09.01.2023 – Day 5 – Dubrovnik to Tirana – 401 km
8:40 a.m.
After breakfast, we set off on the 5th leg of our journey to Albania.
9:59 a.m.
Entrance into Montenegro, with a brief customs visual check of Rainer’s trunk. Then off we go again!
We continue our journey to the Bay of Kotor, which we crossed by ferry at 10:50 a.m., saving us a long detour. The crossing takes just 15 minutes. The journey continues down a winding road through Lovcen National Park, with gorgeous views of the Bay of Kotor and the sea at 1749 m altitude. It’s a perfect place to capture beautiful images.
We continue towards Podgorica. It takes some time to get used to the Montenegrin “custom” of stopping and parking in the middle of the traffic lane.
1:50 p.m.
Arrival in Podgorica with 28.5°C. The charging stations had to be activated remotely, which took over an hour. In all, the recharge lasted just over an hour and a half. Thanks to Marko Markovic from VW, who was a great help!
3:40 p.m.
We’re back on the road to Tirana with 100% battery power and a maximum range of 419 km.
4:31 p.m.
Smooth passage through customs to Albania.
Before Albanian customs, Rainer was lightly hit in the rear by a black BMW. This led to a pretty intense exchange.
Nothing like the driving styles in the Balkans! There are plenty of Mercedes, especially older models, but also BMWs and VWs. In Albania, fruit, vegetables, car parts, dogs, rabbits, and so on are sold by the roadside.
A VW-Tirana team, accompanied by a reporter and cameraman from a local TV station, was waiting for us. A photo and interview followed by a shared beer rounded off the warm welcome.
7:15 p.m.
Arrival at PalmaNova Resort, Tirana
Total distance covered: 1992 km – 401 km leg
