Here you’ll find everything you need to know about public transport in Albania as a whole, and about getting around in Tirana specifically. You’ll learn what types of transport are available, how much they cost, schedules, where you can and can’t get to. I’ll try to make this truly confusing topic a bit clearer — as public transport is, unfortunately, one of the biggest downsides of traveling in Albania.
If you’re curious about the pros and cons of visiting Albania, check out this article.
Public Transport in Albania: General Overview
Here’s some general background that has shaped Albania’s current transport system.
Over 70% of Albania is mountainous. This single fact defines the entire transportation landscape. It means narrow roads, endless winding routes, and the near impossibility of building railways.
The regional bus network is limited and runs on a low frequency. Yes, all major cities are connected by bus, but buses usually run only once an hour.
For tourists trying to reach smaller towns or natural attractions, this can be a huge challenge — as buses to smaller towns often run just once a day. If you miss it — you’ll have to wait 24 hours.
Useful to know:
If you’re curious about taxis in Albania and Tirana, check out this detailed guide, where you’ll find everything about how to order, how much it costs, airport transfers, and more. I’m not covering taxis in this article, since they don’t count as public transport.
Intercity Buses in Albania
Let’s start with buses between cities.
Important note:
Albanian buses are very slow. They stop almost every 5 km to pick up or drop off passengers. So even if a city is just 100 km away, expect to spend at least 2.5 to 3 hours on the road. Regardless of whether it’s a new or old bus, the average speed is about 40 km/h.
Keep this in mind when estimating your travel time!
Examples:
- Tirana – Shkodër (90 km) — more than 2 hours
- Tirana – Saranda (170 km) — about 5 hours
I’ve said this in other articles and will say it again:
Albania is made for traveling by car. It’s easy, affordable, and safe. The only reason not to rent a car is if you don’t have a driver’s license.
Without a car, you’ll either be stuck in one place or spend most of your trip on buses — and you won’t see even a third of what you could see with a car.
Many incredible sights are simply inaccessible by public transport.
For inspiration: Check out Albania’s Top 30 Must-See Attractions — from canyons and waterfalls to hot springs!
Helpful tip:
You may read online about bad roads and ancient buses — but that’s no longer entirely true.
In the past 2–3 years, Albania has been actively upgrading infrastructure. New modern buses are now running on major coastal routes. Roads are being repaired, and by early 2025, most roads are in excellent condition.
Tirana Bus Station
Let’s talk about the Tirana Bus Terminal, where all regional buses depart — because there’s a lot of conflicting info online that confuses travelers.
You may read that the main bus station is near Ring Shopping Mall.
⚠️ That’s no longer true! It’s now just an overgrown empty field — though a new terminal might be built there someday, but knowing how things work in Albania, don’t expect it soon.
📍 Coordinates of Tirana’s regional bus station (temporary terminal):
South and North Albania Bus Terminal: 41.344256, 19.776685 — also marked on Travel Map.
What does this “bus terminal” look like today?
It’s just an open asphalt lot, without a roof or benches — buses parked under the open sky.
There is a toilet, a small ticket booth, and a café.
To be honest, this terminal reminds me of the 1990s bus station in my hometown (population 50,000). 33 years later, and it looks like progress just skipped this place entirely.
International Bus Station
Buses to neighboring countries depart from a different terminal, called the International Bus Terminal, located next to Ring Shopping Mall.
📍 Coordinates: 41.33313044766455, 19.801557509648745
Tickets, Prices & Schedules
Now, an important and tricky part: buying bus tickets and finding schedules.
💡 Digitalization is just beginning in Albania.
How to buy tickets:
- Directly on the bus.
Just find your bus at the terminal, get on, sit anywhere, and a conductor will come to sell you a ticket. - At the terminal’s ticket booth.
Conductors will eventually be phased out, so ask the driver where to buy a ticket if unsure.
🚫 No card payments! Cash only, in Albanian lek.
Example ticket prices:
- Tirana – Shkodër: 500 lek (€5)
- Tirana – Durrës: 200 lek (€2)
- Tirana – Vlorë: 600 lek (€6)
- Tirana – Saranda: €15
Currently, there are a few online services that can help, though none are perfect:
- etransport.al — official Ministry of Transport site & app.
The website is clunky, and the app isn’t great, but you can at least see a list of buses and approximate schedules. Unfortunately, it doesn’t show daily departures or allow online booking yet. - Gjjrafa: — the best option so far, with an English version. You can see bus times, prices, and even buy tickets online.
