EuroVelo 8 in Montenegro and Albania: Map and 11 Stages to Greece

The 722 km of EuroVelo 8 from Dubrovnik to the Greek border in 11 stages, with the distance, climbing, traffic and signage that the official map leaves out.

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EuroVelo 8 runs from Dubrovnik through Montenegro and Albania to the Greek border. On the map it is a coastal line, but on the ground it is ordinary roads with no signs. This guide splits the official GPX into 11 stages.

What Is EuroVelo 8?

The EuroVelo 8 Mediterranean Route is part of the EuroVelo network run by the European Cyclists' Federation (ECF). It covers 7,350 km from Cádiz to Cyprus through 10 countries, and the ECF's route page and GPX files are the official source.

A bicycle against the stone steps of a Dubrovnik lane; the city is where this guide's 722 km start

This guide follows it from Dubrovnik to the Qafë Botë border: 50 km in Croatia, 212 km in Montenegro and 461 km in Albania. The ECF has no national coordinator in Montenegro or Albania. For other rides in the region, see our guide to cycling the Balkans.

What You Need to Know at a Glance

  • Distance: 722 km and about 6,700 m of climbing

  • Stages: 11, from 35 to 134 km; plan on 12 to 14 riding days

  • Signs: none on this section

  • Best months: May, June, September and October

  • Our tours: three ride about 200 km of it, luggage moved

How Developed Is EuroVelo 8 South of Dubrovnik?

Since 2026 the ECF grades each section from certified down to undeveloped or unknown. Partially developed means cycling is possible but traffic or surfaces need work, so the ECF calls it suitable for experienced cyclists only.

The coast road on the Bay of Vlorë, part of the 53 km Fier to Orikum section graded developed

All 212 km in Montenegro are undeveloped or unknown, and 457 km elsewhere are partially developed. Only Fier to Orikum, 53 km, counts as developed, and not one kilometre carries EuroVelo signs.

The ECF's 2026 development report counted a 12% rise in developed kilometres on EuroVelo 8 in Albania, and expects a national coordinator there in the coming years.

EuroVelo 8 Route Map: Dubrovnik to the Greek Border

The official EuroVelo 8 map leaves the sea at the Bay of Kotor, climbs over Lovćen to Cetinje and rounds Lake Skadar, then detours inland to Tirana before Durrës.

EuroVelo 8 from Dubrovnik to the Greek border, coloured by the ECF's 2026 development grade

Download the full GPX, because the developed-parts file holds only 53 of the 722 km, from Fier to Orikum. The route planner on the same page shows the line country by country.

The table numbers the 11 stages as the country sections below do. Distances come from the ECF's GPX of October 2026, and a tilde marks our climbing estimates.

Stage

Distance

Climb

ECF grade

1. Dubrovnik to Herceg Novi

57 km

~600 m

Partially developed, then unknown

2. Herceg Novi to Kotor

44 km

~200 m

Undeveloped or unknown

3. Kotor to Cetinje

62 km

~1,250 m

Undeveloped or unknown

4. Cetinje to Virpazar

42 km

~400 m

Undeveloped or unknown

5. Virpazar to Shkodër

72 km

~1,150 m

Unknown, then partially developed

1. Shkodër to Tirana

119 km

~300 m

Partially developed

2. Tirana to Fier

134 km

~150 m

Partially developed

3. Fier to Orikum

53 km

~200 m

Developed, not signed

4. Orikum to Dhërmi

38 km

~1,050 m

Partially developed

5. Dhërmi to Sarandë

68 km

~1,250 m

Partially developed

6. Sarandë to Qafë Botë

35 km

~300 m

Partially developed

The GPX smooths out short rises, so a cycle computer will usually record more climbing. The Kotor serpentine and the Llogara Pass are the two big days.

EuroVelo 8 in Montenegro: Dubrovnik to Shkodër

This part covers 277 km in five stages, from the last 50 km of Croatia to the first 15 km of Albania, numbered north to south. EV8 leaves the coast at Kotor, away from the busy road through Budva.

1. Dubrovnik to Herceg Novi Through Konavle

The seafront path at Herceg Novi, where stage 1 reaches the mouth of the Bay of Kotor

  • Distance: 57 km, about 600 m of climbing

  • Duration: 1 day

  • Route: Dubrovnik, Cavtat, Konavle, Vitaljina border, Herceg Novi

  • Surface: asphalt; 9 km of the busy D8, then lanes

  • Difficulty: moderate, rolling

  • Best for: a quiet border crossing

EV8 uses about 9 km of the D8 coast road south of Dubrovnik, which riders advise avoiding in heavy traffic, then runs past Cavtat through the villages of Konavle.

