FROM IOANNINA TO BUTRINT
At the bottom of the hill, take the turning on the left. Butrint is 19 km along this road, after the village of Ksamili.

FROM GJIROKASTRA TO BUTRINT
Head south, towards Kakavia, and take the right turn at Jergucati. Then follow the directions as above.

TRAVELLING TO SARANDA BY PRIVATE YACHT
The sea chart for Saranda is the same as that for Corfu. Saranda is the port of entry for the region and all customs procedures must be completed there before landing elsewhere on the coastline. When approaching the port, radio in on VHF channel 11 or 16. The Harbour Master will greet you in English, Greek or Italian. Port taxes are charged according to NRT; once paid, you can stay as long as you wish. It is quite normal for a crowd of customs officials to board your boat when you first dock. If you wish to leave your boat and wander around Saranda or travel to Butrint, find a local guard to sit on board.

TRAVEL AGENCIES: Shkendia Travel Agency. Spiro Angjeli (administrator), phone and fax (00) 355 8523380. Terini Travel Agency. Fatos Demiri (administrator), mobile (00) 355 69209 4030, email TERINI@albmail.com. English spoken.

SHIPPING AGENTS: Ledio Agency. Contact Bilbil Musara, mobile (00) 30 6977719279. Greek and limited English spoken. Saranda Agency. Contact Spiro Papa, mobile (00) 30 94604259. Greek spoken. Pilots in Saranda port; Pilo Andoni, mobile (00) 355 69242 8368. English and Greek spoken; Zaho Aliaj.

CURRENCY
The national currency of Albania is the Lek. You can exchange foreign currency for Lek very easily in Saranda, either at a bank or on the street, and also sometimes in shops and bars. A currency exchange office has also now opened on the promenade at Lagja 1, Rr. Skenderbeu, and is open daily from 8 am till 8 pm.

The easiest currencies to change are euros and US dollars. It is quite normal to have a note refused if it is torn or defaced in any way. Haggling is common, so be prepared to bargain over the exchange rate if you are changing in the street or in a bar. It is not possible to buy or sell Lek outside Albania. Exchange rates quoted here are those available in February 2005 - US$1 = 105 Lek; €1 = 137 Leke.

MEDICAL FACILITIES
There is a hospital in Saranda, with an international staff, which can deal with any medical emergency. However, patients with serious injuries or illnesses are transferred to hospitals on Corfu or in Ioannina. No specific inoculations are required for Albania at present, although this should be checked with your doctor and embassy just prior to your visit.

RESTAURANTS AND HOTELS
At Butrint there are several small bars and a restaurant that specialise in fish and seafood dishes. The mussels are particularly good. Some bars and restaurants will accept US dollars or Euros although it is easier if you have Albanian leke. There is one small hotel-restaurant in Butrint (the Livia). Close by, in Ksamili, there are a number of restaurants and hotels.

IN SARANDA: Just 100 m along the road out of Saranda towards Butrint there are some good restaurants and hotels. On the sea-front there is the Paradise Club, a favourite haunt of foreign visitors to the area, and behind this there is Ylli's restaurant. A little way along the front (but still close to the Paradise Club) is the Hotel Byzantine, and high up on the hill above Saranda is Bubeqi's Guest House, with beautiful views over the bay. Close to the seashore is a small guesthouse called Tate, with the Three Roses restaurant nearby. Genci's hotel and restaurant is located by the bus station and near the port there is Llambro's Hotel.

ON CORFU: the Hotel Atlantis (tel: (00) 30 661 35560, fax: (00) 30 661 46480) is close to the main port and offers a friendly, English-speaking service and useful information for those travelling to Albania.

TIME ZONE
Albania is 1 hour ahead of the UK, in the same time zone as Italy, and 1 hour behind Greece.

TELEPHONE AND POST
The post office in Saranda has a metered telephone for public use. It is also possible to hire mobile phones close to the Three Roses restaurant. Agree a price per unit before making a call. The terrestrial telephone system in southern Albania is currently being modernised. International mobiles also work in most areas of Southern Albania.

INTERNET CAFÉS
E-com at Lagja 2, Rr Adem Shemi (close to Hotel Joy). Open daily. Contact Kico Adhami, mobile (00) 355 692105000, e-mail Kadhami@msn.com

Milosao at Lagja 1, Rr Skenderbeu (next to the currency exchange on the promenade). Open daily. Contact Agim Mato, mobile (00) 355 692071360.

LANGUAGES
In addition to Albanian, Greek is often spoken in the Saranda region, and in some villages is the principal language. Italian is the next most common language, though English, French and German speakers can be found relatively easily.

TRAVEL INFORMATION

ALSO SEE http://www.butrint.org

BUTRINT NATIONAL PARK
The Park is open daily, from 8 am to dusk.

ENTRY FEES
700 leke for foreigners
500 leke for foreigners in groups over ten
200 leke for Albanians.

