How to get from Tirana to Durres? Bus, Taxi, Airport

If you are planning to travel from Tirana to Durres, this blog post is for you. I will describe how to get from Tirana to Durres by bus, by taxi, by rental car and what you can expect to pay for your journey from Tirana to Durres.

How to get from Tirana to Durres? You can get from Tirana to Durres by bus, by taxi or by rental car. There is no train connection. A bus ticket costs 150 LEK (1.30 EUR), and buses depart between 5 AM and 21 PM. A taxi from Tirana to Durres costs 21.50 – 27 EUR. A rental car costs at least 20-25 EUR per day + 30 EUR petrol.

In this blog post, I will describe how to get from Tirana to Durres by bus, including bus timetables, bus station locations and bus ticket prices. I will also compare the rates of popular taxi companies for a ride from Tirana to Durres. And I compare the rates of car rental companies in Tirana, in case you want to rent a car and drive to Durres yourself. I will also discuss train travel in Albania, getting from Tirana airport to Durres directly and taking a bus back from Durres to Tirana.

Best ways to get from Tirana to Durres

In this blog post, I will describe the best ways to get from Tirana to Durres. I will answer these questions in detail below:

  • How to get from Tirana to Durres by bus?
  • Tirana to Durres bus timetable
  • Tirana to Durres bus ticket price
  • Tirana bus station to Durres 
  • Dogana Roundabout Tirana 
  • Durres bus station
  • How much is a taxi from Tirana to Durres?
  • What does it cost to rent a car and drive from Tirana to Durres?
  • Can you travel from Tirana to Durres by train?
  • Tirana to Durres distance
  • How long does it take to get from Tirana to Durres?
  • How do I get from Durres to Tirana by bus?
  • Durres to Tirana bus timetable
  • How to get from Tirana airport to Durres?
  • Tirana airport to Durres by bus
  • Tirana airport to Durres Taxi price
  • Public transport Durres

How to get from Tirana to Durres by bus?

You can get from Tirana to Durres by bus. Buses depart from Tirana between 5:00 AM and 21:00 PM. You can find the detailed bus timetable from Tirana to Durres below. 

The buses depart from the Albania Bus Terminal South and North Albania. This bus terminal is located outside the city centre of Tirana. So you will need to take a taxi or city bus to get to the bus terminal. The details of how to get to the bus terminal can be found below.

The price of a bus ticket from Tirana to Durres is 150 LEK (1.30 EUR) per person for a one-way journey. You must pay for your bus ticket in cash in Albanian Leke.

Tirana to Durres bus timetable

The bus from Tirana to Durres departs between 5:00 AM and 21:00 PM every day. There are very frequent buses with bus departures every 5-30 minutes. Below, I have an overview of the Tirana to Durres bus timetable.

The bus from Tirana to Durres departs at 5:00 AM, 5:30 AM, 5:40 AM, 5:45 AM, 5:55 AM, 6:00 AM, 6:10 AM, 6:15 AM, 6:20 AM, 6:30 AM, 6:40 AM, 6:45 AM, 7:00 AM, 7:05 AM, 7:10 AM, 7:15 AM, 7:30 AM, 7:35 AM, 7:40 AM, 7:45 AM, 8:00 AM, 8:10 AM, 8:15 AM, 8:20 AM, 8:25 AM, 8:30 AM, 8:40 AM, 8:45 AM, 8:50 AM, 9:00 AM, 9:10 AM, 9:15 AM, 9:20 AM, 9:30 AM, 9:40 AM, 9:50 AM, 10:00 AM, 10:05 AM, 10:10 AM, 10:20 AM, 10:30 AM, 10:35 AM, 10:45 AM, 11:00 AM, 11:10 AM, 11:30 AM, 11:40 AM, 12:00 PM, 12:15 PM, 12:20 PM, 12:30 PM, 13:00 PM, 13:30 PM, 13:40 PM, 13:45 PM, 14:00 PM, 14:15 PM, 14:20 PM, 14:30 PM, 14:45 PM, 14:50 PM, 15:00 PM, 15:15 PM, 15:30 PM, 15:40 PM, 16:00 PM, 16:10 PM, 16:15 PM, 16:20 PM, 16:30 PM, 17:00 PM, 17:30 PM, 17:40 PM, 18:00 PM, 18:20 PM, 18:30 PM, 19:00 PM, 19:45 PM, 20:00 PM, 20:30 PM and 21:00 PM. 

