Tirana Bound. Leaving Saranda - Our last day of living in Albania.

After living in Albania for 3 months, we must leave the country. We travel from Saranda, Albania to Tirana, Albania (the capital) where we spend one last day in the country. Join us on our travel there, walk around in Tirana with us and see the amazing last dinner we have in this amazing country. We are sad to leave but will be back. Albania is an amazing place with fantastic people and sights to see that are first class UNESCO world heritage sights. Our stay on the Albanian Riviera will be memorable for years to come.
#travelvlog #travel #albania #tirana #saranda #expatlife #slowtravel
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[@patrickoverseas]

Good one ! you guys were so close to us. I remember we stayed in that afternoon. It was going to rain sorry we missed you...next time

[@JayandSarah]

That is okay! Another time, we will be back.

[@user-tx2nv1rb9k]

I lived in Canada Toronto and now live in Tirana and the quality of life is superior! I am a meat eater and I eat 500grams BBQed ribs for Cad$7.60, whole grilled chicken for Cad$7.60 and 500grams cooked veal for Cad$12.20 every day in Tirana! I wash that down with Albanian blonde beer Cad$2.20 for 600ml bottle or local red wine for Cad$18.20 per Bottle! I made up to Cad$4000 monthly there and here I make half of that but in here I can afford a lot more than in Toronto

[@JayandSarah]

@@user-tx2nv1rb9k exactly!!👍 how long you have been living in Tirana?

[@user-tx2nv1rb9k]

@@JayandSarah Since January 2019 one year before the pandemic and after that I decided to stay

[@JayandSarah]

@@user-tx2nv1rb9k I have some specific question for you as Canadians also about this. If you go to the a newer video link you will find the link to connect to our FB page, can you message us there please.

[@user-tx2nv1rb9k]

@@JayandSarah Alright I will try but if you have any questions about how I stay here legally, is because is my native country and I was born here and eventually returned...

[@infinityexplorer721]

Im Albanian from Vlora and in Tirana no body knows where there are going 😂 and that google map keeps sending people to the wrong places , Great content 👍

[@JayandSarah]

Thank you!!! Glad you enjoyed watching!!!!

[@Fationyoutube]

The tall buildings in Tirana take years to finish. The concrete goes up pretty fast but the cladding takes up to 5 years sometimes. I think its a funding issue but im not sure 100 %.

[@JayandSarah]

It has to be funding, this building has taken 3 years that we have been coming and not much is finished. Is very slow it seems. Thanks for watching it means a lot to us!!!

[@kujtimhaxhiaj6927]

Good luck, in your next trip “crazy” Canadians in rain!🇦🇱🇨🇦

[@JayandSarah]

Thank you so much! We are a couple of crazy Canadians all right!!!

[@thepellegrinocafe]

Curious how you book your leases in Montenegro and Albania? AirBNB or Albanian websites that are cheaper than Airbnb? Thank you

[@JayandSarah]

So we have used AirBnb for all of our bookings so far. In Albania, we had several friends who booked places privately after arriving with landlords direct - and to be honest the rates were not much lower. We chose this way for convenience and due to the fact this is the beginning of this new lifestyle for us and we wanted to be somewhat organized from the start to reduce stress. Our rental rate in Albania was $450 USD per month which is inline with the market rates for private rentals, in fact - people were being quoted more than that during our stay. So far - we have not had a problem. Our current place has terrible internet, but it's only short term (1 week) so we hope our long stay on the coast is better.

[@thepellegrinocafe]

@@JayandSarahthank you for your response. I know Warren and Julie often mention the 90 in the Schegen and 90 out of the Schegen for US citizens. I heard Jay mention that Cdns are 90 and 180 for Albania, good to know as I assumed it would be similar to Schegen of 90 in and 90 out.

[@JayandSarah]

Yes Albania for Canadians is 90 in 180. We are rotating around 4 countries here over 9 months before deciding what to do next. Albania, Montenegro, Bosnia Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia are all 90 in 180 and not part of EU or Schengen, so you can do a loop around these places in perpetuity at this point in time.

