How to get from Tirana to Skopje? Bus, Taxi, Car, Flight, Train

If you are wondering how to get from Tirana to Skopje, this blog post is for you. I will describe how to get from Tirana to Skopje by bus, taxi, car, flight or by train.

How to get from Tirana to Skopje? You can get from Tirana to Skopje by bus, by taxi or by car. There are no trains and no direct flights. A bus ticket costs 20-25 EUR and buses depart at 6 AM, 8 AM and 19 PM. A bus journey takes 6-7 hours. A taxi costs 180-290 EUR. A car rental costs 20-25 EUR + Green Card 15-45 EUR.

In this blog post, I will outline all the travel information you need to travel from Tirana to Skopje. I will outline bus timetables, bus companies, bus stations and ticket prices. I will compare taxi rates for a journey from Tirana to Skopje. And I will discuss how much it costs to rent a car and drive from Tirana to Skopje, including border information. I will also discuss the time needed and the travel distance from Tirana to Skopje.

The best ways to get from Tirana to Skopje

You get from Tirana to Skopje by bus, by taxi, by car and by flight. Let me give you a quick overview of your travel options. 

Tirana to Skopje by bus (summary)

• The bus from Tirana to Skopje departs at 6:00 AM, 8:00 AM and 19:00 PM. 
• A bus ticket costs 20-25 euros for a one-way journey
• The bus journey takes 6-7 hours depending on the traffic
• Buses depart from the International Bus Station behind the Asllan Rusi Sports Palace in Tirana.

Tirana to Skopje by taxi (summary)

• A taxi from Tirana to Skopje costs between 180 euros and 290 euros. 
• I reached out to 5 well-known taxi companies in Tirana, and there was a 110 euro price variation in the rates quoted. You can see the taxi rates below.
• I recommend you reach out to 5-6 taxi companies to ask for their rates and compare, to get a good deal.

Tirana to Skopje by rental car (summary)

• A rental car in Tirana costs at least 20-25 euros per day for the cheapest available cars. 
• To drive from Tirana to Skopje with a rental car, you will need permission from the car rental company. 
• This permission to cross the border is free with some companies and some other companies charge a cross-border fee. Sixt Car Rental Tirana Airport charges 15 euros for a cross-border fee. Whereas Hertz Tirana airport charges 150 euros for a cross-border fee.
• You will also need a Green Card, which is an insurance document for North Macedonia. A Green Card for North Macedonia costs between 15-45 euros, varying by car rental company.

Tirana to Skopje by flight (summary)

• I was not able to find direct flights from Tirana to Skopje on Google Flights and Skyscanner.
• Although flights with 1 or 2 stopovers are offered, these are more time-consuming and costly than a direct bus or taxi. So not a good option.

How to get from Tirana to Skopje by bus?

You can get from Tirana to Skopje by bus in the early morning or in the late evening. The buses from Tirana to Skopje are operated by Drita Travel and Likometaj Travel in Tirana. 

Tirana to Skopje bus ticket price

A bus ticket from Tirana to Skopje costs between 20-25 euros for a one-way journey from Tirana to Skopje. 

Drita Travel charges 20 euros for a one-way ticket from Tirana to Skopje. If you want a return ticket, then Drita charges 30 euros for a return ticket from Tirana to Skopje and back. 

Whereas Likometaj Travel charges 25 euros for a one-way ticket from Tirana to Skopje. And Likometaj Travel charges 20 euros for a one-way ticket back from Skopje to Tirana. Likometaj does not sell return tickets, you simply buy another ticket from the bus driver upon your return journey.

If you want to reserve a bus ticket, you can call or contact the bus company via WhatsApp. In Albania, it is common practice to pay for your bus ticket in cash. So bring cash to the agency or simply give cash to the bus driver when you get on the bus. You can pay by Albanian Leke or by Euros in cash. 

Tirana to Skopje bus timetable

The buses from Tirana to Skopje depart in the early morning or in the evening. There are two buses operated by Drita Travel per day. And Likometaj Travel operates one bus per day from Tirana to Skopje.

Drita Travel has a bus departure from Tirana to Skopje at 8:00 AM and 19:00 PM every day. According to Drita Travel, the bus journey will take you 7 hours. So when you depart from Tirana at 8:00 AM, you will arrive in Skopje at 15:00 PM. And when you depart from Tirana at 19:00 PM, you will arrive in Skopje at 02:00 AM the next morning. 

Likometaj Travel Tirana has a daily bus departure from Tirana at 6:00 AM every morning. According to Likometaj Travel the bus journey will take 6 hours. So you will depart from Tirana at 6:00 AM and arrive in Skopje at 12:00 PM. 

Tirana to Skopje bus station

The buses from Tirana to Skopje depart from the International Bus Station in Tirana. The International Bus Station is located behind the Asllan Rusi Sports Palace. You can see the location of the International Bus Station on a Google Map here: https://goo.gl/maps/s2XF6a3h2MNzwDfL7 

The address of the International Bus Station is:
“Asllan Rusi” Sports Palace (in the Albanian language: Pallati i Sportit “Asllan Rusi”)
Rruga Ali Kolonja, Tirana, Albania

The International Bus Station in Tirana is within a walking distance from the city centre of Tirana. Most hotels are close to the central Skanderbeg Square in the middle of the city. From Skanderbeg Square, walk into Rruga e Durresit (Durres Street). Continue following the road, you will get to the large “Ringu Roundabout”, where you will see the Ring Shopping Centre and a big silver statue in the middle of the roundabout. Continue straight ahead, the Asllan Rusi Sports Palace is on your left-hand side after about 2 minutes. And the International Bus Station is behind the Sports Palace. 

