Where To Go
Real distances and real times from the door of Tirana International Airport, with the practical detail that decides whether a trip goes well or badly. Times are indicative: in summer, and on mountain roads, add your margin.
18 km · about 30 minutes
The capital, twenty minutes from the airport
Any of our carsThe heaviest traffic is between 17:00 and 19:00. Leave the car at the edge of the centre and walk: the centre is compact and there is nowhere useful to park.
35 km · about 40 minutes
Roman amphitheatre and the nearest sea
Any of our carsThe quickest road out of the airport and busy in summer. If you are continuing north along the coast, refuel here: it is the last place where filling up is easy.
80 km · about 1 h 15 min
Rozafa Castle, Lake Shkodër, the Adriatic coast
Any car, a higher ride height helpsGood road the whole way, with the lake on the right for the last twenty kilometres. The castle is a fifteen-minute walk uphill from the centre, so you can leave the car parked.
75 km · about 1 h 30 min
A UNESCO city: castle, Ottoman houses, Mangalem
Any of our carsThe climb up to Berat is a steady road with good surfaces. The centre is on a hill and parking is limited, so park at the bottom and walk up.
115 km · about 2 hours to Vlorë
The Llogara pass, Dhërmi and Himarë beaches
Any car; a compact SUV suits the mountain villages betterAbove Llogara the road narrows and the mobile signal drops. Download the route before leaving. The seaside villages fill up completely in July and August, so book early or stay further up the coast.
190 km · about 3 hours
Stone city, bazaar, castle, the Blue Eye spring
Any of our carsThe longest stretch of the trip, and the road has slow sections and works. If you want to add the Blue Eye spring, allow another hour. Leave early and do not plan a long evening here.
180 km · about 2 h 45 min
Ionian Sea, the Greek border, Roman ruins
Any of our carsThe coast road down is fast and the sea is on your right the whole way. Butrint has a large car park outside the entrance, so you can leave the car for the whole visit.
150 km · about 2 h 30 min to the lake
Albanian Alps, the ferry crossing, the Valbona valley
We recommend a higher car for the last stretchThe lake is crossed by ferry, several times a day, and the crossing takes around thirty minutes. Check the timetable before setting off. Valbona is fifty kilometres further on a mountain road of hairpins.
100 km · about 2 h 15 min
The old town under the fortress, and the road into the Kosovo Alps
Any car, a higher ride height helps on the mountain stretchThe usual way there crosses the Qafë Thanë pass (SH8): a narrow mountain road with no services at all, and in snow it closes. Check it is open before you leave and refuel in Kukës. Taking our car into Kosovo has to be agreed in writing in advance — see the FAQ.
145 km · about 3 hours
The Rugova canyon and the Accursed Mountains, from Peja
We recommend a higher car, and four-wheel drive in winterRugova is the closest alpine valley to the airport, but the road into the canyon runs single file in places and the mobile signal disappears. In winter the pass is snowbound: leave early, refuel in Prizren, and do not try to push through in bad weather.
Distances and times are indicative, measured from Tirana International Airport. Road works, weather and the season can change them.
Photos from Unsplash (Unsplash License), except the Rugova canyon in winter by Albinfo, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Where To Go
Traffic drives on the right and the steering wheel is usually on the left. On secondary roads expect unmarked speed bumps, potholes, animals on the carriageway and vehicles with no lights.
Street-level mapping in Albania is incomplete. Download the route before you leave the airport, download the area for offline use, and keep the phone mounted: in the mountains the signal disappears for long stretches.
Many drivers both on the road and at the wheel pass on the outside of a bend. Keep your distance on bends and narrow roads, and do not overtake when you cannot see far enough.
Petrol stations are frequent around Tirana, Elbasan, Shkodër, Vlorë, Berat, Gjirokastër and Sarandë. Past those, they become rare, and there is no fuel in Valbona or on the Llogara pass.
The centre is dense and parking is paid and monitored. Leave the car at the edge of the centre and walk: most of what visitors want is within fifteen minutes on foot.
All our cars are automatic, insured and comfortable, and every one of them is chosen for Albanian roads. If you are going far, book a few extra days rather than squeezing the route: the mountains do not reward a tight schedule.
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