The Peaks of the Balkans Trail. Rudolf Abraham

located in the city centre and are reasonably priced (www.buffalobackpackers.com). From Pristina, take a bus to Pejë and another into the Rugova Valley (see below). This is actually the shortest route to get to the Peaks of the Balkans Trail.

      Pristina airport

      Pristina Airport (www.airportpristina.com, called Adem Jashari) lies around 15km southwest of Pristina. There is no airport shuttle bus service, but a taxi into town will cost you around €15 (www.taxibeki.net).

      Pristina to Pejë and the Rugova Valley

      There are buses as frequently as every 20mins from Pristina to Pejë (journey time 2hrs), from where there are twice-daily buses to the Rugova Valley, where you join the Peaks of the Balkans Trail.

      Pejë (Peć)

      The main bus station is on Adem Jashari, about 10min walk northeast of the town centre. There are regular buses to Pristina. If you need to stop for the night in Pejë, Hotel Çardak (Mbretëresha Teutë 101; tel [phone]; www.hotelcardak.com) is a good, reasonably priced hotel in the town centre, between the main post office and the bus station. For tourist Information see www.pejatourism.org.

      Pristina to Valbona

      There are frequent buses from Pristina to Gjakova (in Kosovo, journey time 90mins), from where there are buses to Bajram Curri in Albania and from there to Valbona (see above).

      The Valbona Pass, looking towards the Valbona Valley (Stage 1)

      Flights to Tirana (Albania)

      For those starting/finishing the route in Albania, British Airways (www.britishairways.com) flies direct to Tirana, from where there are buses to Bajram Curri (5hrs) and from there to Valbona (45mins). Choose Balkans run a daily jeep to Valbona, departing from Tirana in the morning (tel [phone]; choosebalkans.com). Alternatively, a taxi transfer from Tirana to Theth or Valbona will cost up to €150.

      Tirana airport

      Tirana airport (www.tirana-airport.com) lies 17km northwest of the city centre. There’s a bus service into the city centre, otherwise a taxi will cost around €20.

      Tirana to Valbona

      There are several buses leaving Tirana for Baram Curri in the morning and early afternoon (journey time 5hrs), usually travelling via Prizren and Gjakova in Kosovo since the roads are better there, rather than all through Albania. Buses depart from Rruga e Durresit (the same street as the airport bus), just northwest of the Zogu i Zi roundabout in Tirana. From Bajran Curri there’s a daily minibus to Valbona (journey time around 45mins), departing from Bajram Curri early afternoon (and returning from Valbona early in the morning). See ‘Podgorica to Theth or Valbona’, above, for more information.

      Arriving by train

      Podgorica is on the railway line between Belgrade, Serbia (from where there are rail links to Croatia and elsewhere in Europe) and Bar (from where there are ferries to Italy) – a rather spectacular journey in itself as it navigates a course through the mountains of Montenegro through a succession of tunnels and viaducts. The main railway station in Podgorica is located next to the bus station. For train timetables see www.zcg-prevoz.me.