The border is the small Vitaljina post, open only to passenger traffic, so queues are usually shorter than at Karasovići.

2. Herceg Novi to Kotor Around the Bay

Perast's waterfront on the inner Bay of Kotor, the halfway point of stage 2 and day 4 of our tour

  • Distance: 44 km, about 200 m of climbing

  • Duration: 1 day

  • Route: Herceg Novi, Kamenari, Risan, Perast, Kotor

  • Surface: asphalt; half the M-1 bay road, half promenades

  • Difficulty: easy, nearly flat

  • Best for: Perast and Kotor at an easy pace

Out of Herceg Novi the shore road rounds the inner bay to Risan, Perast and Kotor, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, never more than about 45 m above the water.

At Kamenari the car ferry to Lepetane carries bikes free. It saves about 43 km, but the shortcut also skips Perast and Kotor.

Map

Day 4 of our Cycle the Balkans tour rides this stage: 45 km with 220 m of climbing, 37 km of it on EV8, with time for the boat to Perast's islands. It moves your luggage but has no support driver.

The tour arrives from Trebinje on day 3 and, after Kotor, takes the coast road to Budva and Bar, rejoining EV8 near the Albanian border on day 7.

3. Kotor to Cetinje Over the Kotor Serpentine

Kotor's clock-tower square below the limestone wall that stage 3 climbs on the serpentine

  • Distance: 62 km, about 1,250 m of climbing

  • Duration: 1 day

  • Route: Kotor, Tivat, Trojica, Krstac, Njeguši, Cetinje

  • Surface: asphalt; bay lanes, then the R-1 over the mountain

  • Difficulty: hard; the route's high point at about 1,120 m

  • Best for: the view down onto the bay

Before climbing, EV8 loops 25 km along the bay to Tivat, then starts up at Trojica on the serpentine road, finished in 1884, with 17 hairpins in 7.9 km.

From 25 May to 15 October 2026 the serpentine runs one way at set hours, uphill from Kotor in the morning, so ride up early in the day. Past Njeguši the road tops out at about 1,120 m, then drops to Cetinje, the old royal capital.

4. Cetinje to Virpazar via Rijeka Crnojevića

Rijeka Crnojevića on its river, the halfway town of stage 4 after the long descent from Cetinje

  • Distance: 42 km, about 400 m of climbing

  • Duration: half a day to 1 day

  • Route: Cetinje, Rijeka Crnojevića, Virpazar

  • Surface: asphalt, minor roads all the way

  • Difficulty: moderate; a long descent, then rolling

  • Best for: the quietest roads in Montenegro

From Cetinje the route drops almost 700 m in 17 km to Rijeka Crnojevića, an old trading town with boats to Lake Skadar, the largest lake in the Balkans.

A minor road above the lake covers the last 25 km to Virpazar. Riders describe EV8 alongside Lake Skadar as superb, with barely any traffic.

5. Virpazar to Shkodër Along Lake Skadar

Water lilies on Lake Skadar, whose south-west shore stage 5 follows for 57 km to the Sukobin border

  • Distance: 72 km, about 1,150 m of climbing

  • Duration: 1 to 2 days

  • Route: Virpazar, Vladimir, Sukobin border, Shkodër

  • Surface: asphalt; the R-15, then the SH41 into Shkodër

  • Difficulty: hard; rolling, up to about 500 m

  • Best for: the length of Lake Skadar

Along the south-west shore the R-15 climbs and drops for 57 km to Vladimir and Sukobin, where Montenegro and Albania share one joint checkpoint. The last 15 km follow the SH41, whose wide shoulder riders find easy.

The coast road is the alternative, and our Cycle the Balkans tour takes it: Kotor to Budva on day 5, then a side road above the sea to Bar on day 6.

The Mirovica olive tree in Bar, believed to be over 2,000 years old, on day 6 of our tour

On day 7 it rides 50 km past Lake Šas and joins EV8 for the last 18 km into Shkodër. Budva and Bar lie 10 to 13 km off the official line.

EuroVelo 8 in Albania: Shkodër to the Greek Border

EuroVelo 8 in Albania runs 446 km from Shkodër in six stages, inland to Tirana and then along the coast from Durrës, mostly graded partially developed. For the rest of the country, see our guide to cycling in Albania.

1. Shkodër to Tirana via Lezhë

Lezhë castle on its hill above the town, where traffic on stage 1 picks up towards Tirana

  • Distance: 119 km, about 300 m of climbing

  • Duration: 2 days

  • Route: Shkodër, Lezhë, Laç, Fushë-Krujë, Tirana

  • Surface: asphalt; some SH1, then the SH39 after Lezhë

  • Difficulty: easy, nearly flat

  • Best for: an easy start in Albania

Shkodër's farmland is easy riding, but traffic grows at Lezhë and on the edge of Tirana. If navigation offers the A1 motorway, refuse it: signs at the motorway ban bikes.

