How to get from Tirana to Prizren? Bus, Taxi, Prices, Car Rental

If you are planning a trip from Tirana to Prizren, this blog is for you. I will describe how you can get from Tirana to Prizren by bus, by taxi or by car.

How to get from Tirana to Prizren? You can get from Tirana to Prizren by bus, by taxi or by car. There are no rails and no trains. Buses depart between 6 AM and 20 PM. A bus ticket costs 15 EUR. A taxi from Tirana to Prizren costs 120-130 EUR. Rental car prices start at 20-25 EUR + cross border fee (0-50 EUR). No Green Card needed.

In this blog post, I will describe how you can get from Tirana to Prizren by bus, by taxi or by car. I will outline bus timetables, the location of the bus terminal, ticket prices and where and how to book tickets. I will also explain what you can expect to pay for a taxi. And what is involved with renting a car and driving it across the border to Prizren in Kosovo. 

The best way to get from Tirana to Prizren by bus, by taxi or by car

In this first paragraph, I will give you a quick summary of how you can get from Tirana to Prizren by bus, by taxi or by car. There is more detailed information further down below in the blog post.

Tirana to Prizren by bus (summary)

• Buses from Tirana to Prizren depart at 6:00 AM, 7:00 AM, 9:00 AM, 13:00, 14:00, 14:30, 15:00, 15:30, 16:00, 17:00 and 20:00. 
• A bus ticket from Tirana to Prizren costs 15 euros per person. 
• Buses from Tirana to Prizren depart from the International Bus Terminal in Tirana, which is a 15 minute walk from the central Skanderbeg Square.
• You can buy your bus ticket in cash at the International Bus Terminal, this is common practice in Albania and the way the locals travel by bus.

Tirana to Prizren by taxi (summary)

• A taxi from Tirana to Prizren will cost you 120-130 euros per taxi.
• You can request taxi prices via email or WhatsApp.
• UBER taxis do not exist in Albania.

Tirana to Prizren by rental car (summary)

• A rental car in Albania will cost you at least 20-25 euros per day. But much more in July and August due to the tourist high-season.
• To drive from Tirana to Prizren, you do not need a Green Card Insurance document for Kosovo, as the  Albanian car insurance covers Kosovo.
• To drive an Albanian rental car across the border to Prizren in Kosovo, you do need border crossing permission from the car rental company. Some car rental companies offer this free of charge, but others charge 10 euros per day, 25 euros once or 50 euros once.
• Below I have a price comparison of car rental rates and pricing.

Tirana to Prizren by train (summary)

• There are no trains between Tirana and Prizren.
• Albania does not have any international passenger trains. So you cannot take any train from Albania to Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia or Greece.
• Albania has a very limited number of national trains. So if you are travelling by public transport, you will basically travel by bus in Albania.
• A new railway between Durres-Tirana Airport-Tirana may open in 2025, if finished.

How to get from Tirana to Prizren by bus?

You can take a bus from Tirana to Prizren. Buses from Tirana to Prizren depart at 6:00 AM, 7:00 AM, 9:00 AM, 13:00, 14:00, 14:30, 15:00, 15:30, 16:00, 17:00 and 20:00. A bus ticket from Tirana to Prizren costs 15 euros per person. 

To get on the bus from Tirana to Prizren, you need to go to the International Bus Terminal in Tirana. The International Bus Terminal is near the Ring Shopping Center and behind the Asllan Rusi Sport Palace. If you are staying at a hotel near the central Skanderbeg Square in Tirana, then the International Bus Terminal in Tirana is within a 10-20 minutes walking distance from your hotel.

You can see the location of the International Bus Terminal in Tirana on Google Maps here: https://maps.app.goo.gl/XmaAqEonXryFskbi8 

You can buy a bus ticket in person with cash at the International Bus Terminal. That is the way the local Albanian people do it. It is very common in Albania to pay cash for most expenses on the spot. Several of the bus operators may not have a website or an online booking system where you can book bus tickets online. They operate the old fashioned way and may have a little office at the bus terminal or the bus driver takes cash payments.

The buses from Tirana to Prizren are operated by different bus operators. Some of the bus operators are Tirana Metropol, Arditi Tours, Kabashi Tours, Gashi travel, Albani Tours and Memi Reisen. Several of these bus operators have a little office at the International Bus Terminal.

