Travel and transport agencies Tirana

This Albanian agency is run by a Frenchman who has been based in Tirana since 2009. It is the most suitable for French-speaking visitors. Numerous classic or themed self-guided or guided tours: historical sites, national parks, ornithology, hiking, communism, bektashism, philosophy, gastronomy, traditional music, secret beaches, idleness, 4x4, mountain biking, nightlife, homestays, etc. The self-guided tours are well-designed, with a telephone on loan for translation in case of a problem.

This rental agency specializes in off-road vehicles. Its fleet is made up of 4x4s of various makes with manual or automatic gearboxes, all well prepared for excursions on Albania's rugged byways. In addition to rental, the agency offers a range of services: vehicle delivery/receipt at Tirana airport, advice on itineraries in all regions of the country, supply of camping equipment (extra charge) and 24-hour telephone assistance in the event of a problem.

With Albania Adventure, it's the other good specialized agency adventure and nature. Gent, his creator is also francophone and organizes all kinds of excursions across the country: rafting (this is the only agency to offer), hiking, skiing, trek or mountain biking. Outdoor Albania also offers more cultural, but still very nature.

For starters, this local rental company is called Eurocar, without the "p". Located right in the city center, it also has an office near the airport and other towns: a convenient network for picking up and dropping off your vehicle. The cars on offer are reliable and recent (mainly Peugeots and Dacias). And, best of all, Teodor, the agency's French-speaking owner, offers rental contracts in French. This is very rare in the Balkans, and very reassuring when you consider the state of the country's roads. We applaud and say të lumtë ("bravo")!

This Tirana-based Albanian agency promotes ecotourism, but its offer remains fairly classic. Tours, activities or stays with English- or French-speaking guides: half-day or full-day guided tours of Tirana, on foot or by electric bike; the "Albanian Riviera" by kayak or electric bike; the historical heritage of Albania, Kosovo and Northern Macedonia in a fortnight; an eight-day yoga stay in Tirana, Mount Dajti and Kruja; an eight-day hike in the Albanian Alps..

Created in 2023, this bus station (Terminali Lindor i Autobusave) is modern but also very off-center. It is located next to the Tirana East Gate shopping center and along the A 3 freeway to Elbasan. Buses and minibuses run here to Elbasan (twice an hour), Librazhd, Pogradec, Prrenjas/Përrenjas, Gramsh, Korça (8 times a day), Erseka, Leskovik and Bilisht. From downtown Tirana, you can get there by city bus (lines 2 and 8, get off at the "TEG" stop).

This bus station (Terminali i Autobusave të Jugut dhe Veriut) is located near the junction of routes SH 1 (to Kruja) and SH 2 (to Durrës). Here you'll find buses and minibuses for Kruja, for the North (Shkodra, Lezha, Peshkopi, Kukës, Bajram Curri and Puka), for part of the Center (Durrës, Divjaka, Kavaja, Fier, Berat, Poliçan and Ballsh), for the Southwest (Vlora, Orikum. Himara, Saranda, Konispol, Gjirokastra, Tepelena and Libohova) and for Përmet.

This bus station (Terminali i Autobusave Ndërkombëtar) is poorly organized but close to the city center, along Dritan-Hoxha street towards Durrës. Numerous buses to Greece: Athens, Thessalonica, Katerini, Xanthi and Kalamata. Other connections: Pristina and Peja/Peć (Kosovo), Ohrid, Tetovo and Skopje (Northern Macedonia), Milan, Rome and Varese (Italy), Kotor (Montenegro), Sofia (Bulgaria), Dortmund and Hamburg (Germany) and Istanbul (Turkey).

This Tirana-based agency rents classic mountain bikes (€15/day) or electric touring bikes (€40/day). It also offers three guided mountain bike tours lasting 10-15 days (€950-2,000/person): "Unesco" (Lake Ohrid, Korça, Përmet, Gjirokastra, Butrint, Himara and Vlora), "Accursed Mountains" (Shkodra, Lake Koman, Kukës, Peshkopi, Lake Ohrid and Prespa in Northern Macedonia, etc.) and "Balkan Express" (Montenegro, Albania and Macedonia).) and "Balkan Express" (Montenegro, Albania and Northern Macedonia). Highly professional organization and encounters with the locals.

