Tirana airport to Shkoder

If you are planning to travel directly from Tirana airport to Shkoder, you might be wondering how to get from Tirana airport to Shkoder by bus or what a taxi would cost from Tirana airport to Shkoder. In this blog post, I discuss travelling from Tirana airport to Shkoder by bus, taxi or rental car.

Tirana airport to Shkoder You can go from Tirana airport to Shkoder by taxi, bus or rental car. A taxi from Tirana airport to Shkoder costs 55-62 EUR. The bus from Tirana to Shkoder departs from the Regional Bus Terminal. The ticket costs 400 LEK (3.30 euros). Buses depart between 6:30-17:00. A rental car costs 20-25 EUR a day

In this blog post, I will discuss the best ways of getting from Tirana airport to Shkoder. I will discuss how to get to the Regional Bus Terminal, bus timetables and bus ticket pricing. I will also compare the rates of taxi companies. And give you an insight in what it costs to rent a car and drive yourself to Shkoder.

How to get from Tirana airport to Shkoder?

You can get from Tirana airport to Shkoder by local bus, by taxi or by rental car.

Getting from Tirana airport to Shkoder by bus (quick summary)

  • There is no direct bus from Tirana airport to Shkoder.
  • Therefore, you must take a taxi from the airport to the Regional Bus Terminal for 20 minutes. And then take the bus from the Regional Bus Terminal to Shkoder.
  • A bus ticket costs 400 LEK (3.30 euros) per person for a one-way journey. 
  • Busses depart every 30 minutes between 6:30 AM and 17:00 PM.
  • It takes roughly 2 hours to get from the bus terminal near Tirana to Shkoder by bus.
  • You can find more detailed information about travelling by bus from Tirana Airport to Shkoder below.

Getting from Tirana airport to Shkoder by taxi (quick summary)

  • The official Tirana Airport taxi service charges between 55-62 for a ride from Tirana airport to Shkoder.
  • Other popular taxi companies in Tirana are not any cheaper, as Speed Taxi and Merr Taxi also charge 55 euros for a ride from Tirana airport to Shkoder.
  • The Tirana Airport Taxi Service always has taxis parked in front of the arrivals hall. But you can also reserve a taxi via this website: https://tiataxi.al/travel/
  • You can find more detailed information about travelling from Tirana airport to Shkoder by taxi below.

Getting from Tirana airport to Shkoder by rental car (quick summary)

  • A rental car in Albania will cost you at least 20-25 euros per day. 
  • But it is important you reach out to several car rental companies before you travel to get a good deal.
  • Petrol from Tirana airport to Shkoder will cost you around 25 euros.
  • Below I have included a list of car rental companies and their price quotations.

Bus from Tirana airport to Shkoder

Unfortunately, there is no direct bus from Tirana airport to Shkoder. Of course, there is a bus from Tirana to Shkoder, but this bus departs from the Regional Bus Terminal. Therefore, if you want to travel from Tirana airport to Shkoder by bus, you must first take a taxi from the airport to the Regional Bus Terminal, where you can get on the bus to Shkoder.

Step 1: Take a taxi from Tirana airport to the Regional Bus Terminal
Step 2: Take the bus from Tirana to Shkoder, which departs from the Regional Bus Terminal.

Step 1: Take a taxi from Tirana airport to the Regional Bus Terminal

The bus from Tirana to Shkoder departs from the Regional Bus Terminal. 

The Regional Bus Terminal is officially called:
In Albanian Language: Terminali i Autobusave të Jugut dhe Veriut
In the English Language: Regional Bus Terminal – North and South Albania

You can see the location of the Regional Bus Terminal on a Google Map here: https://goo.gl/maps/Jso228CjaScxrMGS6 

A taxi from Tirana airport to the Regional Bus Terminal will cost you around 10 euros. And a taxi ride from Tirana airport to the Regional Bus Terminal will take approximately 20 minutes. 

Actually, getting from Tirana Airport to the Regional Bus Terminal is quicker than getting to Tirana’s city centre. Because the Regional Bus Terminal is located along the highway that leads to Tirana, but the bus terminal is on the outskirts of town, so you do not enter the city centre of Tirana.

Step 2: Take the bus from Tirana to Shkoder

The bus from Tirana to Shkoder departs from the Regional Bus Terminal North and South Albania. 

A bus ticket from Tirana to Shkoder costs 400 LEK (3.30 euros) per person for a one-way journey. 

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

You can always check the most up-to-date bus timetable on the website of Gjirafa Autobus here: https://travel.gjirafa.com/ You can change the website to the English language at the top right corner.

A bus ride from Tirana to Shkoder takes 1 hour and 55 minutes. 

Tirana airport shuttle busses

Although Tirana airport does not offer a direct shuttle bus to Shkoder. There are direct shuttle busses from Tirana airport to Tirana, Tirana airport to Durres, Tirana airport to Fier and Tirana airport to Vlore. 

