Driving 3 Beautiful European Countries in a Day!
September 16, 2024
One of the fun things about traveling Europe is it is often easy to visit 3 countries in a day. From Barcelona area, it is possible to visit Spain, France and Andorra in a day. We have also visited Provence, France, Italy and Monaco in a day. We have many more travel examples like driving through Austria, Slovenia, and Italy in a day a few times. Early this September, we visited Albania, North Macedonia and Montenegro all in one day! We have visited and spent time in Albania and Montenegro before a few times as we love the Balkans.This is the first time we visited North Macedonia. These countries are perfect for Schengen Shuffle , budget slow travel & digital nomad travel!
Our wonderful host for our rental apartment long stay in Lake Ohrid in Albania this summer high season, drove us on this trip to 3 countries. One can rent a car, but we chose this method this time. I wrote a post called "How to travel without crowds in high season" that documents how we did it and gives you the best tips and tricks to avoid crowds and costs in high season Europe. Albania's Lake Ohrid was perfect for high season budget travel.
Ancient Lake Ohrid is bordered by both Albania and North Macedonia, so we wanted to visit Macedonia before heading to our next long stay destination in Ulcinj, Montenegro.
Lake Ohrid, Macedonia is only an hour away from the tiny village where we stayed, but totally different. It is much larger, much, much more hilly and very different than our stay on the lake in Albania. I will be writing much more about these places, but just giving you a taste here.
Both places have boardwalks on the lake, but even they are very different. This photo with the yellow and blue boats was taken on the Albanian side. The digital nomad photo above is me on the boardwalk in Macedonia.
This sunset photo was taken on one of the many docks on the quiet peaceful, Albanian side just a few steps away from our apartment and the sandy beach. Every night a special sunset would delight us. We spent July and August in Lake Ohrid on the Albania side and loved the serene charm.
Our summer apartment in Lake Ohrid on the Albanian side had many swans and canals that I visited on my daily walks. Lots of great restaurants too on the lake side and canals, although we mostly cooked our own food. We were in a short walking distance to the National Park of Drilon ( former cruel dictators summer home) where there were tons of swans, ducks and geese. We did not see any swans on the Macedonia side, but have read there are some too.
It was refreshing to find an old fashion and uncrowded, budget place with perfect summer weather! We enjoyed our stay on Lake Ohrid on the Albania side and likely will return. .
Rakia is the most popular drink here, but I just enjoyed watching the grape vines ripen at most homes I passed on my daily walk. The food was excellent and grown close by, so I think they had the best organic tomatoes, blueberries and blackberries I ever tasted. I lost twenty pounds on my weight loss journey here.
Unlike the Macedonia side or Uljinc, ( which are quite similar and VERY hilly) the land on the Albania side of the lake is mostly flat so easy for daily walks. Although the Macedonia side of Lake Ohrid is just an hour drive away, they are very different, but both special in their own unique ways.
This is one of the iconic photos of Lake Ohrid in Macedonia that we had to see and photograph. Some say it is the most iconic photo in all the Balkans. It does say a lot with the blue water, mountains and ancient church. It is not an easy place to reach, but worth the effort.
There are lots of sea side restaurants and beauty all around. Most tourists in Lake Ohrid on both the Albania and Macedonia sides are from the nearby Balkan countries. 70% of people that live in Ulcinj are Albanian, and 24% in Macedonia, so one finds many similarities to these 3 countries.
This is another famous church called Sophia. Ohrid is known for once having 365 churches and has been referred to as the "Jerusalem of the Balkans" & is a very touristy & beguiling town.Also there are many Muslims and mosques in these 3 countries and one can sometimes hear the call to prayer.
There are a lot more boats on the Macedonia side and it is much bigger town than where we stayed on the Albanian side. It is still a charming small city, but the eight largest in the country with over 42,000 people. The boardwalk on the water is smaller and I preferred the one in Albania, but they also have a lovely promenade along the waters edge.
From Ohrid, Macedonia, we drove about 2 1/2 hours to Tirana, Albania and then about 2 1/2 hours north to Montenegro. We loved this great restaurant, sea food meal and spectacular view in old town Ulcinj, Montenegro & had it all to ourselves! We first visited Montenegro in 2007 and fell in love with it. Schengen Shuffle travel also got us to Albania last year and we were impressed & see it as the next Croatia. This is our first visit to Ulcinj, Montenegro. We first visited Kotor & Budva, Montenegro from a day trip from Dubrovnik. Those popular cities are about an hour and half drive south from Ulcinj. ( Montenegro just got it's independence in 2006).
There are lots of walkable beaches in Ulcinj and some are sand and some built into the cliffs. The music blasts away and crowds predominate during high season, but that shifts greatly in September off season. Interestingly one can walk to the Albania border from Ulcinj and also one can walk to the Macedonia border from where we stayed on Lake Ohrid in Albania. The famous, sandy Long Beach or Velika Plaža is the longest beach on the Adriatic Sea (8 miles long or 13 km ) and it stretches from Bojana to Port Milena in Ulcinj.
