Travel and transport agencies Albania

Specialized in Croatia since 1985, this tour operator also offers excursions in some other Balkan countries. In Bosnia-Herzegovina, it is possible to make a nine-day/eight-night tour by car starting from Split (Croatia) and ending in Dubrovnik (Croatia) with three nights in Mostar, three nights in Sarajevo and two nights in Trebinje. In the catalog there is also a tour of Herzegovina, Dalmatia and Montenegro as well as a trip to the Mostar region included in some Adriatic coast trips.

This specialist in Eastern destinations offers stays that showcase the exceptional heritage of the imperial capitals. You have a wide choice of stays for a weekend or more! On the menu, a four-star hotel with breakfast included. The services included in the price of the stays are well detailed. You'll be free to explore the city during your trip and organize your own visits (except for tours). On their site, you can also design your own customized trip.

This bus station (Stacioni i Autobusave) is quite informal. Buses and minibuses arrive and depart from the section of Flag Street (Rruga Flamurit) between Onhezmi and Lefter-Talo streets. There are ticket agencies on site that can provide you with information. Connections to Butrint/Ksamil (every 30 minutes), Gjirokastra (1/hour), Tirana (6/day), Himara (4/day), Berat and Elbasan (3/day), Vlora (2/day), Fier (2/day), Durrës (1/day), Permët (1/day) Buses to the north (Tirana, Vlora...) pass through the villages of the "Albanian Riviera".

This Albanian-Swedish agency based in Durrës offers themed holidays for groups of 6 to 20 people, day trips from Tirana or Durrës for individuals, accommodation and property sales. Among our day trips, you can choose to visit the island of Sazan and the Karaburun peninsula by private boat, visit an organic farm in Berat, visit Shkodra with dinner at Mrizi i Zanave, or visit Tirana and Mount Dajti followed by lunch at Mullixhiu.

Albanian Railways (HSH), privatized in 2005, now operates just two passenger lines: one between Durrës and Elbasan (three trains a week in theory) and one between Shkodra and Laç via Lezha (normally once a week). The cars are in a pitiful state, the website is often down, and so are the old Czechoslovakian locomotives. A new line between Durrës and Tirana is expected soon. The work, financed by the European Union, was launched in 2023.

This border post (Vendkalimi kufitar Tre Urat-Melissopetra, Τελωνείο Μέρτζανης/Telonio Mertzanis) connects Leskovik with the pleasant Greek town of Konitsa (population approx. 6,000, mostly Aromanians), at the entrance to the Vikos-Aoos National Park. The border is marked by the Sarantaporos, a tributary of the Vjosa (Aoos in Greek). We're 62 km northeast of Ioannina, where the Egnatia freeway crosses Greece from east to west.

Open to vehicles since 2021, this border crossing (Pika Kufitare Krushevë-Shishtavec, Granični Prelaz Kruševo-Šištavec) provides direct access from Shishtavec to the superb Gora region at the southern tip of Kosovo. Previously, you had to make a 68 km detour via the Vermica-Morina post (between Kukës and Prizren), then Dragaš. Alternatively, there is a pedestrian border crossing between Borja and Globočica/Glloboçica.

This border post (Vendkalimi Kufitar Vërmicë-Morinë, Granični Prelaz Vrbnica-Morina) is the most important crossing point between Albania and Kosovo, at the junction of the A 1 (Albania) and R 7 (Kosovo) freeways. It provides quick access to the beautiful town of Prizren (17 km to the northeast), the remote Gora region (27 km to the southeast) and the Šar Mountains National Park. Pristina lies 95 km to the northeast. Controls are generally rapid.

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..

Reopened in 2003, this crossing point with Montenegro (Vendkalimi kufitar Vermosh-Guci in Albanian, Granični Prijelaz Grnčar in Montenegrin) has enabled the Vermosh valley to develop thanks to hikers and tourists coming from the Prokletije National Park (166 ^km2), just across the border. The valley is 12 km from the Montenegrin village of Vusanje, from where Theth can be reached via a well-marked trail in the Peaks of the Balkans network.

