Getting around
You don't need a car to see Albania. Buses link Tirana with every big town, minibuses fill the gaps, and two ferries do the scenic bits. Here's what we could verify, with fares and times checked on 21 October 2026.
Updated 2026-10-21
Sample routes from Gjirafa Travel (buses a day, first and last departure, average journey time, average fare): Durrës 47 a day, 06:00–21:00, about 41 min, €4.40. Shkodër 23, 07:00–17:00, about 1 h 57 min, €5.50. Berat 20, 06:10–17:00, about 2 h 15 min, €7. Vlorë 27, 05:00–17:00, about 2 h 25 min, €8.
Further out: Korçë 21 a day, 06:00–19:00, about 3 h 3 min, €7.10. Gjirokastër 11, 05:00–20:30, about 3 h 51 min, €13.50. Sarandë 9, 07:00–22:00, about 5 h 26 min, €17. Prishtina 25, 01:00–22:30, about 3 h 57 min, €20.
Where they leave from, per Gjirafa Travel: the South-North Terminal (Terminali Jug-Veri) for Shkodër, Berat, Vlorë, Gjirokastër and Sarandë, the East Terminal for Korçë and Prishtina, and Garibaldi Square for Durrës. Fares are averages across companies, and some routes are shown as a timetable only, not for sale online.
eTransport lists Albania's licensed bus lines and stations, and the US State Department notes that licensed operators post their fares.
On shorter and rural routes, the service is often a furgon, a minibus. Their times are rarely online, so ask at your guesthouse or at the station the day before. Canada's travel advice notes that buses and minibuses run between most major cities but are unreliable.
Albania's railway, Hekurudha Shqiptare (HSH), lists three passenger timetables on its site: Durrës Plazh–Peqin, Shkodër–Gjormë and Lushnje–Rrogozhinë. On 21 October 2026 all three showed only an 'On maintenance' notice, so we can't confirm that any passenger train is running. HSH's site has no timetable for a Tirana or Tirana airport line.
In towns, the US State Department says to use only licensed, officially marked taxis, make sure the meter is on, and carry small notes in lek, since most taxis don't take cards. Prefer an app? These Albanian taxi apps show the price before you book.
Fixed fare shown before you book, in Tirana, Durrës, Elbasan, Gjirokastër, Sarandë, Shkodër and Vlorë, plus fixed-price transfers to and from Rinas airport. Pay by card or cash, same price.
Taxi app for Tirana and other Albanian cities, with transparent pricing. Its site lists Tirana, Rinas airport, Shkodër, Durrës, Lezhë and Vlorë.
Ratings copied from the App Store and Google Play on 21 Oct 2026, shown only where a store has 20 or more ratings. App names and icons are trademarks of their owners (Patoko Sh.p.k., Speed Taxi Five Stars Sh.p.k.); icons are from their App Store listings. App Store and the Apple logo are trademarks of Apple Inc. Google Play and the Google Play logo are trademarks of Google LLC.
Lake Koman: Berisha's ferry runs daily from 15 April to 5 November, leaving Koman at 09:00 and Fierzë at 13:00. The trip takes about 2 h 30 min and costs €8.80 per person online. It's the usual way in to Valbona.
Sarandë to Corfu: Finikas Lines and Ionian Seaways cross in about 30–45 minutes by hydrofoil, or 55–70 minutes by car ferry, per Ionian Seaways. Corfu is in the EU, so bring your passport.
Canada's travel advice notes that weather and strong winds can cancel or delay ferries, so check the operator's notices before you head to the port.
On 21 October 2026, Tirana airport's arrivals board, which covers today and tomorrow, listed no flights from other Albanian airports. For trips inside the country, plan on the bus.
Landing at Tirana? The Luna bus runs to central Tirana every full hour, day and night. Heading to Prishtina without a car? Our bus guide covers the companies, fares and platforms.
We can't confirm any. On 21 October 2026 the railway's (HSH) timetables for all three of its passenger lines showed only an 'On maintenance' notice.
About €17, with 9 departures a day and a trip of about 5½ hours, per Gjirafa Travel (checked 21 October 2026).
A minibus. Furgons cover many shorter and rural routes, and their times are rarely published online, so ask locally the day before.
Most don't, per the US State Department, so carry small notes in lek. Taxi apps show the fare before you book.
Checked 21 Oct 2026. Rules change; always confirm with the official source before you travel.
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