Tirana city center to airport – Tirana to Tirana Airport, Bus, Taxi, Timetable, Uber, bus ticket, bus station

If you are looking for the best way to get from Tirana’s city center to Tirana airport, this blog post is for you. 

Tirana city center to Tirana airport – A taxi from Tirana’s city center to Tirana airport costs around 26 EUR. The bus costs 400 LEK / 4 EUR, best to pay cash. Buses depart every hour on the hour, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, year-round. Bus timetable below. No train. Rental cars start at 20-25 EUR a day. 

In this blog post, I will share all the information you need to confidently plan your journey from Tirana’s city center to Tirana airport. I will include taxi prices, how to book a taxi and pay for a taxi. Also, I will share the bus station location, bus timetables, how to book and pay for the bus. And I will include info about the new train, UBER taxis and Luna buses. So let’s dive in.

How do I get from Tirana city center to the airport?

You can get from Tirana’s city center to Tirana airport by direct bus, by taxi or by car. Trains still under construction. Let me give you an overview of the best ways to get from the city center of Tirana to the airport.

Tirana city center to airport bus

• Tirana city center to Tirana airport bus timetable – Buses depart at 1:00 AM, 2:00 AM, 3:00 AM, 4:00 AM, 5:00 AM, 6:00 AM, 7:00 AM, 8:00 AM, 9:00 AM, 10:00 AM, 11:00 AM, 12:00 PM, 13:00, 14:00, 15:00, 16:00, 17:00, 18:00, 19:00, 20:00, 21:00, 22:00, 23:00 and 24:00. 
• Buses depart every hour on the hour, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
• Tirana airport bus tickets – 400 LEK / 4 EUR per person.
• We highly recommend paying cash upon boarding the bus. In Albania, the locals pay 99% of their expenses by cash, so paying cash is recommended and strongly preferred in Albania.
• Buses from Tirana’s city center to Tirana Airport depart from the Bus Station behind the National Theatre of Opera & Ballet / Palace of Culture. Very close to the central Skanderbeg Square.
• You can see the location of the Bus Station in the city center of Tirana on Google Maps here: https://maps.app.goo.gl/YafeNfMwFcqmiJJa8 

Tirana city center to airport taxi

• A taxi from Tirana’s city to Tirana Airport costs around 26 EUR. 
• The price is based on the official Tirana Airport Taxi Service. They have a price list on their website. 
• Of course, individual taxi drivers set their own taxi prices, so you will need to agree on a price with your taxi driver.
• You can ask your hotel receptionist to book a taxi for you. 
• Alternatively, you can message taxi drivers via WhatsApp. You can try popular taxi companies like Speed Taxi, Merr Taxi, Lux Taxi or Green Taxi. Or you can find taxi drivers on Google Maps by searching “taxi tirana” and reading their reviews.
• UBER Taxi does not exist in Albania. Local taxi apps charge regular taxi prices, not reduced rates like UBER.

Tirana city center to airport train

• A new railway is under construction between Tirana and Tirana Airport. 
• However, the railway is still being built and not open yet.
• It is unclear when the new railway will start operating. 
• For now, you can only travel from Tirana’s city center to Tirana airport by bus, by taxi or by car.

Tirana airport to city center distance

• The distance from Tirana’s city center to Tirana Airport is about 18.5 kilometers.
• It takes about 30 minutes to get from Tirana’s city center to Tirana Airport. 
• Of course, traffic in the city center can slow your journey down. 
• You must usually be at Tirana Airport about 2 or 3 hours before your flight departs. It is best to allow extra time for traffic in the city center of Tirana.
• The city center of Tirana is the central Skanderbeg Square. Many hotels are centrally located near Skanderbeg Square. And the bus station for Tirana Airport is located just behind the National Theatre of Opera and Ballet, which is a building on Skanderbeg Square.

Tirana airport to city center rental car

• A rental car in Tirana’s city center or at Tirana Airport will cost you at least 20-25 EUR a day.
• However, car rental prices are higher in the summer due to the tourist season.
• You can find a helpful list of car rental companies on the website of Tirana Airport. 
• I recommend taking the phone numbers from the list of car rental companies on the Tirana Airport website and messaging them via WhatsApp to get price quotes before you travel.
• At Tirana Airport, these car rental companies have an office nearby: AA Rent a Car, Auto Rental Albania, Avis, Enterprise Rent a Car, G Rentals, Hertz, Okmobility, Pepa Rent, Prishtina Rent, Rent Point, Rinas Car Rental, Sixt, Sky Rentals, Superior Rental, Teresa Car Rental and Viaggiare Rent. 
• Alternatively, you can search on Google Maps for “makina me qera Tirane”, which is Albanian language for “rental car Tirana”. On Google Maps, you can read reviews. And then reach out to rental car companies via WhatsApp to ask for prices and availability. 