The Old Town in Ulcinj is beautiful and one of the oldest on the Adriatic coast, founded in the 5th century BC. This photo was taken from a hill near the beach and the restaurant photo above was taken from the Old Town at the gorgeous Restaurant Miguel De Cervantes. The most famous Spanish writer of the literary classic Don Quixote was caught by pirates and imprisoned as a slave in Ulcinj for 5 years. Funny we have our Spain connection even here!
The ancient old town is a big uphill hike on old knees, but worth it for the beauty and history. The cobble stone streets, arches, and views are stunning and rich in history.
There are a lot of beautiful restaurants and hotels and a few museums. The cobble stone streets and many stone arches and buildings, plus the spectacular sea views adds to the enchantment. Especially off season on perfect sunny days and with almost no tourists.
There is endless beauty around the beaches, forests and Old Town Ulcinj so we enjoy walking and exploring. Most of it is hilly, so one gets a work out going up and down the many steep hills.
There are also many lovely restaurants right on the sea like this one where we had a yummy breakfast one morning on the way to the beach.
Our long stay apartment in Ulcinj is not as new, as nice or as big as the one we stayed at in the village on Lake Ohrid in Albania. Like most rental places here there is a lot of steep hill walking ( many tourists have cars) but also great views. I will write more about where to stay in Lake Ohrid Albania plus Tirana, Macedonia and Montenegro in later posts.
Our Youtube short video above shows our stupendous view of the sea and Old Town from our terrace. It is a perfect spot to enjoy coffee in the morning, meals during the day and local wine during the daily stunning sunsets. The top lead photo of this post is also a photo from our terrace.
Every sunset is unique and most are awe inspiring! Watching sunsets are also very healing. Research shows it triggers the release of dopamine and reduces stress hormones. We try to catch as many sunrises and sunsets that we can and this place makes that easier than most! They even have pools here with sea views!
As you can see by these few photos, these 3 countries have a lot to offer and delight you. All of them can also be done on bargain prices even during high season, but we suggest a fall stay!
Beaches, mountains, sea, forests, lakes, pools, Old Town ancient architecture, national parks, museums, good food and restaurants to name a few highlights.
Just enjoying our time on the terrace here is lovely and also a great place to get some of our digital nomad work done online ( inside and outside) in between touring the area. Slow travel is relaxing and has many advantages.
Who is ready to visit these fascinating budget destinations in Europe?
One of the fun things about traveling Europe is it is often easy to visit 3 countries in a day. From Barcelona area, it is possible to visit Spain, France and Andorra in a day. We have also visited Provence, France, Italy and Monaco in a day. We have many more travel examples like driving through Austria, Slovenia, and Italy in a day a few times. Early this September, we visited Albania, North Macedonia and Montenegro all in one day! We have visited and spent time in Albania and Montenegro before a few times as we love the Balkans.This is the first time we visited North Macedonia. These countries are perfect for Schengen Shuffle , budget slow travel & digital nomad travel!
Our wonderful host for our rental apartment long stay in Lake Ohrid in Albania this summer high season, drove us on this trip to 3 countries. One can rent a car, but we chose this method this time. I wrote a post called "How to travel without crowds in high season" that documents how we did it and gives you the best tips and tricks to avoid crowds and costs in high season Europe. Albania's Lake Ohrid was perfect for high season budget travel.
Ancient Lake Ohrid is bordered by both Albania and North Macedonia, so we wanted to visit Macedonia before heading to our next long stay destination in Ulcinj, Montenegro.
Lake Ohrid, Macedonia is only an hour away from the tiny village where we stayed, but totally different. It is much larger, much, much more hilly and very different than our stay on the lake in Albania. I will be writing much more about these places, but just giving you a taste here.
Both places have boardwalks on the lake, but even they are very different. This photo with the yellow and blue boats was taken on the Albanian side. The digital nomad photo above is me on the boardwalk in Macedonia.
This sunset photo was taken on one of the many docks on the quiet peaceful, Albanian side just a few steps away from our apartment and the sandy beach. Every night a special sunset would delight us. We spent July and August in Lake Ohrid on the Albania side and loved the serene charm.
Our summer apartment in Lake Ohrid on the Albanian side had many swans and canals that I visited on my daily walks. Lots of great restaurants too on the lake side and canals, although we mostly cooked our own food. We were in a short walking distance to the National Park of Drilon ( former cruel dictators summer home) where there were tons of swans, ducks and geese. We did not see any swans on the Macedonia side, but have read there are some too.
It was refreshing to find an old fashion and uncrowded, budget place with perfect summer weather! We enjoyed our stay on Lake Ohrid on the Albania side and likely will return. .
Rakia is the most popular drink here, but I just enjoyed watching the grape vines ripen at most homes I passed on my daily walk. The food was excellent and grown close by, so I think they had the best organic tomatoes, blueberries and blackberries I ever tasted. I lost twenty pounds on my weight loss journey here.
