How to get from Shkoder to Valbona? Bus, Ferry, Taxi, Road

If you are wondering how to get from Shkoder to Valbona, this blog post will help you plan your trip. I will share how to get from Shkoder to Valbona by bus, by ferry and by private taxi. 

How to get from Shkoder to Valbona? You can get from Shkoder to Valbona by bus + ferry or by taxi + ferry. 6:30 AM: minibus from Shkoder to Koman. 9AM: ferry from Koman to Fierze. 12PM:minibus from Fierze to Valbona. This costs 21 EUR p.p. Taxi Shkoder to Koman is 70 EUR + Ferry 8 EUR p.p. + Taxi to Valbona 60 EUR.

In this blog post, I will describe how to get from Shkoder to Valbona by a combination of minibus and Komani Lake Ferry. Or the alternative, which is getting to Valbona by a combination of private taxi and Komani Lake Ferry. I will also discuss the road via Kosovo or inland Albania to Valbona, which avoids the Lake Koman Ferry as an alternative route. And finally, I will discuss getting from Tirana to Valbona, from Valbona to Shkoder and Shkoder to Theth. 

How to get from Shkoder to Valbona?

You can get from Shkoder to Valbona via a combination of minibus and ferry OR private taxi and ferry. These are the two options for getting from Shkoder to Valbona:

• Option 1: Minibus Shkoder to Koman + Ferry Koman to Fierze + minibus Fierze to Valbona
• Option 2: Private taxi Shkoder to Koman + Ferry Koman to Fierze + private taxi Fierze to Valbona

If you decide to travel from Shkoder to Valbona via a combination of minibus and ferry, your trip will start at 6:30 AM. At 6:30 AM, you get on the minibus from Shkoder to Koman. 

The minibus can pick you up from your hotel Shkoder, if you mention this whilst you book the journey on the website of “Komani Lake Ferry”. 

Alternatively, you can get on the bus at the bus station in Shkoder at 6:30 AM. The address of the bus station is: Bus Station to Koman, Valbonë, Gur i Zi, Rruga Revolucioni Antikomunist Hungarez, Shkodër, Albania. You can see the location of the bus station in Shkoder on a Google Map here: https://goo.gl/maps/njpaSHUufXDuaNtU7 

The bus from Shkoder to Koman will drop you off at the ferry terminal in Koman. 

Then at 9AM, you will get on the Lake Koman Ferry. The Lake Koman Ferry is a highlight! Bradt Travel Guides described it as “one of the World’s Greatest Boat Trips”. The Lake Koman Ferry will sail over Lake Koman for approximately 2.5 – 3 hours. So you will arrive at the ferry terminal in Fierze around noon. 

The minibus to Valbona will be waiting for you at the ferry terminal in Fierze. So when you get off the Lake Koman Ferry in Fierze, you will immediately transfer onto the minibus to Valbona. 

If you travel from Shkoder to Valbona via minibus and ferry, your journey will cost 21 euros or 2600 Leke per person. This includes the minibus from Shkoder to Koman, your ferry ticket from Koman to Fierze and the minibus from Fierze to Valbona. 

The alternative is booking a private 4 wheel drive taxi from Shkoder to Koman, then taking the Lake Koman Ferry, and then another private 4 wheel drive taxi from Fierze to Valbona. 

Your taxi will pick you up from your hotel in Shkoder around 6:30 AM and drive you to the ferry terminal in Koman. Then at 9:00 AM, you board the Lake Koman Ferry to Fierze. And around noon, you will get off the ferry at Fierze and transfer onto your private taxi to Valbona. 

If you travel from Shkoder to Valbona via private taxi, ferry and another private taxi, your journey will cost 138 euros. The private taxi from Shkoder to Koman is 70 euros per taxi. The Lake Koman ferry is 8 euros per person. And the private taxi from Fierze to Valbona is 60 euros. 

How to reach Valbona?

If you ask the more general question “how to reach Valbona” really there are a few options. Of course, you can take the minibus + ferry or the taxi + ferry, as I described above. But you could also choose to rent a car and drive to Valbona via Kosovo for instance.

• Option 1: Bus Shkoder to Koman + Ferry Koman to Fierze + Bus Fierze to Valbona
• Option 2: Taxi Shkoder to Koman + Ferry Koman to Fierze + Taxi Fierze to Valbona
• Option 3: Rental car Shkoder to Koman + Car Ferry to Fierze + Rental car Fierze to Valbona
• Option 4: Rental car from Tirana to Valbona via Kosovo (skip Lake Koman Ferry)
• Option 5: Rental car from Tirana to Valbona via the inland road in Albania (skip ferry)

Let me discuss each of the options for getting to Valbona in more detail below.

Option 1: Bus Shkoder to Koman + Ferry Koman to Fierze + Bus Fierze to Valbona

Like I described above, you can take a minibus from Shkoder to Koman, which departs from Shkoder at 6:30AM. Then at 9AM, you take the Komani Lake Ferry from Koman to Fierze. And around 12PM, you board another minibus from Fierze to Valbona. 

