How to get from Tirana to Thessaloniki? Bus, Price, Taxi, Car Rental

If you are planning to travel from Tirana to Thessaloniki, this blog is for you. I will discuss how you can get from Tirana to Thessaloniki by bus, by car or by taxi.

How to get from Tirana to Thessaloniki? You can get from Tirana to Thessaloniki by bus, by taxi or by car. No trains. No direct flights. Buses depart from 4 AM-11AM and cost 40 EUR p.p. A taxi costs 350 EUR. A rental car starts at 20-25 EUR a day + 20-25 Cross Border fee a day + 40-50 EUR Green Card.

In this blog post, I will outline the best ways to get from Tirana to Thessaloniki. I will discuss connecting flights, bus timetables, bus stations, bus ticket prices and how to pay for your bus ticket. I also compare bus ticket prices to taxi prices. And I discuss what is involved with renting a car in Tirana and driving it across the border to Thessaloniki in Greece. Finally, I will discuss train travel in Albania. Let’s jump in.

What is the best way to get from Tirana to Thessaloniki?

You can travel from Tirana to Thessaloniki by International Bus, by taxi or by rental car. There are no direct flights from Tirana to Thessaloniki. And there are no railways between Albania and Greece at all. Let me give you a quick overview of the best ways to get from Tirana to Thessaloniki.

Tirana to Thessaloniki by bus (summary)

• You can take an International Bus from Tirana to Thessaloniki from the Tirana International Bus Terminal. 
• Buses from Tirana to Thessaloniki depart 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 costs 40 euros per person. 
• You can find more detailed bus information below.

Tirana to Thessaloniki flight (summary)

• There are no direct flights from Tirana to Thessaloniki. 
• If you look for a flight from Tirana to Thessaloniki you will find indirect flights with at least 1 or 2 stopovers in other cities like Athens for instance. 

Tirana to Thessaloniki by taxi (summary)

• A taxi from Tirana to Thessaloniki may cost you 350 euros.

Tirana to Thessaloniki by car (summary)

• Not all car rental companies in Tirana allow for their cars to be driven to Thessaloniki in Greece. So you need to ask several car rental companies beforehand.
• Rental car: at least 20-25 EUR a day, more in July and August
• Cross border fee: 20-25 EUR a day
• Green Card for Greek Insurance: 40-50 EUR once

Tirana to Thessaloniki by train (summary)

• There are no trains between Tirana and Thessaloniki.
• Because there is no railway connecting Tirana and Thessaloniki, so this route does not exist. 
• There are no International trains between Albania and Greece at all, so train travel between Albania and Greece is completely impossible, as there are no railways connecting the two countries.
• If you are looking to travel by public transport, you must take an International Bus instead. 

Can I fly from Tirana to Thessaloniki?

You can fly from Tirana to Thessaloniki, but you won’t find a direct flight. When I looked online, I was not able to find a direct flight from Tirana to Thessaloniki. I only found indirect flights with at least 1 or sometimes 2 stopovers in other airports. 

There are direct flights from Tirana to Athens in Greece. But if you want to get to Thessaloniki, you would need to wait in Athens or another city for a connecting aeroplane ride. 

Is there a bus from Tirana to Thessaloniki?

There are buses from Tirana to Thessaloniki. You can take an International Bus from Tirana to Thessaloniki from the Tirana International Bus Terminal. Buses from Tirana to Thessaloniki depart 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 costs 40 euros per person. 

Tirana to Thessaloniki bus timetables

There are buses 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. These buses depart from the Tirana International Bus Terminal. 

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

Tirana to Thessaloniki bus ticket price

A bus ticket from Tirana to Thessaloniki will cost you 40 euros per person. In Albania, it is common practice to pay for your bus ticket in cash at the bus terminal. Bus companies have a little office at the bus terminal or the bus driver will take cash payments in person when you board the bus. 

Many bus companies in Albania do not have a website and they do not have an online booking system. So booking your bus ticket online in advance is often not possible. Therefore, I recommend you simply go to the bus terminal early or one day in advance and inquire in person about bus tickets. 

Buses from Tirana to Thessaloniki are operated by bus companies like Metro Euro, AMR Travel, Alba Trans, Skenderbeu bus, Ese Alvavel and Metro AL Travel. 

Tirana to Thessaloniki bus station

Buses from Tirana to Thessaloniki depart from the Tirana International Bus Terminal. The Tirana International Bus Terminal is located at a 10-15 minute walk from the city centre of Tirana. If your hotel is located near the central Skanderbeg Square in Tirana, you will be able to walk to the Tirana International Bus Station or take a short taxi ride. 

The Tirana International Bus Terminal is located behind the Asllan Rusi Sport Center and it is near the Ring Roundabout which has a bright silver statue in the middle of the roundabout. 

You can see the location of the Tirana International Bus Terminal on Google Maps here: https://maps.app.goo.gl/3qL11o7iFuuU9fFj6 

How much does a taxi from Tirana to Thessaloniki cost?

A taxi from Tirana to Thessaloniki may cost you 350 euros. I requested rates from some of the Tirana based taxi companies for a taxi ride from Tirana to Thessaloniki. Not all taxi drivers will offer that journey. But some of them responded to me that it costs around 350 euros. 

Because the taxi price is that high. It is worth considering if you would be willing to take a bus, that would only cost you 40 euros per person. Or perhaps check flight prices from Tirana to Athens to see what that would cost you.

How to get from Tirana to Thessaloniki by car?

Some car rental companies in Tirana do allow for their rental cars to be driven to Thessaloniki in Greece, others do not. You need to ask for permission from the car rental company to drive to Greece and not all car rental companies give that permission for Greece.

