How to get from Tirana airport to the city? 2024 UPDATE, bus, taxi, car rental prices

If you are looking for a way to travel from Tirana airport to the city, this blog is for you. I will outline how you can get from Tirana airport to the city by bus, by taxi or by rental car.

How to get from Tirana airport to the city? You can get from Tirana airport to the city by bus, by taxi or by rental car. The bus from Tirana airport to the city departs every hour, 24/7. A bus ticket costs 400 LEK (3.86 EUR). A taxi from Tirana airport to the city costs 12-20 EUR. A rental car at Tirana airport costs at least 15-20 EUR a day.

In this blog post, I will give you all the information you need to travel from Tirana airport to the city centre of Tirana. I will detail the bus timetable, bus ticket pricing, bus station information, how to pay for your bus ticket and the bus operator. I will also compare the prices of taxi companies in Tirana for a taxi from Tirana airport to the city. And I will give you insight into how much a rent a car at Tirana Airport costs.

How to get from Tirana airport to Tirana’s city centre? By bus, by taxi or by car

You can get from Tirana Airport to Tirana’s city centre by bus, by taxi or by car. In this first paragraph, I will give you a quick summary of the best ways to travel from Tirana Airport to the city. You will find more detailed information below. 

Tirana airport to the city by bus (summary)

• You can take a direct bus from Tirana Airport to Tirana’s city centre.
• The bus departs from Tirana Airport at 1:00 AM, 2:00 AM, 3:00 AM, 4:00 AM, 5:00 AM, 6:00 AM, 7:00 AM, 8:00 AM, 9:00 AM, 10:00 AM, 11:00 AM, 12:00 PM, 13:00, 14:00, 15:00, 16:00, 17:00, 18:00, 19:00, 20:00, 21:00, 22:00, 23:00 and 24:00.
• The airport shuttle from Tirana Airport to Tirana costs 400 Leke (approximately 3.86 euros) per person.
• The bus from Tirana Airport to the city drops you off at the bus station behind the Palace of Opera and Ballet. 

Tirana airport to the city by taxi (summary)

• A taxi from Tirana airport to Tirana city costs 12-20 euros on average.
• The official Tirana Airport Taxi Service charges 23-28 euros, these are the taxis stationed in front of the Airport Terminal Building.
• You can reach taxi drivers easily via WhatsApp. Uber is not available in Albania.

Tirana airport to the city by rental car (summary)

• Renting a car at Tirana Airport costs at least 15-20 euros per day for the cheapest rental car available. Prices can be much higher in July/August.
• There is a helpful list of car rental companies on the website of Tirana Airport.
• I do have a detailed price comparison of car rental rates below.
• I highly recommend you reach out to car rental companies before you travel via email, online or WhatsApp.
• Driving in Albania can be daunting and challenging as a foreigner.

How to get from Tirana airport to the city by bus?

You can take a direct bus from Tirana airport to Tirana city. There is a shuttle bus from Tirana Airport to the city centre of Tirana that operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The bus departs every hour on the hour. 

Tirana airport to city bus schedule

The bus from Tirana airport to the city departs at 1:00 AM, 2:00 AM, 3:00 AM, 4:00 AM, 5:00 AM, 6:00 AM, 7:00 AM, 8:00 AM, 9:00 AM, 10:00 AM, 11:00 AM, 12:00 PM, 13:00, 14:00, 15:00, 16:00, 17:00, 18:00, 19:00, 20:00, 21:00, 22:00, 23:00 and 24:00. This bus is in operation 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 

From Tirana Airport, there are direct buses to Tirana’s city centre (above), Durres, Fier, Vlore and Shkoder. In case you are interested in a bus from Tirana Airport to Durres, Tirana Airport to Fier, Tirana Airport to Vlore or Tirana Airport to Shkoder, you can find those at the bottom of this blog post (scroll down).

How much is the airport shuttle to Tirana?

The airport shuttle from Tirana Airport to Tirana costs 400 Leke (approximately 3.86 euros) per person for a one-way journey. 

Tirana Airport shuttle bus pricing – 400 Leke (approximately 3.86 euros) per person

You must pay cash for your bus ticket with the bus driver. In Albania, the vast majority of buses do only take cash payments. In your country, you may be used to booking bus tickets online and paying by credit card or debit card, this is not common practice in Albania. 