How much does a taxi from Tirana to Skopje cost?

A taxi from Tirana to Skopje costs between 180 – 290 euros. As you can see there is a large difference in price between different taxi companies. 

Some taxi companies like Green Taxi, Smart Taxi or Speed Taxi offered rates like 180 euros, 200 euros or 230 euros to get from Tirana to Skopje by taxi. However, taxi companies like Do Taxi and City Taxi Tirana quoted rates like 260 euros or 290 euros. So it shows that it is really worth reaching out to 5-6 taxi companies and comparing their rates for this journey.

These are the taxi prices from Tirana to Skopje:

• Speed Taxi charges 230 euros for a taxi from Tirana to Skopje.
• Green Taxi Tirana charges 180 euros for a taxi from Tirana to Skopje.
• Do Taxi Tirana charges 260 euros for a taxi from Tirana to Skopje.
• City Taxi Tirana charges 290 euros for a taxi from Tirana to Skopje.
• Smart Taxi Tirana charges 200 euros for a taxi from Tirana to Skopje.

Can you get from Tirana to Skopje by Uber?

You cannot take an UBER from Tirana to Skopje. Because UBER does not exist in Albania. Although UBER announced in the past that they would come to Albania, this has not happened yet. 

If you want to download an app to request a taxi, you can download some of the local taxi apps. Speed Taxi has a taxi app, which you can find it on their home page here: https://speedtaxi.al/ Merr Taxi has a taxi app, which you can download from their website here: https://merrtaxi.com/android-ios-tirana-taxi-app And UPs Taxi has a taxi app, which you can download from their website here: https://www.upstaxi.com/#/ 

That being said, you do not really need a specific taxi app. Many taxi drivers in Albania use WhatsApp or Viber, so you will simply be able to reach them via those applications that you probably already use. 

How to get from Tirana to Skopje by aeroplane?

I have looked online for direct flights from Tirana to Skopje, but I have not been able to find any direct flights. Popular flight websites, like Skyscanner or Google Flights, only show flights with at least 1 or 2 stopovers from Tirana to Skopje. 

Therefore, I would not recommend taking a flight. In most cases, stopover flights take more time than a bus/taxi, are more expensive and we all know stopover flights are stressful. 

How to get from Tirana to Skopje by rental car?

A rental car in Tirana costs at least 20-25 euros per day for the cheapest available cars. To drive from Tirana to Skopje with a rental car, you will need permission from the car rental company. 

This permission to cross the border is free with some companies and some other companies charge a cross-border fee. Sixt Car Rental Tirana Airport charges 15 euros for a cross-border fee. Whereas Hertz Tirana airport charges 150 euros for a cross-border fee.

You will also need a Green Card, which is an insurance document for North Macedonia. A Green Card for North Macedonia costs between 15-45 euros, varying by car rental company.

• City Rent Albania charges 25 euros per day for a Ford Fiesta. And a Green Card for the North Macedonian border costs 40 euros. 
• ARA Auto Rental Albania at the airport charges 20 euros per day for a Fiat Punto 2018. A Green Card for Albania costs 40 euros.
• Avis Rent a Car Tirana airport charges 25 euros per day for an Opel Corsa Manual 2022. A Green Card for Albania costs 15 euros.
• Hertz Tirana Airport charges 22 euros per day for a Suzuki Ignis 2019 or similar. Hertz charges 150 euros for a cross-border fee. And 45 euros for a Green Card for Macedonia.
• Eurocar Rentals Tirana charges 25 euros per day for a Kia Rio from 2021. Their cross-border fee is 25 euros per reservation. And Green Card Insurance costs 40 euros, this is valid for 15 days.
• Albania Airport Rent a Car charges 25 euros per day for a Skoda Fabia. A Green Card for Macedonia costs 45 euros.
• G Rentals Tirana airport charges 20 euros per day for an Opel Corsa 2021. A Green Card for North Macedonia costs 20 euros.
• Eagle Car Rental Tirana charges 20 euros for a Volkswagen Up. A Green Card for Macedonia costs 40 euros and is valid for 14 days.
• Sixt Car Rental Tirana airport charges 25 euros per day for a Mitsubishi Space Start or Hyundai Accent. The permission to cross the border costs 15 euros extra. And a Green Card for Macedonia costs 15 euros.

How to get from Tirana to Skopje by train?

You cannot get from Tirana to Skopje by train, because there is no railway across the border to Skopje in Macedonia. 

Albania has some national railways within its borders. However, currently, as little as 2-3 trains per week are in operation. The national railways were constructed during the communist period, from the end of the Second World War until 1992. Since communism ended in 1992, there has not been any interest or investment in the railway network. As a result, many of the old railways are visible in the landscape but are currently not in use. 

Albania’s railway network is not connected to other countries. Since the communists who constructed the railways were isolating Albania from the rest of the world, similar to North Korea today. So at that time, there was no interest in International railways.

What is the distance from Tirana to Skopje?

The distance from Tirana to Skopje is 288 kilometres. Although Google Maps suggests it may take you only 4 hours and 50 minutes to drive this distance, that is not accurate. I have spoken to some experienced taxi drivers and bus drivers, and these suggest it will take you 6-7 hours.

I will add that Google Maps almost always underestimates the time required to drive through Albania. Albania is a hilly country with 75% of the country being mountainous. Moreover, traffic and the older national roads will prevent you from driving at top speed.

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

It does take approximately 6-7 hours to get from Tirana to Skopje by bus, by taxi or by car. I have spoken with some of the bus drivers and taxi drivers who regularly drive this route and they all advised 6-7 hours, of course depending on traffic and time spend at the border. 

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