How to get from Tirana to Budva? By bus, prices, duration, taxi, car
If you are planning to travel from Tirana to Budva, let me give you an overview of the best ways to get from Tirana to Budva.
How to get from Tirana to Budva? You can get from Tirana to Budva by bus, by taxi or by car. No trains available. Buses depart at 8 AM and 10:15 AM. Tickets cost 24-25 EUR. A taxi costs 130-160 EUR. A rental car is at least 20-25 EUR a day + permission to drive abroad (0-50 EUR) + Green Card insurance (15 EUR).
In this blog post, I will compare the best ways to travel from Tirana to Budva by bus, by taxi or by rental car. I will share bus timetables, bus ticket prices, where to buy a ticket and bus stations. Moreover, I will compare taxi prices. And I will compare car rental rates, insurance prices and permission you need to take the rental car to Budva in Montenegro.
How can I go from Tirana to Budva?
You can go from Tirana to Budva by bus, by rental car or by taxi. There are no trains from Tirana to Budva. Let me give you a quick overview of the best ways to travel from Tirana to Budva.
Tirana to Budva by bus (summary)
- There are buses from Tirana to Budva at 8:00 AM and 10:15 AM.
- A bus ticket from Tirana to Budva will cost you 24-25 euros per person.
- You can get on the bus from Tirana to Budva at the International Bus Terminal in Tirana.
- You can buy a bus ticket online or pay cash in person at the bus terminal. Paying cash in person for a bus ticket is what the locals do in Albania.
- You can find more detailed bus information below.
Tirana to Budva by car (summary)
- A rental car in Tirana will cost you at least 20-25 euros per day. But rental cars will be much more expensive in July and August, due to the tourist high season.
- If you want to drive a rental car to Budva, the car rental company needs to give you permission to cross the border. Some rental car companies charge for this, others do not.
- You will also need to buy a Green Card insurance document at the border with Montenegro, so that your Albanian insurance gets extended to Montenegro.
- Bus drivers usually drive from Tirana to Budva via Shkoder, Hani-i-Hotit/Bozaj and Podgorica. In the Balkans, it is usually best to stick to the common routes.
Tirana to Budva by taxi (summary)
- A taxi from Tirana to Budva costs between 130-160 euros.
- Prices vary slightly between taxi companies.
- You can reach out to taxi companies via WhatsApp to get quick price quotations.
- Uber Taxis do not exist in Albania.
Tirana to Budva by train (summary)
- It is not possible to travel from Tirana to Budva by train.
- There are no international passenger trains from Albania to any other country.
- National train travel within Albania’s borders is very limited. Therefore, if you are looking for public transport, you will end up taking a bus, not a train.
Download the Albania Bus Timetable App
How to get from Tirana to Budva by bus?
You can take a bus from Tirana to Budva at 8:00 AM or 10:15 AM. A bus ticket from Tirana to Budva will cost you 24-25 euros per person.
To get on the bus from Tirana to Budva, you need to go to the Tirana International Bus Terminal. The Tirana International Bus Terminal is located near the city centre of Tirana. If you book a hotel near the central Skanderbeg Square, you should be able to walk to the International Bus Terminal in about 10-15 minutes. Of course, you can also take a short taxi ride.
You can see location of the International Bus Terminal in Tirana on Google Maps here: https://maps.app.goo.gl/FuicKq9HGy25coPz9 The International Bus Terminal is located behind the Asllan Rusi Sport Palace, so if you ask locals for directions, they may mention this place.
Buses from Tirana to Budva are operated by Old Town Travel and Jadran Ekspres Kotor. Old Town Travel departs from Tirana at 8:00 AM. And Jadran Ekspres Kotor departs from Tirana at 10:15 AM. You can buy a bus ticket online on the website or you can go to the bus terminal with cash and buy a bus ticket in person. Cash transactions for bus tickets are the norm in Albania, so you would be doing what the locals do too if you pay cash in person.
Download the Albania Bus Timetable App
How to get from Tirana to Budva by car?
You can get from Tirana to Budva by car. A rental car in Tirana will cost you at least 20-25 euros per day. But in July/August, rental cars are more expensive due to the tourist high season.
I always recommend you reach out to several car rental companies before you travel so that you can compare prices. There is a helpful list of car rental companies on the website of Tirana Airport. You can use the email addresses and phone numbers to reach out to several car rental companies before you travel and compare their rates.