You could say bus travel in Albania is a bit old-school or old-fashioned. So if you plan on travelling by bus in Albania, carry some cash euros and a small amount of cash Albanian Leke. So you can pay in cash on the spot, just like the locals do! You can withdraw a small amount of cash at Tirana Airport or bring some cash euros with you.

Luna bus Tirana airport

The bus from Tirana Airport to Tirana city is operated by Luna Travel. You can find the bus timetable on their website or on the website of Tirana Airport. 

Tirana Airport to Tirana bus station

The bus from Tirana Airport to Tirana city departs from the parking area at Tirana Airport. When your aeroplane lands, you will take a bus to the terminal building. At the terminal building, you pass through Passport Control, walk through the Luggage Collection Area and then walk into the Arrivals Hall. Take the exit on your left, to the parking area and bus stop, where the bus from Tirana Airport to Tirana City departs. 

The bus from Tirana Airport to the city drops you off at the bus station behind the Palace of Opera and Ballet. The Palace of Opera and Ballet is a large building next to the central Skanderbeg Square. Skanderbeg Square is the central square in Tirana. So if you book a hotel near Skanderbeg Square, you could walk to your hotel once the bus drops you off at the bus station.

How much is a taxi from Tirana Airport to Tirana city?

A taxi from Tirana airport to Tirana city costs 12-20 euros on average. Below I have a price comparison of what taxi drivers in Tirana charge for a taxi from Tirana Airport to Tirana. 

Tirana Airport to city taxi fare:

• City Taxi Tirana charges 1200 Leke (11.50 Euros) for a taxi from Tirana Airport to Skanderbeg Square in the city centre of Tirana.
• Green Taxi Tirana charges 1200 Leke (11.50 Euros) for a taxi from Tirana Airport to central Skanderbeg Square in Tirana. 
• Speed Taxi Tirana charges 15 euros or 1500 Leke for a taxi from Tirana Airport to Skanderbeg Square in the city centre of Tirana. 
• Smart Taxi Tirana charges 1200 Leke (11.50 Euros) for a taxi from Tirana Airport to Skanderbeg Square in the city centre of Tirana.
• Ciao Taxi Tirana charges 1500 Leke (14.50 Euros) for a taxi from Tirana Airport to Skanderbeg Square in the centre of Tirana.
• Tirana Taxi Company charges 20 euros for a taxi from Tirana Airport to Skanderbeg Square in the centre of Tirana.
• Tirana Airport Taxi Service charges 23-28 euros for a taxi from Tirana Airport to Skanderbeg Square in the centre of Tirana.

The Tirana Airport Taxi Service is the official taxi service for the airport. These are the yellow taxis that are stationed in front of the Airport Terminal Building and have the airport logo displayed on both sides of the yellow taxi. Any of the other taxi services above are not stationed at the airport and you need to give them a call beforehand.

How much does a rental car cost at Tirana Airport? How to drive from Tirana Airport to Tirana’s city centre?

Renting a car at Tirana Airport costs at least 15-20 euros per day for the cheapest rental car available. 

There is a helpful list of car rental companies on the website of Tirana Airport. You can find mobile numbers and email addresses for all the car rental companies at Tirana Airport.

To give you an insight into what it would cost to rent a basic rental car, I did reach out to several car rental companies at Tirana Airport.

Tirana Airport car rental prices (starting from):

• Albania Airport Rent a Car charges 20 euros per day for a manual Skoda Fabia from 2018.
• Avis Rent a Car Tirana Airport charges 20 euros per day for a manual Opel Corsa or 25 euros per day for an automatic Opel Corsa. 
• Pepa Rent a Car Tirana Airport charges 20 euros per day for an economy car, like a Skoda.
• RCA Rent a Car in Albania Tirana Airport charges 15 euros per day for a small manual car, like a Mitsubishi Spacestar or Citroen C1 or Peugeot 108.
• Green Motion Rent Car Tirana Airport charges 15 euros per day for the economy category. It can be an Opel Corsa or Dacia Sandero or Skoda Fabia.
• Viaggia Rent Tirana Airport charges 18 euros per day for a manual Fiat Panda from 2023.
• ARA Auto Rental Tirana Airport charges 17 euros per day for a small manual car or 20 euros per day for an automatic car. Brands like Citroen or Peugeot are available.
• G Rentals Tirana Airport charges 20 euros per day for a Dacia Stepway.
• Sixt Car Rental Tirana Airport charges 15 euros per day for a Mitsubishi Space Star. 

