Tirana bus station – National, Airport, International Busses

If you are planning to travel by bus through Albania, you might be wondering “Where is the bus station in Tirana?” In this blog post, I will describe how to find the regional bus station, the international bus station and the airport bus station.

Where is the Tirana bus station located? The Tirana bus station is located outside the city centre. You can see the location of the Tirana bus station on a Google Map here: https://goo.gl/maps/Jso228CjaScxrMGS6 You need to take a 10-20 minute taxi ride or city bus to get to the Tirana bus station. 

Note: International buses and airport buses depart from different bus stations.

Travelling by bus in Albania can sometimes be confusing for a foreigner. Therefore, I have written this blog post to clarify how to get to the bus station in Tirana and which bus station you need to go to for a regional bus, international bus or airport bus. I will also discuss other practical tips like, where to find the bus timetables for Albania, public transport, a bus app, a bus map and trains in Albania.

Where is the Tirana bus station?

Actually, there are 3 x bus stations in Tirana: the regional bus station, the International bus station and the airport bus station. 

Below I will give you a quick overview of the different bus stations in Tirana so that you can determine which bus station you need to go to. After that, I will describe how to get to each bus station.

1. The regional bus station in Tirana

If you want to take a bus from Tirana to another city in Albania, you need to go to the Regional Bus station. The Regional bus station is only for national buses to other cities within Albania.

2. The International bus station in Tirana

The International bus station where all the busses from Tirana to the neighbouring countries, like Montenegro, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Greece and any other countries depart.

3. The airport bus station in Tirana

The bus from Tirana airport to Tirana and back to the airport departs from a separate bus station in the city centre of Tirana. Basically, the Tirana airport bus departs from the city bus station in Tirana. This bus station is only for buses to different areas of Tirana city. 

Below, I will describe where each bus station in Tirana is located and how to get to the Regional Bus Station, the International Bus Station and the Airport Bus station.

The Regional Bus station in Tirana

The Regional Bus Station in Tirana is the bus station, where national buses depart. At the Regional Bus Station, you can get on a bus to another city in Albania, like Kruja, Durres, Shkoder, Berat, Vlore, Saranda, Gjirokaster etcetera. 

The buses that depart from the Regional Bus station are all national buses that will bring you from one city to another city within Albania’s borders.

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 by clicking on this link to Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/Jso228CjaScxrMGS6 

On the Google Map, you will see that the Regional Bus Terminal in Tirana is NOT in the city centre of Tirana. The city centre of Tirana is Skanderbeg Square and the Regional Bus Terminal is a 10-20 minute taxi ride or city bus ride from the city centre. 

This is something worth considering because the Regional Bus Terminal is not within walking distance of Tirana’s city centre. So if you are planning to travel through Albania by bus, you will probably have a hotel in the city centre of Tirana, so you will take a taxi or city bus to get to the bus terminal.

I recommend that you plan extra time to get to the Regional Bus Terminal because although the journey is quite straightforward, the traffic in the city centre of Tirana is dense. And this heavy traffic will slow you down significantly.

IMPORTANT: The location of the regional bus terminal has recently changed! In the past, the regional bus terminal was close to the Dogana roundabout. However, the Dogana roundabout has been removed and replaced by a highway crossing with tunnels. So, the regional bus terminal has been moved to the location above. So do not search for the Dogana Roundabout and the bus station next to it, because the Dogana Roundabout no longer exists.

How do I get to the Tirana bus terminal?

You can get to the Tirana bus terminal by car, by taxi or by the city bus. The Regional bus terminal is a 10-20 minute car ride from the city centre of Tirana, so it is not within a walking distance.

