For Puzzled4 Part 2

[KARL]

I must have missed your update regarding travel around the Balkans area - did it go well ? Where did you go (countries/main locations) ? How did the bus travel work out ? Any important lessons/knowledge worth passing on ?

[puzzled54]

I did respond to your previous question but I don’t know how to do a link. If you look back at your original question you should be able to see it. Is there anything particular that you’d like to know?

[KARL]

Hi and thanks for your post on https://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Travel/Question1677537.html (you copy the "URL" which is the address of the page you are looking at and is shown at the top, typically starting https://www....., then paste it into any text anywhere online or your own document/message/whatever). Encouraging to read that you enjoyed it.

I am interested in knowing where you went (country/ies and main locations). Also any particular "quirks" that are useful to know, for example is the use of cards straight forward or do you need to use cash quite a lot, does this vary from place to place and/or country to country ? Was there plenty of accommodation available at short notice or was it necessary to book in advance - we would likely use modest types ? Was cross border travel easy or not on the buses ? Did you rent a car anywhere ?

Other questions would no doubt arise at some stage.

[puzzled54]

Albania, Montenegro, Kosovo, north Macedonia and Bulgaria. Booked all hotels in advance, not expensive ones, but one place had to cancel and I had no trouble finding a replacement about a week before travel. Stayed in hotels mostly but a couple of times had apartments which, although they said they had equipped kitchens, really didn’t! Mostly went to the capitals, people were nice and friendly. Ok to use credit cards in most places except Kosovo where cash was required, but plenty of atms. I think Podgorica is “trying to find itself “ but other people have said that Kotor on the coast was worth s visit. Other capitals all really nice, Skopje was an unexpectedly nice surprise. We didn’t hire s car, but we do a lot of walking so we’re ok getting around from place to place.

[puzzled54]

Cross border travel all fine, the buses do it all the time. I arranged with the hotel to get a taxi from the airport at Tirana when we arrived, and they had told me how much to expect to pay. I was actually a bit overwhelmed at the airport by the number of taxi drivers trying to get us to go with them but I waited for one with my name on a sign(had a bad experience with a taxi previously).

[KARL]

All of the info is very helpful, thank you very much. Have a good year :)