Do buses run on Sundays in Albania? Bus Timetables Albania

If you are wondering if buses run on Sundays in Albania, this blog post is for you. I will discuss bus travel in Albania on Sunday and other days of the week.

Do buses run on Sundays in Albania? Buses run on Sundays in Albania. In Albania, there is no variation between weekdays and weekends. Buses depart at the exact same time on any day of the week, including Sunday. There are no exceptional days like Sundays or public holidays. Buses depart at the same time every day of the week.

In this blog post, I will discuss bus travel in Albania on Sunday or any day of the week. I will discuss what it is like to travel by bus in Albania. Where to find bus timetables. How much you will pay for bus tickets. If it is possible to book bus tickets, the bus app, bus terminal locations and what furgons are. Let’s dive in.

Do buses run normally on Sundays in Albania?

Buses in Albania run normally on Sunday. In fact, buses run at the exact same time every day of the week, including Sunday. So there is no variation. And you won’t find any different bus timetables for Saturday and you won’t find any different bus timetables for Sunday. There are no different bus timetables for public holidays either. Buses operate at the same time every day of the week.

The only bus timetables that can vary are buses to beach locations alongside the coastline. There are more buses to the beaches in the summer months. And less buses to the beaches in the winter months, obviously. This is not a variation of Sunday or weekday, just due to more people travelling to the beaches in the summer months.

For instance, Olgeno Travel and Tours runs a bus from Tirana alongside the Albanian Riviera coastline to Saranda. In the spring season, this bus may only run at 7:00 AM in the morning. But in the summer months, there is an additional bus at 11:00 AM in the morning, due to the increased demand.

Also buses from Saranda to Ksamil and Butrint run longer in the evening in the summer months. Many tourists take a bus from Saranda to Ksamil beach or Butrint in the summer. Whereas the area around Saranda and Ksamil is much more quiet in the winter months. 

In summary, you won’t find that bus timetables are different on days of the week. Sunday’s bus timetables are the same as any other day of the week. There are no public holidays or variations between days. You may only find that in the winter months, there are a few less buses to the beaches as the swimming season is over.

You can check bus timetables for Albania on the Albania Bus Timetable App, that you can download here: https://albaniatourguide.com/albania-bus-timetable-app/ 

How are buses in Albania?

Buses in Albania are usually minibuses accommodating anywhere between 15-25 people. Minibuses are usually older models. Usually you can expect to sit on an older couch or chair in the bus. Some minibuses do not have air conditioning, windows may be opened during the trip. The Albanian people call these minibuses “Furgons”, but that is just the Albanian language for “minibus”. 

In short, travelling by bus in Albania is cheap, much cheaper than renting a car or hiring a taxi driver. But it is not a luxury experience to travel in Albania by bus. 

If you are planning to travel by bus in Albania, you will need to be patient. When you get to a larger bus terminal or street where buses depart alongside the road. You may feel it is chaotic and confusing as a foreigner. So I always recommend you go to the bus terminal or bus stop early. Give yourself plenty of time to find the right bus, to ask around with local people and to get on the bus early before it fills up. 

I will mention that bus travel in Albania may be very different from bus travel in your country. So just give yourself plenty of time and be patient. In Albania, it is common for bus drivers to make extra stops along the road to let extra passengers on the bus that are waiting alongside the road. This may never happen in your country, but it is the norm in Albania.

How much is a bus ticket in Tirana?

Bus tickets in Tirana cost anywhere from 200-1500 Leke (2 euros to 15 euros) depending on the distance you are travelling. Buses from Tirana to nearby towns like Kruja will only cost you 200 Leke (2 euros) per person. Whereas buses to cities further away like Saranda will cost you 1500 Leke (15 euros) per person.

If you are travelling in Albania by bus, I highly recommend you carry some cash euros and cash Albanian Leke with you. Because you will be expected to pay for your bus ticket in cash. Albanian buses are not equipped with a card machine, so paying onboard the bus by credit card is not a possibility. Of course, you can withdraw cash from a nearby ATM machine.

Where can I find Albania bus timetables?

You can find Albania bus timetables in the Albania Bus Timetable App. You can download the Albania Bus Timetable App here: https://albaniatourguide.com/albania-bus-timetable-app/ 

The Albania Bus Timetable App will show you bus routes, bus timetables, ticket prices, bus operators, bus journey durations and answer some of the frequently asked questions about bus travel in Albania. 

How to get around Albania without a car?

You can get around Albania without a car by bus or by taxi. There are only 2-3 functional trains within Albania, those are very slow, so that is not a viable option. 

