Public transport in Albania

One of the questions I get the most is “how do I get around with public transport in Albania”? This is the million dollar question and there is no easy answer. Travelling with public transport in Albania requires patience, flexibility, and not having any set timetable- be prepared to forget everything you know about public transport in your own country because Albania does things its own way. Here are my suggestions, based on my experience- if anyone has any other advice to give, please do get in touch!

Bus

From the main bus station in Tirana, you can travel to pretty much anywhere with journeys’ taking anywhere between 40 minutes and six hours. Whilst there are timetables, these are generally open to interpretation but they tend to run every hour with the last ones departing at around 5 pm, sometimes 6 pm in the summer.

Here are approximate timetables from Tirana to the South, departure from Dogana:

1. Durrës ⇒ Every 30min from 6.30AM to 7.30PM.
2. Fier ⇒ Every 30min from 6.30AM to 5.30PM.
3. Vlorë ⇒ Every 30min from 5.30AM to 5.30PM.
4. Himarë ⇒ 6.15AM, 1PM (8.30PM also during summer).
5. Berat ⇒ Every 30min from 6.30AM to 5.30PM.
6. Tepelenë ⇒ 11AM, 1PM, 2PM.
7. Gjirokastër ⇒ 6.45AM, 8AM, 9AM, 10AM, 11AM, 12AM, 1PM, 2.30PM, 3.30PM,6.30PM.
8. Sarandë ⇒ 7AM, 8AM, 9.30AM, 10.30AM, 12.30PM, 4PM.
9. Përmet ⇒ 6.30AM, 7.30AM, 12.30AM, 2PM, 5PM.

Here are approximate timetables from Tirana to the North, departure from Stacioni Autobusave Zona e Veriut:

1. Shkoder ⇒ 7AM, 8AM, 9AM, 10AM, 11AM, 11.45AM, 12.30AM, 1.15PM, 2PM, 2.45PM, 3.30PM, 4.15PM, 5PM.
2. Kruje ⇒ 10AM, 11AM, 1PM, 3PM, 5PM, 6PM.
3. Kukes ⇒ 7AM, 9AM, 11AM, 1PM, 4PM, 6PM.
4. Pershkopi ⇒ 6AM, 8AM, 10AM, 11AM, 1PM, 2PM, 4PM, 5PM.
5. Bajram Curri ⇒ 6AM, 8AM, 10AM, 12AM, 2PM.

Here are approximate timetables from Tirana to the South East, departure from Qytet Studenti:

1. Elbasan ⇒ Every 30min from 6AM to 8PM
2. Pogradec ⇒ Every hour from 7.30AM to 4.30PM
3. Korcë ⇒ Every hour from 6.30AM to 5.30PM
4. Ersekë ⇒ 6AM, 10AM, 2.30PM. 

You can also take international buses from the International & Kosov Bus Termina, not far from Tirana Ring Centre. You can go to Greece, Macedonia, Montenegro, Kosovo, Turkey, Germany Bulgaria,and Italy amongst others.

Furgon

Furgons are privately owned minibuses and vans that facilitate intercity travel in Albania. They have no fixed departure or arrival times, rather leaving when they are full. The prices vary but you can expect to pay between 150lek and 500lek depending on where you are going- be sure to negotiate when you get on and check what locals are paying- don’t let anyone overcharge you just because you are foreign. In Tirana you can find these near the Shiponja roundabout (the 24 -lane roundabout with the big two-headed eagle in the middle) just opposite the other bus station. Here you will see lots of men shouting place names at you, locate the minibus you want, and hop on. Be warned that if you are over 5ft7 it may be a little uncomfortable leg-room wise, and there is no AC, otherwise, these vans are a great way to travel. If you are in another city, looking to travel elsewhere, just head to the main bus station and you will see vans lurking nearby.

Rental Car

Remember when you are hiring a rental car that there are still plenty of roads in Albania that are not paved. If you head off into more rural or mountainous regions, finding a nicely tarmac-ed road is going to be quite unlikely and the chances are that you will be met with rocky and unpaved routes. If you are hiring a car and you will be heading out of the cities, your best bet is to go for a 4×4 or at least something with some good clearance- great suspension is a must as well! A rental car will set you back between EUR 15 EUR 50 a day, depending on where you rent it from. Be sure to take photos of the car inside and out first, including any existing damage and make sure you are insured! In my opinion, car (or motorbike) is the best way to see the country, so if you are visiting and want to get in as many sights and places as possible, a car is going to be your best bet.

Taxi

Taxis both in Tirana and other cities are a super-cheap way to travel around. If you are in Tirana, I suggest Speed Taxi that uses an app to order taxis and locate you or Green Taxi’s which are cheap and use only electric cars. The meter should always be on, if the driver doesn’t switch it on automatically, you should insist on this. If they refuse, you can pay the driver as you like because if they cannot give you a receipt, you are not actually obliged to pay. I have had drivers try to charge me 800lek for a 300lek journey and when they were unable to give me a receipt, I gave them 300 lek and told them to be happy with that. The meter should start at 250 to 300 lek depending on the time of day. Be aware that around 70% of drivers don’t speak English, and don’t assume they know where they are going either- it is best to show them a map or offer to input the location on their GPRS- I speak after having taken hundreds of taxis in Albania! A taxi to and from the airport should cost you not more than 1700 lek and it is best to organise in advance, if you want a reliable contact, feel free to get in touch.

Train

There were once several train lines that crisscrossed the country, but after the fall of communism, many fell into disrepair. Whilst the main station of Tirana is no longer in use, train travellers can use the station in Kashar which is a suburban part of the city. Plans are apparently in the pipeline to create a new train travel hub in Tirana, but as the Albanians’ say, “avash avash”. Today you can travel by train between several locations and tickets should be no more than a couple of hundred lek.

Kashar to Durrës:

• Kashar (dep. 7:00) – Vorë (7:11-7:12) – Durrës (arr. 7:43)
• Kashar (dep. 8:30) – Vorë (8:41-8:42) – Durrës (arr. 9:13)

Durrës to Kashar:

• Durrës (dep. 7:10) – Vorë (7:40-7:41) – Kashar (arr. 7:52)
• Durrës (dep. 14:30) – Vorë (15:00-15:02) – Kashar (arr. 15:13)

Shkodër to Durrës:

• Shkodër (dep. 5:45) – Laç (7:44) – Vorë (8:58) – Durrës (arr. 9:35)

Durrës to Shkodër:

• Durrës (dep. 13:00) – Vorë (13:32) – Laç (14:48) – Shkodër (arr. 16:45)

Rrogozhinë to Elbasan:

• Rrogozhinë (dep. 8:44) – Elbasan (arr. 10:20)

Elbasan to Rrogozhinë:

• Elbasan (dep. 14:30) – Rrogozhinë (arr. 16:04)

Ferry

There are several ferries in Albania that can transport you to various locations inside and outside the country. You can travel from Ancona, Bari, Trieste and Brindisi, to Corfu, and from Corfu to Sarande. internally you can take a ferry across Lake Koman to Valbone, a place that is only really otherwise accessible on foot (for hardcore trekkers) or via Kosovo.

All of this information was correct via various internet sources as well as my own experience and that of my friends. This information may change without notice so be sure to check before you make any concrete plans!