Car & Van Hire - Durres

The port city of Durres is sure to enchant you with its intoxicating blend of ancient history and a cool modern vibe. It has great beaches, fascinating ruins and wonderful cuisine. It's also close to Tirana if you want to go on a day trip, and makes an excellent base for explorers who'd like to see more of Albania.

Start with one of the oldest places in town: the Durres Amphitheatre. Archaeologists reckon this was built in around 100 AD by Emperor Hadrian. Its ruins are well-preserved, and you're sure to be impressed by its sheer size - it could hold up to 20,000 spectators. Within the complex, you'll also see a fascinating, unusual sight: a small Christian chapel illustrating the changing culture of the Roman Empire.

Your journey through history continues with a visit to the remains of Durres Castle. Once a mighty Byzantine fortress, today, only a single squat tower remains, along with an old wall. The castle has played an important role in many of the city's battles. Surprisingly, it saw action as recently as the Second World War, when a desperate group of locals used it as a defensive base to delay the advancing Italian army.

The beautiful Fatih Mosque is well worth visiting. It has a complicated history: it was built by the Ottomans in 1503 but abandoned in the 20th century when Albania's communist government chose to shun religion. Its beautiful original minaret was even torn down. Today, the minaret has been replaced, and the mosque has become a national heritage site with a stunning interior.

Tired of exploring ancient sites? For a lively buzz, head straight for Durres Beach. This city beach is extremely popular with Albanians and attracts more and more international visitors. Chill out on a sunlounger or join in the water sports. This is a family-friendly beach, and the shallow waters are great for kids who want to splash around.

For a quieter beach day, use a car or van hire in Durres to head to Spille Beach. Although it's just a few kilometres outside the city, the vibe here is completely different. There are no hawkers or huge crowds. Instead, you'll be able to relax here in total peace and quiet.

Car hire in Durres is also great if you want to go on road trips further afield. Albania's capital city, Tirana, is just 35 km away. This is a fascinating city which still bears many of the scars of the country's turbulent recent past. It's an intriguing destination if you're interested in history - but even if you're not, you can enjoy the vibrant nightlife!

Durres is primarily a tourist destination, so you're likely to see more cars on the roads in July and August. You won't normally have to worry about traffic, but the city's close proximity to Tirana means it's a popular spot for weekenders. If the weather's good, you can expect to see some traffic flowing into Durres on Friday evenings and back out again on Sunday afternoons.

Driving in Albania can be quite an unusual experience. The roads are generally in quite poor condition compared to most of Europe, and the lack of signs can be a problem. Even stop signs are frequently missing at junctions, so drivers tend to take the law into their own hands. Traffic lights are a rarity outside Tirana. This, combined with the lack of stop signs, makes junctions a truly hair-raising experience! Take things slowly and carefully. You can expect to see lots of potholes, particularly on country roads. It's best to avoid driving at night outside cities.

Until the fall of communism in the 1990s, Albania did not have a system of driving licences, so older drivers, in particular, may have limited respect for the rules of the road. It's also common to see older vehicles on the roads. These may or may not have working indicators, lights and other modern features. Defensive driving is recommended, and always pay attention to what the drivers around you are doing.

Most roads in Albania have just a single lane of traffic. In the country, this can be a problem if you find yourself stuck behind a slow-moving vehicle. Local drivers will generally use their horns to announce that they plan to overtake you. It's considered polite to pull over, if possible, to let them pass.

Watch out for animals on the roads, particularly stray dogs and goats. Don't bother honking your horn to intimidate goats. It doesn't usually have much of an effect, and they may even respond angrily by trying to attack your vehicle!

Durres is a port city and offers car ferry connections to Bari in Italy. There are around 12 crossings a week, and the journey takes around 10 hours. If you want to make this international journey, you will first need to consult your Enterprise Rent-a-Car agent.