If you plan on travelling through Albania by bus, you can also download our Albania Bus Timetable App here: https://albaniatourguide.com/albania-bus-timetable-app/ 

How much does a taxi from Tirana to Prizren cost?

A taxi from Tirana to Prizren will cost you 120-130 euros per taxi. You can reserve a taxi easily via WhatsApp or email. You can reach out to taxi companies in Tirana, like Merr Taxi, Green Taxi, Speed Taxi, City Taxi or Lux Taxi. 

UBER taxis do not exist in Albania. In the past, there were some announcements online about UBER coming to Albania. However, this has not happened. Although taxi companies in Albania have made taxi apps, those taxi apps charge regular taxi prices, not discounted rates, like UBER. 

Can I rent a car and drive from Tirana to Prizren?

Renting a car and driving from Tirana to Prizren will cost you at least 20-25 euros per day. However, bear in mind that rental cars will be much more expensive in July and August due to the tourist season. 

If you are driving from Tirana to Prizren, you do not need a Green Card Insurance document for Kosovo. Albanian car insurance covers Kosovo, so that is included in the car insurance already. 

That being said, you may or may not have to pay a cross border fee with your car rental company. Some car rental companies in Albania do not charge a cross border fee, but others do. So prices for a cross border fee vary between 0 euro, 10 euros per day, 25 euros once or 50 euros once. 

Therefore, it is always a good idea to reach out to several car rental companies in Tirana and ask them about their daily rate as well as the cross border fees they charge for visiting Kosovo.

• Rental car = at least 20-25 euros per day, but it will be more in July/August
• Green card insurance for Kosovo = Free
• Cross border fee = It depends could be included in the price so FREE, 10 euros per day, 25 euros once, 50 euros once.

Below I will give you some insight into what car rental companies in Tirana charge for a rental car and for driving the rental car from Tirana to Prizren. You can find a helpful list of car rental companies on the website of Tirana Airport, if you want to do your own price comparison. 

Rental car prices in Tirana:

• Enterprise Car Rentals at Tirana airport said that you normally need 2 documents to drive abroad with a rental car. Firstly, a written authorization from the car rental company allowing you to travel abroad with the rental car. This cross border document costs 48 euros per reservation. The second document that you would need for all European countries is a Green Card Insurance document. However, for Kosovo you do not need a Green Card Insurance document. 
• ARA Auto Rental Albania at Tirana airport offered a Fiat Tipo 2019 for 30 euros per day. They mentioned that for Kosovo you do not need a Green Card, because the Albanian insurance covers the Kosovo territory. You only need a border authorization from ARA Auto Rental Albania, which is included in the car rental price.
• Sixt Car Rental at Tirana airport offered a rental car for 25 euros per day. And you pay an additional 20 euros for a cross border fee for Kosovo. 
• Green Motion at Tirana airport offered a Skoda Fabia for 20 euros per day. And you pay 50 euros for a cross border fee for Kosovo.
• Avis Rent a Car at Tirana airport offered an economic rental car for 25 euros per day. The cross border fee is included. And they mentioned that no insurance is needed for Kosovo.
• Eurocar Rentals in Tirana offered a Kia Rio 2021 for 25 euros per day. You would need to pay 450 euros of deposit by credit card. And an additional 25 euros for an authorization to cross the border. They also pointed out that for Kosovo you do not need to pay for a Green Card. 
• Eagle Car Rental in Tirana offered a Hyundai i10 for 25 euros per day. A deposit of 300 euros is needed to rent the car. And they mentioned that for Pristina you don’t need a green card, so that is free.
• Easy Rent in Tirana offered a Fiat Panda for 30 euros per day. You would need to pay an additional 10 euros per day extra for a cross border fee. And you can go to Prizren, since no green card is needed.
• Hertz at Tirana airport offered a Suzuki Ignis 2019 for 22 euros per day. And they mentioned that you do not need a green card for Kosovo.
• G Rentals Tirana airport charges 20 euros per day for an Opel Corsa 2021. And you do not need to pay a cross border fee. No green card is needed for Prizren in Kosovo.

IMPORTANT! If you are travelling to Albania in July or August, I highly recommend that you book a rental car beforehand. Car rental prices can be high in the summer months, and it is best to compare car rental prices before you travel and to book beforehand. I have received messages from travellers who were charged as much as 50-70 euro per day for a rental car in the high season.

