Saranda to Tirana Airport – Bus, Taxi, Prices, Driving

If you want to travel from Saranda to Tirana Airport, I will give you an overview of how you can travel from Saranda to Tirana Airport by bus, by taxi, by rental car and what it costs in this blog post. 

Saranda to Tirana airport – There is no direct bus from Saranda to Tirana airport, so take a bus from Saranda to the bus terminal in Tirana (15.50 EUR). Then a taxi from the bus terminal in Tirana to Tirana airport (23-28 EUR). A taxi from Saranda to Tirana Airport costs 180 – 250 EUR. A rental car costs 20-25 EUR per day.

In this blog post, I will give you all the information you need to travel from Saranda to Tirana airport. I will outline how you can take a bus from Saranda to the bus terminal in Tirana and then a taxi to Tirana airport. I will give you ticket prices, bus timetables and the location of the bus stop. Furthermore, I will compare taxi rates from Saranda to Tirana airport, and discuss the availability of trains in Albania and driving routes. 

How to get from Saranda to Tirana airport?

Let me give you a quick overview of the best ways to get from Saranda to Tirana Airport. 

Saranda to Tirana airport bus (quick summary)

• There is no direct bus from Saranda to Tirana airport. 
• So you must travel in 2 x steps. First, take a bus from Saranda to the bus terminal in Tirana (15.50 euros per person). Then, take a taxi from the bus terminal in Tirana to Tirana airport (23-28 euros per taxi).
• Buses from Saranda to the bus terminal in Tirana depart at 5:00 AM, 6:30 AM, 8:30 AM, 9:30 AM, 10:30 AM, 13:30 PM, 14:00 PM, 18:00 PM and 22:00 PM.

Saranda to Tirana airport taxi (quick summary)

• A taxi from Saranda to Tirana airport costs between 180 – 250 euros. 
• Bear in mind that the official Tirana airport taxi service charges 193 euros for a taxi from Tirana airport to Saranda. So that rate is reasonable, considering the driving distance.

Saranda to Tirana airport by train (quick summary)

• It is not possible to travel from Saranda to Tirana airport by train. 
• Saranda does not have a railway station, so train travel is not available.
• Tirana airport does not have a railway station, so train travel is not possible.

How to get from Saranda to Tirana airport by bus?

There is no direct bus from Saranda to Tirana airport. 

There are direct shuttle buses from Vlore to Tirana airport, Fier to Tirana airport, Durres to Tirana airport and Tirana to Tirana airport. However, there is NO direct bus from Saranda to Tirana airport. 

So if you want to take a bus from Saranda to Tirana airport, you need to take two steps:

• Step 1: Take a bus from Saranda to the Tirana bus terminal 
• Step 2: Take a taxi from the Tirana bus terminal to Tirana airport

Saranda to Tirana bus terminal + taxi to Tirana airport

Since there is no direct bus from Saranda to Tirana airport, the alternative is taking a bus from Saranda to the bus terminal in Tirana (15.50 euros). And then take a taxi from the Tirana bus terminal to Tirana airport (23-28 euros). 

The bus from Saranda to the bus terminal in Tirana departs at 5:00 AM, 6:30 AM, 8:30 AM, 9:30 AM, 10:30 AM, 13:30 PM, 14:00 PM, 18:00 PM and 22:00 PM. A bus ticket costs 15.50 euros per person. 

The bus departs from the bus stop in the centre of Saranda. The bus stop is located between Friendship Park and the archaeological ruins of Synagogue – Basilica. You can see the location of the bus stop on Google Maps here: https://goo.gl/maps/Qbou9dyUDy6qMquR9 

You will be expected to pay for your bus ticket in cash to the driver of the bus or the bus agency. So bring some cash euros or cash Albanian Leke with you to pay for your ticket. 

The bus from Saranda to Tirana will drop you off at the bus terminal in Tirana. The name of the bus terminal is “North and South Albania bus terminal”. The bus terminal is located on the outskirts of Tirana in the Kamez neighbourhood. You can see the location of the bus terminal on Google Maps here: https://goo.gl/maps/GsLWHHczjbsvCzZa6

Then from the “North and South Albania bus terminal”, you can take a taxi to Tirana airport. For a taxi, you can expect to pay around 23-28 euros. 

How much is a taxi from Saranda to Tirana airport?

A taxi from Saranda to Tirana airport costs between 180-250 euros, depending on which taxi company or individual taxi driver you book.

If you are wondering what taxi price is reasonable, I will say that the official Tirana airport taxi service charges 193 euros for a taxi from Tirana airport to Saranda. So somewhere around 193 euros is very reasonable, considering the driving time and distance between Saranda and Tirana airport.

Can you get from Saranda to Tirana airport by train?

You cannot get from Saranda to Tirana airport by train. There is no train station in Saranda, so you cannot take a train from Saranda to anywhere. And Tirana airport does not have a train station either. 

Train travel within Albania is very limited. When you travel through Albania you may see some of the old railway tracks that connect Shkoder, Durres, Elbasan, Vlore and Pogradec. However, many of these railway tracks are currently not in use. 

The main reason is that the old railways were constructed in the communist period. From the end of the Second World War until 1992, Albania was a communist country. After the fall of communism in 1992, there was little interest and no investment in the railways and trains. Therefore, most railways are not in operation. 

You may be able to take a train 2 x times a week between Elbasan and Durres. Or a 1 x time per week train between Shkoder and Lac. Other sections of the railway network are not in operation.