So if you are travelling through Albania on a budget, it might be worth spending your first night in either Tirana, Durres, Fier or Vlore, so that you can make use of the airport shuttle bus. And then you can take a bus from Tirana or Durres to Shkoder the next day or the day after that. 

You can find more information about the Tirana airport shuttle busses here: https://www.tirana-airport.com/en/transport-and-directions/15/By-Bus 


How much does a taxi from Tirana airport to Shkoder cost?

A taxi from Tirana airport to Shkoder costs between 55 – 62 euros. This is the price that the official Tirana airport taxi service charges for a taxi from Tirana airport to Shkoder. 

The Tirana airport taxi service always has taxis parked in front of the Arrivals Hall at Tirana airport. You can recognize the officially licensed taxis because they are yellow taxis with airport logos on both sides. You can check the price list of the Tirana Airport taxi service online here: https://tiataxi.al/travel/

These are the taxi prices from Tirana airport to Shkoder for other popular taxi companies:

  • Speed Taxi charges 6500 Leke or 55 Euros for a taxi from Tirana Airport to Shkoder
  • Merr Taxi charges 6500 Leke or 55 euros for a taxi from Tirana Airport to Shkoder
  • Smart Taxi charges 5000 Leke (42.15 euros) for a taxi from Tirana Airport to Shkoder
  • City Taxi charges 8500 Leke or 73 euros for a taxi from Tirana Airport to Shkoder
  • Green Taxi charges 8000 Leke (67.45 euros) for a taxi from Tirana Airport to Shkoder
  • Taxi Lux Albania charges 6500 Leke or 55 Euros for a taxi from Tirana Airport to Shkoder

Many taxi companies in Albania get back to you quickly via WhatsApp, so it is worth checking if the phone numbers online are on WhatsApp.

Can I take a train from Tirana airport to Shkoder?

You cannot take a train from Tirana airport to Shkoder. Because Tirana airport is not connected to the railway network. 

There are very limited trains in operation in Albania at the moment. There is a weekly train between Shkoder and Lac and two trains per week between Elbasan and Durres.

Albania has a much larger railway network, but the trains and railways are in need of maintenance, investment and refurbishment. Therefore, the Albanian people prefer to travel by car or by local bus, since these modes of transportation are much faster than the Albanian trains.

How much does a car rental from Tirana airport to Shkoder cost?

A rental car at Tirana airport costs at least 20-25 euros per day. In order to give you a good overview of the car rental prices by company, I have reached out to several car rental companies and compared their rates.

  • AB Car Rental offered a Citroen for 20 euros per day.
  • Eurocar Rentals Albania offered a Volkswagen Polo with manual gearbox for 21.70 euros per day with basic insurance or for 41.70 euros with full risk insurance.
  • Albania Airport Rent a Car offered a Skoda Fabia 2018 for 25 euros per day, which includes 100% covered Casco Insurance for Albania and Kosovo.
  • Eurocar Rentals Albania offered a Volkswagen Polo with automatic gearbox for 29.15 euros per day with basic insurance or for 49.15 euros with full risk insurance.
  • Eurocar Rentals Albania offered a Kia Rio with manual gearbox for 30 euros per day with basic insurance or for 55 euros with full risk insurance.
  • Enterprise Rent a Car Albania offered a Volkswagen Golf VII 2019 with manual gearbox for 35 euros per day.
  • Eurocar Rentals Albania offered a Kia Rio with automatic gearbox for 35 euros per day with basic insurance or for 60 euros with full risk insurance.
  • Avis Albania offered a Opel Astra Manual for 37 euros per day or Opel Astra Automatic for 40 euros per day. For full insurance, the price is 10 euro/day.
  • Hertz Albania stated that their cheapest available car is an Open Corsa for 40 euros per day.
  • Hertz Albania stated that a Volkswagen Golf 7 with manual transmission will cost you 47 euros per day. Plus full coverage will cost 13 euros per day.
  • Rent Point Albania stated that a Volkswagen Golf costs 50 euros per day. If you want to add full insurance,we apply a fee of 10 euros per day,and security deposit 500 euros.
  • Eurocar Rentals Albania offered a Kia Stonic with automatic gearbox for 50.40 euros per day with basic insurance or for 80.40 euros with full risk insurance.
  • Eurocar Rentals Albania offered a Volkswagen Golf VII with automatic gearbox for 51.70 euros per day with basic insurance or for 81.70 euros with full risk insurance.
  • Eurocar Rentals Albania offered a Kia XCeed with automatic gearbox for 55 euros per day with basic insurance or for 85 euros with full risk insurance.
  • Albarent offered a Skoda Octavia for 60 euros per day including insurance.
  • Eurocar Rentals Albania offered a Kia Sportage with automatic gearbox for 90 euros per day with basic insurance or for 125 euros with full risk insurance.

