Albania is an easier family destination than most people expect and a harder one to plan badly. The water in the south is warm, calm and shallow for a long way out, food is simple enough that fussy eaters survive, and nobody minds a toddler in a restaurant at ten at night. What catches families out is the map. Distances look small and drives take twice as long as the numbers suggest, which turns a clever multi stop itinerary into a fortnight of car seats and complaints.
Where actually works
Ksamil and the far south, for shallow turquoise water and short walks between coves.
Saranda, as a base with a promenade, shops and a choice of beaches nearby.
Vlore and the northern Riviera, for a break in the drive and long sandy stretches.
Tirana, for a few days at either end, with parks, museums and the cable car.
Berat, for one memorable day of a castle that children can run around.
Not the far north, unless your children genuinely walk and enjoy it.
What makes it easy
Warm, calm sea from June into late September, with gently shelving beaches in many places.
Late meals and a culture that treats children as normal guests rather than a problem.
Short distances between beaches once you are based in one area.
Cheap food, including plain grilled meat, pasta, bread and fruit everywhere.
Sunbeds and umbrellas to rent on most organised beaches, which solves the shade problem.
Pharmacies and supermarkets in every town for the things you forgot.
What to plan around
The coast road, which is winding, slow and hard on anybody prone to travel sickness.
Shade, which is genuinely scarce on the busiest beaches by the middle of the day.
Pavements, which are missing or blocked in parts of many towns.
Pebbles on a good number of the prettiest beaches, so water shoes rather than bare feet.
August crowds in Ksamil and Saranda, which are the busiest fortnight of the year.
Child seats, which rental companies do not reliably have in the size you need.
A shape that works
Two nights in Tirana, with the cable car, a park and one museum, before any driving.
Break the drive south with a night in Vlore or Berat rather than doing it in one go.
A week in one place in the far south, with a pool for the middle of the day.
Beaches in the morning and late afternoon, and indoors or in the water at noon.
One boat trip, which almost every child rates as the best day of the holiday.
Fly home from Tirana, allowing far more driving time than the map suggests.
Where this fits in an Albania trip
A fortnight, two bases, and a deliberate decision not to see everything.
For the practical groundwork of a first visit, our beginner guide to Albania covers what to arrange before you fly.
For which stretches of coast suit small children and which do not, our guide to the best beaches in Albania covers the options.
And for the area most families end up basing themselves in, our guide to staying in Ksamil covers where to sleep.
The short version
Base yourself in the far south for the shallow water and move as little as possible, because the coast road is slower than it looks and every move costs a day. Give Tirana two nights at the start, with the Dajti cable car as the afternoon that works for every age. Break the drive south rather than doing it in one push. Pack water shoes, sun protection and your own child seats, plan around the shade at midday, and treat one boat trip as the highlight it will turn out to be.