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 Tirana-based Albanian agency offers rather high-end packages. It is one of the few to organize a boat trip on the "Riviera": from Vlora to Ksamil with crew, €5,140/six people. The "wine route" itinerary is also interesting (from Shkodra to Tirana, 8 days, €1,210/person), but we regret that it does not include the Berat region with its local grape varieties and organic winemakers. There are also guided tours of Tirana and Durrës, as well as long (and expensive) transbalkan trips.

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 border post (Vendkalimi Kufitar Kapshticë-Krystallopigi, Τελωνείο Κρυσταλλοπηγής/Telonio Krystallopigis) is an important crossing point with Greece. Greek police officers mainly check tobacco and alcohol authorized in very small quantities. The crossing time is usually 15 to 20 minutes, but can sometimes take up to 3 hours. You can then reach Kastoria (31 km), Kozani (96 km), Meteora (152 km), Ioannina (186 km) or Thessalonica (213 km).

This modern bus station (Terminali i Autobusave) is located next to the traffic circle where the roads to Pogradec, Gjirokastra, Greece and the Prespa Lakes cross. On-site: ticket offices, supermarket, parking lot, café-restaurant and cab rank. Connections to Pogradec, Librazhd, Elbasan and Tirana (approx. 20 per day), Bilisht (9 per day), Durrës (8 per day), Fier (4 per day), Moscopole, Ereska, Leskovik, Përmet and Gjirokastra (3 per day), Saranda (1 per day), as well as to Greece, Thessaloniki (3 per day) and Athens (2 per day).

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 website will be very useful. It provides information on bus and minibus timetables throughout Albania, and calculates routes between two towns with possible connections. Fares are not shown, but there are contacts for the relevant transport companies. Created in 2023 by the General Directorate of Road Transport Services (DPSHTRR), this site is now a great help for getting around the country. We are now waiting for the smartphone application that has been announced.

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 border post with Greece (Kalimi Kufitar i Qafë Botës, Τελωνειο Μαυρομάτι/Telonio Mavromati) is Albania's southernmost crossing, and controls are generally swift. It is located at the Bota pass, at the foot of the Kllogjer/Kalogeros hill (810 m above sea level). It leads to the village of Sagiada, the Kalamas delta nature reserve (85 ^km2), and the port town of Igoumenitsa (29 km to the south), where you can embark for Italy.

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.

This border post (Pika kufitare e Kakavijës, Τελωνείο Κακαβιάς/Telonio Kakavias) is the main crossing point with Greece, 30 km southeast of Gjirokastra and 60 km northwest of Ioannia (Ιωάννινα in Greek, Janina in Albanian). On the Greek side, you'll find the deep Vikos Gorge and the superb Zagoria region (Pinde and Vikos-Aoos national parks), the tomb of Ali Pasha (in Ioannina), a major bus station and an airport (in Ioannina).

Horseback riding and equestrian safaris, this is what this team of passionate riders offers.

This border post (Vendkalimi Kufitar Goricë-Stenjë, Граничен Премин Стење-Горица/Graničen Premin Stenje-Gorica) lets you discover Lake Prespa on the North Macedonian side. It's located near Стење/Stenje (population 300), at the entrance to Galičica National Park and close to the road to Lake Ohrid. To the southeast of the lake, we're waiting for the opening of the Markova-Noga-Lemos border post with Greece so we can make the full tour of the Prespa Lakes.

Maxitours, partner of the Romanian low cost airline Blue Air, is a travel agency that has been specializing in Romania for 40 years. The possibilities of stay are numerous and allow to discover the many facets of the country. The agency also offers themed vacations in several countries, including Greece. The proposed self-tours in Greece will allow you to visit the country and its capital as well as archaeological sites in 8 days and 7 nights, at your own pace and at competitive prices, according to the "Fly and Drive" formula.

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.

Dominated by the Mount Tirana Tower (205 m), this "bus station" (Stacioni Qendër) includes several stops around the small park of Viktor-Eftimiu (1889-1972, Romanian poet of Albanian origin). To the south are the departure points for buses to the airport (1 per hour) and for city bus line no. 2 to the East Bus Station. To the west, behind the Palace of Culture, the Kamëz-Tirana bus line departs for the southern and northern bus stations.