How much is a taxi from Tirana to the airport?

A taxi from Tirana’s city center to Tirana airport cost around 26 EUR. This price is based on the price list of the Tirana Airport Taxi Service. The Tirana Airport Taxi Service has a price list published online on their website.

• Tirana’s city center to Tirana Airport taxi price = around 26 EUR.
• Based on the price list of the Tirana Airport Taxi Service as published on their website.

You can ask your hotel receptionist to book you a taxi. Or you can reach out to taxi drivers via WhatsApp. You can find phone numbers online for popular taxi companies like Speed Taxi, Merr Taxi, Green Taxi, Lux Taxi or City Taxi. 

You can also search for individual taxi drivers on Google Maps by searching “taxi Tirana”. Then reading reviews and messaging drivers with good reviews via WhatsApp.

Can I take an Uber taxi from Tirana’s city center to Tirana Airport?

UBER Taxi does not exist in Albania. Although there are some local taxi apps, those apps do charge regular taxi prices, not reduced rates like UBER does abroad. So you can simply use WhatsApp or Messenger instead.

Should I pay cash for the taxi from Tirana to Tirana airport?

I recommend you pay cash for the taxi from Tirana’s city center to Tirana Airport. In Albania, cash payments are strongly preferred. 

In essence, Albania is a cash country. The locals pay 99% of their expenses by cash. So payments by cash are preferred by shops, hotels, taxi drivers and bus drivers alike.

Taxi drivers may not have a card machine onboard and they often do not have a booking website with a payment system. So many taxi drivers may only be able to take cash or point you to the nearest ATM machine.

How to get a bus from Tirana’s city center to Tirana airport?

You can get from Tirana’s city center to Tirana airport with the direct shuttle bus. Buses depart every hour on the hour, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can see the bus timetable below. 

Tirana airport bus timetable

• Tirana city center to Tirana airport bus timetable – Buses depart at 1:00 AM, 2:00 AM, 3:00 AM, 4:00 AM, 5:00 AM, 6:00 AM, 7:00 AM, 8:00 AM, 9:00 AM, 10:00 AM, 11:00 AM, 12:00 PM, 13:00, 14:00, 15:00, 16:00, 17:00, 18:00, 19:00, 20:00, 21:00, 22:00, 23:00 and 24:00. 
• Tirana airport to Tirana city center bus timetable – Buses depart at 1:00 AM, 2:00 AM, 3:00 AM, 4:00 AM, 5:00 AM, 6:00 AM, 7:00 AM, 8:00 AM, 9:00 AM, 10:00 AM, 11:00 AM, 12:00 PM, 13:00, 14:00, 15:00, 16:00, 17:00, 18:00, 19:00, 20:00, 21:00, 22:00, 23:00 and 24:00. 
• Buses between Tirana Airport and Tirana’s city center operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and year-round without changes to the timetable. 

Where is the Tirana central bus station to the airport?

To get on the bus from Tirana’s city center to Tirana Airport, you must go to the Bus Station behind the National Theatre of Opera & Ballet / Palace of Culture. If you are standing on the central Skanderbeg Square, you take the path between Et’hem Bej Mosque and the Palace of Culture. You will walk through a little park for about 3 minutes and end up at the bus station.

• Tirana central bus station to airport – You can see the location of the Bus Station in the city center of Tirana on Google Maps here: https://maps.app.goo.gl/YafeNfMwFcqmiJJa8 The bus station is very close to the Friendship Monument and the Plaza Hotel, which is a big tower.

A bus ticket from Tirana’s city center to Tirana Airport costs 400 LEK / 4 EUR per person. I recommend you pay cash upon boarding the bus. In Albania, the locals pay 99% of their expenses by cash. So cash payments are strongly preferred in Albania. You can pay in euros or Albanian Leke. 

• Tirana airport bus tickets – 400 LEK / 4 EUR per person. Recommended and preferred to pay cash upon boarding the bus.

Should I pay cash for the bus from Tirana’s city center to Tirana airport?

We highly recommend you pay for your bus ticket from Tirana’s city center to Tirana airport by cash. Cash payments are strongly preferred in Albania. The locals in Albania pay 99% of their expenses by cash. So bus drivers expect passengers to pay cash euros or Albanian Leke upon boarding the bus.

