40-day Europe road trip by car: Krka, Kotor, Albania, Zakynthos, Athens, Mykonos, Santorini – and back across the Balkans

Our Balkans and Greece road trip was our longest yet: 40 days, nine countries, from Vienna to the Cyclades and back.

Balkans road trip in numbers

Our Balkans road trip in numbers: 40 days, nine countries, many ferries and even more border crossings. That’s why we’ve written down the route with the real dates below, so you can plan your own trip better. We have also noted where we travelled too fast and where we would have liked to stay longer.

Our longest road trip yet: 40 days, nine countries, from 28 June to 6 August 2025. From Vienna down the Adriatic to Greece, out to the Cyclades – and back home across the Balkans. Here is the route with the real dates, and what we learned along the way.

The route

• 28–30 June · Krka (Croatia) – a national park with waterfalls. Buy tickets online, come early; swimming is now prohibited.
• 1–3 July · Kotor (Montenegro) – an old town on the bay, the climb to the San Giovanni fortress (around 1,350 steps) early in the morning.
• 4 July · Durrës (Albania) – passing through on the coast.
• 5–10 July · Vlorë – six days on the Albanian Riviera, beaches south of the city.
• 11–12 July · Sarandë and Ksamil – turquoise water like in the Caribbean, but crowded in high summer.
• 13 July · mainland Greece – across the border and down to the ferry.
• 14–17 July · Zakynthos – by car ferry from Kyllini, a good hour.
• 18–19 July · across the mainland towards Athens.
• 20–21 July · Athens – the Acropolis early in the morning.
• 22–23 July · Mykonos
• 24–27 July · Santorini
• 28 July · Athens – back to the mainland.
• 29 July · North Macedonia, 30–31 July · Pristina (Kosovo), 1 August · Sofia, 2–4 August · Bucharest, 5–6 August · Budapest – and home to Vienna.

Borders, papers, insurance

On this route you constantly switch between EU and non-EU countries. A passport or ID card is enough everywhere, but there are checks at the borders to Montenegro, Albania, North Macedonia and Kosovo – in summer sometimes with waiting times. Important for the car:

• Take the green card from your car insurance and check that the countries aren’t crossed out. Montenegro, Albania and North Macedonia are in the system.
• Kosovo is not part of the green card system. You have to buy separate border insurance at the border. It’s quick and cheap, but have cash in euros with you.
• Vignettes: Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary have e-vignettes – buy them online in advance, not from middlemen at the border. In Croatia and Greece you pay tolls at toll booths (cards accepted).

Ferries and islands

The car ferry to Zakynthos leaves Kyllini several times a day; book in advance in summer. For Mykonos and Santorini from Piraeus or Rafina, it’s worth considering whether the car really needs to come along: the crossing with a car is expensive and parking spaces on the islands are scarce. On the islands, a quad, a scooter or a small rental car is often the better choice.

Highlights and an honest assessment

• Kotor – the most beautiful bay of the trip. Cruise ships fill the old town at midday, so go early or in the evening.
• Albania – even cheaper than the rest, warm-hearted and with a wild coastline. The roads are better than their reputation, the driving style is creative.
• Ksamil – a postcard, but in July it’s sunbed after sunbed. You pay for sunbeds almost everywhere.
• Zakynthos – the famous shipwreck bay (Navagio) is best seen from a boat; the viewing platform above was closed at times.
• Santorini – the sunset in Oia is beautiful and completely overcrowded. The path between Fira and Imerovigli along the caldera is quieter.
• The way back via Pristina, Sofia, Bucharest and Budapest is the underrated part: four capitals in one week, each completely different.

Money: five currencies on one trip

Euros in Croatia, Montenegro, Kosovo and Greece, plus Albanian lek, Macedonian denar, Bulgarian lev (since 2026 Bulgaria has also had the euro), Romanian lei and Hungarian forint. This is exactly what a multi-currency card is made for: with Wise we paid in local currency everywhere and only needed cash more often in Albania. More in Money abroad.

Internet: watch out for roaming

EU roaming applies in Croatia, Greece, Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary. Not in Montenegro, Albania, North Macedonia and Kosovo – normal roaming there can get very expensive. The solution: install an eSIM for the Western Balkans in advance or buy a local SIM. If you work in the car, you have a connection everywhere with Starlink.

Would we go again?

Yes – but in June or September instead of high summer. 40 days sounds long, but on this route it isn’t. Next time we would spend more time in Albania and less on the Cyclades.

Balkans road trip: our verdict

Our verdict on the Balkans road trip: plan buffers for borders and ferries, because they cost more time than any motorway. It’s also worth staying at least two nights in each country. The highlights of individual destinations are in Things to do in Albania and Things to do in Zakynthos; background on the region can be found on Wikipedia.