This station (Stacioni i Autobusëve) is a kind of informal bus station in Shkodra, but Democracy Square is not the only station in town. From here, you can travel to Tirana (one departure every 30 minutes), Durrës (2 per day) and Vlora (1 per day). From Ura-e-Maxharrit square, departures to Theth (at 7 a.m.), Valbona (with ferry, at 6.30 a.m.) and Vermosh (at 7.30 a.m.). From Nënë-Tereza square, departures to Montenegro (to Ulcinj/Ulqin, 3 per day) and Austria (to Vienna via Kotor, Dubrovnik, etc.; 1 per day).

Many other small post offices are scattered across the city, signaled by yellow and blue signs «Posta Shqiptare». As elsewhere in the country, they are usually open Monday to Friday from 8 a. m. to 5 p. m. and Saturday from 8 a. m. to 1 p. m.

Vacances Bleues offers discovery holidays, rental residences and hotel stays in France and all over the world. Also children's clubs, family stays, balneotherapy and sports activities.

The consulate also has a dedicated telephone number, +355 4 227 49 60. In the event of a consular emergency, an emergency number is available on 0692 071 961.

Specialized and certified travel agency focusing on Albania. Services offered in English, Albanian, French, Turkish and Spanish. Our team of expert guides, with over ten years' experience, is driven by a deep passion for discovering this fascinating region. Whether you wish to explore historic sites, sample local cuisine or contemplate natural beauty, our agency is here to guide your memorable adventures. Trust their expertise to make your trip both informative and entertaining.

This small travel agency offers boat excursions and specializes in bus connections between Himara and Greece. The same family also runs a simple but decent 15-room hotel on Potami beach, 1 km south of Himara center (✆ +355 692 21 14 84, www.hotel-likoka.com, €20-50 for two with breakfast).

Whether you are on foot or by car, there will come a time when you will be a little lost and without Wifi at your disposal. Instead of reactivating the data on your phone (and paying a lot of money), download the Maps.me application before you go. This offline GPS is free and includes maps of almost every country in the world. To use it, simply download the map of the country you are interested in before you leave. And unlike Google Maps, which offers extremely heavy maps, Maps.me is lightweight with about 50 MB per map.

Created by an Italian company in 2003, this marina (Marina e Orikumit) is the most important in Albania. While waiting to be dethroned by the marina of Vlora (opening planned for 2024-2025), it can accommodate about fifty boats up to 30 m in length. Accessible through a narrow channel with a draft of 2.30 m, the marina has a good reputation among boaters (especially Italian). There are no shops on site, but a tourist complex located next door includes a hotel, a bar and a small supermarket.

This port (Porti i Durrësit) is the first in Albania for goods and passengers. Used by the Illyrians and Greeks as early as the 7th century B.C., it now has 80 hectares of facilities to accommodate all types of ships, including ferries to Bari and Ancona in Italy. Managed by the Port Authority of Durrës and the Finnish company Cargotec, it handles about 4 million tons of goods, 150,000 containers and 800,000 passengers every year. Entrances 2 and 4 are reserved for vehicles and entrance 3 for pedestrians.

Kukës Zayed International Airport (Aeroporti Ndërkombëtar i Kukësit Zayed), also known as "Northern Wings" (Flatrat e Veriut), has been in operation since 2022. Mainly used by the Albanian diaspora, it is linked to Italy, but Wizz Air has suspended the service to Basel-Mulhouse. Inaugurated in 2018, it remained inactive for four years due to competition from Tirana and Pristina (Kosovo) airports. It was financed by the United Arab Emirates and named in honor of former Emirati president Zayed ben Sultan Al Nahyane (1918-2004).

This "floating platform" (Platforma e Lundrës) or "raft" (Trapit) crosses the Vivari canal (60 m wide here) to link the Vrina plain, Konispol and Greece to the south. This is a cable ferry: a platform pulled by two cables. It can carry four cars or a truck. The crossing is fast, but you may have to wait for one or two other vehicles before departure. Alternative: route SH 98 links the south of Saranda with the village of Xara (south of the canal), passing to the east of the national park.