Getting to Albania by flight, by ferry or by bus
Getting to Albania by Airplane
The International airport in Albania is called Nene Teresa Airport (TIA), which is located 15 minutes from the capital city Tirana. The Nene Teresa Airport (TIA) is sometimes called Rinas International Airport, because it is located in the village of Rinas. The airport has a growing number of International connections to European cities. You can reach Tirana city from major European countries, like the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, Turkey and Austria. Furthermore, there are numerous connections from the Balkan states.
Below a list of the Airlines that are currently flying to Albania. But bare in mind that a number of low-cost carrier, like Wizzair, have recently added flights to Tirana.
Getting from Airport to Tirana
The Rinas Express is the shuttle bus from the Nene Teresa Airport to the city centre of Tirana. The shuttle bus operates between 8:00 AM and 23:00 PM. The distance between the airport and the city centre is 17 km, which will take around 30 minutes depending on the traffic in the city centre. The price for a single journey is 250 Lek, which is around 2 Euros. The bus stop in the city centre is next to the National History Museum on Skanderbeg Square.
It is also possible to rent a car on the airport. There are offices for Hertz, Enterprise, Eurocar, Avis, Europcar, Sixt, ARA and Albanian Airport Rent a Car. These operators have offices inside the airport terminal. You can find their contact details here.
A taxi from the Tirana International Airport to Tirana city centre takes around 20-25 minutes. The pricing for Tirana Airport Taxi is 2500 LEK or 20-25 Euros for one way. You can reserve a taxi before your arrival at the Tirana Airport Taxi Service Website
Getting to Albania by ferry from Corfu Island
Corfu is a Greek Island close to the Albanian coast. If your destination is in the South of Albania, it easier to fly to Corfu Island instead of Tirana. Corfu Airport offers several low-cost flights from budget airlines. Click here for a list of airlines that fly to Corfu.
From Corfu Island you can book a ferry across to Saranda city in the south of Albania. There are several different ferry operators that you can book online or on site.
Ionian Seaways offers a daily connection from the port in Corfu to the port of Saranda. There are two types of boats crossing the Ionian sea. Firstly, the Flying Dolphin high-speed boat, which takes 30 minutes. And secondly, the slower ferry boat, which takes 70 minutes. However, only the ferry offers the possibility to bring your car along for the journey.
Download the Albania Bus Timetable App
- Search bus timetables for Albania.
- Find direct and indirect bus routes.
- Find bus terminals on Google Maps.
- Ticket prices, departure times and bus operators.
Depending on the season, the boat leaves between once and five times a day. Please have a look at the timetable below for the departure times from Corfu Island to Saranda city. The price of a one-way ticket for an adult is 19 euros in low season or 23.80 in high season. Please click here for the price list.
It is also possible to book the ferry or high-speed boat via Finikas lines. The offering, prices and timetables are very similar, because some of the operators are working together.
Getting to Albania by ferry from Italy
You can also travel to Albania by ferry boat from the city Bari in the south of Italy. The ferry journey across the Adriatic Sea from Italy to Albania takes 9 hours. The ferry arrives in Durres, which is a popular seaside city in Albania. From Durres, it takes only 35 minutes by car or by bus to drive to the capital city Tirana.
During the day, the ferry boats depart from Bari city in Italy at 13:00 and they will arrive in Durres city in Albania at 22:00. There is also an overnight journey, which starts from Bari city at 23:00 and it will arrive in Durres at 8:00 in the morning. There are different operators, like Ventouris Ferries, GNV or Grandi Navi Veloci and Adria Ferries. The prices vary depending on the season and the accommodation that you book onboard. The ferries offer 2,3 or 4 bed accommodation, with or without bathroom facilities. The ferries also offer the possibility to bring a car onboard.
Getting to Albania by bus from Greece
Albtrans offers a daily bus connection between Greece and Albania. The bus departs from Athens at 20:00 and it arrives in Tirana at 7:00. A one way ticket costs 30 euros. You can buy a ticket in the ticket office in Athens.
