Arriving & Transport

Getting to Albania has never been this easy, with affordable links via land, sea and air. Once you’ve arrived, keep in mind that as long as you’re on the ground it’s going to be a bumpy ride, whether you take a taxi, bus, car or train.

AIRPORT

TIRANA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT Tirana’s easy-to-use Nënë Tereza international airport is located 17km northwest of the city centre near the village of Rinas, and offers an increasingly interesting range of destinations, many of them on budget airlines. There’s a bookshop, ATMs, mobile phone shops and cafés. The airport express bus runs from near Skenderbeg Square hourly between 07:00 and 19:00 for 250 lek. Alternatively a taxi costs between 2500-3000 lek, taking 40 minutes.QRinas, tel. +355 4 2381 800, www.tirana-airport.com.

LUGGAGE STORAGE

LUGGAGE STORAGE TIRANA Professional luggage storage for the Airbnb generation, 200 metres from Skanderbeg Square. Prices from 150 lek per hour up to 650 lek per day for two bags of any size, 3700 lek per bag per week or 4700 lek per month. QRr. Barrikadave, NECI Services, Elevator A1, 1st floor, tel. +355 69 246 08 22, www. luggagestoragetirana.com. Open 08:00-21:00.

Safe short and long term LUGGAGE STORAGE in central Tirana

OPEN DAILY from 8am to 9pm

Rr. Barrikadave tel.tel. +355+355 6969 24608222460822 www.luggagestoragetirana.com

ARRIVING IN TIRANA

Arriving in Tirana in style.

BY BUS Most international and domestic buses will drop you off at the current bus terminal, west of the centre. The adjacent Ring Center mall has food, ATMs and toilets. From late summer, buses from the east and south will soon drop off at the fabulous new Tirana East Bus Terminal by the TEG mall. Both locations have bus stops to get to the city centre.

BY CAR Since the main roads to and within Albania have been upgraded, driving to Tirana is finally an option. In summer months you may face long queues at the border, and keep in mind not all border crossings are open around the clock.

BY FERRY Car ferry services from several Italian cities to the ports of Durrës, Shengjin and Vlora operate all year round. Flying to Corfu and taking advantage of the twice-daily passenger ferry to Saranda in the south of the country is often the cheapest way to reach southern Albania, though it’s still a long (yet very scenic) drive to Tirana from there.

BY PLANE Tirana’s modern Nënë Tereza (Mother Teresa, TIA) airport, 17km northwest of Tirana, is a 30-minute drive away from the city centre in good traffic. Beside the baggage carousel in arrivals there are ATMs, an exchange office with so-so rates, and a tourist information desk. Buy a local SIM card at the mobile phone shops. Ignore taxi drivers harassing new arrivals and take an official yellow airport taxi to the centre for 2500 lek during the daytime and 3000 lek between 21:00 and 07:00. Other companies like Green Taxi charge only half that fee, but you need to order by phone for a pick-up across the street at the Jurgen Hotel. Alternatively, hop on the Rinas Express airport bus to Sheshi Skënderbej; these depart daily on the hour between 08:00 and 23:00 (from the centre to the airport between 07:00 and 22:00), and tickets cost 400 lek.

BY TRAIN Tirana’s train station was regrettably demolished recently, so bold travellers arriving by train from Shkodra and Durrës consequently now find themselves deposited at Kashar west of town where shuttle buses take you the final 15km of the journey to the northern end of Blv. Zogu I. Albania has no international passenger trains yet.

CAR RENTAL

Prices for renting a car in Albania start at around €30 a day for the cheapest model. Agencies have desks at the airport, but these are often only staffed on demand, so inform them in advance before you arrive. Make sure you have the rental agency telephone number and a good map before setting off. Albania is now pretty well covered with GPS making mobile navigation easy.

AVIS The Avis desk at the airport is open 24 hours per day.QH-5, Rr. Themistokli Germenji, tel. +355 4 450 05 41/+355 67 60 38 900, www.avis.al. Open 08:30-23:00; Sat, Sun 09:00-21:00.

BUDGET QH-5, Rr. Themistokli Germenji, tel. +355 4 450 05 41/+355 67 60 38 900, www.budget.com. Open 08:3023:00; Sat, Sun 09:00-21:00.

CAMPER ALBANIA Fully equipped camper vans, from €100 per day. For a small fee you also get a map marking recommended spots to park or get fresh drinking water.QManëz, tel. +355 69 526 49 83, www.camper-albania.eu. Always open.

ENTERPRISE QF-5, Rr. Durresit, Pall. 106, tel. +355 68 40 23 218, www.enterprise.com. Open 08:00-20:00. EUROPECAR QRr. 29 Nentori, tel. +355 4 580 06 00, www.europcar. com. Open 08:00-16:30; Sat 8:00-13:00; closed Sun. Airport office open 08:00-23:59.

