EuroVelo 8 - Mediterranean Route - part Albania: which way and when to ride
The best month for EuroVelo 8 - Mediterranean Route - part Albania is October: 78% of days were dry with highs of 10–30 °C. In October the wind barely favours either direction — on average 0.1 km/h along the route (ERA5 2006–2025, daytime 9:00–18:00).
Weather by month
| Month | Good days | Rain days ≥ 1 mm | Rain, mm | Avg high | Days ≥ 30 °C | Days < 10 °C | Daylight, h |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 44% | 29% | 159 | 11 °C | 0% | 37% | 9.5 † |
| February | 56% | 31% | 126 | 12 °C | 0% | 23% | 10.6 † |
| March | 66% | 30% | 144 | 15 °C | 0% | 8% | 11.8 |
| April | 73% | 27% | 94 | 18 °C | 0% | 0% | 13.2 |
| May | 72% | 28% | 89 | 22 °C | 1% | 0% | 14.4 |
| June | 61% | 20% | 51 | 27 °C | 19% | 0% | 15.1 |
| July | 46% | 10% | 24 | 30 °C | 46% | 0% | 14.8 |
| August | 41% | 12% | 33 | 30 °C | 51% | 0% | 13.8 |
| September | 68% | 22% | 107 | 26 °C | 10% | 0% | 12.4 |
| October | 78% | 22% | 145 | 21 °C | 0% | 0% | 11.0 |
| November | 67% | 31% | 216 | 17 °C | 0% | 2% | 9.8 † |
| December | 57% | 26% | 162 | 12 °C | 0% | 21% | 9.2 † |
Best months are all months within 3 percentage points of the best one. † less than 11 hours of daylight — long stages get tight.
Wind by month
| Month | Wind Kuç → Konispol, km/h | Headwind > 15 km/h, Kuç → Konispol | Headwind > 15 km/h, Konispol → Kuç | Better way |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | −1.1 | 5% | 2% | either |
| February | −1.3 | 6% | 2% | either |
| March | −1.1 | 7% | 2% | either |
| April | +0.2 | 3% | 2% | either |
| May | +0.7 | 2% | 2% | either |
| June | +2.4 | 1% | 2% | Kuç → Konispol |
| July | +3.7 | 1% | 3% | Kuç → Konispol |
| August | +3.0 | 0% | 2% | Kuç → Konispol |
| September | +1.2 | 2% | 2% | either |
| October | +0.1 | 3% | 1% | either |
| November | −1.9 | 7% | 1% | either |
| December | −0.9 | 5% | 2% | either |
Stages
The route is split into 4 stages of about 100–150 km between towns; each stage has its own page.
| Stage | km | Best month | Tailwind Kuç → Konispol in October, km/h |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Kuç → Tirana | 128 | October | +0.3 |
| 2. Tirana → Fier-Çifçi | 138 | October | +0.7 |
| 3. Fier-Çifçi → Himarë | 113 | October | −0.1 |
| 4. Himarë → Konispol | 80 | September | −0.7 |
How to read the numbers
Wind is the 10 m wind of a 25-km grid cell, daytime hours 9:00–18:00 local solar time; at saddle height in a sheltered valley it is weaker, on a coast or ridge stronger. A positive value is a tailwind. ERA5 slightly over-counts days with ≥ 1 mm of rain (by about 5–7 percentage points) and underestimates daily highs by 1–2 °C. Good day = less than 1 mm of rain between 9:00 and 18:00 (riding hours, local solar time) and a high between 10 and 30 °C; rain at night or in the evening does not spoil it.