavan3543]

Whole new meaning to "mooo've outta the way!"

[@kleoshuli7291]

Love ❤

[@petritkrasniqi376]

This road is unused after the new highway build through the maintains

[@pameplateia]

which one is the new highway?

[@asi7487]

bravo from al.

[@vodkaphix]

What DRONE do you use? I love the 'follow me' feature.

[@FromRustToRoadtrip]

Hey, we use the Phantom 4 Pro 🤙

[@MissionNomadic]

Got me a Coffee, lets do this. hope you guys are well!

[@FromRustToRoadtrip]

Hope you enjoy! We’re good thanks. Hope you’re staying safe

[@bevtrue6937]

Amazing location. Sure was making me tired and i wasn't even driving. 😁

[@FromRustToRoadtrip]

Haha it shows I guess! It was a pretty challenging road 😅

[@lovinglife8097]

How's life in Albania? What products do they produce? I'm just very curious. I'm your fan living in the USA 🇺🇸. And I was always curious about life in Balkans. Would love to visit as well. Not sure if it is safe to go there though.

[@FromRustToRoadtrip]

Life is hard I think for the majority of people we meet but everyone is extremely warm and welcoming, very proud of Albania (rightly so). In Albania it’s possible to produce basically everything as the country has several climates and certain areas are fairly mild through winter months. You can find lots of honey, rakija, homemade wine, oils, fruit, vegetables, nuts of every kind. It’s a very safe country to travel and live in, we feel very much at home when we are in Albania. Always so sad to leave

[@etmontbelloj6346]

Hi albenia is more save then American smoll country they are better to live. I'n america to many crimes

[@ValidUser]

Sa herë që shkoj në këto rrugë në Shqipëri, nuk e shoh pse duket sikur do të biem nga mali XD

[@losangelos]

I mean, it's not like you're driving in a lowered 80s Bmw convertible....but I get it. Every car has to adapt to Balkan back roads first

[@wanderlustdelicacies9180]

Beautiful 😍 #wanderlustdelicacies

[@Southwestadventuring]

Did you ever find out what the warning light was?

[@FromRustToRoadtrip]

Funny you should say, we’re still not certain tbh. The light has blown now but the error codes are still there. We’re going to change the glow plugs soon and hopefully that will be it but I’ve a feeling it’s something else too

[@Chris-be1fo]

My heart is in my mouth. Get away from the edge!!!!!

[@FromRustToRoadtrip]

Haha if only that were an option!

[@grahamhardyvanlife5704]

Not watched the episode from 3 days ago, im getting behind.

[@FromRustToRoadtrip]

Better catch up 🤪 they’re good ones!

[@Glockk9mm..]

Hallo Bro ✌️

[@taurus222-x4n]

❤

[@glowingciaagent3302]

Those roads are easy my friend, I have driven through worse and I am only 16

[@julianhastings1547]

Not sure weather you guys are heroes or nutters lol 😂 a really good new van would have had its metal tested on that trip let alone what your diving!! Poor old bugger , stay safe ! Oh have you 2 had a bath lately?

[@FromRustToRoadtrip]

😂😂 we’re impressed how much we can put it through tbh! We’re back in the UK now with a good supply of water so showers all round! 💪😃

[@julianhastings1547]

Glad your back safe ,

[@etmontbelloj6346]

Hello mate your sat nav is taken in you on old road. If u had internet on your phone u can use the maps is going to take you on new road. I live I'n Birmingham I go home TO albenia evrey year I'n the car .you ned to go to vlore next time then from vlore you can drive to sarande. Have you see the albenia top gear. The road you went is only for tractor then donkeys good look for next time

[@FromRustToRoadtrip]

Hey, we can’t seem to see any kind of new road between Korçë and Permët on any of our maps 🤔 We’ve driven from Sarandë to Vlorë before along the same road that Top Gear did and it was great! This time we wanted to explore inland Albania as we explored the coast last time we were there ☺️

[@Sonataandrulyte]

Well I'm albanian and the actuall most worst road in Albania is called'THE DEATH ROAD'where many people have had car accidents

[@chicagomike]

This area is right on the border with Greece. This is tosk speaking Albania known for its folklore and polyphony music. Also known for the interesting religion of bektashi Islam. Mostly orthodox here.

[@advanceddeletechanel8613]

🥰❤

[@kohterg3713]

The title is click bait and your commentary and replies are misleading. Those are not the conditions of the roads in Albania... our roads are good enough. You are in a remote area that has been massively abandoned for the last 3 decades! Ofcourse you won't find great roads there cause anyone barely lives in those areas! Why would anyone spend hundreds of millions of euros for an area with barely few thousands people all in all!!???? We are rebuilding our whole system of highways but the priority goes to the inhabited regions and those that link the international trade routes. Albania is great on its own, it doesn't baiting to actually show a great scenery and culture!

[@bardhul]

Listen buddy the van is older than me gotta get a newer van Albanian from USA

[@FromRustToRoadtrip]

Hey the van might be twenty years old but it’s still got a few more years to give 😃

[@duncanobrien4951]

How do you get motor insurance that will cover you to drive a UK registered vehicle in Albania?

[@FromRustToRoadtrip]

We’re with a private insurance company who insure us to drive in every country in Europe

[@duncanobrien4951]

@@FromRustToRoadtrip my insurance company covers me for the whole of the Balkans except Albania, I understand you can by insurance at the border crossing points is that the case? I didn't have a car when I visited Albania in the summer but I would to go back and try and see the countryside this time, hence the need for a car or take my own.

[@FromRustToRoadtrip]

@@duncanobrien4951 Yes I think you can buy insurance at larger border crossings, that’s what most people do

[@ak3douz407]

it’s not albanian’s problem that ur driving a car worth €100 that almost falls out eachother

[@FromRustToRoadtrip]

You are of course correct, the excellent road surface wasn’t a factor at all, it’s our fault for not affording a better car. Silly us :)

[@liviutzzzz2001]

poor country that's why most of albanians leave it. Why the government does nothing with these roads?

[@shkelqimgjecaj8146]

These rd are old one no one uses them. I think they did just to show their public usually what english people do

[@FromRustToRoadtrip]

Hey we don’t subscribe to lazy stereotypes about Albanian people so maybe you can rethink subscribing to lazy stereotypes about the English. The world would be much nicer!

[@ypsoma7316]

Thats not the worst road.thats the best one

[@FromRustToRoadtrip]

😂

[@dabois8845]

Compared to that road British roads are good!

[@FromRustToRoadtrip]

So true! We never moan about British roads anymore 😂

[@janharald1714]

De only undestand Albanien

[@shkelqimgjecaj8146]

Those people should be allowed in albanian for lying about rd

[@FromRustToRoadtrip]

I mean people clearly still use the road. Lots of people live alongside the road and it’s still the most direct way from Korce to Permet. I don’t really understand what you think we’re lying about when all we’ve filmed is what we’ve seen along that very real and certainly not fictitious road. We actually really enjoyed the challenge of the road because we don’t have them like this in UK.

[@duncanobrien4951]

I have recently visited Albania this year (summer 2022) and I can certainly vouch for this video, there is nothing incorrect about it.