Getting all the details for accommodation in check can sometimes be a daunting task - but have no fear! I've collected some tips & tricks to give you a head start in your planning. Let's dive into it.
Guest house or camping?
On the trail you have flexibility to stay at the guest houses or camp out. Before making your strategy, I'd encourage you to evaluate the options and pick what suits you the best - remember, hike your own hike.
Staying in the guest houses
Staying at the guest houses is the best way to get close to the locals and experience the Balkan culture - both in terms of homecooked food, but also occasional music & singing around the table (yes, this happens!), great conversations and enjoying the beautiful inside of the, often old, mountain huts. In addition to this, you get close to your fellow hikers in the guest house. After a day in the mountains the stories start to flow after a beer or two - so moments you don't want to miss out on. The beds are generally comfortable and you will get good sleep after a strenous day of hiking. Lastly, by staying at the guest houses you can go pack very light which reduces the overall physical strain of the hike (see our Packing Guide).
An obvious drawback of sleeping in the guest houses is the cost. With the increasing popularity of the trail the accommodation prices are increasing. I found the typical per night price for a bed in hut to be around €40 - prices are not always including food, packed lunch and other services so expect your per night price to be even higher. Additionally you will need to plan ahead if you want to pick your guest houses. The plan will reduce your flexibility to improvize along the way but give you the peace of mind knowing you have a place to stay for the night.
Camping out
There is no better way to get close to nature than camping out. If you decide to be camping you will have full freedom to stop wherever you want for the night. This way you can avoid the crowds at the end of each stage and experience a more wild and pure Peaks of the Balkans trail. Not only will you avoid the booking ahead of guest houses, but you will also have the flexiblity of staying between towns and composing your own hike (as opposed to following the common stages).
The flexibility of camping comes at the expense of the light pack - you need to bring a full camp setup with you. In addition to this you will need to carry extra water for cooking and drinking as well as your food supplies. I'd also consider the fact you will miss out on the minging with other hikers at the guest house. To me, this is not a small sacrifice, but decide for yourself what kind of hike you are searching for.
Why pick when you can have both?
For my first hike of the Peaks of the Balkans I started out planning to camp, but ended up doing a bit of both; staying at guest houses if we passed some we couldn't resist and camped out when we found small wilderness gems. Almost all guest houses will allow you to pitch your tent in their garden and use all the facilities (showers, toilets etc.) at lower fee usuaully around €12. This ended up being a great experience that picks the best parts of both options. If you are comfortable with carrying the extra gear and camping out, I'd recommend you this approach.
Booking tips
Pick guest houses close to the trail
Most guest houses on the trail are listed on websites like Booking.com which makes it easy to make the actual booking. However some guest houses are located far off the trail and might not be the ideal stop for you. We actually developed the Peaks of the Balkans App, partly, to solve exatly this problem. On the app you are able to see guest houses and the proximity to the trail and a small decription. Each guest house will have a link to their booking website.
Book ahead of time
It is common for guest houses to offer bookings that can be cancelled 24 t0 48 hours prior to arrival. We encourage you to get some bookings in the book even if your plan is not yet firmly set in stone. As peak season approaches guest houses fill up quickly due to the overall limited capacity; this is only getting more important as the trail is gaining popularity every year. Most guest houses operate in the season that spans from June to September.
Bring cash
A booking fee covers a place to stay for the night and most commonly an evening meal. However additional services such as laundry or packed lunch might come at an extra fee. So don't count on your booking fee covering it all and bring cash. The currency of Albania is Lek and both Montenegro and Kosovo use Euro. We carried only Euro and that worked out just fine. All ATMs withdrawals will be subject to a fee. We didn't manage to find any ATMs with a fee less than €10.
Check reviews (but not too much)
Checking review of guest houses is a good idea. Do it mostly as a sanity check of the guest house having had guests the prior years and that they have been generally satisfied. There will always be people who lose the temper over small details, but don't let that weight to heavily. Guesthouses are mostly located in rural areas will not always have modern amenities or facilities. Use the Peaks of the Balkans App guest house listing as a starting point for your search.
What to expect from guest houses
The guest houses on the trail are all different and unique in their own regard. Many of the guest houses are repurposed farm buildings that have been converted into guest houses. For this reason you can expect a diverse set of experiences with a lot of local charm. All guest houses have power plugs (sometimes in the rooms - if not, then available at the common areas), hot showers and Wi-Fi. Dinner is served for the entire guest house as the same time. Many times this is done family style with you sharing food with 4-6 other hikers. If you have food preferences such as vegetarian or vegan let the owner know in advance. Food preferences is the exception so expect a slimmed down version of the regular menu.
Most of the guest houses encourage mingling between hikers by having large common areas such as terraces and gardens. A typical day after completing the hike is spent in these common areas catching up with fellow hikers. If you don't explicitly try to book for single rooms you will be sharing a room with multiple other hikers. Many times this is a wonderful experience and will give a chance to get to know each other. On that note - bring earplugs and a sleeping mask to help yourself get decent sleep no matter the room situation.