Can I book my bus ticket from Tirana’s city center to Tirana airport online?

You can book the bus ticket from Tirana’s city center to Tirana airport online on the website of Luna Travel. Luna Travel is the bus operator that operates the bus between Tirana’s city center and Tirana Airport.

You do not have to book your bus ticket online, you can also simply pay cash upon boarding the bus. Paying cash for bus tickets is the norm in Albania, that is what locals do. 

Luna Airport bus Tirana

The bus from Tirana’s city center to Tirana Airport is operated by Luna Travel AL.  The buses operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and year-round. 

Luna Bus Tirana Airport timetable

• Tirana city center to Tirana airport bus timetable – Buses depart at 1:00 AM, 2:00 AM, 3:00 AM, 4:00 AM, 5:00 AM, 6:00 AM, 7:00 AM, 8:00 AM, 9:00 AM, 10:00 AM, 11:00 AM, 12:00 PM, 13:00, 14:00, 15:00, 16:00, 17:00, 18:00, 19:00, 20:00, 21:00, 22:00, 23:00 and 24:00. 
• Tirana airport to Tirana city center bus timetable – Buses depart at 1:00 AM, 2:00 AM, 3:00 AM, 4:00 AM, 5:00 AM, 6:00 AM, 7:00 AM, 8:00 AM, 9:00 AM, 10:00 AM, 11:00 AM, 12:00 PM, 13:00, 14:00, 15:00, 16:00, 17:00, 18:00, 19:00, 20:00, 21:00, 22:00, 23:00 and 24:00. 
• Buses between Tirana Airport and Tirana’s city center operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and year-round without changes to the timetable. 

How to pay for the Luna bus?

You can pay for the Luna Travel bus from Tirana’s city center to Tirana airport by cash. We highly recommend paying for your bus tickets in Albania by cash. As locals pay 99% of their expenses by cash. So cash payment is strongly preferred in Albania. 

If you are travelling by bus in Albania, take a combination of euros and Albanian Leke with you. Euros are widely accepted in Albania and easy to exchange. Once you are in the city center of Tirana, you can exchange a small amount of money for the local currency “Albanian Leke”. 

The Luna Travel bus can be booked online as well on the website of Luna Travel. That being said, you do not need to book online, paying cash upon boarding the bus is still the most popular way to pay. 

How close is Tirana’s city center to Tirana airport?

Tirana’s city center is about 18.5 kilometers from Tirana Airport. It takes approximately 30 minutes to get from Tirana’s city center to Tirana airport.

However, traffic can slow your journey down, so it is better to leave earlier. Traffic in the city center of Tirana can be heavy, especially in the summer months and Christmas period, when more Albanians living abroad come back to their country. 

Usually, you must be at Tirana airport 2-3 hours before your flight departs. 

• Tirana city center to Tirana airport distance = 18.5 kilometers
• Duration: 30 minutes journey

The city center of Tirana is Skanderbeg Square. Skanderbeg Square is the central square with the National History Museum, the Et’hem Bej Mosque, the Clock Tower, the National Bank and the Palace of Culture / National Theatre of Opera & Ballet. 

Can I take a train from Tirana’s city center to Tirana airport?

You cannot take a train from Tirana’s city center to Tirana airport, as there is no railway and no train in operation. However, a new railway is under construction between Tirana Airport and Tirana. 

The new railway that will connect Durres, Tirana Airport and Tirana in the future has not opened yet, so at the moment travelling by train between Tirana’s city center and Tirana airport is not possible. 

If you are a foreign traveller looking for a way to travel around Albania, then trains are not a good option. At the moment, there are zero trains in operation in Albania. Sometimes, there are 1-2 trains per week between Shkoder and Lac. Or 2-3 trains between Durres and Elbasan per week. Since there are so few trains that only operate very little, the Albanian locals travel by bus or by car through the country. 

The railways and trains date back to the communist period in Albania. However, since the fall of communism in 1992, there has been a lack of interest, investment and maintenance in the trains and railways. As a result, many old railways are visible in the landscape, but not in operation. The new railway between Durres, Tirana Airport and Tirana that is under construction may change that, but it is unclear when this new train will start operating.

Where can I find a rental car to drive from Tirana’s city center to Tirana airport?

If you are looking for a rental car in Tirana’s city center or at Tirana Airport, you can find a helpful list of car rental companies with contact phone numbers and emails on the website of Tirana Airport.