This bike rental agency is located in a small street to the north of Tirana's Grand Park. It offers electric bikes for rental from a few hours to a full day, as well as classic bikes. Audio tours are also available for hire, enabling you to visit Tirana city center, the Grand Parc, Petrela fortress and the towns of Durrës, Shkodra and Vlora by bike. The agency also has a summer branch in Pavarësia, south of the bay of Durrës.

If you're a motorist, you should know that parking is generally free... not to say unauthorized. On the other hand, more and more areas are now pay zones, indicated by white P signs on a blue background with the words "Me Paghese". Perhaps it's better for your vehicle, too. You'll have to pay an employee on site. It is generally advisable to leave your vehicle in a guarded area. While larger hotels often have a few parking spaces, this is rarely the case for smaller establishments.

Tirana airport (Aeroporti Nënë Tereza) has year-round connections to Paris-Beauvais, Lyon, Nice, Basel-Mulhouse, Brussels-National, Charleroi-Bruxelles-Sud, Geneva and Zurich with Wizz Air, Ryanair, Easyjet, TUI Fly Belgium and Swiss. Seasonal connections with Paris-Roissy (Air France) and Paris-Orly (Transavia). On-site terminal built in 2008 with local and international car rental companies, restaurants and cafés, stores, currency exchange, ATMs, cabs, shuttles and buses to central Tirana.

This Tirana-based Albanian agency specializes in sports holidays in Albania. The catalog includes scuba diving, sea kayaking and paddleboarding around Vlora and on the Riviera, climbing in the Gjipe canyon, hiking, snowshoeing and skiing in the Albanian Alps and on Mount Korab, 4 x 4 and mountain bike tours across the country, as well as visits to the main historical sites and tailor-made holidays. The owner, Vladimir Dedndreaj, is a qualified scuba diver and fluent in French.

This bike rental agency is located in the southern part of Tirana's Great Park artificial lake. It offers city bikes, electric bikes, mountain bikes and Rosalies. We don't recommend the latter, which are 4-person velocipede vehicles that are too heavy for hill-climbing and can only be used within the park. However, they are practical if you have small children and stay on the main cycle path. Other bikes can be used in Tirana.

This bike rental agency is located in a basement in the Blloku district, next to the Xheko Imperial Luxury Hotel. It offers all types of bikes (city, mountain, electric...) of good quality and well-tuned, starting at 1,200 lek for 24 hours for a mountain bike. Orgest Disha, the owner, knows his trade and has his own repair shop. He speaks good English and is a good adviser for pedaling all over Albania. For this and for its prices, this is the bike rental agency we recommend first and foremost.

Driving around Tirana requires a certain amount of control and composure. Even so, it's hard to get lost, as the city center is made up of wide avenues all leading to Skanderbeg Square. A final word of warning: avoid Durrësit, Elbasanit and Kavajës streets at rush hour, as traffic jams are particularly frequent there. It is also advisable to leave your vehicle in a guarded area. While large hotels often have a number of parking spaces, this is rarely the case for smaller establishments.

Located at Rinas airport, Rental Topalli is the only car rental agency in Albania run by a French manager, which is a big advantage in a Balkan country. Customers can take advantage of 24-hour assistance and travel help. What's more, car drop-off and pick-up times offer great flexibility. You'll find a wide variety of cars to choose from, from compacts to SUVs, all well-maintained and clean, and all at a very reasonable price.

Managed by public and private companies, this heterogeneous network comprises ten lines operating at least between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. throughout the city. Line no. 6 (Unaza) is convenient: it circles the entire northern part of the city center, running along the Lana River and looping around the northern part of the city. Line no. 2 (Tirana e Re) links Skanderbeg square to the eastern bus station. The blue buses of line no. 4 (Qendër-Porcelani) run from the Clock Tower to Bunk'Art 1 and the departure station of the Mount Dajti cable car.

The charge is 300 leks (350 leks between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m.) and covers a distance of 1.5 km. Thereafter, it drops every 5 km: 120 leks/km, 95 leks/km and 80 leks/km from 16.5 km travelled. Merr Taxi's fleet of electric vehicles has a good reputation (merrtaxi.com, +355 800 5555 or 0800 5555 direct dial). There are also long-distance companies such as Tirana Day Trips (tiranadaytrips.com) and Choose Balkans (choosebalkans.com). Finally, there is no Uber-type VTC service in Albania.