IMPORTANT! Not every bus will indicate “Durres” as a destination on their front window. Because many buses that go to the South of Albania, drive via Durres and then on to their destination. So you may get on a bus to Gjirokaster, Fier, Berat, Vlore, Permet, Lushnje, Rrogozhine or Tepelene. Because these buses do stop in Durres along their journey. 

The bus journey from Tirana to Durres takes 35 minutes. Should you travel in a busy period, like July or August. Or in the peak times when people start work or depart from work, you may be delayed an additional 10-20 minutes. 

Tirana to Durres bus ticket price

The price of a bus ticket from Tirana to Durres is 150 LEK (1.30 EUR) per person for a one-way journey. You must pay for your bus ticket in cash in Albanian Leke. So bring some small notes or coins Albanian Leke with you to the bus station. 

Tirana bus station to Durres

The buses from Tirana to Durres depart from the Regional Bus Terminal North and South Albania. 

This is the address of the Regional Bus Terminal: 

Terminali i Autobusave të Jugut dhe Veriut (in the Albanian language)
Albania Bus Terminal South and North Albania (in the English language)

The bus station is located in the Kashar neighbourhood in Tirana

You can see the location of the bus terminal on a Google Map here: https://goo.gl/maps/HRWXSs81DVXx9R3o9 

The Bus Terminal for South and North Albania is located outside the city centre of Tirana. So if you are staying in a hotel anywhere near central Skanderbeg Square, you will need to take a taxi or a city bus to get to the bus terminal. The bus terminal for Saranda is not within a walking distance of the city centre.

You can take a 15-minute taxi ride to get to the bus terminal. Ask the taxi driver to drop you off at “Terminali i Autobusave të Jugut dhe Veriut”. You can grab a taxi off the street. Or you can call taxi companies, like Merr Taxi, Speed Taxi, City Taxi Tirana or Do Taxi. You can also reach them via WhatsApp chat or Viber.

I have spoken with Merr Taxi, Do Taxi Tirana, City Taxi Tirana and Speed Taxi Tirana. And basically, there is no set price for a ride to the bus terminal. The taxi driver will switch on the taxi meter and that will determine how much it will cost you. 

You can also take a city bus to get to the Bus Terminal North and South Albania. The city bus departs behind the National History Museum. So when you see the entrance of the National History Museum, you will need to walk to the back of the building to “Rruga Ded Gjo Luli”. You can see the location of the bus stop on a Google Map here: https://goo.gl/maps/GzJhE5m9XtfwgHsR6 

From the bus stop on Rruga Ded Gjo Luli, you need to take the bus to “Instituti”. This bus will make a stop at the Bus Terminal for North and South Albania.

Dogana Roundabout Tirana

In the past, the Regional bus terminal for North and South Albania was located next to the Dogana Roundabout. As of 2022, the Dogana Roundabout has been replaced by a multilevel crossing with tunnels. 

Therefore, the bus station is no longer at the Dogana Roundabout. It is now at this location, as described above. 

This is the address of the Regional Bus Terminal: 

Terminali i Autobusave të Jugut dhe Veriut (in the Albanian language)
Albania Bus Terminal South and North Albania (in the English language)

The bus station is located in the Kashar neighbourhood in Tirana

You can see the location of the bus terminal on a Google Map here: https://goo.gl/maps/HRWXSs81DVXx9R3o9 


Durres bus station

The bus from Tirana to Durres will drop you off at the Durres Bus Station. 