This journey costs 21 euros or 2600 Leke per person. This includes the minibus from Shkoder to Koman, your ferry ticket from Koman to Fierze and the minibus from Fierze to Valbona. 

Option 2: Taxi Shkoder to Koman + Ferry Koman to Fierze + Taxi Fierze to Valbona

Like I described above, you can also decide to hire a private 4 wheel drive taxi instead of taking the shared minibus. 

At 6:30 AM, you take a private taxi from Shkoder to Koman, which costs 70 euros per taxi. Then you take the Komani Lake ferry from Koman to Fierze, which costs 8 euros per person. And finally, you take another private taxi from Fierze to Valbona, which costs 60 euros per taxi. Total costs at least 138 euros, depending on the number of travelers.

Option 3: Rental car Shkoder to Koman + Car Ferry to Fierze + Rental car Fierze to Valbona

It is also possible to take a rental car onboard the Komani Lake ferry. So you could rent a car and drive from Shkoder to Koman independently, then bring the car onboard the Komani Lake Ferry and finally drive from Fierze to Valbona independently. 

However, it may not be worth doing, let me explain why. Firstly, the condition of the road. The road from Shkoder to Koman is a dirt track with potholes and rocks and the road from Fierze to Valbona is also a dirt track. Secondly, you would pay more to board your car on the Komani Lake Ferry. Third, Valbona is a hiking destination, so many places in Valbona’s surroundings can only be reached by foot. Fourthly, if you plan on hiking across the Valbona Pass to Theth, you would leave your car behind in Valbona, whilst you are in Theth. And finally, there is a safety consideration, you as a “foreigner” won’t be familiar with the terrain in the remote mountains.

Option 4: Rental car from Tirana to Valbona via Kosovo (skip Lake Koman Ferry)

If you are renting a car in Albania, you could drive from Tirana to Valbona via Kosovo. 

You would start from Tirana and drive to Milot. Then from Milot, you would take the highway to Kukes. Then at Kukes, you would drive across the border to Kosovo. In Kosovo, you drive via Prizren and Gjakova to the border crossing at Qafa e Morines. At Qafa e Morines, you enter Albanian territory again, and drive onwards to Bajram Curri and then to Valbona. 

Option 5: Rental car from Tirana to Valbona via the inland road in Albania (skip ferry)

So you might be wondering, why would I discuss driving from Tirana to Valbona via Kosovo, if there is an inland road to Valbona. 

Well, the inland road looks shorter on a map, but it is actually longer. Because the road is much smaller, it turns and twists and it is in a worse condition. There is a reason why bus drivers and taxi drivers choose to drive via Kosovo!

This route would be you drive from Tirana to Milot and get on the highway to Kukes. But instead of crossing the border to Kosovo, you would take the road that leads by the Has village towards Bajram Curri. And then from Bajram Curri to Valbona. 

Road to Valbona

The road to Valbona is a dirt track road, so not an asphalted road. There are different routes to drive via the road to Valbona.

If you take the Lake Koman Ferry, you will face a dirt track road from Shkoder to Koman and a dirt track road from Fierze to Valbona. 

If you take the road from Tirana via Milot and Kukes to Kosovo and then back to Albania (described above). You will have nice roads in Kosovo, but still the last section of your journey to Valbona will be a dirt track road.

How to get from Tirana to Valbona by bus?

You can get from Tirana to Valbona by bus + ferry + another bus. You will take a bus from Tirana (via Shkoder) to Lake Koman, then you will board the ferry from Koman to Fierze and finally you will take another bus from Fierze to Valbona. 

This is an overview of your bus and ferry journey:

• 5 AM – Depart from Tirana by bus
• 9 AM – Transfer from the bus onto the Lake Koman Ferry
• 11:30 AM – Lake Koman Ferry drops you in Fierze and transfer onto the minibus to Valbona
• 14:00 PM – Arrive in Valbona

Your bus journey will start at 5AM in the morning. The bus from Tirana to Lake Koman departs from the Gazheli Petrol Station in Tirana. This is the address of the bus station: Gazheli Petrol, Rruga Asim Vokshi, Tiranë, Albania. You can see the location of the bus station in Tirana on a Google Map here: https://goo.gl/maps/rb3MEjLSD8KRqmPs6 

The minibus will drive you from Tirana to Lake Koman. The drive from Tirana in the direction of Shkoder city is 2 hours and then another 2 hours on the dirt track road from Shkoder to Lake Koman. You will be dropped off at the ferry terminal in the Koman village.

Then at 9AM, you will board the Lake Koman Ferry. This is the most enjoyable part of the journey. The ferry turns and twists over the stunning Lake Koman revealing beautiful new panoramas at every turn. Around 11:30 AM or noon, you will be dropped off at the ferry terminal in Fierze. 

The minibus will be waiting for the arrival of the Lake Koman Ferry and passengers transfer onto the minibus to Valbona. 

You will arrive in Valbona in the early afternoon, perhaps around 13:30 PM or 14:00 PM. Where you will check into your guest house.

How to get from Tirana to Shkoder?

You can get from Tirana to Shkoder by bus, by taxi or by rental car. You may want to consider travelling from Tirana to Shkoder first, staying 1-2 nights in Shkoder and then travelling onwards from Shkoder to Valbona or from Shkoder to Theth. 