You can take a city bus from the city centre of Tirana to the Regional Bus Terminal. The city bus to the Regional Bus Terminal departs close to central Skanderbeg Square. Find Skanderbeg Square on a Google Map, then zoom in and you will see the National History Museum on a Google Map -> https://goo.gl/maps/FUeJaB8SNwsZKwz69 

Behind the National History Museum, you will see the Dede Gjo Luli Street (In Albanian: Rruga Dede Gjo Luli). So when you are standing on Skanderbeg Square and looking at the entrance of the National History Museum, you need to walk to the backside of the National History Museum, to get to the Dede Gjo Luli Street (In Albanian: Rruga Dede Gjo Luli). 

So the bus stop to get from the city centre of Tirana to the Regional Bus Terminal is right behind the National History Museum in the Dede Gjo Luli Street (In Albanian: Rruga Dede Gjo Luli). 

You must take the bus to Instituti Bujqesor. Basically, the Instituti Bujqesor is the University of Agriculture, which is literally down the street from the Regional Bus Terminal. Simply ask the bus driver to bring you to the Terminali i Autobusave të Jugut dhe Veriut. 

You will need to carry Albanian Leke in cash to pay for your bus journeys in Albania. Busses in Albania are not equipped with credit card machines, so it is important you carry some cash with you. A bus trip from the city centre to the Regional Bus Terminal will cost you less than 1 euro, so bring some Albanian Lek coins or a note of 200 Albanian Leke.

A taxi ride from the city centre of Tirana to the Regional Bus Terminal costs around 5-10 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 the city centre of Tirana can be heavy and it may slow you down significantly.

International Bus station in Tirana

If you would like to take a bus from Tirana to another country, like Montenegro, Kosovo, North Macedonia or Greece, you need to go to the International Bus Station.

The International Bus Station is actually located in the city centre of Tirana. So if you have a hotel anywhere near Skanderbeg Square, you can walk to the International Bus Station in about 15-20 minutes. Or you can take a quick taxi ride.

The International Bus Terminal in Tirana is located behind the Asllan Rusi Sports Palace (in Albanian: Pallati Sportit). The International Bus Terminal is located on Rruga Ali Kolonja in Tirana. You can see the location of the bus terminal on a Google Map here: https://goo.gl/maps/YqTQfLK2qAn2uKd68 

A well-known point of recognition near the International Bus Station in Tirana is the Tirana Ring Centre or usually pronounced as “Ring-u”. This shopping centre is next to the Sheshi Karl Topia roundabout. There is a silver statue that reflects in the sunlight in the middle of this roundabout.

The airport bus station in Tirana

The airport bus station in the centre of Tirana is located behind Skanderbeg Square.

Skanderbeg Square is the central square in the city centre of Tirana. One of the most gigantic buildings in Skanderbeg Square is the Palace of Culture. The Palace of Culture has large marble pillars and it says “Opera” on the outside, because the National Theatre of Opera & Ballet is inside this building. 

To get to the airport bus station, you need to take the walking path between the Palace of Culture and the small Et’hem Bey Mosque. There is a small park area with some greenery, continue walking and you will see the city bus station. This is where the bus from Tirana’s city centre to the airport departs.

You can see the location of the airport bus station on a Google Map here: https://goo.gl/maps/Am97b437xbrUgjpcA

If you are travelling from Tirana airport to the city centre of Tirana, you can find the airport bus station just outside of the Arrivals Hall. Tirana International Airport is a relatively small airport. When you pass the passport control and the luggage collection, you will walk into the Arrivals Hall. Simply walk out of the terminal building through the exit on your left. The airport bus departs near the parking area straight ahead. 

Where can I find the bus timetable for Albania?

You can find the bus timetable for Albania on the website of Gjirafa Autobus. This is the link for Gjirafa Autobus -> https://travel.gjirafa.com/ You can change the language to English on the top right to make it more easily understandable.

Although you can check the bus timetable online, I do recommend you pay for your bus ticket by cash in person. Albania is still an old-fashioned country where the local people pay for all of their expenses by cash. If you book a bus ticket online, you might be the only person this month or even this year. So instead, I recommend you carry some cash euros and exchange a small amount of cash for Albanian Leke. The bus driver does expect you to pay in cash because buses in Albania are not equipped with credit card machines.