Getbybus operates a night bus from Greece to Albania. The bus departs in Athens at 20:00 and it arrives in Tirana at 6:00. The journey takes 10 hours and the price for a ticket is 35 euros.
Crazy Holidays operates two bus services from Greece to Albania. The bus service from Athens departs daily at 13:45 and at 18:00. The journey from Athens to Tirana costs 30 euros. Furthermore, the other service operates between Thessaloniki and Tirana. This bus departs from Thessaloniki at 19:30 daily and it costs 35 euros. The journey between Thessaloniki and Tirana takes 12 hours.
Getting to Albania by bus from Croatia
Eurolines operates buses from Germany and Croatia to Tirana. Since the company is based in Germany, it offers departures from various German cities. Furthermore, it offers buses from two Croatian cities: Dubrovnik and Zagreb. The journey from Dubrovnik to Tirana takes 10,5 hours and costs 46 euros. And the journey from Zagreb to Tirana takes 20 hours and 45 minutes with a price of 78 euros.
Getbybus offers two bus connections between Dubrovnik in Croatia and Tirana in Albania. The overnight bus journey lasts 6,5 hours. The bus departs from Dubrovnik at 23:00 and arrives in Tirana at 5:30 the next morning. The ticket price for this journey is 40 euros. The day-time bus journey, that departs at 7:00 AM from Dubrovnik, takes 10 hours and 45 minutes. The ticket is slightly higher in price at 44 euros.
Getting to Albania by bus from Montenegro
Getbybus offers two busses from capital of Montenegro Podgorica to Tirana. The earliest departure from Podgorica is at 9:00 AM and it arrives in Tirana at 12:15. Moreover, the afternoon departure starts from 13:00 in Podgorica and arrives in Tirana at 17:45. The price for the journey is 15 euros.
Old Town Travel offers a direct bus line from Kotor in Montenegro to Tirana. Along the route, the bus stops in Budva and Podgorica in Montenegro. The bus departs daily at 8:00 from Kotor, stops in Podgorica at 10:00 and arrives in Tirana at 13:50. The price for Kotor to Tirana is 25 euros or Podgorica to Tirana is 15 euros.
Getting to Albania by bus from Macedonia
Getbybus offers a daily bus service from the capital of Macedonia Skopje to Tirana. The journey takes 7 hours and 30 minutes and it will arrive in Tirana at 4:30AM.
Getting to Albania by bus from Kosovo
Autobus.al shows two bus journeys between the capital of Kosovo Pristina and Tirana. The afternoon bus departs from Pristina at 15:00 and arrives in Tirana at 19:30. Furthermore, the evening bus departs from Pristina at 21:00 and arrives in Tirana at 2:00AM. One way tickets are only 10 euros per person.
Are there trains in Albania?
Albania has some national trains (which are in a bad state), but there are no international trains. The passenger trains that travel all across Europe, do not come to Albania. In fact, Albania does not connect to the European passenger rail network. Because Albania simply does not have any rails that cross the border. With one exception, there is one rail that crosses the border to Montenegro, but it is only used for the transportation of goods.
There are a few national trains, but the trains and rails are in a bad condition. You will see train rails across Albania, which is heritage from the former communist regime. However, after 1990 the Albanian government did not invest in the rail network, some connections were shut down and the Albanian population choose for bus transportation instead.
Throughout the last decade, there have been plenty of plans to invest in the rail network. However, as you can imagine, improving a deteriorated rail network required lots of money. Therefore, the Albanian government has refrained from the investment.
About me
I am an Albania Tour Guide, who organizes 1-day, 2-day or multiple day private tours in Albania. I arrange your transportation and I am your English speaking guide. So that, you get to experience the most beautiful places in Albania!
Kind regards, Manon
Welcome to Albania!
I am a Tour Guide in Albania
I am an Albania Tour Guide, who organizes 1-day, 2-day or multiple day private tours in Albania.