The bus from Tirana to Shkoder departs from the Regional Bus Terminal North and South Albania. You can see the location of the Regional Bus Terminal North and South Albania on a Google Map here: https://goo.gl/maps/bsCESwF7NEnxqPhr7 

The Regional Bus Terminal North and South Albania is located outside the city centre of Tirana. So take a short taxi ride with a metered taxi to get to the bus terminal. Or take the city bus that departs from behind the National History Museum in the direction of Instituti. 

A bus ticket from Tirana to Shkoder costs 400 Leke (3.50 euros). Buses from Tirana to Shkoder depart between 6:30 AM and 17:00 PM every 30 minutes. The bus journey takes approximately 2 hours.

A taxi from Tirana to Shkoder costs between 55-72 euros, depending on the taxi company. And a rental car will cost you at least 20-25 euros per day, but do your research before you travel to get a good deal. 

How to get from Tirana airport to Shkoder?

You can get from Tirana airport to Shkoder by taxi. The Tirana airport Taxi Service charges 55-62 euros for a ride from Tirana airport to Shkoder, depending on your exact destination in Shkoder. 

There is no direct shuttle bus from Tirana airport to Shkoder. There are direct shuttle buses to other destinations such as Tirana, Durres, Fier and Vlore, but Shkoder is not offered. So if you want to take the bus to Shkoder, you will first need to take a taxi from Tirana airport to the Regional Bus Terminal North and South Albania (more detail above). 

There is no train from Tirana airport to Shkoder. 

You could rent a car at Tirana airport and drive to Shkoder. A rental car in Albania will cost you at least 20-25 euros per day, but do reach out to several car rental companies before you travel to get a good deal. 

Can I get from Tirana to Shkoder by train?

You cannot get from Tirana to Shkoder by train. Tirana city does not have a railway station. The former railway station was demolished in 2013 and it is currently 2023, and there is no new railway station in Tirana. So you cannot take any train from Tirana to elsewhere. 

Sometimes a train operates between Lac and Shkoder. However, bear in mind that train travel within Albania is very limited. As little as 2-3 trains operate in the entire country per week, usually between Durres and Elbasan. Which is why Albanian locals depend on minibuses and private cars to travel around the country.

How to get from Shkoder to Koman ferry?

You can get from Shkoder to the Lake Koman Ferry by minibus. The minibus departs from Shkoder at 6:30 AM. You can go to the bus station in Shkoder. The address is “Bus Station to Koman, Valbonë, Gur i Zi” on Rruga Revolucioni Antikomunist Hungarez, Shkodër, Albania. 

But you can also request for the minibus to pick you up from your hotel or guest house in Shkoder. You can reserve the Lake Koman Ferry ticket including the minibus from Shkoder to Koman on the website of “Komani Lake Ferry”. 

The bus from Shkoder to Koman costs 7 euros or 800 Leke per person. 

If you prefer, you can also reserve a private 4 wheel drive taxi from Shkoder to Koman, which costs 70 euros per taxi.

How to get from Valbona to Shkoder?

You can get from Valbona to Shkoder by a combination of minibus + ferry boat + minibus. Or you can reserve a private taxi + ferry boat + private taxi. 

The minibus departs from Valbona at 10:30 AM. The bus station is Hotel Rilindja in Valbona. Or you can request for the minibus to pick you up from your guest house, when you reserve the bus on the website of “Komani Lake Ferry”. The bus will drive you from Valbona to the ferry terminal in Fierze. 

In Fierze, you will board the Komani Lake Ferry from Fierze to Koman. The ferry boat journey from Fierze to Koman takes approximately 2.5 – 3 hours. So you will arrive in Koman around 3PM or 3:30 PM. 

In Koman, you will take another minibus from Koman to Shkoder. It takes approximately 2 hours to get from Koman to Shkoder, so you will be in Shkoder around 5PM or 5:30 PM. 

The journey from Valbona to Shkoder will cost you 21 euros or 2600 Leke per person. This includes the minibus from Valbona to Fierze, the Lake Koman Ferry and the minibus from Koman to Shkoder. 

If you reserve a private taxi from Valbona to Fierze this costs 60 euros. The Koman Lake Ferry costs 8 euros per person. And a private taxi from Koman to Shkoder costs 70 euros. So this journey will cost you at least 138 euros, but it depends on how many people are in your travel party.

Koman to Shkoder bus

You can get from Koman to Shkoder by bus. The minibus departs from the Komani Lake Ferry in the Koman village and will drive you to Shkoder in approximately 2 hours. A bus ticket from Koman to Shkoder costs 7 euros or 800 Leke per person. 

You can reserve the bus from Koman to Shkoder on the website of “Komani Lake Ferry”. You basically reserve your ferry boat ticket and request for the minibus service to be included. 

You can choose for a bus from Shkoder to Koman (or reverse Koman to Shkoder). And you can also reserve a bus from Fierze to Valbona (or reverse Valbona to Fierze). These bus services will bring you to the Komani Lake ferry terminal and pick you up on the other end. 

 

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