Is there a bus from Saranda to Shkoder? Bus, price, timetable, taxi, train, car

If you plan on travelling by bus from Saranda to Shkoder, this blog post is for you. I will describe how you can take a bus from Saranda and travel to Shkoder.

Is there a bus from Saranda to Shkoder? There is no direct bus from Saranda to Shkoder, so you must transfer buses in Tirana. Step 1: Saranda to Tirana bus. Between 5AM-22:00. Price: 15 EUR per person. Duration: 5 Hours. Step 2: Tirana to Shkoder bus. Between 5AM-18:00. Price: 4 EUR. Duration: 2 Hours. Taxi: 250-300 EUR. No trains.

In this blog post, I will detail how you can travel from Saranda to Shkoder by bus, by taxi or by car. I detail bus timetables, bus station locations in Saranda and Shkoder, bus ticket prices, how to pay for your bus ticket and where to transfer buses in Tirana. I will also discuss what you can expect to pay for a direct taxi from Saranda to Shkoder. And I will detail what it would be like to rent a car and drive from Saranda to Shkoder.

Is there a direct bus from Saranda to Shkoder?

There is no direct bus from Saranda to Shkoder. To get from Saranda to Shkoder by bus, you must transfer buses in Tirana. 

So the first step is taking a bus from Saranda to Tirana. And then at the bus terminal in Tirana, you transfer onto a bus to Shkoder. 

• Step 1: Saranda to Tirana bus
• Step 2: Tirana to Shkoder bus

IMPORTANT! If you plan on travelling from Saranda to Shkoder in 1 x day by bus, you must wake up early and get on the bus early. Because buses it is a long journey of approximately 7-8 hours depending on traffic. And once you get to Tirana, you must get on the bus from Tirana to Shkoder. The last bus from Tirana to Shkoder departs at 18:00, so you must be there before that time. 

Step 1: Saranda to Tirana bus

To get from Saranda to Shkoder, you must first take a bus from Saranda to Tirana. Buses from Saranda to Tirana depart between 5:00 AM and 22:00 PM. However, if you are planning to transfer onto a bus to Shkoder, you must take one of the earlier buses. 

Buses from Saranda to Tirana depart at 5:00 AM, 5:30 AM, 6:30 AM, 8:30 AM, 9:30 AM, 10:45 AM, 13:00, 13:30, 14:00, 18:00, 21:00 and 22:00.  

Buses from Saranda to Tirana depart from the Saranda Bus Terminal in the city centre. Don’t expect to find a big bus terminal. Instead, buses stop alongside Rruga Flamurit (Flamurit Street) in the city centre of Saranda. Buses from Saranda to Tirana are operated by Trans Butrinti and Trans Dea, both of these companies have an office/timetable display near Rruga Flamurit. 

A bus ticket from Saranda to Tirana will cost you approximately 1500 Leke (15 euros) per person. You must pay for your bus ticket in cash with the bus driver. So bring either Euros cash or Albanian Leke cash with you. You cannot book a bus ticket in advance online. There is no online booking system. Bus drivers operate a first come, first serve system. 

Your journey from Saranda to Tirana may take 4 hours and 20 minutes or 5 hours as traffic on the road may slow the journey down. 

The bus driver will drop you and the other passengers off at the Tirana Bus Terminal North and South Albania. At this bus terminal, you can then transfer onto a bus from Tirana to Shkoder and continue your journey onwards.

Step 2: Tirana to Shkoder bus

The bus driver from Saranda to Tirana will drop you off at the Tirana Bus Terminal North and South Albania, and then you can travel onwards to Shkoder. 

The buses from Tirana to Shkoder depart between 5:00 AM and 18:00. There is a bus from Tirana to Shkoder at 5:00 AM, 6:00 AM, 6:30 AM, 7:00 AM, 7:30 AM, 8:00 AM, 8:30 AM, 9:00 AM, 9:30 AM, 10:00 AM, 10:30 AM, 11:00 AM, 11:30 AM, 12:00 PM, 12:30 PM, 13:00, 13:30, 14:00, 14:30, 15:00, 15:30, 16:00, 16:30, 17:00, 17:30 and 18:00. 

A bus ticket from Tirana to Shkoder costs 400 Leke (approximately 4 euros) per person. You can only pay cash to the bus driver when you get on the bus. It is not possible to pay by card and you cannot reserve your bus ticket online in advance. 

The bus from Tirana to Shkoder departs from the Tirana Bus Terminal North and South Albania. It takes approximately 2 hours to get from Tirana to Shkoder by bus. Upon arrival in Shkoder, the bus driver will drop you off at the Shkoder Bus Station. 

What is the price for a bus from Saranda to Shkoder?

