How to get from Tirana Airport to Durres? Bus, Timetable, Taxi, Price, Rental, Driving, Distance, Duration

If you are looking for the best way to get from Tirana Airport to Durres, this blog is for you. I will describe how you can get from Tirana Airport to Durres by bus, by taxi or by car.

How to get from Tirana Airport to Durres? You can get from Tirana Airport to Durres by direct airport bus, taxi or by rental car. The bus ticket price is 600 LEK (6 EUR) and buses depart at 08:30 AM, 10:00 AM, 12:00 PM, 14:00 PM, 15:30 PM, 17:00 PM, 19:00 PM, 21:00 PM and 24:00. A taxi costs 25-30 EUR. A rental car starts at 20-25 EUR/day.

In this blog post I will give you all the information you need to travel from Tirana Airport to Durres. I will include bus timetables, bus ticket prices, the bus operator, bus station at the airport, bus terminal in Durres and the duration of the journey. I will also explain what you can expect to pay for a taxi or rental car and how to go about it. So let’s dive in. 

Getting from Tirana Airport to Durres by bus, by taxi or by car

You can get from Tirana Airport to Durres by bus, by taxi or by car. A new railway is under construction but not yet operational. Let me give you a quick summary of the best ways to get from Tirana Airport to Durres.

Tirana Airport to Durres by bus

• There are direct buses from Tirana Airport to Durres.
• Tirana Airport to Durres bus timetable: 08:30 AM, 10:00 AM, 12:00 PM, 14:00 PM, 15:30 PM, 17:00 PM, 19:00 PM, 21:00 PM and 24:00
• A bus ticket from Tirana Airport to Durres costs 600 LEK (approximately 6 EUR) per person.
• You are expected to pay for your bus ticket in cash, Albanian Leke or Euros, as cash payments are very much the standard in Albania.
• The bus journey from Tirana Airport to Durres takes 30 minutes.
• Upon arrival, you will be dropped off at the Durres Bus Terminal to the North of the Port of Durres. 

Tirana Airport to Durres by taxi

• Tirana Airport to Durres taxi price is 25 – 30 EUR.
• The official Tirana Airport Taxi Service has a price list on their website and they charge 25-30 EUR for a taxi from Tirana Airport to Durres.
• You can book the Tirana Airport Taxi Service online on their website, but taxis are also always waiting in front of the Airport Terminal Building, so you could simply walk to the taxi bay upon arrival as well.
• UBER Taxi does not exist in Albania. Although there are local taxi apps, those do offer regular taxi prices, not discounted rates. 
• If you want to compare taxi prices send a WhatsApp message to companies like Speed Taxi, Merr Taxi, Lux Taxi, City Taxi and Green Taxi for quick price quotes. 

Tirana Airport to Durres by car

• A rental car at Tirana Airport costs at least 20-25 EUR per day. 
• However, car rentals will be more expensive in the summer months between May-September, due to the tourist high season.
• These car rental companies have an office at Tirana Airport: AA Rent a Car, Auto Rental Albania, Avis, Enterprise Rent A Car, G Rentals, Hertz, Okmobility, Pepa Rent, Prishtina Rent, Rent Point, Rinas Car Rental, Sixt, Sky rentals, Superior Rental, Teresa Car Rental and Viaggiare Rent.
• You can find a list of phone numbers and email addresses for each car rental on the website of Tirana Airport. 
• I recommend you reach out to car rental companies via WhatsApp to get quotes quickly and so that you can compare pricing before you travel.

Tirana Airport to Durres by train

• Right now, you cannot take a train from Tirana Airport to Durres.
• However, a new railway is under construction between Tirana city, Tirana Airport and Durres. 
• At the moment, it is unclear when the new railway will be open.

How to get from Tirana Airport to Durres by bus?

You can take a direct bus from Tirana Airport to Durres. Buses depart from Tirana Airport to Durres at 08:30 AM, 10:00 AM, 12:00 PM, 14:00 PM, 15:30 PM, 17:00 PM, 19:00 PM, 21:00 PM and 24:00. Here is all you need to know to get from Tirana Airport to Durres by bus.

There is a direct bus from Tirana Airport to Durres (and reversed). The bus from Tirana Airport to Durres is operated by Adis Travel. Below is the bus timetable from Tirana Airport to Durres and back. 

Tirana Airport to Durres bus timetable

• Tirana Airport to Durres bus timetable: 08:30 AM, 10:00 AM, 12:00 PM, 14:00 PM, 15:30 PM, 17:00 PM, 19:00 PM, 21:00 PM and 24:00
• Durres to Tirana Airport bus timetable: 6:00 AM, 8:00 AM, 9:30 AM, 11:00 AM, 13:00 PM, 15:00 PM, 17:00 PM, 19:00 PM and 22:30 PM. 