- Rental car in Tirana price: 20-25 euros per day for the most basic rental car
- Border crossing fee: 0 euros or 10 euros per day or 15 euros or 50 euros, some companies charge others do not
- Green card insurance for Montenegro at the border: 15 euros
If you want to drive from Tirana to Budva by car, you will need to ask the car rental company for permission to drive to Budva. Car rental companies in Tirana usually grant the permission, but some car rental companies charge for permission and others give it free of charge. Prices for border crossing fees vary from 0 euros to 10 euros per day or 15-50 euros for the entire duration of your trip. So it pays off to do your research and compare prices before you rent a car.
Furthermore, to drive from Tirana to Budva, you will also need a Green Card. A Green Card is an insurance document that you buy at the border with Montenegro. A Green Card insurance document will cost you 15 euros at the border. You need this document, because the rental car from Albania will only be insured in Albania, so you need to purchase additional insurance at the border. The border patrol officers will send you to a little office to sort out your insurance paperwork.
How much is a taxi from Tirana to Budva?
A taxi from Tirana to Budva will cost you between 130-160 euros. I reached out to several taxi companies in Tirana and requested their rates for a taxi from Tirana to Budva, these are some of the responses.
- A taxi from Tirana to Budva costs 13.000 Leke or 130 euros.
- A taxi from Tirana to Budva costs 150 euros.
- A taxi from Tirana to Budva costs 160 euros.
If you are looking to book a taxi in Tirana, it is very easy via WhatsApp. You can reach out to taxi companies like Speed Taxi, Green Taxi, Merr Taxi, City Taxi or Lux Taxi quickly via the WhatsApp chat. As you can see, it pays to reach out to several taxi companies and compare prices before you travel.
Uber Taxis do not exist in Albania. Some taxi companies, like Speed Taxi or Merr Taxi, have made their own taxi apps. But usually the main advantage of using Uber is that it offers a lower rate than the more established taxis. Whereas these taxi apps offer regular taxi prices. So it would cost the same as requesting a price via WhatsApp.
Is there a train from Tirana to Budva?
There is no train from Tirana to Budva. Albania does not offer any international passenger trains. So there are no trains from Albania to any of the neighbouring countries like Montenegro, Kosovo, North-Macedonia or Greece.
Train travel within Albania is very limited. At this moment, there are 2-3 trains per week between Elbasan and Durres. And there is 1 train per week between Shkoder and Lac.
In 2024, the Albanian Government started refurbishing the railway between Durres and Tirana and building an extension to Tirana Airport. It is unclear when this railway will be opening in 2024 or 2025.
But there is no railway from Tirana to Budva so you cannot travel that route by train.
How long does it take to get from Tirana to Budva?
It takes 5.5 hours to get from Tirana to Budva by bus, by taxi or by car. Buses from Tirana to Budva usually drive from Tirana to Shkoder, via the border of Hani-i-Hotit / Bozaj and Podgorica to Budva. If you depart from Tirana by bus at 8:00 AM, you will arrive in Budva around 13:30 PM.
Related Questions
How do I get from Tirana to Montenegro? You can get from Tirana to Montenegro by bus, by taxi, by flight or by rental car. Buses depart from the International Bus Terminal in Tirana, tickets cost 15-27 euros depending on the destination in Montenegro. You can rent a car in Tirana and ask permission to drive across the border to Montenegro PLUS you will need to buy Green Card insurance at the border.
How to get from Tirana to Kotor by bus? You can get from Tirana to Kotor by bus. Buses depart from Tirana at 6:00 A and 8:00 AM. A bus ticket will cost you 25-27 euros per person. Buses from Tirana to Kotor are operated by Drita Travel, Osumi Travel and Old Town Travel. Buses depart from the International Bus Terminal in Tirana.
How to get from Tirana to Podgorica by bus? You can get from Tirana to Podgorica by bus. Buses depart from Tirana at 6:00 AM, 8:00 AM and 10:15AM. A bus ticket costs 15-18 euros per person. Buses are operated by Drita Travel, Old Town Travel and Jadran Ekspres Kotor. And depart from the International Bus Terminal in Tirana.
Bus from Tirana to Montenegro – You can take a bus from Tirana to Montenegro. Buses from Tirana to destinations like Podgorica, Kotor and Budva in Montenegro depart from the International Bus Terminal in the city centre of Tirana. Bus companies have a small office next to the bus terminal where you can buy bus tickets in person in cash.
About me
I am an Albania Tour Guide, who organizes 1-day, 2-day or multiple day private tours in Albania.
Kind regards,
Manon
Download the Albania Bus Timetable App!
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.