Of course, it is important to bear in mind that car rental rates can be a lot higher in the tourist high season. The summer months like July and August are the top of the high season, so car rental can be a lot pricier. Especially, since the basic or cheap rental car may not be available anymore and only a more luxurious and expensive car is available. 

I highly recommend you reach out to car rental companies before you travel via email, online or via WhatsApp. Do not wait until your arrival, especially if you are travelling in July or August. I have spoken to tourists who paid 50-70 euros per day for a rental car in the high season, so do your research!

IMPORTANT! Driving in Albania can be challenging for a foreigner. The Albanian drivers do have a chaotic and sometimes aggressive style of driving. So if you have any doubts about driving, do not do it! Hire a taxi, book a tour or travel by bus instead. Safety comes first.

Is there a train from Tirana airport to Tirana’s city centre?

There is no train from Tirana airport to Tirana’s city centre. Tirana Airport does not have a train station and Tirana city does not have a train station either. 

Tirana city used to have a train station, but this train station was broken down in 2013. Right now it is 2024 and no new train station has been built in Tirana. So there is no train station in Tirana. 

When you travel through Albania, you may see some of the old railway tracks in the landscape. These railways were built during the communist period between the End of the Second World War and 1992. However, currently, many of these old railways are not in operation. There used to be trains between Shkoder, Tirana, Durres, Elbasan, Vlore and Pogradec. 

At the moment, there are only 2 x trains per week between Durres and Elbasan. And 1 x train per week between Shkoder and Lac. The remaining railways are not in use and in need of refurbishment and maintenance. 

According to HSH Hekurudha Shqiptare (in English: Albanian Railways) there are plans to refurbish the railway between Tirana and Durres. And to construct a new railway connecting Tirana Airport to Tirana and Durres. However, this is currently only a plan, not a reality (yet).

“The development of safe and sustainable railway transport is one of the strategic priorities of the Albanian Government. In this context, the Albanian Government has enabled the public company “Hekurudha Shqiptare” with necessary financing with loans and grants from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the Investment Fund in the Western Balkans for the rehabilitation of the Tirana-Durrës railway section and the construction of a railway connection with Rinas Airport.” Quote from HSH Hekurudha Shqiptare (in English: Albanian Railways)

Related Questions

Tirana airport to Vlore – There is a direct bus from Tirana Airport to Vlore. The bus departs from Tirana Airport at 00:45, 03:30, 11:00, 12:30, 14:00, 16:00, 18:00, 20:00 and 22:15. A bus ticket from Tirana Airport to Vlore costs 1200 Leke (11.55 EUR). 

Tirana Airport to Durres – There is a direct bus from Tirana Airport to Durres. The bus departs from Tirana airport at 10:00, 12:00, 14:00, 15:30, 17:00, 19:00 and 21:00. The bus operates daily. A bus ticket from Tirana Airport to Durres costs 600 Leke (5.75 EUR) per person.

How much is a taxi from Tirana Airport to Durres? A taxi from Tirana Airport to Durres costs 28-32 Euros. This is the price of the official Tirana Airport Taxi Service. 

Tirana Airport to Fier – There is a direct bus from Tirana Airport to Fier. The bus departs from Tirana Aiport at 09:00, 10:30, 11:30, 13:00, 16:30, 17:30, 19:00, 21:00 and 23:00. A bus ticket from Tirana Airport to Fier costs 1000 Leke (9.65 EUR).

Tirana Airport to Shkoder – There is a direct bus from Tirana Airport to Shkoder. The bus departs from Tirana Airport at 11:15, 12:45, 17:30 and 20:10. A bus ticket from Tirana Airport to Shkoder costs 1000 Leke (9.65 EUR) per person.

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