We looooved our Croatia & Montenegro road trip a few years back.

Couple that with a quick google search for great spots in Europe to hit up in May, and voila!

North Macedonia screamed wine, hiking, those lovely Balkan Old Towns, and… more vino. Yum.

Another solid Balkan road trip? Hellll yes, please.

Quick facts

1. Weather – 60s & 70s! Turns out I would’ve loved those sizzling Balkan summer temps after all. In addition to being the start of the season, each spot was experiencing a slight cool front during our visit.

2. People & language – incredibly nice and helpful in each of the three countries, not to mention through the roof hospitality. Albanian is the prevalent language in Kosovo & you guessed it, Albania. In North Macedonia, the official language is Macedonian, very similar to Serbian & Bulgarian. Coming across English was hit or miss but more often than not, everything was easy to navigate.

3. Dinero – Euros in Kosovo, officially. We used euros everywhere, luckily. By & large, Macedonia uses the denar and Albania the lek.

~55 denar & ~88 lek to $1 USD. Couldn’t be easier on us with 100 lek converting to 1 euro. You may get change in the local currency, which works just fine.

4. Easy (for Jon) to drive in all 3 countries with our rental in tow for the duration of the trip. Zero complaints at ~$800 total including the one way fee that allowed us to maximize our time.

5. Time zones – in each spot, 7 hours ahead of Chi. Def beats being thrown into a brand new day Asia style.

How to get there.

After a few way too easy Skyscanner searches for different multi-city flight paths, we quickly settled on a flight into Kosovo’s Pristina (PRN) and back home from Albania’s Tirana (TIA).

Enter our quickly racked up 98k Chase Reserve Ultimate Rewards, and we were booked through Chase’s travel site. The flights ran us the points + $730 RT total for this duo. Huzzah! Crushing it.

With an expected stop on the way over and back, this girl wasn’t complaining about the ~12 hour journey each way, inclusive of the hour & change stop overs in Vienna & Munich, respectively. Very quick change overs made for no priority pass lounge indulging.

The usual nonsense ensued at ORD, with the single, not so stellar PP lounge full for days. We simply slipped into the LOT lounge at $70/pp. Where I got carded. For requesting tequila shots. Priorities, pun very much intended.

Austrian Air got us to Kosovo, and Lufthansa safely transported us home. Lufthansa for the win on having better, newer winged vehicles to transport us in.

The best part? No internal flights, people. Just our 4 wheeled companion for the full 10 days. Love. that. convenience.

Runabout tips:

Leaving on a Friday late afternoon flight was again clutch to get us into Kosovo with nearly a full day ahead. As they say, we can sleep when we’re… flying?
We’ve been exploring Premium Economy or whatever version of that each airline has. Here, at the time we booked, the cost was about $2k/pp, so we stuck to 100% coaching it up. Howeverrrr, at check-in, the option to upgrade to PE was $500/pp each way. Snagged! Going there and back. Wellllll worth it, gotta love those mega headphones.
Honestly, the long haul (~9 hrs) + super short flight (less than 2 hrs) are much easier than the 7 + 5 hour flights we had just jumped off of when returning from Sudamerica. In case flying is not your jam & that sways your choice of destinations.

How to get around.

Oh. so. easy. Within a 2 min search of Skyscanner’s solid-priced rentals, we settled on an SUV with a clutch pick up at PRN in Kosovo + drop off at TIA in Albania.

The rental was wildly reasonable, even with the ~$180 one way fee, so we upgraded to an SUV for those windy mountain roads, shelling out a total ~$760/9 day stint.

While we typically do not – thanks to the handy Chase Reserve carrying its own car insurance – we did grab the insurance on top, at $99 total for the full time. We’ve heard it’s tough to actually apply the card’s insurance in practice, and peace of mind is worth much more than a hundred big ones. Esp when your distracted navigator is having you cruise thru favelas… yoikes.

Through Skyscanner, the option we chose was with Holiday Autos/Sixt rent a car.

No rental in tow? Taxis seemed prevalent in each spot. I don’t believe Uber is yet in any.

Runabout tips:

Not a bad idea to check price of rentals a few times before your trip if you’re a few months out. That said, ours stayed constant & we stuck to our original, super reasonable reso.
Filter those options! Choose automatic (unless you prefer stick), in-terminal pick up to avoid any wasted time or shady deals, and no penalty cancellation if you like a bit of flex like we do.
Parking was…. interesting. I paid one of our guys (in Tirana) with a bottle of bubbles. So, there’s that. Like everything else, very cheap to park at a few euros in the city center.
Jon rocked the driving. Albania’s mountain roads were windiest and required the most attention. Drivers (and street walkers!) are pretty insane everywhere.