The price for a bus ticket from Saranda to Shkoder is around 19 euros. There is no direct bus from Saranda to Shkoder. So first, you take a bus from Saranda to Tirana, which costs 1500 Leke (approximately 15 euros) per person. And then in Tirana, you take another bus from Tirana to Shkoder, which costs 400 Leke (approximately 4 euros) per person. So in total you will pay 19 euros per person for a bus ride from Saranda to Shkoder. 

Where is the bus station in Saranda to get to Shkoder?

To get from Saranda to Shkoder by bus, you must first take a bus from Saranda to Tirana. Buses from Saranda to Tirana depart from the “bus station” in Rruga Flamurit / Flamurit Street in the city centre of Saranda.

Rruga Flamurit is a street in the city centre of Saranda between Friendship Park and the archaeological ruins of the Synagogue – Basilica. Buses from Saranda to other cities stop alongside the street to let passengers on the bus. There is no large bus terminal or dedicated parking area. 

Buses from Saranda to Tirana are operated by Trans Dea and Trans Butrinti. Those bus agencies have a little shop alongside Rruga Flamurit. 

You can see the location of the bus station in Saranda on Google Maps here: https://maps.app.goo.gl/GFxvyPE7daLEkHqv5 

Transfer buses from Saranda via Tirana to Shkoder

The bus from Saranda to Tirana will drop you off at the Tirana Bus Station North and South Albania. At the Tirana Bus Station North and South Albania, you can get on a bus from Tirana to Shkoder. 

You can see the location of the Tirana Bus Terminal North and South Albania on Google Maps here: https://maps.app.goo.gl/FY4mgod8hn4z2chE9 

Where is the bus station in Shkoder?

The bus from Tirana to Shkoder will drop you off at the Shkoder Bus Station. The Shkoder Bus Station is near Sheshi Demokracia or Demokracia Square in Shkoder. Basically, there is a bus stop alongside the Bulevardi Bujar Bishanaku, that is where the bus driver will drop you off. 

You can see the location of the bus station in Shkoder on Google Maps here: https://maps.app.goo.gl/b3vNZHtaNC9GUmds7 

From the bus stop near Demokracia Square, you can walk to the main boulevard called Rruga Kole Idromeno in Shkoder’s city centre. The main boulevard is located between the Ebu Bekr Mosque and the Marubi National Museum of Photography. You can see the location of the main boulevard in Shkoder on Google Maps here: https://maps.app.goo.gl/DSaxL99YFJsJMhEs6 

If you book a hotel near the Rruga Kole Idromeno, you are certain that your hotel is centrally located in Shkoder.

Can you get from Saranda to Shkoder by train?

You cannot get from Saranda to Shkoder by train. There is no train station in Saranda and there are no railways in the South of Albania. 

Shkoder does have a train station. But currently there are no trains between Tirana and Shkoder. The only section of railway operational is the short section between Shkoder and Lac, where there is one train per week in operation. 

The Albanian Government is currently working on renovating the railway between Durres – Tirana Airport and Tirana (the Kamez area outside the city centre). However, this railway is still being constructed so it is not in operation yet. Perhaps it will open in 2025 or 2026. 

How much can I expect to pay for a taxi from Saranda to Shkoder?

A taxi from Saranda to Shkoder may cost you between 250-300 euros. Taxi drivers will charge you around 200 euros for a taxi from Saranda to Tirana. And Tirana to Shkoder is another 50-75 euros easily. So you will end up paying between 250 and 300 euros for a taxi from Saranda to Shkoder. 

Just like anywhere in the world, taxi prices are not cheap. Petrol is expensive, just like anywhere. And it will take 7-8 hours to drive from Saranda to Shkoder by bus, by car or by taxi. So it is a large time investment for the taxi driver. Moreover, the taxi driver may need to spend the night in Shkoder before being able to drive back to Saranda.

Can I rent a car and drive from Saranda to Shkoder?

You can rent a car in Saranda and drive to Shkoder. A rental car in Saranda will cost you at least 20-25 euros per day. 

That being said, it only makes sense to rent a car in Saranda and drive to Shkoder if you are making a round trip. Because car rental companies in Albania usually expect you to bring their rental car back to the same city. So you would need to return a rental car from Saranda in Saranda, not in Shkoder. 

The drive from Saranda to Shkoder is very long. It may take you 7-8 hours to drive this route. And of course, you would need to make stops along the journey. If at all possible, I would recommend you split up the journey over two days and stop in for instance Vlore, Durres, Tirana or Berat for the night.

From Saranda, you can choose to drive along the coastal road, which leads along the coastline to Vlore or the inland road. Of course, the coastal road is beautiful. It has pretty viewpoints, little villages, castles and islands along the route where you could make short stops. But taking the coastal road will take longer, as this road turns and twists along the coastline upwards towards the Llogara Pass. It is not possible to drive quickly and unsafe to drive quickly along the coastal road between Saranda and Vlore.

