Tirana Airport Transportation Guide: Bus, Taxi, Transfers & Car Rental

Tirana International Airport (TIA), locally called Rinas, is Albania’s main airport and, for most visitors, the front door to the country. It is small, modern and 17 km northwest of the city. Getting out of it is easy; the question is where you are going and how much time and money you want to spend.

This guide covers every option from the airport to Tirana, and then to the places people actually head for: Durrës and the Adriatic coast, Sarandë and the Riviera, Berat, Shkodër and the Alps.

Your options at a glance

Option 1: The Rinas Express bus

The airport bus is the cheapest and, in daylight, the simplest way into Tirana. It leaves from directly outside arrivals, roughly every hour, and runs to the centre near Skanderbeg Square. Buy the ticket from the driver in cash (lek or euros accepted, lek is cheaper). The trip takes 25 to 40 minutes depending on traffic.

Downsides: it does not run through the night, there is no timetable you can fully trust, and in summer it can be full. If you land at 11 pm with a family, take a taxi.

Option 2: Official airport taxis

Taxis wait outside arrivals with a fixed-price list to the city centre, currently around €20 to €25. Confirm the price before getting in and pay in cash at the end. Ignore anyone approaching you inside the terminal offering a ride; the official rank is outside.

For two or more people with luggage, the taxi costs about the same per person as the bus is cheap, and it drops you at your hotel door.

Option 3: Private transfers

A pre-booked transfer is the same price as a taxi for Tirana and considerably cheaper than a taxi for anywhere further. The driver waits in arrivals with your name, the price is fixed in advance, and it works at 3 am. It is the option we recommend for late arrivals, for anyone heading straight to the coast, and for families.

Typical fixed prices from the airport:

• Tirana centre: €20 to €30
• Durrës or Golem: €30 to €45
• Berat: €60 to €80
• Shkodër: €50 to €70
• Vlorë: €80 to €110
• Sarandë or Ksamil: €150 to €220
• Theth (summer only): €120 to €160

Option 4: Rent a car at the airport

If you plan to drive in Albania, picking the car up at the airport saves you the trip into the city and back. All the international brands and a good selection of local companies have desks in or next to the terminal, and the road system starts right outside.

Read our complete car rental guide before you book. The short version: compare total prices with full insurance, photograph the car, and do not plan to park in central Tirana.

Getting from the airport to specific destinations

Tirana Airport to Durrës and Golem

Durrës is 35 km from the airport by motorway, about 40 minutes. There is no direct public bus; take the Rinas Express into Tirana and a Durrës bus from there (about 90 minutes in total), or a taxi or transfer for €30 to €45. Golem is ten minutes further south.

Tirana Airport to Sarandë and Ksamil

This is the long one: 280 km and 4.5 to 5 hours by road via Fier, Tepelenë and Gjirokastër. Options:

• Rental car: the most flexible, and the drive through the Gjirokastër valley is pleasant.
• Private transfer: €150 to €220 for the car, worth it for a group.
• Bus: airport bus to Tirana, then a Sarandë bus from the South and North Terminal on the edge of the city. Several departures a day, around five hours, 1,200 to 1,500 lek. Budget the whole day.
• Fly to Corfu instead: for a Ksamil or Sarandë holiday, flying to Corfu and taking the 30 to 70 minute ferry to Sarandë is often faster and cheaper than flying to Tirana. Check both.

Tirana Airport to Berat

Two hours by car. By bus, go into Tirana first and take a Berat bus from the terminal (hourly, about 2.5 hours). A transfer costs €60 to €80.

Tirana Airport to Shkodër and the Alps

Shkodër is 80 km north, about 1.5 hours by car or transfer (€50 to €70). Buses to Shkodër leave from Tirana’s North terminal roughly every hour. If you are heading to Theth, stay the night in Shkodër and take the morning minibus.

Tirana Airport to Vlorë and the Riviera

Vlorë is 2 to 2.5 hours by car. From there the coast road over the Llogara Pass continues to Dhërmi and Himarë. There is no sensible public transport from the airport directly; go via Tirana or take a transfer.

Arriving at night

Flights from the UK and Germany often land late. Your realistic options after 11 pm are the official taxi rank, a pre-booked transfer or a rental car. Hotels in Tirana are used to late check-ins, but tell them your arrival time. If you are heading to the coast, sleep in Tirana or Durrës and continue in the morning; the roads south are not fun in the dark.

Practical airport notes

• SIM cards: Vodafone and One counters in arrivals. Tourist packages with 20 GB or more for a week or two cost a few euros.
• Currency exchange: skip it, use an ATM.
• Food: a couple of cafés and not much else. Eat in the city.
• Departures: the airport is small and security is quick, but check-in queues in summer can be long. Two hours before a European flight is enough.
• Vlorë Airport: a second international airport near Vlorë is opening in phases. Once it has regular flights, it will be the obvious choice for the Riviera. Check before you book.

Summary

Daytime, city centre, on a budget: take the bus. Night arrival, family or straight to a hotel: taxi or pre-booked transfer. Heading anywhere beyond Tirana: rent a car at the airport or book a transfer for the whole leg. And if your destination is Sarandë or Ksamil, check whether flying to Corfu and taking the ferry is the smarter route.