Where to stay.

Our tried & true process wasn’t really necessary where options were significantly more limited than in other sprawling metropolises.

So, where did we land in each spot?

Prizren, Kosovo

I was torn b/w Hotel Luna in the city center and Abi Green Hotel Prevallë‘s sprawling sauna (& gym) filled grounds. Both awesome options (found on Google Maps), but with only night in Prirzen, being close to the action made sense.

Luna was also awesome enough to recommend Five Star Fitness [Google Maps] open on Sundays (def not the norm), and I was sold.

Merely 70 euros ($73) for a king room at this newly built hotel, with breakfast boot. The gym ran us – get ready for this – 3 euros/pp. Wowza. Eat it, Rio.

North Macedonia

Another stumble. Def used Google Maps again, and options were similarly limited. Here, I surveyed the winery scene (priorities) and found that an awesome # were w/in 25 min or less of the city center.

So, Skopje city center it was, and the Marriott Skopje quickly emerged as the front runner. Enter the option to book a room with lounge access, and this girl was giddily sold (lounge access was clutch on our Taiwan trip, ooolala).

At $183/night, with a sprawling breakfast and that oh so luxurious lounge access to boot, Javanti was giving toothy smiles alllll over the place. Gym, (multiple!) saunas, and parking on site.

In gorgeous Lake Ohrid, I caught wind of Unique Resort & Spa as being well located and reviewed. Booking online seemed… nonexistent, so 3 emails to the property later, voila, we were in!

$160/night, inclusive of breakfast. Again, the placed housed a gym, numerous saunas, a cool plunge, and our set our wheels.

Albania

We made an executive decision to stay 2 nights in Shkoder [Google Maps] to explore the North and one night in the capital city of Tiranë [Google Maps] to catch our Sunday 6am flight back to Chi.

Hotel Dirista in Shkoder was very well rated, brand spanking new, and boasted awesome customer service. 45 euros ($47)/night for a luxury suite with breakfast to boot. No gym? No problem. The hotel recommended Pro Fitness [Google Maps], just a 5 min walk. Another 3 euro entrance fee, simply amazing.

Tirana had a million options. Cloud 5 Blloku [Google Maps] appeared to be an awesome one, at the insanely low price of $68/night. We didn’t need breakfast or a gym given the 6am flight out, and this spot was perfectly located in the what seemed like the most happening hood in this bustling city.

For our 13 minutes spent in the room before hitting the town, this was perfect. If you have more time, def stay some place with more frills. Highly recommend the Blloku hood regardless of which lil love nest you choose.

Runabout tips:

The hotels on this trip were the oddest to book, logistically. Most require you to reach out via Whatsapp or email (I scoured the web for contact info. for each, with some easier to find than others) and somewhat incredibly, do not require a deposit or any CC info. to book.
(Where we can reach the place…) we do tend to ask about the avail. and cost for parking on-site with a rental in-tow. The info. is useful, but more so, we get a great sense of the customer service.
We had a good mix of larger & boutique hotels on this trip. Bonuses to each, so the mash up is great with us.

How far does your mula go?

Changing $? We suck at this, prob b/c it involves planning ahead. Or changing $ at sky high airport exchange rates, which I refuse to do.

If you’re okay chancing it a bit, take a decent amt of USD with and either find an exchange in town … or when your hotel says the CC machine is down, see if they’ll take those (US) dolla billz. Worked for us at hotel #1 upon landing, and later that day, we hit an ATM in town for those solid euros.

These spots are more cash heavy than the rest of our European adventures. You’ll get by with a card maybe ~60% of the time, depending on the level of establishments you’re frequenting.

The prices? We prob ate & drank (very, very well) for about 40% of what we pay here in Chi/the US. Wowza! Easily the least pricey spots we’ve hit up outside of Asia, with Kosovo taking the cake on that front.

What to do.

Prizren, Kosovo

With 24 hours in Kosovo, we landed in Pristina &… headed straight to Prizren. An hour’s drive from Pristina, we settled into our Prizren hotel ready to hit the evening streets.

We:

Obv snuck in a workout at Five Star Fitness to get into the groove and kick any jet lag to the curb.
Popped over to the Old Stone bridge where tons of people were out & about. Amazing people watching, super cute old town area, with oh so many restaurants, bars, and cute lil shops.
Hit up the Prizren fortress for a relatively short but lovely hike and view at the top. Gorgeous at sunrise!
Marveled at the insane amount of wedding dress shops. Ornate and exquisite local garb, and truly everywhere.