International bus timetables

If you are looking for a timetable for an International bus, I still recommend you start with the website of Gjirafa Autobus ( https://travel.gjirafa.com/ ). 

The website of Gjirafa Autobus also shows the bus routes to the big cities in Montenegro, Kosovo, North Macedonia and Greece. But most importantly, Gjirafa Autobus indicated which bus companies operate an international bus to the destination you are looking for. So that you can then continue your search with a company name in Google.

This is a list of some of the popular international bus companies that operate busses from Albania to neighbouring countries, like Greece, North Macedonia, Kosovo & Montenegro.

– Drita Travel -> https://www.dritatravel.com/destinacionet.asp 

– Old Town Travel -> https://www.kotortotirana.com/timetable 

– Eurobus -> https://www.eurobus.mk/ 

– Sharr Travel -> https://sharrtravel.com/en/bus-travel/ 

– Arditi Tours -> https://www.ardititours.com/public 

– Autobus.al -> https://www.autobus.al/linja-autobusi?pg=1 

– Top Lines -> https://top-lines.al/ 

Timetable for the Tirana airport bus

This is the timetable for the bus from Tirana’s city centre to Tirana International Airport and the other way around. 

The airport shuttle bus departs from Tirana’s city centre at 06:00 AM, 07:00 AM, 08:00 AM, 09:00 AM, 10:00 AM, 11:00 AM, 12:00 PM, 13:00 PM, 14:00 PM, 15:00 PM, 16:00 PM, 17:00 PM, 18:00 PM, 19:00 PM, 20:00 PM, 21:00 PM, 22:00 PM, 23:00 PM and 24:00 PM. 

The airport shuttle bus departs from Tirana airport at 07:00 AM, 08:00 AM, 09:00 AM, 10:00 AM, 11:00 AM, 12:00 PM, 13:00 PM, 14:00 PM, 15:00 PM, 16:00 PM, 17:00 PM, 18:00 PM, 19:00 PM, 20:00 PM, 21:00 PM, 22:00 PM, 23:00 PM, 24:00 PM, 01:00 AM and 02:00 AM.

A bus ticket for the airport shuttle bus from Tirana to Tirana airport costs 400 Albanian Leke (3.40 euros). The bus trip from Tirana airport to the city centre of Tirana takes approximately 30 minutes.

Tirana bus station to Shkoder

If you want to take a bus from Tirana to Shkoder, you need to travel to the Terminali i Autobusave të Jugut dhe Veriut (in English: 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 

The Regional Bus Terminal is located outside the city centre of Tirana, so it is not within a walking distance. You can take a short taxi ride, which will cost you 5-10 euros. Or you can take the city bus from Skanderbeg Square to Instituti, which stops at the Regional Bus Terminal.

You can find more information about travelling from Tirana to Shkoder on my blog here -> https://albaniatourguide.com/how-to-get-from-tirana-to-shkoder/ 

Tirana bus station to the airport

If you want to take a bus from Tirana’s city centre to Tirana airport, the bus station is right next to Skanderbeg Square.

Skanderbeg Square is the central square in Tirana. If you are standing on Skanderbeg Square, you need to take the walkway between the Palace of Culture and the Ethem Bey Mosque. You will walk through a little park area and at the end of the park, you will find the airport bus station. 

You can see the location of the airport bus station on a Google Map here: https://goo.gl/maps/Am97b437xbrUgjpcA

Tirana bus station to Durres

The bus from Tirana to Durres departs from the Regional Bus Terminal – North and South Albania (in the Albanian Language: Terminali i Autobusave të Jugut dhe Veriut). You can see the location of the bus station on a Google Map here: https://goo.gl/maps/Jso228CjaScxrMGS6 

Unfortunately, the regional bus station is located outside the city centre of Tirana, so you will need to take a short taxi ride or a city bus to get to the bus station. A taxi ride will cost you between 5-10 euros. You can take the city bus from Skanderbeg Square to Instituti to get to the Regional bus station. And then at the Regional bus station, you can take a bus to Durres.

