How to get from Tirana to Corfu? Bus, Ferry, Taxi, Prices

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How to get from Tirana to Corfu? Bus, Ferry, Taxi, Prices

If you are wondering how to get from Tirana to Corfu, this blog post is for you. I will describe the best ways of getting from Tirana to Corfu by bus, by taxi and by ferry.

How to get from Tirana to Corfu? You can get from Tirana to Corfu via Saranda. You will take a taxi or bus from Tirana to Saranda. And then a ferry from Saranda to Corfu. The bus from Tirana to Saranda costs 15 EUR or a taxi costs 134-191 EUR. A ferry ticket from Saranda to Corfu costs 20-24 EUR. Bus / Taxi is 5-6 hours + 35-65 min ferry.

In this blog post, I will describe everything you need to know to travel from Tirana to Corfu. I will detail the bus timetable from Tirana to Saranda, how much a taxi costs, where to book the ferry and how much it will cost you. I will also describe the time required, travel distance, flights, trains and travelling from Tirana airport to Corfu.

The best ways to get from Tirana to Corfu

There are two ways to get from Tirana to Corfu. For the first part of your journey, you travel overland from Tirana to Saranda, either by bus or by taxi. Then when you arrive in Saranda, you can take a ferry boat from Saranda to Corfu.

Option 1: Bus from Tirana to Saranda + Ferry to Corfu
Option 2: Taxi from Tirana to Saranda + Ferry to Corfu

In the below paragraphs, I will detail getting from Tirana to Saranda by bus, taking a taxi from Tirana to Saranda and where you can book a ferry ticket from Saranda to Corfu.

How to get from Tirana to Corfu by bus and ferry?

If you plan on travelling from Tirana to Corfu by public transportation, your journey will be a combination of bus and ferry boat. Let me give you the details of the bus journey from Tirana to Saranda first and then I will give you the details of the ferry boat journey from Saranda to Corfu.

Tirana to Saranda bus

You can take a bus from Tirana to Saranda. A bus ticket from Tirana to Saranda costs 15 Euros per person for a one-way journey.

The bus from Tirana to Saranda departs at 6:15 AM, 7:30 AM, 8:30 AM, 9:45 AM, 12:30 PM and 16:00 PM. You can always double-check the bus timetable from Tirana to Saranda on the website of Gjirafa Autobus here -> https://travel.gjirafa.com/

It takes 5-6 hours to get from Tirana to Saranda by bus. Of course, the bus will drive through busy city centres on its way to Saranda, so the traffic will influence the speed of your journey.

The bus from Tirana to Saranda departs from the Intercity Bus Terminal for North and South Albania. In the Albanian language this bus terminal is called “Terminali i Autobusave të Jugut dhe Veriut”. You can see the location of the Intercity Bus Terminal on a Google Map here: https://goo.gl/maps/M9pcYsbAYzQZndXH7

Basically, the Intercity Bus Terminal is located on a 15-20 minute drive from the city centre of Tirana. So you will need to take a short taxi ride to the bus terminal. Or you can take a city bus to “Instituti”, which makes a stop at the Intercity Bus Terminal. The bus to “Instituti” departs on the road behind the National History Museum. So the bus stop is at the backside of the National History museum.

In Albania, it is common practice to pay for your bus ticket in cash. Albania is a bit of an old-fashioned country when it comes to payments. So bring some cash Euros or cash Albanian Leke with you to the bus station, so that you can pay for your bus ticket in cash to the driver of the bus. Many buses are not equipped with credit card machines, so it is best to prepare a small amount of cash in your wallet.

The bus from Tirana to Saranda will drop you off at the Saranda bus station. The Saranda bus station is in the city centre next to the Synagogue – Basilica, Archeological Remains and Friendship Park. You can see the location of the Saranda bus station on a Google Map here: https://goo.gl/maps/tfrZH53sFdJjmzEB8

You will need to either walk or take a short taxi ride from the Saranda bus station to the Port of Saranda. The Port of Saranda is the location where the ferry boats to Corfu depart, you can see it on a Google Map here: https://goo.gl/maps/GNcCP3scfAu8M3GV8

How to get from Saranda to Corfu by ferry?

Once you arrive in Saranda, you can take a ferry from Saranda to Corfu. The ferry from Saranda to Corfu departs from the Port of Saranda, you can see it on a Google Map here: https://goo.gl/maps/GNcCP3scfAu8M3GV8

The ferry boats from Saranda to Corfu are operated by two companies: Ionian Seaways and Finikas Lines.

A ferry boat ticket with Ionian Seaways costs 23.80 euros in the high season or 20 euros in the low season for a one-way journey. The high season for Ionian Seaways is from Mid-June until Mid-September. A ferry boat ticket with Finikas Lines costs 20 euros per person.

The timetable of the ferry boats varies significantly by season. In the summer season, Ionian Seaways operates 6 x ferry boats per day between Saranda and Corfu. In the winter season, Ionian Seaways only operates 1 x ferry boat per day between Saranda and Corfu. In the spring season and autumn seasons, Ionian Seaways usually operates 3 or 4 ferry boats per day.

You can always double-check the ferry boat timetables on the website of Ionian Seaways here: https://ionianseaways.com/timetable/ and on the website of Finikas Lines here: https://www.finikas-lines.com/lines

IMPORTANT: One important thing to consider is that there are two types of boats: Speed ferries and Passenger ships. The speedy ferries are called Flying Dolphins, these are highspeed hydrofoils. If you book this Flying Dolphin, your journey from Saranda to Corfu will take 35 minutes. However, if you book the slower passenger ship and car ferry, your journey will take 65 minutes.

