In Albania by Car
If you want to enjoy all the beauty of Albania, get a real taste of the different types of roads: from modern four-lane highways to local roads full of potholes or mountain gravel roads that are drivable with 4×4 cars only. In general, there are now good quality asphalt roads between the major cities, while secondary roads are often only gravel. Although the quality of Albania’s road network has improved dramatically in recent years, many roads are still in poor condition.
If you are using GPS navigation be extremely cautious. It can easily direct you to roads that even Albanians don’t use – and if they do, it’s only good for 4×4 cars. The sat nav won’t tell you that. While planning your route, Google Street View can help you check which Albanian roads are paved.
When travelling through Albania, you should expect that your average speed will typically not exceed 50 km/h. You should also be mindful of the fact that not all of Albania’s inland areas have roadblocks and that some locations have had portions of their roads ruined by landslides. Shepherded herds and villagers riding horses or donkeys can be seen on all kinds of roadways, including motorways.
Back in 1991, only 600 cars were driving in Albania, and driving was an unknown phenomenon for most Albanians. Unfortunately, even today many of them drive like crazy and Albania has one of the highest accident rates in Europe.
But things are starting to improve: cars are becoming more and more technically advanced, and the police are now more strict in enforcing traffic laws. In general, police officers are cordial with foreign drivers and taking bribes is no longer as common as it used to be.
Expressways in Albania are not tolled with the exception of the Kalimash tunnel on the Albania-Kosovo highway (5 euros) and the newly opened Thumanë-Kashar highway near Tirana (2 euros). Starting from 2025, a toll will be paid for the usage of Llogara tunnel as well.
The easiest place to rent a car is at Tirana International Airport, but some companies also offer pick-up in the centre of Tirana, Durrës, Sarandë or Vlorë and other cities. A valid driving license from your home country is needed to rent a car. An International Driving Permit (IDP) is generally not required if you have a European, UK or USA driving licence. See my mini guide about car rentals in Albania.
By Bus in Albania
Buses are the main means of transport in Albania. They usually start running very early in the morning and it is not an exception when the only service for the day departs at six o’clock. Albanians don’t like to travel at night, so after midday, the offer of bus services usually drops quickly and on less frequented routes there is often no choice but to take a shared taxi or hitchhike. The general advice: get up early and take all the transport during the morning.
Buses run according to set schedules, which are sometimes difficult to find out in advance. But most of the buses are included in the Gjirafa search engine. Tickets on some domestic and international lines can be bought there.
Many smaller towns, not to mention rural areas, are not served by buses at all. Here, transport is provided by minibuses (furgon in Albanian), which can accommodate 12-15 people and usually leave the moment passengers fill them up. Some minibuses also run between major cities to complement the buses.
In general, each village has its own minibus service to the nearest town. The intervals vary according to its size – sometimes several times a day, sometimes only once a week. If it is difficult to find out bus timetables in advance, it is almost impossible to do so for minibuses without local knowledge. But a usual practice is that a minibus leaves the village early in the morning (around 6 or 7 am) and returns from the city in the afternoon.
There are also unofficial taxi drivers often clustered around train stations and bus stops (especially moments before the bus is expected to arrive), offering passengers a ride in their cars. If there are enough takers to fill the car, the ride may not even be more expensive than the bus. It also has the advantage of higher speed and often comfort.
Bus stations are very often located outside city centres. For example in Tirana, due to the constant traffic jams, two domestic and one international bus station were established in the suburbs. Buses no longer go to the city centre. Use public transport or a taxi to get to the station. See more detailed information about bus services in the capital here.
Very useful, though incomplete, is the Gjirafa bus search engine. Tickets on some domestic and international lines can be bought there.
By Train in Albania
The railway infrastructure in Albania is desperately outdated and the trains are so slow that even Albanians hardly use the railway. However, a journey on an Albanian train is a real travel experience and will be especially appreciated by railway enthusiasts. Very affordable pricing makes up for the slow journey.
Albanian Railways (HSh) currently operates two lines: between Elbasan and Durrës (twice weekly) and between Shkodër and Laç (once weekly). The rest of the once-extensive railway network is idle due to poor maintenance.
There are plans to upgrade the line Pogradec–Durrës and Tirana–Durrës railway lines with a stop at Mother Theresa Airport. However, due to pending funding, the implementation of these projects is uncertain.
Public transport in Albania
There is public transport in Albania’s largest cities, but it can be quite challenging for foreigners to navigate the system. Timetables are almost non-existent, bus stops tend to be unmarked, and apart from Tirana, you’ll rarely find end-stop signs on buses. There is no choice but to ask passers-by or take a taxi.
A non-transferable ticket for the Tirana public transport bus costs 40 leks. A map of bus routes and stops can be found here. There have been plans for a tram network in the capital for some time, but no decision has been made to implement it.
In Tirana, there is also a Dajti Ekpres cable car (return ticket for 800 leks per person) to the nearby Dajt mountain, which is a beautiful viewpoint and starting point for marked trails in the Dajti National Park.
Hitchhiking in Albania
Hitchhiking is never completely safe and Albania is no exception. Those travellers who choose to do so should be aware that they are taking a small but potentially serious risk. It is always safer to travel this way at least in pairs.
But hitchhiking is the perfect travel accessory for adventurers in places where public transport is scarce or nonexistent. Travellers visiting the highlands of Albania and other remote locations will particularly value it. Albanians stop hitchhikers willingly, are happy to chat with them and happen to drive themselves to get their passengers to their destination.
Useful Links
Accommodation
Explore diverse, reliable accommodations in Albania with Booking.com, ensuring a comfortable and enjoyable stay.
Flights
Find the cheapest flights to Albania on Kiwi.com. It combines various airlines into a single itinerary.
Car Rental
Discover Albania with cheap & reliable car rentals through Rent from Locals.
Mobile data
Airalo provides affordable and convenient mobile data to keep you connected wherever you travel. Forget local SIM or roaming charges.
Experiences
Viator.com offers a way to book diverse tours and activities in Albania, providing access to trusted local partners.