The name of the Durres bus station is:

Terminali i Autobuzave te stacioni i trenit “Durrës” (in the Albanian language)
Bus Terminal Durres (in the English language)

You can see the location of the Durres bus terminal on a Google Map here:

https://goo.gl/maps/8udRxEY3nZ9ksoTi8 

The bus station in Durres is located near the Ferry Port and Harbour of Durres. From the bus station, the beaches are actually to the South of the Ferry Port. And the centre of the city is to the North of the Ferry Port. 

The bus station in Durres is called “stacioni i trenit”, because it is near the old railway station. This however is the bus terminal in Durres. 

How much is a taxi from Tirana to Durres?

A taxi from Tirana to Durres costs between 21.50 euros – 27 euros depending on which taxi company you book and your exact destination in Durres. 

To give you a good insight into the taxi prices from Tirana to Durres, I did reach out to some of the popular taxi companies in Tirana and asked them for their rates. Below you will find a price comparison of what it costs to book a taxi from Tirana to Durres.

Tirana to Durres taxi prices

  • Smart Taxi Tirana charges 2600 Leke (22 euros) for a taxi from Tirana’s city centre to Durres beach. 
  • Do Taxi Tirana charges 2800 Leke (24 euros) for a taxi from Tirana’s city centre to Durres beach.
  • City Taxi Tirana charges 2500 Leke (21.50 euros) for a taxi from Tirana’s city centre to the city centre of Durres.
  • Merr Taxi charges 3000 Leke or 27 euros for a taxi from Tirana to Durres.
  • Green Taxi charges 2500 Leke (21.50 euros) for a taxi ride from Tirana’s city centre to Durres city centre OR 2800 Leke (24 euros) for a taxi ride from Tirana’s city centre to Durres beach.
  • Speed Taxi charges 2500 Leke (21.50 euros) for a taxi from Tirana to Durres. 

If you ask for a taxi from Tirana to Durres, many taxi drivers will ask you for your exact destination in Durres. This is because Durres is a very long city along the coastline. Essentially, the city centre of Durres is quite close, then Durres beach is a bit further away and then Golem beach is even further to the South. So it does make a difference in the price because the beaches are further and require more time and petrol for the taxi driver.

If you want to take a taxi from Tirana airport to Durres, this costs 25-30 euros. This is the price of the official Tirana airport Taxi Service operated by Auto Holiday Albania. You will get a cheaper price if you reach out to taxi companies like Speed Taxi, Green Taxi, City Taxi or Smart Taxi before you travel and have them pick you up from the airport.

What does it cost to rent a car and drive from Tirana to Durres?

It does cost at least 20-25 euros per day to rent a car in Tirana + 30 euros for petrol to drive from Tirana to Durres.

To give you a good insight into the prices for car rental companies in Albania, I did reach out to several car rental companies and compared their rates. I will say that I asked for the cheapest car they had available, so nothing luxurious in this list!

  • Albania Airport Rent a Car charges 20 euros per day for a Skoda Fabia with manual gear from 2019.
  • ARA Auto Rental Albania at Tirana airport charges 20 euros per day for a Fiat Punto from 2018. 
  • Avis Rent a Car Tirana Airport charges 25 euros per day for an Opel Corsa manual gear from 2022.
  • G Rentals Tirana airport charges 20 euros per day for an Opel Corsa from 2021. 
  • Green Motion Tirana airport charges 20 euros per day for a Skoda Fabia.
  • Hertz Tirana airport charges 22 euros per day for a Suzuki Ignis from 2019. 
  • Eurocar Rentals Tirana charges 25 euros per day for a Kia Rio from 2021.
  • Easy Rent Tirana charges 30 euros per day for a Fiat Panda.
  • Eagle Rent Car Renting Albania charges 20 euros per day for a manual Volkswagen Up.

IMPORTANT – If you are travelling to Albania in July or August, it is the absolute top of the high season. So you will most likely pay more for a rental car since the cheapest cars won’t be available anymore. And as a result, you will only be able to rent a more expensive rental car.

IMPORTANT – I highly recommend you reach out to car rental companies in Albania before you travel. I have received messages from travellers who paid 50-70 euros per day for a rental car. There might be a better deal out there for you, but you must reach out to several car rental companies and compare their offers, to get a good deal.

