Saranda for Everyday life

Saranda for Everyday – check out recommended stores, markets and how to live here

by Agnes & Krystian
10 minutes read

It is not tours and attractions that man lives. We spent a whole month in Saranda, during which we tried to live ‘everyday life’. So we shopped in the markets, went to the bazaar and looked for places used by locals. As a result, we got to know a brilliant bakery from which we took bread every day, went to the bazaar for fruit, and ate the most delicious fish in Saranda (at least we think so…).

So, if you are planning your holiday in Saranda and would like to know where to find cheaper shops and how to live in Saranda then you will definitely find this post useful. We also provide sample prices for products here – so you can estimate your budget for your trip reasonably.

Saranda life in city

Saranda is one of the biggest tourist destinations in the whole of Albania. Most of the shops are geared towards foreign tourists, but after all, locals have to shop somewhere too. We cooked home-cooked dinners during our stay in Saranda and everyday shopping can take a significant toll on your pocket if you overpay or shop at tourist shops.

Grocery shops

The markets, where we shopped almost every day, were a very important part of our trip. If you are coming for a short period of time, you may not feel such increased prices in the tourist shops, but always 100 LEK of savings on your purchases makes its difference. So if you are looking for shops with good prices and where you can easily pay with a card (in many shops we only encountered cash payment, so this is quite a nice option). We did our shopping in the centre, which is where you are likely to find accommodation. 

One of the recommended shops to do shopping is the Alfa supermarket located near the bus station. Some people also recommended the BIG chain shops, but the prices were not as attractive as you might think. For this reason, we did not go there as it was some distance from our accommodation.

We mainly did our grocery shopping like vegetables and fruit outside the city. However, there is a town market in Saranda located near a small amusement park. There you can buy local food products such as fruit or vegetables, but also honeys, herbs, spices, nuts, etc.Overall, we felt that it was a very nice place, but we heard from some people that they can ‘rip off’ tourists there for higher prices.This did not happen to us and we were treated very well.Sometimes even the children got some fruit for free.Maybe a big influence was that our son Leon was able to say hello in Albanian and the ladies selling fruit had a melting heart.

 

In general, a very cool travel tip is to learn a few words in the language spoken by the locals. I mean basic words like thank you, sorry, hello, please etc. It’s not complicated and can really work wonders and make Albanians treat you differently.

 

If you are looking for a drugstore with cosmetics then I think it is worth going to Rossmann. It is located right next to the bus depot. It is a bit more expensive than the local shops, but I think it is more trusted for products i.e. toothpaste / sun oils / cosmetics / creams.

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Recommended fish shop and bakeries in Saranda

In Saranda we highly recommend going to the local bakery and fish shops. The bread here is very tasty and we always went to a small bakery in the morning to buy bread. You can buy bread of different types and sizes. We opted for small loaves of bread so that we could eat it on the fly and we could buy fresh bread from the bakery every morning. There are many small bakeries in Saranda where the cost of bread ranges from 70 LEK, 120 LEK or 200 LEK depending on the type and size of the loaf of bread. When going to such small bakeries, you will need to have cash with you as payment by card is not possible. In the larger bakeries you will be able to try salty or sweet snacks – we especially recommend eating Byrk (me gjjize – with goat cheese), which is a local delicacy. 

The second recommended place is the fish shop, which serves fresh and delicious fish and seafood. Usually the prices of fish are from 300 LEK to 1000 LEK per kilo, depending on which fish or seafood you want to choose. What’s brilliant about this place is that you can have them grilled or fried on the spot. The ladies will clean the fish and prepare it for you to eat. Such a service costs an extra 100 LEK, but we have to admit that it comes out delicious. We are not big fans of fish and seafood, but we enjoyed it like nowhere else. For 1,000 LEK ( €10), you could buy two solid portions of fish for lunch. In the shop, you can pay by card, but from 2,000 LEK. Occasionally, however, the lady in the shop makes an exception.

Bakery in Saranda - prices

Entertainment for children in Saranda - playgrounds and parks

Albania is quite communist in terms of children. If you remember playgrounds during the communist era, this is what children’s playgrounds look like. However, it has to be said that while in Saranda, children will be mainly focused on relaxing on the beach and visiting nearby attractions. Playgrounds are therefore not the most necessary thing in the world, but it is worth noting that the playgrounds are quite poor. 