HERTZ QTirana airport, tel. +355 69 404 74 95/+355 692058775, www.hertzalbania.com. Open 08:0020:00; Sun 09:00-17:00.

SIXT Also at Rr. e Kavajes 50.QTirana airport, tel. +355 4 222 39 96/+355 68 20 68 500, www.sixt.com. Open 08:0023:30.

TIRANA CAR RENTALS Aslo on Rr. Sali Butka.QTirana airport, tel. +355 69 333 35 50, www.albaniaonline.org. 24 hrs.

HELICOPTERS

VIVA HELICOPTERS ‘Flightseeing’ trips all across Albania and neighbouring countries. The Viva fleet of three helicopters is run by a German aviation team and based in Baldushk, 15km south of town, with an office on the 3rd floor of the Galeria ETC mall.QBaldushk, tel. +355 42 27 19 38, www.vivahelicopters.com.

DRIVING

Whist the country’s roads may be improving, the local drivers who use them continue to be among the worst imaginable, with road fatality figures some of the highest in Europe. Disrespectful of the law and seemingly unaware of the fact that pedestrians are soft and break easily, the quintessential Albanian motorist is easily distracted, oblivious to speed limits and would rather undergo torture than wear a seatbelt. Before 1991, only Party officials were allowed to own and drive cars, of which there were only about 600 in the entire country. Drivers are required by law to have a fire extinguisher, yellow vest and first aid kit in the car, and always drive with the lights on. In cities, be aware of everything, in the countryside, keep an eye out for potholes and donkeys. In mountain areas, having snow chains during the winter is a good idea.

Speed limits Urban areas and villages: 40km/hr Dual carriageways: 90km/hr Highways: 110km/hr All other roads: 80km/hr

CYCLING

Back in the good old days when there were 600 cars in Albania, everyone had a bicycle. Now, in Tirana at least, it’s pretty much the other way round. Thankfully, plenty of streets have been upgraded with bike lanes in recent years, and cycling around town is probably nearly as pleasurable as it must have been in 1991.

BIKE POINT ALBANIA Excellent bike shop with rental of city bikes for 1500 lek/ day and mountain bikes from 2500 lek/day, as well as sales and repairs. Also organises off-road tours around Tirana. QRr. Myslym Shyri 44/3, tel. +355 68 860 00 60. Open 09:00-13:00, 14:00-18:00; Sat 09:00-13:00; closed Sun.

CYCLE ALBANIA Mountain (e-)bikes, from 1800 lek per day. Also organises various multi-day tours through Albania.QRr. Bardhok Biba, tel. +355 69 247 57 28, www.cyclealbania.com. Open 08:00-17:00.

EVERGREEN Mountain bike rental, from 2000 lek per day.QRr. Sami Frashëri, tel. +355 69 738 69 49. Open 09:00-21:00.

LIKSAD E-BIKE Luxury e-bikes for rent, suitable for calm trips around town as well as wild adventures in the mountains. From €24 per day.QRr. Margarita Tutulani, tel. +355 68 349 01 95, www.liksad.com/sq. Open 07:00-21:00; closed Sun.

Castle of Tirana

LONG-DISTANCE BUSES

With daily departures to all neighbouring countries using increasingly comfortable air-conditioned buses, travel in the Balkans is getting easier every year. Domestic destinations are often stll served by furgon minibuses, a transport choice often held together with little more than tape and famous for departing only when full. Tirana’s current bus station is a depressing parking lot west of the centre, but this summer the new East Bus Terminal should open by the TEG Mall. Tickets can usually be bought on board, at one of the ticketing offices along Rruga Mine Peze, or online (international services) via www.autobus.al.

TIRANA INTERNATIONAL BUS TERMINAL (STACIONI QENDROR I LINJAVE NDERKOMBETARE) Tirana’s first attempt at a bus station can be found behind the Ring Center mall and the Asllan Rusi sports complex. Apart from bus company offices, there’s little shelter from the elements, and no facilities to speak of.QRr. Ali Kolonja, tel. +355 68 406 00 01.

CITY BUSES

Tirana’s fleet of buses plies a total of 12 routes between about 05:00 and 22:00. Get on, pay the conductor 40 lek and away you go. It’s unlikely you’ll ever have to wait more than 10 minutes to travel on one, so at these prices and at this frequency it would be somewhat impolite to complain. The city centre is so compact that the need to use public transport won’t happen very often. All buses are marked with their destinations, making them relatively easy to use.