At Tirana Airport, these car rental companies have an office nearby: AA Rent a Car, Auto Rental Albania, Avis, Enterprise Rent a Car, G Rentals, Hertz, Okmobility, Pepa Rent, Prishtina Rent, Rent Point, Rinas Car Rental, Sixt, Sky Rentals, Superior Rental, Teresa Car Rental and Viaggiare Rent.

Alternatively, you can search on Google Maps for “makina me qera Tirane”, which is Albanian language for “rental car Tirana”. On Google Maps, you can read reviews. And then reach out to rental car companies via WhatsApp to ask for prices and availability. 

A rental car at Tirana Airport or in Tirana costs at least 20-25 EUR a day for the most basic rental car. That being said, car rental prices are higher in the summer months due to the tourist season. And of course, a larger or more luxurious rental car will cost a lot more. 

I highly recommend you reach out to car rental companies via WhatsApp before you travel. You will usually get price quotes within minutes. And you can ask any questions you may have about insurance, border crossing or routes within Albania quickly as well. And most importantly, you can reserve a car beforehand for a good price.

Related Questions

Tirana airport to Tirana’s city center bus timetable – Buses from Tirana airport to the city center of Tirana depart at 1:00 AM, 2:00 AM, 3:00 AM, 4:00 AM, 5:00 AM, 6:00 AM, 7:00 AM, 8:00 AM, 9:00 AM, 10:00 AM, 11:00 AM, 12:00 PM, 13:00, 14:00, 15:00, 16:00, 17:00, 18:00, 19:00, 20:00, 21:00, 22:00, 23:00 and 24:00. Buses operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, year-round. Price 400 LEK / 4 EUR per person.

Tirana airport to Durres bus timetable – Buses from Tirana airport to Durres depart at 8:30 AM, 10:00 AM, 12:00 PM, 14:00 PM, 15:30 PM, 17:00 PM, 19:00 PM, 21:00 PM, 23:00 PM. Price 600 LEK / 6 EUR per person. 

Tirana airport to Vlore bus timetable – Buses from Tirana airport to Vlore depart at 1:20 AM, 3:30 AM, 8:30 AM, 9:30 AM, 11:00 AM, 12:30 PM, 13:30 PM, 14:30 PM, 15:45 PM, 17:10 PM, 18:30 PM, 20:00 PM, 22:10 PM, 23:30 PM. Price: 1200 LEK / 12 EUR during day time or 1500 LEK / 15 EUR during night time.

Tirana airport to Shkoder bus timetable – Buses from Tirana airport to Shkoder depart at 00:30 AM, 2:30 AM, 5:00 AM, 9:20 AM, 10:45 AM, 12:30 PM, 14:00 PM, 15:45 PM, 17:30 PM, 19:00 PM, 20:30 PM and 22:15 PM. Price: 1000 LEK / 10 EUR during day time or 1300 LEK / 13 EUR during night time. 

Tirana airport to Fier bus timetable – Buses from Tirana airport to Fier depart at 8:00 AM, 9:00 AM, 10:00 AM, 11:00 AM, 12:00 PM, 14:00 PM, 15:30 PM, 16:30 PM, 17:30 PM, 19:30 PM, 21:00 PM and 01:00 AM. Price: 1000 LEK / 10 EUR per person. 

How close is Tirana Airport to the city centre? Tirana Airport is 18.5 kilometers from the city center of Tirana. By car, bus or taxi, it will take approximately 30 minutes to get from Tirana airport to the city center of Tirana depending on traffic. The city center of Tirana is the central Skanderbeg Square. 

How to pay for Luna bus in Albania? You can pay for the Luna bus in Albania by cash or book online on their website. That being said, cash payments are strongly preferred. Albania is a cash country. So locals pay 99% of their expenses in cash. So we recommend you carry cash with you whilst travelling through Albania. A combination of euros and Albanian Leke is great.

How early should I get to Tirana airport? You should get to Tirana Airport 2-3 hours before your flight departs. You must get to Tirana airport at least 2 hours before your flight departs. That being said, sometimes the airport is busy and airlines inform passengers to arrive 3 hours before the flight departure time, due to increased waiting times at the airport.

Are there two airports in Tirana? There is only 1 x airport in Tirana. This airport is called Tirana International Airport Mother Teresa. Sometimes, the airport is also called Rinas International Airport, because the airport is in the village of Rinas near Tirana. So there is only 1 x airport in Tirana. 

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