A bus ticket from Tirana Airport to Durres costs 600 LEK (approximately 6 EUR) per person. You can pay for your bus ticket in cash by Albanian Leke or Euros. Since Euros are widely accepted in Albania. I do recommend you always carry some cash with you whilst travelling through Albania by bus, because bus drivers expect passengers to pay by cash upon boarding the bus. Paying cash for bus tickets is still very much the standard in Albania.

When you arrive at Tirana Airport, you get off the airplane and a bus will be waiting for you to take you to the Airport Terminal Building. You will pass through passport control and luggage collection and walk into the Arrivals Hall. To get to the bus station, you must take the exit to the left. This exit leads to the parking area and bus station. Buses are parked towards the end of the parking area. 

The bus journey from Tirana Airport to Durres takes around 30 minutes. Upon arrival in Durres, the bus driver will drop you off at the “Bus terminal at the Durrës train station”. This bus terminal is located near the Port of Durres. You can see the location of the bus terminal on Google Maps here: https://maps.app.goo.gl/yhr9LbsJnxPYnWcM6 

Most beach hotels in Durres are located to the South of the Port of Durres. So you might need to take a taxi or city bus to get to your hotel. 

Furthermore, if you plan on travelling onwards from Durres to the South of Albania by bus, you must go to the Plepa Bus Station further to the South of Durres. Since the Durres Bus Terminal is only for the North of Albania.

How much is a taxi from Tirana Airport to Durres?

A taxi from Tirana Airport to Durres costs between 25 – 30 EUR. This is the price that the official Tirana Airport Taxi Service charges. 

• Tirana Airport to Durres taxi price – 25 – 30 EUR 
• Based on the price list of the official Tirana Airport Taxi Service as published on their website.

The Tirana Airport Taxi Service is operated by Auto Holiday Albania and you can recognize these taxis as they have the airport logo displayed on both sides of their yellow taxis. These taxis are always waiting at the Tirana Airport Taxi Bay in front of the Airport Terminal Building. 

You can book a taxi from Tirana Airport to Durres online in advance for instance on the website of Tirana Airport Taxi Service. Or you can simply go to the taxi bay in front of the Airport Terminal Building upon arrival. 

I do recommend you bring some foreign currency in cash with you, like euros. Euros are widely accepted in Albania. Your taxi driver will definitely accept cash euros. And cash transactions are still very much the norm in Albania. Locals pay by cash for the vast majority of their expenses. 

UBER Taxi does not exist in Albania. There are some local taxi apps, but those do charge regular taxi prices, not discounted rates.

If you want to compare taxi prices, I recommend you send a WhatsApp message to companies like Lux Taxi, Speed Taxi, Merr Taxi, Green Taxi and City Taxi. You can also find independent taxi driver phone numbers on Google Maps. Usually, you get price quotes in minutes via WhatsApp. 

Can I take an Uber Taxi from Tirana Airport to Durres?

You cannot take an Uber Taxi from Tirana Airport to Durres, because Uber Taxi does not exist in Albania. 

Of course, there are some local taxi apps in Albania, like Speed Taxi App for instance. However, these taxi apps offer regular taxi prices, not discounted rates like Uber Taxi. 

If you want to book a taxi in advance, I actually recommend just messaging some taxi drivers via WhatsApp or Messenger. Search for local taxi driver numbers on Google Maps or Google taxi companies like Lux Taxi, Green Taxi, City Taxi, Merr Taxi or Speed Taxi. You will usually have taxi quotes in minutes via WhatsApp.

Is it cheaper to book a taxi from Tirana Airport to Durres in advance or at the airport?

The price of a taxi from Tirana Airport to Durres costs the same if you book it in advance or simply take a taxi at the airport. 

The Tirana Airport taxi service charges between 25-30 EUR for a taxi from Tirana Airport to Durres. 

If you would like to compare taxi rates, I recommend you reach out to several taxi companies via WhatsApp. Here are some taxi company names you could try: Merr Taxi, Speed Taxi, City Taxi, Lux Taxi and Green Taxi. Of course, you can also find individual taxi driver phone numbers via Google Maps.

Can I pay for the taxi from Tirana Airport to Durres by euros?

You can pay for your taxi from Tirana Airport to Durres by euros. The official currency in Albania is the Albanian Leke. However, Euros and foreign currencies like Dollars and Pounds are widely accepted within Albania.

In most countries, you won’t be able to buy Albanian Leke before you travel. So I recommend bringing some foreign currency with you in cash when you travel to Albania. 