SPEAK SHQIP: TRAVEL TERMS

airplane - avjon ferry - trageti airport - aeroport left - majtes car - veture, makinë right - djathas train - treni Is it far? - A është larg? bus - autobus Where am I? - Ku jam? station (train, bus) - stacion (treni, autobuzi)

Taxi love

RIDE SHARING

UDHË Cheap and efficient intercity ride sharing, courtesy of a Kosovo-made app called ‘road’ that connects vetted drivers with passengers across Albania and Kosovo.Qtel. +383 49 42 92 47, www.merrudhe.com.

TAXIS

Taxis are a useful form of transport in Tirana, and, after 22:00, if you’re too tipsy to walk or confidently operate a bicycle, they’re the only game in town. Several companies use meters and can print receipts if necessary. Our experience is that drivers don’t have to be reminded to use them. Rates start at 300 lek for the first 2km (sufficient for most city centre trips) and 95 lek/km after that. Between 22:00 and 07:00 the aforementioned start rate rises to 350 lek. Few drivers speak English, so it’s a good idea to write down the address, or to telephone someone who can explain.

AIRPORT EXPRESS TAXI (ATEX) The official airport taxis, but not the cheapest ones.Qtel. +355 67 500 03 00/+355 4 238 7070, www.atex.al. Always open.

GREEN TAXIS Electric fleet of taxis; use their website to share your location via Whatsapp. Green has an attractive flat airport rate, with pick-ups from the hotel opposite the terminal.Qtel. +355 800 20 00, www.green.al.

MERR TAXI Merr has a fixed rate of 650 lek from central Tirana to the Dajti Express cable car.Qtel. +355 67 400 66 10/+355 800 5555, www.merrtaxi.com. Always Open.

SPEED TAXI The taxis with the kangaroo. Easy online ride booking. Qtel. +355 4 222 25 55/+355 69 642 2211, www. speedtaxi.al.

TAXI LUX ALBANIA Cheap fixed rates to (1100 lek) and from (1300 lek) the airport.Qtel. +355 4 562 03 33, www.taxiluxalbania.al. Always Open.

TRAINS

In an act of madness, Tirana’s train station was demolished recently, with the nearest station now being 15km away in Kashar for trains to Durres and Shkodra. With shoddy second hand carriages, excruciatingly slow speeds and broken windows, Albania’s railway network is strictly for the most hardcore of train spotters. All is not lost - Albania was awarded a substantial grant to upgrade the tracks from near Tirana to the Montenegrin border to handle trains going up to 120 km/hr.

TRAVEL AGENCIES

ALBANIA2GO A Dutch-Albanian owned company, offering tailor-made business, leisure and adventure trips across the country.QRr. Nikolla Jorga 9/1, tel. +355 69 647 88 50, www.albania2go. com. Open 09:00-20:00.

ALBANIA HOLIDAYS The full range of tours and tourism services.QRr. Tish Dahia, Kompleksi Kika 1, Shk. 8, Ap.11, tel. +355 4 223 56 88, www.albania-holidays.com. Open 08:00-18:00; Sat 08:0016:000; closed Sun.

ALBANIAN TRIP A renowned travel agency that’s committed to sustainable tours offering ‘handmade’ boutique travel experiences for groups and individuals, working with specialists and supporting local communities where possible. Food, nature, bunkers and military history are their specialities, and some tours include a meeting with one of Albania’s famed sworn virgins. Media productions, private transfers, car rental and booking of special family-owned accommodation and character hotels are possible too. Their ‘Villa with a Star’ office is also home to a quirky memorabilia collection (see Sightseeing). QRr. Dibres 261/1, tel. + 355 4 220 8414/+355 68 406 62 07, www.albaniantrip.com.

LANDWAYS INTERNATIONAL Guided city tours, day trips to Apollonia, Berat, Durrës, Kruja and other destinations, plane tickets, discounted booking of the best hotels, and much more.QRr. Themistokli Germenji 10, tel. +355 42 255 655, www.landways.eu. Open 08:3017:30; closed Sat, Sun.

OUTDOOR ALBANIA Tailor-made trips: trekking, mountain biking, rafting, kayaking, mountaineering, paragliding, 4W-driving and more, for individuals or groups. Even if you’re in just Tirana for a short while, they can arrange an active day trip in the nearby mountains.QRr. Gjin Bue Shpata 9/1, tel. +355 4 222 71 21, www. outdooralbania.com. Open 09:00-17:00; closed Sun, Sat.

SONDOR TRAVEL A family-run business specialising in culural, mountain and outdoor holidays.QRr. Çerçiz Topulli, P. Reli, K.1, tel. +355 4 222 50 63/+355 68 40 517 66, www.sondortravel.com. Open 08:00-18:00; closed Sun.