The quicker route would be the inland road from Saranda via Tepelene to Fier. This inland road is more straightforward and allows you to drive more quickly. The route is surrounded by mountains and pretty nature.

To give you a good insight into the prices of car rentals in Saranda, I have reached out to several car rental companies in Saranda and compared their rates. These are the cheapest rental cars available, any more luxurious car will cost you more of course.

Car rental prices in Saranda:

• Leka Tours & Rent a Car Sarande charges 20 euros per day for a Citroen C1 or 25 euros per day for a Suzuki Swift.
• Saranda Holiday Rent a Car charges 200 euros per week, so approximately 28.50 euros per day, for a Fiat Panda or a Toyota Yaris.
• Moto Adventure Cars and Motorcycles Rental charges 140 euros per week, so 20 euros per day, for a Toyota Yaris.
• Centrum Rent a Car Saranda charges 25 euros per day for a Suzuki Swift, Chevrolet Spark or Volkswagen Polo. 
• Brilant Car Rental Sarande charges 20 euros per day for a Toyota Yaris.
• Saranda Center Scooter and Car Rental charges 200 euros per week, so approximately 28.50 euros per day, for a Toyota Yaris 1.4 Diesel.
• Iri’s Car Rental charges 20 euros per day for a Nissan Note.

Bear in mind that if you are travelling to Albania in July or August, car rental rates will be higher, because that is in the middle of the high-season. 

How to get from Shkoder to Saranda by bus?

There is no direct bus from Shkoder to Saranda. So you must take a bus from Shkoder to Tirana first. And then transfer onto a bus from Tirana to Shkoder. 

Step 1: Shkoder to Tirana bus

Buses from Shkoder to Tirana depart at 6:00 AM, 7:00 AM, 7:45 AM, 8:30 AM, 9:15 AM, 10:00 AM, 10:45 AM, 11:30 AM, 12:00 PM, 13:00, 14:00, 15:00, 16:00 and 17:00. A bus ticket from Shkoder to Tirana costs 400 Leke (approximately 4 euros) per person. Buses depart from the Shkoder Bus Station. 

The bus from Shkoder to Tirana will drop you off at the Tirana Bus Terminal North and South Albania. From that bus terminal, you can travel onwards to Saranda. 

Step 2: Tirana to Saranda bus

Buses from Tirana to Saranda depart at 5:30 AM, 7:00 AM, 7:30 AM, 8:30 AM, 9:45 AM, 11:00 AM, 12:30 PM, 14:15, 16:00 and 22:00. A bus ticket from Tirana to Saranda costs 1500 Leke (approximately 15 euros). Buses depart from the Tirana Bus Terminal North and South Albania. The bus journey will take around 5 hours. And you will be dropped off at the Saranda Bus Terminal in the city centre of Saranda.

Related Questions

Where is the bus station in Saranda? The bus station in Saranda is in Rruga Flamurit (Flamurit Street) that is the street between Friendship Park and the archaeological ruins of the Synagogue-Basilica in the centre of Saranda. Buses from Saranda to other cities stop alongside the street. You can buy a bus ticket from the driver.

Can you get a bus from Saranda to Ksamil? You can get a bus from Saranda to Ksamil. Buses depart every 30-60 minutes from the Port of Saranda, near SOS Bar in the city centre (close to Friendship Park) and from Butrinti Hotel. A bus ticket from Saranda to Ksamil costs 150 Leke (1.50 euros) per person. Buses from Saranda to Ksamil will be completely full in the summer months and traffic will slow your bus journey down.

How do I get from Saranda to Montenegro? You can get from Saranda to Montenegro by bus. You can take a bus from Saranda to Tirana in Rruga Flamurit in the city centre of Saranda. Once you get to Tirana. Take a taxi from the Tirana Bus Terminal North and South Albania to the International Bus Terminal in Tirana and board a bus to Montenegro.

Is there a bus from Berat to Saranda? There are direct buses from Berat to Saranda at 8:00 AM and 14:00. Buses depart from the Berat Bus Terminal. A bus ticket costs 1200 Leke (approximately 12 euros) per person. You must pay cash for your bus ticket to the bus driver.

Is there a bus from Shkoder to Berat? There is no direct bus from Shkoder to Berat. So you must first take a bus from Shkoder to Tirana. The bus driver will drop you off at the Tirana Bus Terminal North and South Albania. At the bus terminal, you can transfer onto a bus from Tirana to Berat.

Is there a bus from Shkoder to Vlore? There is no direct bus from Shkoder to Vlore. So you must first take a bus from Shkoder to Tirana. The bus driver will drop you off at the Tirana Bus Terminal North and South Albania. At the bus terminal, you can transfer onto a bus from Tirana to Vlore.

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