Bus tickets in Albania will cost you anywhere between 200 Leke – 1500 Leke (12-15 euros) per person per journey. Trax drivers will charge you anywhere between 15 – 200 euros per journey. 

If you are travelling on a budget, I recommend you plan your long distance trips by bus. A trip from Tirana to Saranda by bus will cost you 1500 Leke (15 euros) per person. But a taxi driver may charge you 200 euros for a taxi from Tirana to Saranda. So that is a major difference in price.

If you are on a budget whilst travelling in Albania, you will most likely end up combining long distance bus trips with shorter taxi rides. As some of the bus terminals are located outside the city centre, you may end up taking a taxi from the bus terminal to your hotel or vice versa.

What is a Furgon in Albania?

A Furgon in Albania is a public transport minibus. Furgons have anywhere between 10-20 seats and transport passengers from one city to another city in Albania. Furgons usually make trips from the bus terminal in one city to the bus terminal in another city. So you would need to get to the bus terminal to board the Furgon minibus.

Public transport buses in Albania are different from other countries, in the sense that buses are operated independently. The bus driver is usually the owner of the minibus and he drives his own bus back and forth between cities. 

Bus drivers take cash payments and whatever cash they collect is for themselves. So for bus drivers the more passengers the more profit. As a result, you may find that the bus driver waits for some extra passengers or stops along the highway to let some extra passengers board the bus. This may not be allowed in your country, but it is common practice in Albania.

Where is the bus terminal in Tirana?

In Tirana, there are 3 x bus terminals each offering buses in a different direction. There are the bus terminals in Tirana:

• Tirana South and North Bus Terminal
• Tirana South-Eastern Bus Terminal
• Tirana International Bus Terminal

Depending on your destination, you have to decide what bus terminal you must go to.

Tirana South and North Bus Terminal

The Tirana South and North Bus Terminal is for buses from Tirana to the Southern coastline and the North of Albania. You will find buses to destinations like Permet, Gjirokaster, Berat, Saranda, Himare, Vlore, Durres, Kruja, Shkoder and smaller destinations in between.

The Tirana South and North Bus Terminal is located outside the city centre, so you will need to take a city bus or taxi to get to the bus terminal. You can see the location of the Tirana South and North Bus Terminal on Google Maps here: https://maps.app.goo.gl/GTyoWymCJKTh1LJt6 

Tirana South-Eastern Bus Terminal

The Tirana South-Eastern Bus Terminal is for buses from Tirana to destinations in the East of Albania, like Elbasan, Pogradec and Korce. Buses to destinations near Lake Ohrid will depart from the South-Eastern Bus Terminal in Tirana. 

The Tirana South-Eastern Bus Terminal is located near the Grand Park of Tirana. You may be able to walk to the bus terminal if you have a centrally located hotel. You can see the location of the Tirana South-Eastern Bus Terminal on Google Maps here: https://maps.app.goo.gl/xqM6EPK3n5kpgVnq9 

Tirana International Bus Terminal

The Tirana International Bus Terminal is for buses from Tirana to other countries. Buses from Tirana to Kosovo, from Tirana to Montenegro, from Tirana to North Macedonia and from Tirana to Greece for instance. But there are buses to many other countries as well. 

The Tirana International Bus Terminal is located on a 15-20 minute walk from the city centre. So if you were willing to walk with your suitcase, you could do so. Or you could hire a taxi for 10-15 euros. 

The Tirana International Bus Terminal is near the Ring Roundabout, which has a shiny silver artwork in the middle of the roundabout. And the bus terminal is behind the Asllan Rusi Sport Palace. You can see the location of the Tirana International Bus Terminal on Google Maps here: https://maps.app.goo.gl/SRbrwYBAG2xkN9s9A 

How to get from the Tirana bus station to the city centre?

You can take a bus from the Tirana North and South Bus Terminal to the city centre. You must exit the bus station and cross the street. Across the street there is a hotel “Terminal Hotel” and a petrol station. Buses to the city centre depart in front of the petrol station. Take a bus to “Qender” which means centre in the Albanian language. Make sure you have some cash with you as you will be expected to pay cash.

Related Questions

How to get from Tirana to Saranda by bus? You can get from Tirana to Saranda by bus. A bus ticket costs 1500 Leke (15 euros) per person. Buses depart from the Tirana Bus Terminal North and South Albania. Buses depart at 5:30, 7:00, 7:30, 8:30, 9:45, 11:00, 12:30, 14:15, 16:00 and 22:00. 

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