Leaving Italy on a Ferry

When our time in Italy had come to a close, because Americans can only stay 90 days without a visa, we decided to go to Albania next. Albania is off the beaten path because it is not in the Schengen zone. But, how do you get to Albania from Italy since they are not connected to the lovely train system? Some people fly into Tirana, the state capital with the only airport, while others take a bus. A small number of people take a ferry between the countries. Since our first destination, Vlore, is on the coast, we decided to take the overnight ferry from Italy to Albania.

There are three main routes that you can choose from Ancona to Durres, Bari to Durres, Brindisi to Vlore. Finding information and schedules took a lot of research. Albania’s infrastructure is still rudimentary across the country and communicated through social media versus the internet. Even finding the bus “station” can be a challenge. But after a lot of digging, we found enough information to feel satisfied with the Starline Ferry from Brindisi to Vlore.

The ferry was scheduled to leave Brindisi at 11:59 PM Friday. We think this time is chosen to prevent miscommunication of 00:00 or 12:00 departures. So, we checked out of our Airbnb in Monopoli on Thursday and took the train to Brindisi for €14.00 where we would spend the night.

The hotel we chose in Brindisi had a 10:00 AM checkout. When we first concocted the plan of taking the ferry from Brindisi, we figured that we could find a place to store our bags and use the day to wander the town. Little did we know that Italy would be experiencing another heat wave. So, through a lot of texting on WhatsApp with our apartment host, we were able to move from one unit to another and spend the morning in tourist mode visiting the town and the afternoon in the pool and resting in the apartment for coming journey. So, if you have a late-night ferry, it just might be worth it to stay an extra day or night in your accommodation, where you have all the benefits of relaxation.

The ferry itself was not like the Washington State Ferries I had grown up using. Instead it was more like a steamer ship with a lounge. We bought our tickets online at Directferries.com and got to choose from the following travel comforts:

• Deck Space (Included in the price),

• Reserved Seat

• Reserved Seat (Business class)

• 2-berth cabins inside with a washbasin

Then the adventure began... It started with a Taxi from the hotel to the ferry terminal. Thankfully, the driver knew where to take us because we had to go to the first part of the terminal to pick up our boarding tickets. This part of the terminal was shiny, well signed, and easy to understand. We showed our passports at the counter for Albania and they gave us the tickets. The aggregate site where we bought the ferry tickets told us to arrive 180 minutes before the boat leaves (3 hours early or 17:00). Thinking there would be long delays, we were surprised to have our boarding pass by 17:10.

Seeing a bus outside, we inquired for information with the security officer near the door. He was very tight lipped and our conversation went something like this...

1. Is there a bus that takes us to the boat? "Yes."

2. How often does it run? "20 minutes."

3. When is the last one? "Before the boat leaves."

4. Are there amenities at the next part of the terminal? Toilets? Coffee? "No."

With that information, we decided to sit in this part of the terminal and wait as long as possible before going to the next part of the terminal. We had read on line that there was a lot of standing and that is something Greg's feet cannot do.

Around 22:30, the security guard announced the last bus to the next part of the terminal. So, we boarded the bus with standing room only and were taken to a secure area with another smaller terminal space. This is where we passed through customs and some security measures. For obvious reasons, we have no photos of the security but can say that it begins with a queuing system alongside the roadway where vehicles enter the ferry port for boarding. No bathrooms in sight, so one needs to be prepared for this leg of the journey. It's around 23:00 now and we are both fatigued and nervous as we answered a few basic questions asked by the customs agents. Pushed onward, we arrive in queue with some seating, but not enough and one toilet. Since we were on the last bus, our wait here was minimal. We are thankful that we didn't have to wait here from the original 21:00 hours.

Next, we were ushered on another bus and taken to the final queuing section which is next to the ferry itself. This bus took a while to load and unload three runs of passengers and this is where the standing and waiting was the longest. This is probably the part most people referenced in our research. Once we arrived next to the boat, we had to wait for several large trucks and cars to be loaded tail end first before we were herded through the belly and up the narrow stairs toward guest services where we exchanged our passport for a room key.

A Two-Person Berth Cabin was worth the price for an overnight ferry. we both got several hours of sleep and washed a bit in the morning.

Think the journey is over? No. Now the arrival in Albania posed the Final challenge of the journey...Customs. When morning came we were greeted with fog and lots of water. The disembarkation was a reverse of the embarkation and we were waved over to another queuing section as offloading of vehicles occurred. Finally we were allowed to walk down the long road to the Albanian Ferry Terminal. Customs procedures on the other end were nearly non-existent. The agents asked Greg 3 questions, stamped his passport and sent him and all of his luggage through the metal detector and out the door. The agent asked me if I was with the gentleman, stamped my passport with my affirmation, and sent me bustling through the same detector and door. Hello Vlore, Albania.