If you opt to hit up the capital, we recommend by foot. You could pop by these sights:

Newborn Monument [Google Maps]
Mother Theresa Cathedral [Google Maps]
Gracanica Monastery [Google Maps]
National Library [Google Maps] – apparently dubbed one of the ugliest buildings in Europe, I quite like its odd design.
Fadil Vokrri football stadium – you might check out whether a match is happening while you’re there!
Four Paws Bear Sanctuary – I was so bummed that the sanctuary is in hibernation mode (cute) for all of 2025. The wildlife refuge in Girdwood, Alaska was amazing & we were looking forward to a similar ish round deux.

Where to eat & drink

Boulevard Gastrobar – What a cute & delicious surprise. Best chicken nuggs in life, wowowow.
Te Syla – Highly recommended for locals & tourists alike. Some of the best kabobs of the trip. And that bread, oolala.
Gatsby – Scrumptious dessert in a lovely ambiance. The shots were tasty, too.

Runabout tips:

If you’re into shopping, holy smokes, the prices here will blow you away. I’m talking 20-30% of US prices, depending on the item. Food & drink? Prices only seen in Asia for this girl. Talk about bang for your… euro.
Def stay within walking distance of the Old Stone Bridge. It was oh so much fun to putz around and then make the 15 min walk home.
Even if you have a short stint, highly highly recommend a visit. We were lucky enough to make a friend & learn about the culture. Extremely welcoming, driven, society that seems to prioritize family. And cherishes weddings.
Despite the middle eastern vibe, drinks flow everywhere.
Recommend staying in Prizren, not Pristina.

North Macedonia!

Kosovo was… perfect. But Macedonia had promised winery visits, (more) delish kabobs (locally, “kebapi”), and… a bit of risky casino fun.

Skopje

What to do.

Putz around the city! From giant parks to Roman-esque architecture to awesome river paths, we imagine this place will blow up.
Faves: City Park & it’s Labyrinth, neighborhood crawling back to the Square, silly poses next to the many statues along the stroll, and the Fortress for sunset.
As you mosey down the Vardar River path, catch a glimpse of the stadium.
Hike the Matka Canyon trail just 30 min out of the city!
Must – wineries! Favorite – Brzanov. Others you might try – Kartal, Miron, Kamnik, Skovin, all a surprisingly short drive from the city.
We were lucky enough to catch a ritzy & rowdy prom good. Jon obv showed these kids up with his smooooth mooooves.

Where to eat & drink!

We ate very well and loved finding lil hidden gems on any random corner as we perused the city streets.

Daily Food & Wine – Just wow. Beautiful, oh so friendly setting for delish grub and scrumptious wine. A strong fave.
Matto Nepoletano – Apparently in the world’s top 50 pizza places, we totally stumbled upon this, and Dejan treated us to the best experience out there, no reso & all. Bring on the grappa, truffle goodness, and… more grappa!
Pelister – Bit fuzzy on this one but highly recommended for traditional fare by Teddy, our wine connoisseur.

Lake Ohrid

What to do.

Putz around the lake, old town, and promenade!
Grab a paddle board or kayak & cruise around the lake.
Keep an eye out for the truly insane # of stunning churches. The favorite by far – St. John at Kaneo. Worth the short, lovely hike & stunning at any time of day, but aim for sunset for those gorgeous hues.
Newsflash, Macedonians don’t play. At only one casino. Holy smokes, even more risky business here than in the capital.
Hike the Galicica national park that’ll put you right into Greece!

Where to eat & drink!

We made too many lovely friends and explored the…. bar side of Ohrid. Ahhh, nothing beats the great outdoors.

Bacchus Wine Bar – Our lovely host at the wine bar clearly takes tons of pride in the local wine trade. Let him steer the ship and try not to meet lovelies like Rafael & Mercedes that will destroy your afternoon. So. much. fun.
Vkusno Kebap Shop – Wowowow. Kebaps done oh so well. Don’t snooze on those traditional beans!
Kajche – Gorgeous setting on the lake with solid seafood (& meat, if more your jam) dishes.
La Pizzeria – Life saving calzones. After indulging in the world’s best pizza in Skopje tho, pales in comparison.

Runabout tips:

Loved the location and amenities at our Marriott Skopje and would stay there again in a heartbeat. Get that lounge access!
Consider staying at Bacchus in Ohrid! Dangerously near mucho vino but looks very cute.
I would say parking was a breeze at both locations but… giant thanks to Matt & yet another dangerously fun couple. Actually watch the length of parking you secure, even if it feels you’re paying a random dude that can’t possibly have a system to keep tabs.
Be sure to send a msg (most often, via Whatsapp) to each winery before you visit. We were very surprised that many were booked up. For Brzanov, be sure to ask for Teddy as your wine extraordinaire. The cheese & meat plate there are also to die for.