Taxi drivers, hotels and larger shops will accept your foreign currency and simply give you change in Albanian Leke. And once you are in the city center, you can exchange a small amount of foreign currency for Albanian Leke to pay little expenses like coffee, bottled water and pastries.

What is the distance from Tirana Airport to Durres?

The distance from Tirana Airport to Durres is about 32 kilometers. It will take you around 30 minutes to get from Tirana Airport to Durres by bus, by taxi or by car. 

• Tirana Airport to Durres distance – 32 kilometers
• Duration: around 30 min

From Tirana Airport, you drive to the SH2 highway that connects Durres, Tirana Airport and Tirana, which is a quick and convenient way to get to Durres quickly. 

That being said, traffic can be heavy on the highway in the summer months due to a lot of people going to the beach at Durres.

How long does it take to get from Tirana Airport to Durres?

It takes around 30 minutes to get from Tirana Airport to Durres by bus, by taxi or by car. Durres is quite close to Tirana Airport. And there is a highway called SH2 that connects Tirana Airport to both Durres beach and Tirana city. 

• Tirana Airport to Durres time – It takes around 30 minutes to get from Tirana Airport to Durres.

How to get from Tirana Airport to Durres by rental car?

A rental car at Tirana Airport will cost you at least 20-25 EUR a day. However, in the summer months between May-September, car rentals tend to get more expensive due to the tourist season. 

If you are looking for an affordable rental car, I recommend you have a look at the website of Tirana Airport. On Tirana Airport’s website, there is a list of car rental companies that have an office at the airport. The list includes direct phone numbers and email addresses. And if you message several companies via WhatsApp, you will get car rental prices in minutes. 

These car rental companies have an office at Tirana Airport: AA Rent a Car, Auto Rental Albania, Avis, Enterprise Rent A Car, G Rentals, Hertz, Okmobility, Pepa Rent, Prishtina Rent, Rent Point, Rinas Car Rental, Sixt, Sky rentals, Superior Rental, Teresa Car Rental and Viaggiare Rent.

Driving from Tirana Airport to Durres is very straightforward. From Tirana Airport follow signs to Durres. This will lead you to the SH2 highway that connects Tirana Airport and Durres. It only takes approximately 30 minutes to drive from Tirana Airport to Durres. 

Can I take a train from Tirana Airport to Durres?

Right now, you cannot take a train from Tirana Airport to Durres. There are actually no trains starting from Tirana Airport at all at this moment.

However, this is about to change. Since a new railway is under construction that will connect Tirana city, Tirana Airport and Durres. It is unclear if this new railway will open in 2026.

Right now, train travel within Albania’s borders is very limited with only 2-3 operational trains within the entire country per week. You can see the latest train timetables on the homepage of HSH Hekurudha Shqiptare here: https://hekurudha.al/ 

How do I get to Tirana Airport from Durres?

You can take a direct bus or a taxi from Durres to Tirana Airport. To travel from Durres to Tirana Airport by bus, you must go to the Durres Bus Terminal near the Port of Durres.

• Durres to Tirana Airport bus timetable: 6:00 AM, 8:00 AM, 9:30 AM, 11:00 AM, 13:00 PM, 15:00 PM, 17:00 PM, 19:00 PM and 22:30 PM.
• Ticket price from Durres to Tirana Airport: 600 LEK (around 6 EUR)

You can see the location of the Durres Bus Terminal on Google Maps here: https://maps.app.goo.gl/6h3YjN1Q88aixwJt7 

For your information, the Durres Bus Terminal is called “Bus terminal at the Durrës train station”. However, this is the old train station and only a handful of trains are in operation within the entire country. 

Buses from the Durres Bus Terminal to Tirana Airport depart at 6:00 AM, 8:00 AM, 9:30 AM, 11:00 AM, 13:00 PM, 15:00 PM, 17:00 PM, 19:00 PM and 22:30 PM.

A bus ticket from Durres to Tirana Airport costs 600 LEK (approximately 6 EUR) per person. You can pay for your bus ticket in cash by Albanian Leke or Euros. I do recommend you always carry some cash money with you whilst travelling in Albania. Because bus drivers expect you to pay cash for your bus ticket when boarding the bus. 

Even though paying by cash for bus tickets may be “old-fashioned” in some countries, paying by cash is still very much the standard and expected within Albania.

Durres to Tirana Airport by taxi

A taxi from Durres to Tirana Airport costs around 25-30 EUR. If you are staying in Durres, I recommend asking your hotel receptionist to book a taxi for you. Alternatively, you can also find taxi driver phone numbers on Google Maps. 

How to get from Tirana Airport to Golem?

There is no direct bus from Tirana Airport to Golem. However, there are direct buses from Tirana Airport to Fier and Vlore and these buses pass by Golem. So you could ask these bus drivers if they are willing to drop you off in Golem. Asking a bus driver to make an additional stop en route is common practice in Albania.