[@Fegga1955]

@@JayandSarahI find it tough with money exchange,not speaking language plus life decision for a senior here.I would move only for cheap cost of living.Meeting expats can be a blessing

[@zenimyftari3776]

That's a great video, and so realistic about pretty much everything you've saying.

[@JayandSarah]

Thanks so much! We really enjoyed our 3 months maximum stay in Saranda, and Albania. We love the country and will be back at some point for another 3 month stay at least!

[@Mialovesphoto]

I appreciate this video. Thank you for being so real!!!

[@JayandSarah]

Most welcome. We bring authentic content. Thanks for watching!!!!

[@SabineWald_NowHere]

I have never booked through Airbnb. I used Bookings all along. However, the owners often tell me that if I stayed at their place for a month or longer, they would charge me say 300 Euro per month. The buses made me change my mind about going to Tirana and Saranda, especially being sole traveler. After traveling from Herceg Novi, Budva, Podgorica and Sutomore in Montenegro, I decided to stay in Sutomore that was the cheapest and catch a bus to Kotor that is much more expensive, Tivat, Budva, Sv Stefan and especially Bar that is 15 mins by bus. It cost me 1.5 Euro one way to Bar, same as catching a cab and it was 4.50 Euro to Budva. The only issue is that they don't have too many buses outside of season, so the last bus from Budva was at 6.20 pm. I also hate toilet issues while traveling, especially when the buses don't have them and you have to pay 1 or 2 Euros to use a dirty toilet. Thank you for sharing your travels with us. Enjoy!

[@JayandSarah]

Thanks for sharing and thanks for watching! It means a lot to us.

[@Fegga1955]

50 Bucks?Gee,Canada is soooo expensive

[@JayandSarah]

Canada has costs that are completely out of control. Free money and wage driven spirals. Canadians are worse off now than ever before unless you are wealthy.

[@rammm13panathinaikos]

Watching from the GTA with nostalgia. Enjoy your travels and thanks for the honest reviews.

[@JayandSarah]

Awesome! Yeah, we tell it like it is. Some KZbin channels like to make everything out to be with travel like it's all glorious and great places... which it is not, there are flaws.

[@fredsayle2089]

Thats another great video. I watch all of them. Albania looks great. I like it more now I've watched your videos. I don't have a big budget and I could afford to go there. Looks great slightly of season. You had that beach to yourselves recently. Saranda looks quite steep. I fancy Vlore. Which did you prefer. Great content.

[@JayandSarah]

Vlore is well liked but it does not have the same expat community, which we enjoy. We have spent the last week in Podgorica, Montenegro and have only met 2 people that speak English. If you are on a budget, I think Albania is a great choice. I am sure with $1200-$1500 USD per month a single person can have a nice apartment and live very well for the month.

[@peterczinkan5572]

Hi from Budapest!! I am a Canadian working in the travel business and have done tours for the CAA since 2005!!! A little-known fact that could be important for your future travels is that Canadian citizens can stay in Hungary, a Schengen and EU country, an additional 90 days after the initial Schengen 90 days are up!! This goes back to the 1980s when Hungary and Canada had great relations and a lot going on and they permitted Canadians to stay 180 days in Hungary. So you can spend the first 90 days in France, Spain, Italy, or anywhere in Schengen, and from day 90 it is Hungary for the next 1 to 90 days more!! The only important factor to remember is you must depart Hungary straight to a non-Schengen country, such as England or Ireland which I use for my flights back home to Canada !!!

[@JayandSarah]

This is good to know. So you can do 90 days Schengen, then go to Hungary for another 90. Then you must depart to non Schengen.... we will research. Can you recommend a city to stay in Hungary or just to go to Budapest?

[@spcouture]

I am a Canadian traveling with my husband and we are currently in Sarande! We have been here for 4 weeks now and have enjoyed your videos on Albania. Maybe we will run into each other somewhere in the world!