Albania.

Holy smokes, this place is blowing up. The kindness and hospitality carried over from Macedonia, but Albania felt much more metropolitan. Save for our lovely country drives on roads big enough for one small car… good thing the middle of nowhere has no traffic. Or activity of any sort…

Shkoder

What to do!

Putz around the Old Town (there’s a theme here) and the famous Ruga Kole Idromeno street. Super. super cute shops, restaurants, bars, all with an old timey feel in this ancient city.
To sneak in a lil history and nature, head up to the Rozafa Castle within the city or the Mesi Bridge, about a 15 min drive out.
Visit the country! We adventured out to Shpella a Zhyles, a lil cave about 20 min farther than the Mesi Bridge. The cave was underwhelming but the drive out boasted about 1 other human and 3 other cars. The entire way. Country living provided a nice change of focus for this duo.
Hike! The famous Theth Blue Eye Kappre & Grunas Falls are a less than 2 hour drive out.

Where to eat!

Agroturizem Faquedol – Enjoy a traditional meal in a stunning setting over sunset.
Idromeno – One of my fave outdoor settings of the trip. The wine & bites didn’t disappoint either. The company took the cake, of course 😉
Arti Zanave – One of the best traditional meals we had while supporting a social enterprise. Lunch with a purpose, we’ll take it.
Aroma – Pasta was to-die-for. Note that there is also an Aroma Fish, just off the main street. Worth a try!
M’Shijon – Elevated wine and bites at an insane value. Also super cute.
Genti – Delish local eats with oh so friendly service and a lovely front patio.

Tirana

What to do!

Just wow, you’ve reached the next… name your fave bustling city, complete with giant parks and an overflow of restaurants, boutiques, cafes, and nightclubs. Not to mention skyscrapers. Say what?!
On the way to Tirana, an absolute must is Vila Shehi for a gorgeous, mouth watering lunch. The winemaker Gazmend is a lovely human, and his wife is my new fave chef (love you, J!). The grounds make for a beautiful setting, and the wine (and grappa, yowza!) pours are generous. A truly perfect afternoon.
Stroll Skanderbeg Square.
Climb the Pyramid of Tirana!
Grab a drink at the rotating top of the Sky Tower! Gorgeous view of the Dajti mountains. These Chicagoans are def awed. Read, flat land for dayys.
Parks! Lake View Point in Tirana Park made for a perfect pre-dinner stroll.
Pop into the really cute clothing and knickknack shops that double serving cocktails. If someone in your life loves anime, pop into Raven Store for a fun time & cute gifts.

Where to eat!

Fa Mulan sushi – Creative bites, beautiful presentation, and service with a smile. Perfect start to the night.
Eja – Such a cute spot, inside and outside. While tough to beat the Italian we’d been relishing in the entire trip, sharing a pasta dish & copa de vino is worth it for the ambiance alone.

Next time:

Based on the scene we witnessed while heading to the airport at the tender 3am hour, I am committed to hitting a club in Tirana. Terrible idea? Oh yea.
More hikes! Perhaps the challenging Valbone – Theth trail.

Runabout tips:

The drive into Albania is stunning… and windy through those mountains! Prob the most challenging drive of the trip, altho Jon loves to play the passing game so perhaps there’s no trepidation nec. So long as you’d don’t mind arriving 7 hours later. Go, JG!
In Tirana, def stay in the Blloku hood. Well known as a hip part of the city, you better believe the club will rage past 3am.
An absolute must is Vila Shehi for a wine lunch. If you want a bit of reprieve from the city, yet only 20 min out, you can stay at the guesthouse as well.
Next time, the south! Albania has a ton more to explore, and we’re here for it.

Top 5 experiences on this solid voyage:

Vila Shehi & Brzanov were super unique wine tasting excursions. Both lovely, fun, and wildly different from one another.
Saturday night out in Kosovo, from the awesome local interaction, pretty sights, and all around exceeded expectations (of which we came in w/ none, set for success).
Albanian country traversing.
St. John at Kaneo in Ohrid! Gorgeous scene.
Date night in Macedonia. An abundance of pizza (& wine) never hurt a girl. Another evening full of pleasant surprise after pleasant & tasty surprise.
NOT the casino where we lost gobs of $. Dramatic. And still way too fun.