Alternatively, you could travel from Tirana Airport to Golem by transferring buses. Since buses to Golem depart from the Plepa Bus Station, you would need to go from the Durres Bus Terminal to the Plepa Bus Station by bus.

Step 1: Bus from Tirana Airport to Durres Bus Terminal 

• Tirana Airport to Durres bus timetable: 08:30 AM, 10:00 AM, 12:00 PM, 14:00 PM, 15:30 PM, 17:00 PM, 19:00 PM, 21:00 PM and 24:00
• A bus ticket from Tirana Airport to Durres costs 600 LEK (approximately 6 EUR) per person.

Step 2: Bus from Durres Bus Terminal to Plepa Bus Station

• Take a city bus from the Durres Bus Terminal to the Plepa Bus Station. 
• This bus departs from Rruga e Deshmoreve (Deshmoreve Street) near Sheshi Demokracia (Democracy Square)
• Price 40 LEK (0.40 EUR) per person
• Departs every 20-30 minutes

Step 3: Bus from Plepa Bus Station to Golem

• A bus from the Plepa Bus Station to Golem costs 60 LEK (0.60 EUR)
• Buses from the Plepa Bus Station to Golem depart every 30 minutes during day time hours.

Is it worth going to Durres?

It is worth going to Durres if you are looking for a beach near Tirana or Tirana Airport and you don’t want to travel very far. 

Basically, Durres is a conveniently located beach as it is only a 30 minute drive from Tirana Airport and a 45 minute drive from Tirana city. So if you want to go to the beach quickly without spending a lot of time in the car or bus, Durres is a nearby beach. 

That being said, the beaches along the Albanian Riviera in the South of Albania are generally considered the most beautiful beaches in Albania. But of course, the beaches of the Albanian Riviera are further away from Tirana Airport and Tirana city. So it depends on how much time you have available and how long you are willing to travel.

Distance to the beaches from Tirana Airport

• Tirana Airport to Vlore beach – 1.5-2 hours
• Tirana Airport to Himare beach – 5 hours 
• Tirana Airport to Saranda beach – 4 hours 20 minutes 
• Tirana Airport to Ksamil – 5 – 5.5 hours

Durres beach is a large coastal city. So you can expect a ton of hotels, apartments, restaurants, shops and cafes along the coastline. 

Durres has a Roman Amphi-Theatre which is a UNESCO site. You can visit the UNESCO site in about 10-20 minutes and you can look into the theatre from the street without buying a ticket if you like.

INSIDER TIP: If you are looking for a quieter beach with more of a village feel, perhaps you could go to the Bay of Lalzi. The Bay of Lalzi is the same distance from Tirana (45 min) and Tirana Airport (30 min). But the Bay of Lalzi is surrounded by a pine forest and there are only smaller restaurants and the area is more of a village with a few hotels and smaller restaurants only.

Related Questions

How much is the bus from Durres to Tirana? The bus from Durres to Tirana costs 200 LEK (2 EUR) per person. Buses depart from the Durres Bus Terminal at the old train station near the Port of Durres. The bus journey lasts around 40 min. You will be dropped off at the Tirana Bus Terminal North and South Albania, outside the city center of Tirana.

Is there Uber in Durres? There is no Uber Taxi in Durres. There is no Uber Taxi in Albania. There are local taxi apps, but these offer regular taxi prices, not discounted rates. The easiest way to book a taxi is asking your hotel receptionist or messaging some taxi drivers via WhatsApp. 

Is there Uber at Tirana Airport? There is no Uber taxi at Tirana Airport. Uber Taxi does not exist in Albania. From Tirana Airport, you can take one of the official Tirana Airport Taxis waiting in front of the airport terminal building. Or you can message/call a taxi driver via WhatsApp or Messenger. 

Do Albanian taxis take euros? Albanian taxis do take euros. Euros are widely accepted in Albania. So you can definitely bring some cash euros with you on your trip to Albania to pay for your taxi driver or hotel. 

How much does a taxi cost from Tirana Airport to the city? A taxi from Tirana airport to the city costs 22 EUR. That is the price charged by the official Tirana Airport taxi service operated by Auto Holiday Albania. These taxis are always waiting at the airport terminal building and have the airport logo displayed on both sides.

Are taxis in Albania expensive? Taxis in Albania are relatively expensive. To give you an example, a bus from Tirana Airport to the city center costs 400 LEK (4 EUR) and a taxi costs 22 EUR. A bus from Tirana to Saranda costs 15 EUR and a taxi costs 200 EUR. If you want to travel cheaply in Albania, you could take the local buses.

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