[@JayandSarah]

That is awesome! We are glad to hear you have enjoyed the videos! You never know, the world is a much smaller place than many people realize! We have met people who have found our channel, and have also continued to meet folks we met when we stayed in Saranda for 3 months earlier this year. We are now in Montenegro. You can check out our videos on that as well if you are interested in Montenegro. Thanks for watching and commenting, we really do appreciate it!

[@spcouture]

@@JayandSarah Looks like we are following you! Haha! We will be in Montenegro in September for a month after Serbia and Bosnia. We will check out your videos!!

[@andibilibani2625]

Hi Jay and Sarah! I’m from Albania and I can safely tell you that you’re not supposed to eat the chips with zaziq. Zaziq tastes better combined with meat. People combine it with chips too but that’s more like an optional thing

[@JayandSarah]

That's good to know! We thought it was dip for the chips! I guess you are right, you would have it in a wrap with that so that makes sense. They don't give you ketchup or anything so we assumed that was what it was for. Some subtle things are strange in each country when you leave home. We are in Montenegro now and I was shocked to see that it is popular here to order cheese pizza and then cover it in ketchup and mayonnaise at your table. They told us this is normal in the balkans. I was like.. what the heck!?! Lol. Thanks for watching, commenting and giving some info to help us out!!! Cheers. Jay. (I actually can't think eating it with sausages would be much better than chips... )

[@andibilibani2625]

@@JayandSarah I get that. In Albania, ketchup is served mostly in fast foods (even there sometimes you need to ask for it yourself) but not at traditional semi or regular restaurants. Kosovo Albanian culture is more flexible when it comes to bringing varieties of sauces that you can choose from whatever you’re having. And yes, in balkans they do that in most places. Albania is closer to Italy and has a lot of the Italian culture ingrained. Especially Central and South Albania so that’s why you won’t see ketchup and mayo covered all over your pizza regularly as much there but it’s true that that’s common in balkans. Children grow up eating those oily fast foods on school breaks and it’s kind of a collective addiction lowkey. And yeah, to your last point, that depends on the zaziq. Some places really make it well and it’s very delicious with bread and meat

[@JayandSarah]

Thanks for the insight that is all great to know. Sometimes even after spending months in places you don't quite understand some things. Certainly I do know the Italian connection to Albania for central and south. Yes the lack of sauces to put on stuff is a bit strange to me but we always accept these things as just part of the culinary culture. When we cook at home of course we can use whatever we have purchased. For example, mustard with sausages. We will have to try some pizza with mayo and ketchup. Is that applicable to any pizza you order or only for say a cheese pizza. Maybe we will shoot a video about this, have to think about that.

[@Fegga1955]

Great guidance

[@Fegga1955]

@@JayandSarahSame in Greece,tzatziki goes with everything❤

[@Fegga1955]

Nice sidewalks,saw a video from an American lady showing how beautiful Tirana is.She moved there from Thailand on her own.Very interesting,thank you

[@JayandSarah]

Tirana is quite nice, has a good buzz about it. Not as good as many capital cities, but it's reasonable prices.

[@rolandgaruli4874]

Looks good the food you are eating. Swallowing those sausages even without chowing ha ha. Looks like you guys might have had a food shortages or you're starving in your country. Cheers!!👍

[@JayandSarah]

Hahah!! Thanks for watching!

[@brunaprocopi]

I’m from Canada with an Albanian husband and agree with you 150%.. just stumbled on your video…good job in telling it like it is..

[@JayandSarah]

We are honest and objective. We will do a pros and cons of Saranda shortly.

[@adelinadokja8310]

Thanks for your video!

[@JayandSarah]

Most welcome! Glad you watched and enjoyed it!

[@adelinadokja8310]

@@JayandSarah I am Albanian origin and I am living in Sweden. It'a please for me. Have a good weekend

[@JayandSarah]

@@adelinadokja8310 you as well! Thanks!

[@alexodaini]

Nice video and excellent information on Albania. We are planning to retire in Saranda or Durres. We need your experience for apartment rental for a month in Saranda. Thanks

[@JayandSarah]

Cool! What country are you coming from? What time of year are you looking for a rental in Saranda and what kind of things are you wanting in your rental?