IMPORTANT – Driving in Albania as a foreigner can be daunting and challenging. Albanian drivers have a chaotic and sometimes aggressive driving style. Of course, there are rules on the road, but Albanian drivers often do not follow these rules. That being said, you are the only one who can judge your driving experience and ability. But I will say that if you have any doubts about driving in Albania, I recommend you take a bus or taxi instead.

Can you travel from Tirana to Durres by train?

You cannot travel from Tirana to Durres by train. Because there is no train station in Tirana’s city centre anymore. 

The railway station in Tirana’s city centre was demolished in 2013. I am writing this blog post in 2023, and the railway station in Tirana has not been rebuilt, relocated or re-opened. So it is not possible to get on a train from Tirana to anywhere, including Durres. 

Train travel in Albania is very limited. Many of the old railways constructed during the communist period are visible in the landscape, but they are mostly not in use. There are as few as 2-3 trains per week in the whole country. Since the fall of communism in 1992, there has been little investment, no refurbishment and no maintenance on the railway tracks and trains, therefore, only 2-3 trains per week operate. 

You can check the latest railway timetable for Albania on the homepage of Hekurudha Shqiptare (Albanian Railways) here: https://hekurudha.al/ Currently there is 1 x train per day every Saturday and Sunday between Durres and Elbasan.

Tirana to Durres distance

The distance from Tirana to Durres is 39-42 kilometres. The drive from Tirana’s city centre to the city centre of Durres is 39 kilometres. Durres beach is slightly further to the South, so it is 42 kilometres from the city centre of Tirana. There are also some beautiful beaches in the “Golem” area, which is a bit further to the South of Durres.

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

It does take 45 minutes to get from Tirana to Durres by car or by taxi. Tirana and Durres are well connected via the SH2 highway. Tirana airport is also located alongside this highway, in between Tirana and Durres. 

Of course, your travel time will be influenced by the amount of traffic. In the holiday period and summer holidays, the city centre of Tirana will be crowded. And in July and August, the coastal road that leads to the beaches of Durres will be full of traffic. This coastal road can be avoided if you are on your way to the South of Albania, but you will need this road to get to Durres beach!

How do I get from Durres to Tirana by bus?

You can get on the bus from Durres to Tirana at the Durres Bus Station. 

The name of the Durres bus station is:

Terminali i Autobuzave te stacioni i trenit “Durrës” (in the Albanian language)
Bus Terminal Durres (in the English language)

You can see the location of the Durres bus station on Google Maps here:

https://goo.gl/maps/8udRxEY3nZ9ksoTi8 

The bus station in Durres is called “stacioni i trenit”, because it is near the old railway station. This however is the bus terminal in Durres. 

The bus station in Durres is located near the Ferry Port and Harbour of Durres. From the bus station, the beaches are actually to the South of the Ferry Port. And the centre of the city is to the North of the Ferry Port. 

Durres to Tirana bus timetable

The bus from Durrs to Tirana departs between 5:30 AM and 22:00 PM. The bus from Durres to Tirana departs at 5:30 AM, 6:15 AM, 6:30 AM, 6:40 AM, 7:00 AM, 7:15 AM, 7:30 AM, 7:45 AM, 8:00 AM, 8:10 AM, 8:15 AM, 8:20 AM, 8:30 AM, 8:45 AM, 8:50 AM, 9:00 AM, 9:15 AM, 9:30 AM, 9:40 AM, 10:00 AM, 10:15 AM, 10:20 AM, 10:30 AM, 10:45 AM, 10:50 AM, 11:00 AM, 11:10 AM, 11:15 AM, 11:30 AM, 11:40 AM, 11:45 AM, 12:00 PM, 12:05 PM, 12:15 PM, 12:20 PM, 12:30 PM, 12:45 PM, 13:00 PM, 13:10 PM, 13:15 PM, 13:20 PM, 13:30 PM, 13:45 PM, 14:00 PM, 14:15 PM, 14:20 PM, 14:45 PM, 15:00 PM, 15:10 PM, 15:15 PM, 15:35 PM, 15:40 PM, 15:45 PM, 15:50 PM, 16:00 PM, 16:15 PM, 16:20 PM, 16:30 PM, 16:45 PM, 16:50 PM, 17:00 PM, 17:15 PM, 17:30 PM, 17:40 PM, 17:45 PM, 18:00 PM, 18:15 PM, 18:20 PM, 18:30 PM, 18:40 PM, 18:45 PM, 19:00 PM, 19:15 PM, 19:30 PM, 19:40 PM, 19:45 PM, 20:20 PM, 20:45 PM, 21:00 PM, 21:30 PM, 21:40 PM and 22:00 PM.