ADDRESS
R. Skenderbeu Lagja 1
Godina e Muzeut Etnografik
Saranda
Albania
Phone/Fax: 00355 852 4600
visitbutrint@albmail.com

You should allow approx. three hours to visit the Park. An English language leaflet on Butrint is available at the Park ticket office to assist your tour.

TRAVEL
It is relatively easy to reach Butrint by sea and/or road, via Saranda, the main port for the area. However, poor road surfaces and minimal sign-posting can make driving in Albania difficult.

FROM CORFU TO SARANDA
Take a ferry from the main port in Corfu town, (the port is a 10-minute taxi ride from Corfu airport). There at least one passenger ferry per day ( the Kaliope).The ferry journey takes 1 hour and 40 minutes. There is also a hydrofoil service operated by Petrakis Lines (the Flying Dolphin), which takes 30 minutes. Check times at the port before planning your journey. In February 2005 there were departures from Corfu at 7.00 and 7.15 Greek time, and return journeys from Saranda at 11.30 and 13.30 Albanian time. You should be at the port in good time to allow for changes in departure time, allowing at least 20 minutes prior to embarkation for customs formalities. Remember that Greek time is 2 hours ahead of UK time and Albania is only 1 hour ahead.

TICKETS are bought from the ticket office on the quayside or on board. A single ticket costs approx. €15. Tickets are valid only for the ferry for which they were bought - therefore it may be advisable to buy your return ticket separately so that you can choose your preferred return time and ferry. Before boarding a ferry you must go to the Greek passport control office further along the quayside to hand over your passport and to obtain a boarding pass. Wait to board the ferry until the customs official or boat Captain calls out your name. Your passport will be retained by the ferry Captain for the duration of the voyage in order to prepare your documents and visa for the Albanian port officials. At Saranda, customs officials board the ferry for passport control. There is an entry visa fee of €10 or $10 for all nationalities. On paying the entry fee your passport will be stamped and returned to you together with a small white card - this is your exit visa and should be kept carefully, as leaving the country without it is complicated.

You should not attempt to disembark the ferry before completing this procedure. When leaving Albania, first go to the police office immediately to the right of the entrance to the port, hand in your white exit visa card and have your passport stamped. Then go to the ferry and wait to board. The ferry times allow just enough time for a day trip to Butrint. If you wish to see other sites in the area, you will need to stay overnight in Saranda. On arriving in Corfu all passengers may be held on the boat for some minutes. On disembarking, proceed immediately to the Greek customs office for a baggage check before leaving the port.

BY COACH OR TAXI: Some of the ferry companies have arrangements with tour operators in Saranda for inclusive day trips to Butrint. Tourists are often transported to Saranda on the Flying Dolphin and then by coaches from the port to Butrint. Taxis are also available for hire at the port - but agree a price for the day as it is difficult to find taxis in Butrint in the afternoon. A good daily rate for at taxi is €40-50, or 5,500 – 7000 leke. Cheaper taxis can be found by walking into Saranda town or to the main road on the far side of the bay of Saranda (15 minutes). The journey time from Saranda to Butrint is about 20 minutes. From the road there are spectacular views across Lake Butrint to the ancient city of Butrint and out across the Corfu Straits.

DRIVING: Driving in Albania can be an adventure, so check with your Embassy first for advice. Many roads are unsurfaced and impassable without a four-wheel drive vehicle. Butrint is 19 km from Saranda. To drive there, turn right out of the port. At the first junction, marked by a tree, go straight ahead , across the main road and follow the smaller road into town. Stay on this road until you reach the main square. From this square take the lower, right-hand road, which joins the main road out of Saranda. After 200 m, where the road rises, turn right onto the road for Ksamili and Butrint. Note that there are numerous petrol stations in Saranda but only one between Saranda and Butrint, located at Ksamili. 

FROM IOANNINA TO BUTRINT
The journey from Ioannina to Butrint takes approximately 2 hours (excluding the time required for customs formalities). From Ioannina, take the E90 road. At Kalpata turn left onto the E853 and continue to the border, at Kakavia. Here you must pass through Greek customs and Albanian passport control. From Kakavia follow the road north, towards Gjirokastra. After approximately 10 km, just after the village of Jergucati, turn left and follow this road over the mountains. On the descent there is a choice of roads, both of which go to Saranda. The main road to the left, which follows the valley of the Bistrice river, is the better road. The other, much poorer, road goes via the town of Delvina.

At the foot of the mountains there is the source of the Bistrice river. At the head of the river there is a wonderful freshwater spring, known as the Blue Eye (Syri Kaltër), where the clear blue water of the river bubbles forth from a stunning, 50 m-deep pool. It is well worth a visit. To get there, stop at the bar and shop on the main road, at the foot of the mountains, and ask for directions. A small track takes you past a fish farm and lake, to the Blue Eye and its small visitor centre/restaurant. The main road follows the course of the Bistrice, along a gorge. After a few miles, where the gorge opens out, you will come to the monastery of Mesopotam. The town of Saranda is a further 10 km along the road. You enter the town on the south side of the bay from the hill above.