Saranda to Tirana train

You cannot take a train from Saranda to Tirana. Saranda does not have a railway station, so you cannot take any trains to or from Saranda. 

Tirana used to have a train station. However, the train station was demolished in 2013. It is currently 2023, and the train station has not been rebuilt. 

There are no railways connecting Saranda and Tirana, so train travel between Saranda and Tirana is not possible.

Driving from Saranda to Tirana Airport

The quickest way to drive from Saranda to Tirana Airport is via the inland route. From Saranda, take the road via Kardhiq in the direction of Tepelene. Then from Tepelene drive to Fier. From Fier drive via Lushnje to Durres. Then from Durres take the highway in the direction of Tirana. Tirana airport is located between Durres and Tirana alongside the highway.

If you do want to take the prettiest route from Saranda to Tirana airport, you could drive via the coastline. The coastal road between Saranda and Vlore is known as the “Albanian Riviera”. This road has many stunning viewpoints, little beaches and sightseeing spots, like the Castle of Ali Pasha in the Bay of Porto Palermo, the Llogara Pass and Zvernec Island. Because the coastal road twists and turns along the beach, it takes longer to drive this route.

If you drive from Saranda to Tirana airport via the coastline, your route will be Saranda -> Himare -> Vlore -> Fier -> Lushnje -> Durres -> Tirana airport. 

A rental car in Albania will cost you at least 20-25 euros per day. Most taxi companies expect you to drop the rental car at the same location, so renting a car will make sense if you are going on a round trip from Tirana airport to Saranda and back to Tirana airport. There is a list of car rental companies on the website of Tirana airport. You can reach out to them via WhatsApp to get some price quotations and reserve before you travel. 

How long does it take to travel from Saranda to Tirana airport?

It takes roughly 4.5-5 hours to drive from Saranda to Tirana airport. The quickest route is from Saranda via Kardhiq, Tepelene, Fier, Lushnje and Durres to Tirana airport. This is the inland route that the taxi drivers and bus drivers take to drive from Saranda to Tirana. 

If you are travelling by bus, it will take you roughly 4.5 hours to get from Saranda to the bus terminal in Tirana. Then you must take a taxi for approximately 20 minutes from the Tirana bus terminal to Tirana airport. 

If you are planning to drive from Saranda to Tirana airport via the coastal road, it will take longer. Your driving alone will be approximately 6-7 hours. However, you will certainly want to make stops along the route for pictures and sightseeing. So it is best to plan an entire day for this tourist road trip along the coastline. 

How to get to Saranda from Tirana airport?

You can get from Tirana airport to Saranda by taxi or by rental car. There is no direct bus that departs from Tirana airport to Saranda. So if you want to travel by bus, you must take a taxi from Tirana airport to the bus terminal in Tirana, where the bus to Saranda departs. 

A taxi from Tirana airport to Saranda costs 193 euros. This is the rate of the official Tirana airport taxi service. You can recognize the official Tirana airport taxis because they are yellow, parked in front of the Airport Terminal building and display the airport logo on both sides of the taxi. 

If you rent a car at Tirana airport, you will pay at least 20-25 euros per day. There is a list of car rental companies on the website of Tirana airport. These car rental companies each have a little office at Tirana airport next to the car park. You can reach out to car rentals via WhatsApp before you travel to agree on prices and the type of car you will be renting.

There is no direct bus from Tirana airport to Saranda. Tirana airport does offer direct shuttle buses from Tirana airport to: 1) Tirana, 2) Durres, 3) Fier and 4) Vlore. However, there is no direct shuttle bus from Tirana Airport to Saranda. 

If you do want to take a bus to Saranda. You must first take a taxi from Tirana airport to the “North and South Bus Terminal in Tirana”. A taxi from Tirana airport to the bus terminal costs 23-28 euros. Then you can take a bus from Tirana to Saranda, which costs 15.50 euros per person. 

How much is a taxi from Tirana airport to Saranda?

A taxi from Tirana airport to Saranda costs 193 euros. This is the price of the official Tirana airport taxi service. The Tirana airport taxi service publishes its prices online on its website Tia Taxi Albania. 

Tirana to Saranda bus timetable

The bus from Tirana to Saranda departs at 5:30 AM, 7:00 AM, 7:30 AM, 8:30 AM, 9:45 AM, 10:30 AM, 12:30 PM, 16:00 PM and 22:00 PM. The buses from Tirana to Saranda depart from the “North and South Albania bus terminal”. 

The bus terminal is located on the outskirts of Tirana in the Kamez neighbourhood. You can see the location of the bus terminal on Google Maps here: https://goo.gl/maps/GsLWHHczjbsvCzZa6

Bus ticket from Tirana to Saranda

A bus ticket from Tirana to Saranda costs 15.50 euros per person. You are expected to pay for your bus ticket in cash in person. So bring some cash euros or cash Albanian Leke with you to the bus terminal. Booking bus tickets online is not something that is common in Albania, so do as the locals do and pay in cash. 

Related Questions

What is the closest airport to Saranda? The closest airport to Saranda is Corfu Airport on the Greek Corfu island. You can take a ferry from Saranda to Corfu island in 35 minutes, then take a taxi/bus for 20 minutes to Corfu airport. Bear in mind there is a 1 hour time difference as Corfu is a Greek island. 

How long is the bus from Saranda to Tirana? The bus from Saranda to Tirana takes between 4.5 hours and 5 hours. Buses from Saranda to Tirana usually drive to Tirana via the inland road from Saranda via Tepelene, Fier and Durres to Tirana.

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