Unlike the Macedonia side or Uljinc, ( which are quite similar and VERY hilly) the land on the Albania side of the lake is mostly flat so easy for daily walks. Although the Macedonia side of Lake Ohrid is just an hour drive away, they are very different, but both special in their own unique ways.
This is one of the iconic photos of Lake Ohrid in Macedonia that we had to see and photograph. Some say it is the most iconic photo in all the Balkans. It does say a lot with the blue water, mountains and ancient church. It is not an easy place to reach, but worth the effort.
There are lots of sea side restaurants and beauty all around. Most tourists in Lake Ohrid on both the Albania and Macedonia sides are from the nearby Balkan countries. 70% of people that live in Ulcinj are Albanian, and 24% in Macedonia, so one finds many similarities to these 3 countries.
This is another famous church called Sophia. Ohrid is known for once having 365 churches and has been referred to as the "Jerusalem of the Balkans" & is a very touristy & beguiling town.Also there are many Muslims and mosques in these 3 countries and one can sometimes hear the call to prayer.
There are a lot more boats on the Macedonia side and it is much bigger town than where we stayed on the Albanian side. It is still a charming small city, but the eight largest in the country with over 42,000 people. The boardwalk on the water is smaller and I preferred the one in Albania, but they also have a lovely promenade along the waters edge.
From Ohrid, Macedonia, we drove about 2 1/2 hours to Tirana, Albania and then about 2 1/2 hours north to Montenegro. We loved this great restaurant, sea food meal and spectacular view in old town Ulcinj, Montenegro & had it all to ourselves! We first visited Montenegro in 2007 and fell in love with it. Schengen Shuffle travel also got us to Albania last year and we were impressed & see it as the next Croatia. This is our first visit to Ulcinj, Montenegro. We first visited Kotor & Budva, Montenegro from a day trip from Dubrovnik. Those popular cities are about an hour and half drive south from Ulcinj. ( Montenegro just got it's independence in 2006).
There are lots of walkable beaches in Ulcinj and some are sand and some built into the cliffs. The music blasts away and crowds predominate during high season, but that shifts greatly in September off season. Interestingly one can walk to the Albania border from Ulcinj and also one can walk to the Macedonia border from where we stayed on Lake Ohrid in Albania. The famous, sandy Long Beach or Velika Plaža is the longest beach on the Adriatic Sea (8 miles long or 13 km ) and it stretches from Bojana to Port Milena in Ulcinj.
The Old Town in Ulcinj is beautiful and one of the oldest on the Adriatic coast, founded in the 5th century BC. This photo was taken from a hill near the beach and the restaurant photo above was taken from the Old Town at the gorgeous Restaurant Miguel De Cervantes. The most famous Spanish writer of the literary classic Don Quixote was caught by pirates and imprisoned as a slave in Ulcinj for 5 years. Funny we have our Spain connection even here!
The ancient old town is a big uphill hike on old knees, but worth it for the beauty and history. The cobble stone streets, arches, and views are stunning and rich in history.
There are a lot of beautiful restaurants and hotels and a few museums. The cobble stone streets and many stone arches and buildings, plus the spectacular sea views adds to the enchantment. Especially off season on perfect sunny days and with almost no tourists.
There is endless beauty around the beaches, forests and Old Town Ulcinj so we enjoy walking and exploring. Most of it is hilly, so one gets a work out going up and down the many steep hills.
There are also many lovely restaurants right on the sea like this one where we had a yummy breakfast one morning on the way to the beach.
Our long stay apartment in Ulcinj is not as new, as nice or as big as the one we stayed at in the village on Lake Ohrid in Albania. Like most rental places here there is a lot of steep hill walking ( many tourists have cars) but also great views. I will write more about where to stay in Lake Ohrid Albania plus Tirana, Macedonia and Montenegro in later posts.
Our Youtube short video above shows our stupendous view of the sea and Old Town from our terrace. It is a perfect spot to enjoy coffee in the morning, meals during the day and local wine during the daily stunning sunsets. The top lead photo of this post is also a photo from our terrace.
Every sunset is unique and most are awe inspiring! Watching sunsets are also very healing. Research shows it triggers the release of dopamine and reduces stress hormones. We try to catch as many sunrises and sunsets that we can and this place makes that easier than most! They even have pools here with sea views!
As you can see by these few photos, these 3 countries have a lot to offer and delight you. All of them can also be done on bargain prices even during high season, but we suggest a fall stay!
Beaches, mountains, sea, forests, lakes, pools, Old Town ancient architecture, national parks, museums, good food and restaurants to name a few highlights.
Just enjoying our time on the terrace here is lovely and also a great place to get some of our digital nomad work done online ( inside and outside) in between touring the area. Slow travel is relaxing and has many advantages.
Who is ready to visit these fascinating budget destinations in Europe?
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