I've been to Albania a few years ago, at the invitation of a friend. What a beautiful country! Safety-wise, it felt like ex-Soviet countries did in the early 9

I've been to Albania a few years ago, at the invitation of a friend. What a beautiful country! Safety-wise, it felt like ex-Soviet countries did in the early 90s: generally safe but there were lots of gang activity, so you did not want to cross the wrong person. Everyone knew someone who was involved in criminal activity. In smaller villages, going out to bars in the evening meant that the local tough guys would necessarily stare at us foreigners. There was a general "Americans are not welcome here" feeling in the air (and also in the things kids would shout at us), but it wasn't a big deal. Groceries were dirt cheap, the people - poor. I saw foreign police cars conducting a raid in Albanian villages to catch criminals. In touristy places, like Saranda, I felt the most safe, even if my friend was pointing out all the bars, restaurants and clubs presumably owned by the mafia. I had no bad incidents in Albania, only a great time, though my friend handled most interactions with other people. I would not go back without someone local. That's just my preference, I do have friends (non-Albanian) who go regularly on vacation to Albania by themselves.