At the main promenade there is a small Amusement Park with a Ferris wheel, games, cars and other machines, the cost of which starts from LEK 100 to LEK 200. The park operates mainly in high season and is quite heavily frequented by youngsters.

Saranda for kids park theme

Medical care in Albania (Saranda)

Unfortunately, while in Saranda we experienced severe food poisoning, which ended with an emergency call. It is useful to know the emergency numbers in the country, as you never know when you will need them, and in a stressful situation there are really few things you remember.

My food poisoning manifested itself in poor mood and subsequent vomiting at night. This resulted in severe dehydration and weakness. There was fainting and a total lack of strength to even stand up. Krystian called an ambulance (it was not easy to communicate in English…). The second problem was giving an address, as many apartment buildings do not have flat numbers assigned. Because of this, I had no way to give it to medical help. The situation added to the stress….

Agnieszka was taken by ambulance to a hospital one kilometre away from our flat. She was given 3 drips which got her back on her feet and we returned home the same evening. Generally medical care in Albania is free (depends of a country you came from) and we were given a prescription with medicines to buy. Mainly probiotics (to stabilise the bacterial flora), mineral salts, medicines for strengthening. Medicines are not the cheapest thing in Albania, as we paid 7200 LEK (72 euros) for such a set.

We did, however, have insurance that covered the reimbursement of medical expenses including medication. At this point we would also like to mention that in the pharmacy it is necessary to take with you the receipt and in the hospital ask to fill in the treatment card needed for the insurance. We were in Saranda for a long time, one if someone is only for a week and will not have the opportunity to return to the hospital / pharmacy it is worth remembering this. 

As for the medical care, Agnieszka rates it very good. The doctor said that it is viral poisoning and tourists often fall victim to it. So if you are going to Albania and know that your body may be weakened or susceptible to poisoning it is worth taking a few sachets of probiotic or mineral salts from Poland.

Medical care in Saranda

ATM in Saranda - lowest margin 400 LEK with Revolut card

I have read a few articles on the subject of withdrawing money in Albania with the Revolut Card. On more than one occasion, the topic of free cash withdrawal at Credins Bank ATMs has come up in the forum. Unfortunately, since July 2023, the situation has changed and withdrawing money using Revolut at this bank is 600 LEK

I have not encountered an ATM that withdraws money without a fee (and I have tried at many ATMs). The difference is significant, as at some ATMs the fee was as high as LEK 1000 (!). In our experience, the cheapest ATM in this regard is Union Bank, which charges just 400 LEK – we have given the location of the ATM on the map below the post.

So it’s worth choosing cash once, but decently, and estimating how much money you will need. Are you planning any trips, will you be buying souvenirs or how much you will like the city market.

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Penalties in Albania - how are offences dealt with?

There are a lot of police in Albania. Even comparing it with other countries – a lot. The patrols are visible, mainly with traffic lights on, so in terms of security we felt very good here. We don’t usually go out in the evenings, and in Saranda we really enjoyed walking around.

The police presence can also have a negative effect on tourists breaking traffic (or other) rules. Sometimes this is done knowingly and sometimes not. Depending on the traffic offence, the tariff varies. For example, there is a fine of LEK 10,000 (€100) for driving under the prohibition of entry, some of which may result in the withdrawal of the driving licence. Due to the fact that tourists have a foreign driving licence they will not take it away from you but… they will charge you double. Unfortunately, although Albanians drive as they want, the police have the right to act in this way and this is what their Highway Code says.

However, there is an option to halve the fine – just pay it at the post office / police station up to 10 days after receiving the fine. It is worth doing this as you will not get away with it. If you are using a hire car (Check our post about renting a car in Albania – Renting car in Albania – all you should to know for family), the owner of the car will be informed very quickly of the offence and will charge you the full amount of the fine. If, on the other hand, you use your own car, you will be caught at the check-in desk when you leave, and the consequences may not be pleasant.

Cars in Saranda / Albania

Summary and interactive map with locations of shops in Saranda

It is worth noting that Saranda can be a very crowded city during the tourist season. We were here in October 2023 and this is the tail end of the tourist season, where most tourist businesses close down and people are not so plentiful. Even though it was October the temperatures were high (30 degrees at times) but the sun was not that aggressive. 

Probably if we had been here in July or August our impression of the city would have been very different.

Underneath we have included an interactive map where we have marked the shops and points of interest that we visited during our daily life in Saranda. We hope it will make it easier for you to find your way around this city – Mirupafshim!

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