IMPORTANT: There is a time difference between Albania and Corfu. Corfu island is Greek, so it is 1 hour ahead of Albania in time.

If you are simply enjoying your time on your holiday, you won’t care if you are on the slower boat or the time difference. However, if you are trying to catch your flight from Corfu Airport, then this is a vital difference in time!

How to get from Tirana to Corfu by taxi and ferry?

If you don’t want to travel by public bus, you can hire a taxi to get from Tirana to Saranda and then take the ferry to Corfu.

A taxi from Tirana to Saranda costs between 134 euros – 191 euros. I reached out to the most well-known taxi companies in Tirana to enquire about their rates. Let’s compare them.

Merr Taxi charges 191 euros for a taxi from Tirana to Saranda
UPs taxi charges 21502 Leke (177 euros) for a taxi from Tirana to Saranda
Speedtaxi charges 16000 Leke or 134 euros for a taxi from Tirana to Saranda
City Taxi charges 16000 Leke (134 euros) for a taxi from Tirana to Saranda
Euro Taxi charges 130 euros for a taxi from Tirana to Saranda
If you take a taxi directly from Tirana airport to Saranda, the licensed airport taxis will charge you 165 euros.

Of course, a taxi journey is more comfortable than a bus journey. You don’t have to worry about getting to the bus station and which bus to take. And when you arrive in Saranda, the driver can drop you off at the Port of Saranda, where your ferry departs.

Tirana to Corfu flights

There are no direct flights from Tirana to Corfu. When you search for a flight from Tirana to Corfu online, you will find connecting flights. Usually, a flight from Tirana to Athens and then a flight from Athens to Corfu is what is suggested. However, this is time-consuming as it may take like 13 hours depending on the airline timetables.

Can I get from Tirana to Corfu by train?

You cannot take a train to get from Tirana to Corfu. Simply because there are no railway tracks on this route. So your only options are taking a taxi or bus to Saranda and then taking the ferry to Corfu.

Albania has very few operational trains. The railway network was constructed during the communist period from the end of the Second World War until 1992. Since 1992, the railway network has not been refurbished or upgraded, so many of the railway tracks are not being used.

What is the distance from Tirana to Corfu?

The distance from Tirana to Corfu is 300 kilometres. The distance from Tirana to Saranda by road is 265 kilometres. And the distance between Saranda and Corfu is 35 kilometres.

IMPORTANT: Google Maps journey planner for Albania does underestimate the time it takes to travel around Albania. Google Maps will tell you it takes only 3 hours and 40 minutes to drive from Tirana to Saranda. However, in reality, this journey will take you 5-6 hours.

How long will it take to get from Tirana to Corfu?

It will take you 5-6 hours to get from Tirana to Saranda via the road with a taxi or bus AND it will take you 35-65 minutes to get from Saranda to Corfu by ferry boat.

For the overland journey from Tirana to Saranda, you choose between a taxi or a bus. Regardless of which option you choose, it will take you 5-6 hours, because taxi drivers and bus drivers do drive the same route.

You can speed up your journey by booking a high-speed ferry boat, called a Flying Dolphin, which takes you from Saranda to Corfu in only 35 minutes. If you book the slower passenger/car ferry boat, your journey from Saranda to Corfu will take 65 minutes.

How much does it cost to get from Tirana to Corfu?

Let me outline the costs of getting from Tirana to Corfu by season and means of transportation.

Bus + Ferry in the low-season
15 Euros for the bus + 20 Euros for the ferry boat ticket per person
Bus + Ferry in the high-season
15 Euros for the bus + 23.80 Euros for the ferry boat ticket per person
Taxi + Ferry in the low-season
134-191 Euros for the taxi (depending on where you book) + 20 Euros for the ferry boat ticket per person
Taxi + Ferry in the high season
134-191 Euros for the taxi (depending on where you book) + 23.80 Euros for the ferry boat ticket per person

How to get from Tirana airport to Corfu?

You can get from Tirana airport to Corfu by a combination of taxi and ferry. The Tirana airport taxi service charges 165 euros for a taxi from Tirana airport to Saranda. A ferry ticket costs 20-23.80 euros per person.

There is no direct bus from Tirana airport to Saranda. Tirana airport does offer a direct bus to Tirana city, Durres city, Vlore city and Fier city. Basically, Fier and Vlore are on the route to the South of Albania.

However, if you want to get to Corfu quickly, then it is simply best to taxi directly to Saranda or a taxi to the bus terminal to catch a bus to Saranda (if your budget is tight).

Corfu to Tirana ferry

You can get from Corfu to Tirana by a combination of ferry and bus/taxi. The ferry departs from the Port of Corfu and will bring you to the Port of Saranda in Albania. From the Port of Saranda, you will need to either take a taxi to Tirana or you can make your way to the bus station to get on the bus from Saranda to Tirana.

You can book a ferry ticket from Corfu to Saranda with two companies: Finikas Lines and Ionian Seaways. Ferry tickets cost 20-24 euros per person depending on the season. Ferry boat timetables vary per season. With as little as 1 ferry boat departure in the winter season, 3-4 ferries in the spring and autumn seasons and 6 ferry boats per day in the summer season.

If you are interested in taking the bus from Saranda to Tirana. You can find the location of the bus station in Saranda on a Google Map here: https://goo.gl/maps/tfrZH53sFdJjmzEB8

The bus from Saranda to Tirana departs at 5 AM, 5:30 AM, 8:30 AM, 9:30 AM, 10:30 AM and 14:00 PM. A bus ticket costs 15 euros per person. You can check the bus timetables for Albania online on Gjirafa Autobus here: https://travel.gjirafa.com/

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