Map

Our Trans Dinarica tour in Albania rides about 47 km of this line: 60 km from Shkodër to Laç on day 3, joining EV8 near Lezhë, then 50 km past Prezë castle into Tirana.

The Trans Dinarica cycle route shares this corridor, and the future EuroVelo 21 from Belgrade will end in Shkodër, linking to EV8 by 2031.

2. Tirana to Fier via Durrës

The seafront promenade in Durrës, the calmer way through the city on stage 2

  • Distance: 134 km, about 150 m of climbing

  • Duration: 2 days

  • Route: Tirana, Durrës, Kavajë, Rrogozhinë, Fier

  • Surface: asphalt; secondary roads and 13 km of the SH4

  • Difficulty: easy terrain, heavy traffic

  • Best for: riding every kilometre

The flattest stage is also the busiest, with city traffic at both ends of the 44 km to Durrës. In Albania's largest port, riders suggest the seafront path as the calmer way through.

South of Durrës the line uses the SH4 for about 13 km, then secondary roads to Fier, with the plainest scenery of the route.

3. Fier to Orikum via Vlorë

The Independence Monument in Vlorë, the city at the middle of stage 3, where Albania declared independence

  • Distance: 53 km, about 200 m of climbing

  • Duration: 1 day

  • Route: Fier, Vlorë, Radhimë, Orikum

  • Surface: asphalt, the SH8 main road

  • Difficulty: easy

  • Best for: the only developed section

Near Fier, a short detour leads to the ruins of Apollonia, an ancient Greek city. The SH8 then runs to Vlorë, where Albania declared independence, and along the bay to Orikum.

These 53 km are the only stretch the ECF grades as developed between Dubrovnik and Greece, though they are not signed. Orikum sits at the foot of the Llogara Pass.

4. The Llogara Pass: Orikum to Dhërmi

The Llogara pass road zigzagging up above Dhërmi, the south side our UNESCO tour climbs on day 9

  • Distance: 38 km, about 1,050 m of climbing

  • Duration: 1 day

  • Route: Orikum, Dukat, Llogara Pass (1,027 m), Palasë, Dhërmi

  • Surface: asphalt, the old SH8 pass road

  • Difficulty: hard; 13.7 km at 6.5% from Dukat

  • Best for: one big climb above the Ionian Sea

From Dukat the north side climbs 861 m in 13.7 km at 6.5%, with a steepest grade of 10.2%. Pine forest covers the 10.1 km² of Llogara National Park at the top.

From Palasë, the south side is the harder climb: 16.6 km and 1,084 m, with ramps of up to 14%. Since July 2024 a tunnel of about 6 km has taken most traffic, and EV8 keeps to the old road, open and free.

Our Albania UNESCO cycling tour climbs the south side on day 9, its last riding day: 70 km from Himarë to Vlorë with 1,700 m of climbing.

5. The Albanian Riviera: Dhërmi to Sarandë

Himarë and its bay below the mountains, 18 km into stage 5 on the SH8 coast road

  • Distance: 68 km, about 1,250 m of climbing

  • Duration: 1 to 2 days

  • Route: Dhërmi, Himarë, Porto Palermo, Borsh, Lukovë, Sarandë

  • Surface: asphalt, the SH8 coast road

  • Difficulty: hard; two climbs over 300 m

  • Best for: beaches and sea views all day

High above the sea, the SH8 drops to Himarë after 18 km, passes Porto Palermo's castle and Borsh's beach, then climbs over Lukovë to Sarandë. July and August bring holiday traffic, so ride the Riviera in May, June or September.

Map

The UNESCO tour rides this stage northbound: day 8 covers 55 km from Sarandë to Himarë with 1,000 m of climbing. With day 9, that is about 106 km of EV8 in two days, with a support driver.

Before the coast, the tour crosses Albania from Lake Ohrid through Korçë, Përmet and Gjirokastër, away from EV8.

6. Sarandë to the Greek Border at Qafë Botë

The triangular castle on the Vivari Channel at Butrint, beside the cable ferry of the Ksamil detour

  • Distance: 35 km, about 300 m of climbing

  • Duration: half a day; a day with Butrint

  • Route: Sarandë, Xarrë, Konispol, Qafë Botë border

  • Surface: asphalt, the quiet SH98 and SH97

  • Difficulty: moderate

  • Best for: a quiet finish into Greece

Inland from Sarandë the official line misses Ksamil and Butrint, a Greek and Roman city on the UNESCO list, by 4 to 6 km. The small Vivari Channel cable ferry at Butrint takes bikes for a fee.