• Rental car: at least 20-25 EUR a day, more in July and August
• Cross border fee: 20-25 EUR a day
• Green Card for Greek Insurance: 40-50 EUR once

Renting a car in Tirana will cost you at least 20-25 euros per day, but more in July and August due to the tourist high season. Furthermore, you may be charged an additional 20-25 euros per day as an authorization to drive to Greece called a “cross border fee”. And finally, you will need to buy a Green Card Insurance document to drive across the border to Greece, which costs 40-50 euros. 

• Avis Rent A Car Tirana airport charges 25 euros per day for an Opel Corsa Manual from the year 2022. If you want to take the rental car abroad to Greece this costs 20 euros per day for authorization. And you will spend 45 euros in total on a Green Card insurance document for Greece.
• Eurocar Rentals Tirana charges 25 euros per day for a Kia Rio 2021. A green card for Greece costs 40 euros and is valid for 15 days. The cross border fee is 25 euros per reservation.
• Albania Airport Rent A Car charges 20 euros per day for a Skoda Fabia 2019. They also charge 50 euros for a Green Card insurance document for Greece. 

Some car rental companies in Tirana simply do not allow for their cars to be driven to Greece. Many car rental companies in Albania do give permission for Kosovo, North Macedonia or Montenegro. However, for Greece it is more difficult to find a car rental company that allows the border crossing to Greece. 

• Hertz Tirana Airport said “if you book a car at Hertz you can only go to Kosovo, North Macedonia and Montenegro”. So Hertz Tirana airport does not allow you to drive their rental cars to Greece.
• Pepa Rent at Tirana Airport said it is not possible to take their rental cars to Greece.
• Green Motion at Tirana airport said “No, it is not possible to take our rental cars to Greece.”
• ARA Auto Rental Albania Airport said that taking their rental cars to Greece is not allowed.

Is there a train from Tirana to Thessaloniki?

There is no train from Tirana to Thessaloniki. Basically, Albania does not have any International rail connection. So you cannot take any International train from Albania to any other country.

• There are no international trains from Albania to Greece. Because there are no rails crossing the Albanian-Greek border.
• There are no international trains from Albania to North Macedonia. Because there are no rails crossing the Albanian-Macedonian border.
• There are no international trains from Albania to Kosovo. Because there are no rails crossing the Albanian-Kosovar border.
• There are no international passenger trains from Albania to Montenegro. Because there are no passenger trains from Albania to Montenegro. 

So if you want to make a trip from Tirana to Thessaloniki, your options are taking an International bus, driving by car or hiring a taxi driver.

Train travel within Albania is very limited. There are only a handful of operational trains within Albania. Currently, there are 2-3 trains per week between Elbasan and Durres. And 1-2 trains per week between Shkoder and Lac. Although there are more old railway tracks visible in the landscape, many of these old railway tracks are not in use and in need of refurbishment.

In 2024, the Albanian government started constructing a new railway between Durres, Tirana Airport and Tirana. Railway works are currently in progress and visible, but have not been completed. Perhaps in 2025, there will be a new railway opening between Durres-Tirana Airport-Tirana. 

What is the distance from Tirana to Thessaloniki?

The distance from Tirana to Thessaloniki by road is around 400 kilometres.

How to get from Thessaloniki to Tirana?

You can get from Thessaloniki to Tirana by International Bus. There are no trains connecting Greece and Albania. Greek taxis and Greek rental cars will only be allowed to go to the Greek-Albanian border, and won’t cross the border. You could book a flight from Greece to Albania.

If you want to go directly from Thessaloniki to Tirana, one of the few options you have is taking an International Bus. You can take an International Bus from Thessaloniki to Tirana from the Thessaloniki KTEL Intercity Bus Station. Alba Trans has a bus leaving from Thessaloniki at 8:30 AM, costing 23 euros per person. 

You cannot take a Greek taxi or a Greek rental car from Thessaloniki to Tirana. Greek taxi drivers and Greek rental car agencies only allow for their vehicles to go as far as the Greek-Albanian border. The taxi driver or rental car is allowed to go to the border, but not cross the border. So you would need to walk across the border and then find another Albanian taxi once you have crossed the border. The main reason for this is that Greek taxi insurance and Greek rental car insurance does not allow crossing the border to Albania.

There are no international trains between Greece and Albania. So that is not an option. Of course, you could look into a flight from Greece to Albania. For instance, from Athens to Tirana, there are direct flights. 

Related Questions

How to get from Tirana to Ioannina? You can get from Tirana to Ioannina by bus, by taxi or by rental car. There are buses from Tirana to Ioannina at 3:00 AM, 4:00 AM, 15:00 and 17:00. A bus ticket from Tirana to Ioannina costs 35 euros. Buses from Tirana to Ioannina are operated by Top Lines and AMR Travel. 

How to get from Tirana to Athens? You can take a direct flight from Tirana to Athens. Flights from Tirana to Athens take only 1 hour and 10 minutes, you could book a flight with Aegean Airlines. If you were to take a bus from Tirana to Athens that would cost you 40 euros and it takes 10 hours by bus. 

How do I get from Tirana to Greece? You can get from Tirana to Greece by flight, by bus, by taxi or by rental car. A direct flight from Tirana to Athens will take the least amount of time. But of course, you could take a bus to other cities in Greece, like Thessaloniki. You could also hire a taxi to drive you across the border to Greece. Hiring a rental car in Albania and driving to Greece would only make sense if you are planning a round trip, because the car rental company will most likely expect you to return the car to Albania. 

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