- You can check and purchase direct tickets to cities over the Llogara Pass, such as Saranda, from this website. Because the state carrier travels there with a transfer in Vlora, and you would lose an entire day.
- An old-school site that lists all bus routes and times. The design is outdated, but the timetable is updated regularly.
Transport in Albania: Railways
Let me keep this section short. The Albanian railway system is more dead than alive. As I mentioned earlier, Albania’s mountainous terrain makes it nearly impossible to build a proper, extensive railway network. Today, trains are hardly used by tourists — their condition is poor, and the schedule is even worse. To give you an idea of how bad things are:
Since 2013, the main train station in Tirana has been closed. You cannot take a train from Tirana, the capital of the country. The station was moved 10 km outside the city to a small town called Kashar (you’ll find it marked on the Travel Map). Honestly, I don’t think there’s much more to say.
Below, I’ll share a map of Albania’s entire railway network, which will make everything pretty clear — where the lines go, how often they run. I’ll also include a fare table. By the way, tickets are sold on board by a conductor, and cash only.
- Here’s the official website of Albanian Railways where you can check current prices and schedules: https://hsh.com.al. Although the railway system isn’t developing much, they do adjust prices — I don’t always manage to update them right away in this guide.
- 👉 The only real advantage of Albanian trains: they’re extremely cheap. For example, Tirana to Shkoder is around 2 euros.
Good to know:
In 2021, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development issued a loan to help Albania develop its railways. The government plans to build a railway from Tirana city center to the airport, and to extend some existing lines. They promised to complete this in 2–3 years. Believe me — expect at least 10. I’ll update this part of the guide around 2030, if anything changes!
Public Transport in Tirana
Let me say a few words about public transport within Tirana itself.
💡 Interesting fact:
Buses are the only form of public transport in Tirana — there are no trams, trolleybuses, or metro.
Currently, 20 bus routes operate across the city.
You can find the route map here.
✅ Ticket price: 40 lek (0.4 euros)
You pay the conductor directly in cash. Just board the bus, sit down, and someone will come by to sell you a ticket.
🕐 Frequency:
Buses run every 7–10 minutes on average.
🕕 Operating hours:
From 6 AM to 11 PM.
🚫 Important to know:
There are no metros, trams, or trolleys — only buses.
⚠️ Traffic jams:
Tirana is very congested almost all the time. But since it’s a small city, and all the main attractions are located close together in the city center, you can easily explore on foot.
The only two exceptions — places on the city outskirts — are:
- Dajti cable car station,
- Enver Hoxha’s nuclear bunker (Bunk’Art).
These are about 5 km from the center. I usually walk there, but you can take a bus or even a taxi — taxis are cheap in Albania.
- For a detailed guide on what to see and where to stay in Tirana, check out this article.
- If you’re wondering how to get from Tirana to the airport by bus, read this airport guide.
Travel Tips for Using Transport in Albania
Actually, the main advice has already been said:
🚗 Albania is a country made for traveling by car.
This is the only way to truly discover its beauty — the way seasoned travelers know and love it.
🚍 Public transport is poorly developed, but yes — you can get from point A to point B, even if it’s slow and not very convenient.
📈 Final thoughts:
Public transport in Albania is slowly improving. Thanks to European investments, some buses are being modernized, roads are under reconstruction all over the country, and there are plans to revive the rail system.
Who knows — maybe in 10 years, traveling around Albania by public transport will be easy, fast, and comfortable. But not today.
🌄 Wishing you beautiful views from the bus window and smooth roads ahead!
Resources to help you plan your dream trip to Albania
- Flights at the best prices with best discounts
- Car rental in Albania (cheaper – only by bus):
- DiscoverCars – a major international resource
- LocalRent – the leader in the Albanian car rental market. Very low deposits, even in cash.
- Hotels and apartments throughout the country:
- TripAdvisor – compares prices among dozens of platforms and offer you the best one.
- Trip.com – large online booking platform.
- Budget-friendly vacation packages: CheapOair.
- Tours, excursions and activities:
- GetYourGuide – more than 800 tours
- Viator – 1050+ excursions and activities throughout the country
- Comprehensive travel insurance: EKTA
- Internet and Calls:
- Airalo eSIM in Albania from $4.5
- DRIMSIM – universal SIM card (or eSIM) in any country in the world.
- Taxi and airport transfer: Intui.Travel