You can find more information about getting from Tirana to Durres on my blog here -> https://albaniatourguide.com/how-to-get-from-tirana-to-durres/ 

Tirana bus station to Saranda

The bus from Tirana to Saranda departs from the Regional Bus Terminal – North and South Albania (In the Albanian Language: Terminali i Autobusave të Jugut dhe Veriut). 

You can see the location of the Regional Bus Terminal by clicking on this link to Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/Jso228CjaScxrMGS6 

I do have a blog post about travelling from Tirana to Saranda on my blog here -> https://albaniatourguide.com/how-to-get-from-tirana-to-saranda/ 

Tirana bus station to Berat

The bus from Tirana to Berat departs from the Regional Bus Terminal – North and South Albania (In the Albanian Language: Terminali i Autobusave të Jugut dhe Veriut). 

You can see the location of the Regional Bus Terminal by clicking on this link to Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/Jso228CjaScxrMGS6 

You will need to take a short taxi ride or the city bus to Insituti to get from the city centre to the bus station. Because the regional bus terminal is not within a walking distance of the city centre of Tirana. 

I do have a blog post about travelling from Tirana to Berat on my blog here -> https://albaniatourguide.com/how-to-get-from-tirana-to-berat/ 

Is there public transport in Tirana?

There is public transport in Tirana. The only public transport that exists in Tirana is city buses and buses from Tirana to other cities in Albania. There are no trains in Tirana.

The city buses in Tirana depart from the bus station next to Skanderbeg Square. Skanderbeg Square is the central square in the city, you must take the walkway between the Palace of Culture and the Et’hem Bey Mosque to get to the city bus station. 

The buses from Tirana to another city in Albania depart from the Regional Bus Terminal. I did describe where the Regional Bus Terminal is located and how to get there above.

Where can I find the Tirana bus map?

You can find the Tirana bus map on the website of the Mayor of Tirana here -> https://tirana.al/pikat-e-interesit/linjat-urbane However, I did test the Tirana bus map, and I found it difficult to navigate and honest not very user-friendly.

I personally found that the website Moovit had a much more user-friendly Tirana bus map. You can access the Tirana bus map on Moovit here -> https://moovitapp.com/index/en/public_transit-lines-Tirana-5771-1420739 

Is there a Tirana bus app?

There is a Tirana bus app, called “Tirana Public Transport”. The app has a purple logo with the letters “TPT” on it. You can find the Tirana bus app here -> https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=inovacion.al.tiranapublictransport&hl=en&gl=US

If the Tirana bus app does not work on your phone, you can also use the Moovit website. Which shows all of the bus lines in Tirana’s city centre -> https://moovitapp.com/index/en/public_transit-lines-Tirana-5771-1420739 

Does Tirana have a subway?

Tirana does not have a subway, underground trains or tubes. The only public transport that exists in Tirana and Albania as a whole is bus transport. 

Are there trains in Albania?

There are very limited national trains in operation in Albania. 

The railway network and trains were constructed during the communist period in Albania. From the end of the Second World War until 1992, Albania was ruled by a communist dictator. 

Since the fall of communism in 1992, the railway network and trains have not been upgraded, maintained or refurbished. As a result, a very large portion of the railways is currently not in use. 

There are currently only 3 x trains per week in Albania. 2 trains between Elbasan and Durres and back per week. And 1 train from Shkoder to Lac per week and back. You can find more information about the trains in Albania on my blog here -> https://albaniatourguide.com/can-you-take-a-train-to-albania/ 

Albania does not offer international trains. Since the trains within Albania were constructed for the first time during communism these were only national trains. During communism, Albania was isolated from the rest of the world, similar to North Korea today.

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