Going via Ksamil, Butrint and the ferry, it is about 40 km to Konispol instead of 34, so the detour costs only about 6 km. The Qafë Botë border opens from 05:00 to 23:00 Albanian time.

When and Which Way to Ride

May, June, September and October suit this route best. Dubrovnik averages highs of 21.5°C in May and 28.2°C in July, Vlorë 23.2°C and 29.7°C, and July and August bring the heaviest coast traffic.

Cloud over the pine slopes of the Llogara Pass, where morning fog is common from April to October

Morning fog often covers the Llogara Pass from April to October, usually clearing by late morning.

North to south, as here, you climb Llogara's shorter north side and the serpentine in its morning uphill window, while riding north means Llogara's steeper south side. Our Balkans cycling guide has temperatures for the region.

How to Get There

EV8 passes within a kilometre of Dubrovnik airport at Čilipi, so starting at the airport skips the city traffic. Jadrolinija ferries from Bari to Dubrovnik carry bicycles, and Tirana airport and the Bari to Durrës ferries serve the middle.

Sarandë's bay at dusk; ferries from its port take about 30 minutes to Corfu

At the end, ferries from Sarandë to Corfu sell bike tickets and take about 30 minutes, and Corfu has an airport. Igoumenitsa, 33 km past the border, has ferries to Italy.

Since 10 April 2026 the Entry/Exit System has fingerprinted non-EU travellers at Schengen borders, so carry your passport. UK visitors need no visa for 90 days in Montenegro and Albania; US visitors should check.

How Much It Costs

The Kamenari ferry saves cyclists 43 km for free, and the old road over Llogara costs nothing. The Vivari Channel ferry, Butrint and the Njegoš Mausoleum charge small fees, and Albania uses the lek, not the euro.

Lakror, the Albanian layered pie sold in bakeries; Albania is the cheapest country on the route

Prices fall as you ride south, and cash matters in rural Albania, where cards are not taken everywhere. Our tours include hotels with breakfast, luggage transfers, a guidebook and a GPS app; bike hire, single rooms and tourist tax are extra.

What to Pack

Load the full GPX on your phone and carry a power bank, because there are no signs to follow. Tyres of 28 mm or wider are enough on asphalt, but low gears matter more than tyres here.

Touring bikes with rear panniers; loaded riders on the Llogara Pass need their lowest gears

One loaded rider found a 30-tooth chainring and 32-tooth sprocket only just low enough for Llogara. Pack lights and a bright top for the main roads, and a windproof for the 1,027 m Llogara descent. Our Albania cycling guide has a full kit list.

Ready to Ride EuroVelo 8?

Our three self-guided tours each ride part of EuroVelo 8: the Bay of Kotor, Shkodër to Tirana, or Llogara and the Riviera. Dates are on our tours page. To plan your trip, send an inquiry.

Frequently Asked Questions

No. The ECF lists none of the 722 km from Dubrovnik to the Greek border as signed. Montenegro is graded undeveloped or unknown and most of Albania partially developed, so navigate with the full GPX file from the ECF's website.

The section is 722 km with about 6,700 m of climbing. At 50 to 60 km a day most riders need 12 to 14 riding days. The stages here range from 35 km to the border to 134 km from Tirana to Fier.

Not this section. The ECF says partially developed sections suit experienced cyclists only, and the line uses main roads, with four stages of over 1,000 m of climbing. Our tours are easier: two are graded 3 out of 5, and all move your luggage.

Mostly, with care on a few roads. Traffic is heaviest from Tirana through Durrës to Fier, where EV8 uses 13 km of the SH4; the Riviera and roads near Shkodër are quieter. Stay off motorways, where signs ban bikes, and use lights.

From the north it climbs 861 m in 13.7 km at 6.5%, with a steepest grade of 10.2%. From the south it climbs 1,084 m in 16.6 km, with ramps of up to 14%. Take low gears, two bottles and a windproof.

The official GPX and map are on the ECF's EuroVelo 8 page at eurovelo.com. Choose the full route file, because the file of developed parts holds only the 53 km from Fier to Orikum on this section of the route.

Albania is a safe destination for travelers. Whether you're traveling with children, a loved one, or on your own, including as a solo female traveler, you can explore without major safety concerns, much like in other secure countries. Health risks, crime, and terrorist threats are low, even in larger cities. Albanians are especially known for their exceptional hospitality, making visitors feel welcome and at home.

Albania’s official currency is the Albanian Lek (LEK). While many hotels, restaurants, and shops also accept euros (EUR), using the local currency is the most convenient option. Card payments are not widely accepted, especially in rural areas, so it is best to carry enough cash for your travels.

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