[@conniecrew2585]

Such a great looking meat platter! I know you must've been starving. So sorry you got caught in the rain. Living in Ecuador has taught me to always carry my umbrella! So excited to see Montenegro as you go. We look forward to your videos. ❤

[@JayandSarah]

Video is upcoming. We are a bit behind and our internet for uploading has been slow where we are staying.

[@conniecrew2585]

@@JayandSarah In those times just enjoy the good that's there, I know there's a lot. We'll all be here when you're ready to share! I hope I get to meet you guys in person one day! 😊

[@JayandSarah]

@@conniecrew2585 that would be great!

[@Fegga1955]

I thought Albanians drink a lot of beer,they do in Greece😂😂😂

[@JayandSarah]

Albanians don't drink a lot of beer at all. At least not out in public. They drink lots of Coffee and Raki. They make their own Raki so why pay for beer.

[@terryroussel6060]

Hi, Jay and Sarah. Thank you for your videos. Saranda being so close to Corfu, curious if you considered staying on Corfu part-time?

[@JayandSarah]

HI Terry. We initially planned to spend a bit of time over in Corfu when we were in Saranda, but in the end decide against it. The primary reason was that short term lodging was quite expensive. The secondary reason was that of the people we knew who had gone there, the consensus was that it did not live up to expectations. We were going to go there to buy some passport time during our stay in Albania, but elected to leave Albania a week early and save some future transit days if we need to bus to Kosovo... and went to Podgorica instead. If you watch our videos on Podgorica, you will see our general feeling that it was okay. It would have been better spent in Corfu I am sure, but the tradeoff in cost was not worth it to us. Thanks for watching and commenting, it means a lot!

[@Fegga1955]

Gee,no elevator?Couldn’t make,it with battered knee😂😂Thx for all

[@JayandSarah]

Lots of stuff in Albania is no elevators. It's not a very good environment for people with mobility issues.

[@arbengolaj9496]

Mari piper makes the chips, in Albania maybe that variety of potatoes doesn't exist.

[@JayandSarah]

Who knows. We have made chips at home in Albania with the potatoes and they have been better. It is not the type or the starch content, it is the method of frying them. Everyone we know who is a foreigner there says the same thing about the chips.

[@holyrs1575]

well spain had number 1 spot for coffe bars per capita , we got it from the for some time , but now they got it back :D

[@JayandSarah]

Nice! I'm not sure coffee bar contributes much to the economy, but good for lifestyle.

[@angelaburge8446]

I really enjoy your videos!

[@JayandSarah]

Thank you!!!! 🙏 we enjoy making them

[@DulcignoCambridge]

Great video! Since you’re going to Podgorica next, you may want to check out Ulcinj - a beautiful coastal town! Hello from a fellow Canadian!

[@trevorvardy9224]

Such a simple lifestyle that we all so envious of.

[@JayandSarah]

Today is Friday and it is raining, we probably stay home. Maybe Saturday. Sunday we move to Bijela for 6 weeks, near Herceg Novi. Thanks for watching fellow Canadian!

[@JayandSarah]

It is very lovely, I understand the envy. Please if you can, find a way to do this as well... it is so rewarding, We have a basic simple life, it does not cost us a fortune. We could do it for far less money if we had to.

[@raidernickless5025]

Really informative. Thank you very much.

[@JayandSarah]

Most welcome, thanks for watching!

[@maureenmitchell7050]

How did you find the air quality in Tirana? I have read that it is nasty. I’m a coastal Canadian gal (Victoria, BC) torn between retiring in Sarande or Vlore. Looking forward to your videos of Montengro. Cheers and safe travels!

[@JayandSarah]

We didn't spend much time in Tirana this trip so can't really make a fair comment on it. For a while the air in Saranda was very poor.. this was the result of dust storms from the Saraha desert and I think it affected much of this area and parts of Western Europe as well. As a general statement, car pollution in Albania is quite bad.