IMPORTANT! Driving in Albania as a foreigner can be daunting and challenging. The Albanian drivers have a chaotic and sometimes aggressive driving style. So if you have any doubts about renting a car, I would recommend you travel by bus or taxi instead. Of course, you are the only one who can judge your driving ability, experience and confidence.

Is there a train from Tirana to Prizren?

There is no train from Tirana to Prizren. So it is not possible to travel by train from Tirana to Prizren. If you are planning to travel by public transport, the only option is taking a bus from Tirana to Prizren.

Albania does not have any international passenger trains. So you cannot travel by train from Albania to Montenegro, Kosovo, North Macedonia or Greece. 

Within Albania’s borders there is a very limited number of national trains. Right now, there is 1 x train a week between Shkoder and Lac and there are 2-3 trains per week between Durres and Elbasan. 

As of 2024, a new railway is being constructed between Durres, Tirana airport and Tirana. However, the railway works have not been finished, so no trains are in operation as of yet. Perhaps trains will run between Durres, Tirana Airport and Tirana in 2025. 

How to get from Tirana airport to Prizren?

You can get from Tirana airport to Prizren by taxi or by rental car. A direct taxi from Tirana Airport to Prizren will cost you around 120-130 euros. A rental car will start at 20-25 euros a day + border crossing fee, but car rental rates can be much more expensive in July and August.

There is no direct bus from Tirana airport to Prizren. So if you would like to travel by bus, you would need to take a taxi from Tirana airport to the International Bus Terminal in Tirana. A taxi would cost you 22-28 euros. Then you can get a bus from the International Bus Terminal in Tirana to Prizren. I have described the bus information above.

Can I go on a day trip from Tirana to Prizren?

You can go on a day trip from Tirana to Prizren. That would mean 3 hours of driving in the morning. About 3-4 hours of exploring Prizren. And then 3 hours driving back from Prizren to Tirana. So it is possible to make a day trip from Tirana to Prizren. 

What is the distance from Tirana to Prizren?

The distance from Tirana to Prizren is 160 kilometres. It will take you roughly 3 hours to travel from Tirana to Prizren by bus, by taxi or by car. 

If you look at Google Maps it only takes 2 hours to drive from Tirana to Prizren. Which is too short, it is more likely to take you 3 hours. I would say that in general Google Maps underestimates the time it takes to drive through Albania and the Balkans. 

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

It does take approximately 3 hours to get from Tirana to Prizren by bus, by taxi or by car. 

What is the closest airport to Prizren?

The closest airport to Prizren is Pristina International Airport Adem Jashari. Another option is flying to Tirana International Airport “Mother Teresa” in Albania. 

Related Questions

How to get from Tirana to Pristina by bus? You can get from Tirana to Pristina by bus. Buses from Tirana to Pristina depart at 5:45, 6:00, 7:00, 9:00, 10:00, 12:00, 14:00, 14:30, 15:00, 15:30, 16:00, 17:00, 18:00, 19:00 and 20:00. A bus ticket costs 15 euros per person. You must go to the International Bus Terminal in Tirana.

Is there a bus from Tirana to Skopje? You can take a bus from Tirana to Skopje. Buses from Tirana to Skopje depart at 8:00 AM and 19:00. A bus ticket from Tirana to Skopje costs 20 euros per person. Some buses depart from the International Bus Terminal in Tirana and others depart from the Tirana East Terminal.

Is there a bus from Tirana to Thessaloniki? There are buses from Tirana to Thessaloniki. You can take a bus from Tirana to Thessaloniki at 4:00 AM, 4:30 AM, 4:45 AM, 5:00 AM, 6:00 AM, 7:00 AM, 8:00 AM, 8:15 AM, 8:30 AM, 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM. A bus ticket from Tirana to Thessaloniki costs 40 euros per person. Buses depart from the International Bus Terminal in Tirana.

How do I get from Tirana to the Albanian Riviera? You can get from Tirana to the Albanian Riviera by bus, by taxi or by rental car. From Tirana, you can take a bus to either Vlore (2.5 hours), Himare (5 hours) or Saranda (5 hours). A taxi from Tirana to Vlore costs around 110 euros. A taxi from Tirana to Saranda costs around 200 euros. Rental cars start at 20-25 euros per day, but will be much more expensive in July and August due to the high season.

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