If you are planning to rent a car in Albania, I do recommend you reach out to several car rental companies by email or via WhatsApp before you travel. Especially in the months of July and August, car rental rates are much more expensive. So it is important to find a good deal before you travel. 

The Albanian drivers do have an aggressive and chaotic driving style. So you must be an experienced, confident and alert driver in order to drive in Albania. If you have any doubts about driving in Albania, I would recommend you travel by bus or taxi instead.

How long does it take to get from Tirana airport to Shkoder?

It takes roughly 1 hour and 30 minutes to get from Tirana airport to Shkoder. The condition of the road from Tirana airport to Shkoder is generally good. 

How to get from Tirana’s city centre to Shkoder?

You can get from Tirana’s city centre to Shkoder by bus, by taxi or in a rental car. The bus from Tirana to Shkoder departs from the Regional Bus Station, takes 1 hour and 55 minutes and costs 400 LEK (3.30 euros). By taxi, it costs 55 – 72 euros varying by company. A basic rental car is 20-25 euros a day + 25 euros for petrol for a one-way drive.

How to travel from Tirana’s city centre to Shkoder by bus

As I mentioned above, the bus from Tirana to Shkoder departs from the Regional Bus Terminal. If you are staying at a hotel in the centre of Tirana, near Skanderbeg Square, you will need to take a taxi or a city bus to the Regional Bus Terminal. Because the Regional Bus Terminal is located outside the city centre of Tirana. 

The city bus from Tirana’s city centre to the Regional Bus Terminal departs close to Skanderbeg Square. Skanderbeg Square is the central square in the city centre of Tirana. If you are standing on Skanderbeg Square, you need to walk to the back of the National History Museum, to the Dede Gjo Luli Street (In Albanian: Rruga Dede Gjo Luli). 

From the bus station on Dede Gjo Luli Street (In Albanian: Rruga Dede Gjo Luli), you must take the bus to Instituti Bujqesor. The bus to Instituti Bujqesor makes a stop at the Regional Bus Terminal North and South Albania. A bus ticket will cost you less than 1 euro, so take some Albanian Leke coins with you. 

A taxi ride from the city centre of Tirana to the Regional Bus Terminal costs around 5 euros. By taxi, it will take you approximately 20 minutes to get to the Regional Bus Terminal. But I do recommend that you leave on time! Because traffic in Tirana’s city centre can be heavy.

Tirana to Shkoder bus price

A bus ticket from Tirana to Shkoder costs 400 LEK (3.30 euros).

Tirana to Shkoder taxi

A taxi from Tirana to Shkoder costs between 55 euros – 72 euros. 

  • Merr Taxi charges 72 euros for a taxi from Tirana to Shkoder
  • UPs taxi charge 7838 Leke (64 euros) for a taxi from Tirana to Shkoder
  • Speedtaxi charges 6500 Leke or 55 euros for a taxi from Tirana to Shkoder
  • City Taxi charges 8500 Leke (70 euros) for a taxi from Tirana to Shkoder
  • Euro Taxi charges 70 euros for a taxi from Tirana to Shkoder

It takes 2 hours by taxi to travel from Tirana to Shkoder. If you are taking a taxi from Tirana airport directly to Shkoder, the licensed airport taxis will charge you between 55 – 62 euros depending on your destination in Shkoder.

Tirana to Shkoder train

Unfortunately, there is no train from Tirana to Shkoder. Because the train station in Tirana’s city centre was demolished in 2013. I am writing this blog post in 2022, and the train station in Tirana has not been rebuilt yet.

Where is the Shkoder bus station?

The bus station in Shkoder is called: Stacion Autobusi Nderqytetas, Zdrale, Shkodër. The bus station is located at a roundabout near Hotel Rozafa and Ebu Bekr Mosque in the city centre of Shkoder. You can see the location of the Shkoder bus station on a Google map here: https://goo.gl/maps/ePveQQJP8g3nqNLm9 

Related Questions

How to get from Shkoder to Theth? You can get from Shkoder to Theth by bus, by car or with a local driver/guide. The local bus from Shkoder to Theth departs at 7 AM in the morning, the journey takes 3 hours and costs 10 euros. You can hire a local driver with a 4 x 4 car who will drive you from Shkoder to Theth, it costs around 150 euros.

How to get from Shkoder to Kotor? You can get from Shkoder to Kotor on an International Bus. The bus is operated by Old Town Travel. You can find more information on this website: https://www.kotortotirana.com/ 

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I am an Albania Tour Guide, who organizes 1-day, 2-day or multiple day private tours in Albania. I arrange your transportation and I am your English speaking guide. So that, you get to experience the most beautiful places in Albania!
Kind regards, Manon

Welcome to Albania!

I am a Tour Guide in Albania

I am an Albania Tour Guide, who organizes 1-day, 2-day or multiple day private tours in Albania.

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