How to get from Tirana airport to Durres?

You can get from Tirana airport to Durres by the airport shuttle bus or by taxi. The airport shuttle bus costs only 600 Leke (5 euros), but it departs only 5 x times per day, so it depends on when you arrive. A taxi from Tirana airport to Durres costs 25-30 euros.

Tirana airport to Durres by bus

You can take a shuttle bus from Tirana airport to Durres. The airport shuttle bus from Tirana airport to Durres is operated by Adis shpk. 

The bus departs from Tirana airport at 10:00 AM, 12:00 PM, 14:00 PM, 15:30 PM and 17:00 PM. A bus ticket from Tirana airport to Durres costs 600 Leke (5 euros). 

The airport shuttle buses depart from the parking, so exit the arrivals hall through the door on your left and follow the signs to the parking area to get on the bus.

Tirana airport to Durres Taxi price

A taxi from Tirana airport to Durres costs 25-30 euros if you take one of the official Tirana airport taxi service taxis. 

Tirana airport has an official “Tirana airport taxi service” operated by Auto Holiday Albania. These are yellow taxis with the airport logo on both sides. You can always find these taxis parked and waiting right in front of the airport arrivals hall. 

That being said, the Tirana airport taxi service is not the cheapest taxi service. They charge 35-30 euros for a taxi from Tirana to Durres. Whereas other taxi services like Speed Taxi, Green Taxi, City Taxi and Smart Taxi charge 21.50-22 euros. So it is up to you. You can book one of those taxi services beforehand and have them wait for you at the airport upon your arrival.

Public transport Durres

The public transportation in Durres is mainly buses. There are as few as 2-3 operational trains in the whole country per week, so train travel is not a good option. 

The buses from Durres to other cities in Albania depart from the Durres Bus Station. 

The name of the Durres bus station is:

Terminali i Autobuzave te stacioni i trenit “Durrës” (in the Albanian language)
Bus Terminal Durres (in the English language)

You can see the location of the Durres bus station on Google Maps here:

https://goo.gl/maps/8udRxEY3nZ9ksoTi8 

The bus station in Durres is called “stacioni i trenit”, because it is near the old railway station. This however is the bus terminal in Durres. 

The bus station in Durres is located near the Ferry Port and Harbour of Durres. From the bus station, the beaches are actually to the South of the Ferry Port. And the centre of the city is to the North of the Ferry Port. 

Related Questions

Is Durres worth a visit? Durres is worth a visit if you are looking for a beach city near the capital city of Tirana. Because Durres is the most conveniently located beach near Tirana. It will only take you 35-45 minutes to get there. That being said, the most beautiful beaches in Albania are further to the South on the Albanian Riviera and require longer travel from Tirana. Therefore, many locals and tourists visit Durres as it is so close and conveniently located.

How much is a taxi from Tirana to Saranda? A taxi from Tirana to Saranda costs between 126 – 152 euros depending on which taxi company you book. Merr Taxi charges 18000 Leke (152 euros). Speed Taxi charges 16000 Leke (135 euros). Do Taxi Tirana charges 15000 Leke (126 euros). City Taxi Tirana charges 17000 Leke (143 euros).

About me

About me

I am an Albania Tour Guide, who organizes 1-day, 2-day or multiple day private tours in Albania. I arrange your transportation and I am your English speaking guide. So that, you get to experience the most beautiful places in Albania!
Kind regards, Manon

Welcome to Albania!

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