Category: Albania

Tirana International Airport is where most visitors pick up a rental car for the city. It is also known as Nënë Tereza and as Rinas, and it lies about 11 km northwest of the city centre. The airport’s own website does not say where rental desks are, so the pickup point depends on the company you book with. This guide covers where pickup happens, what deposits and documents to expect, and how to get from the airport to Tirana and on to Durrës by car. For the wider picture, read our Albania car rental guide, and for companies in the city see the Tirana local companies guide.

Where pickup happens

Three patterns show up on the companies’ own websites:

• A desk at the airport. Rent a Car Tirana Airport gives its address as CP97+JC Rinas, Tirana. Tirana Airport Rental Car lists an office on Rruga e Aeroportit. Auto Activity Rinas says it is based at the airport and has staff there around the clock.
• Meet and greet at arrivals. Eurocar Rentals Tirana runs a desk in the arrivals hall at the Rinas terminal, open 24/7 with meet and greet. Auto Activity Rinas offers an “Airport VIP Pickup” where staff meet you at arrivals. Tirana Airport Rental Car asks for your landing time and says its team will bring the car to the airport parking.
• Delivery to the airport. Albania 4×4 Car Rental says it can deliver to the airport on request. Planet Rent a Car offers airport pickup and says it will deliver and collect cars across Albania. Nika’s Rent Car Tirana lists the airport as a pickup point.

Whichever option you choose, the airport’s terminal has taxis and car rental services, according to the description of the airport on Wikipedia. The airport’s own website says it has 2,600 parking spaces, though it does not list parking rates.

Deposits and payment

Deposit rules differ a lot between companies, so read them before you book. This is what each site says:

• Rent a Car Tirana Airport: no cash damage deposit, but a 20% prepayment reserves the car.
• Tirana Airport Rental Car: no deposit if you choose its standard or premium protection It accepts cash.
• Auto B. Brahimi, TIC Rent Car and Tezaku Rent Car: each says no deposit is required.
• Auto Edi Rent Car Tirana: no cash damage deposit, with a 20% prepayment to reserve.

International brands usually place a deposit hold on your credit card. Ask each company how any hold is taken, how much it is, and when it is released. [

Documents to bring

Auto Edi’s site says you need a valid driving licence and a passport or ID card, and that an International Driving Permit is not needed in Albania. The sites we reviewed do not state a minimum driver age or how long you must have held your licence, so ask the company before you travel.

Taking the car out of Albania

If your route leaves Albania, the rental company must agree in writing, and you will need a Green Card, which is proof of third-party insurance abroad. A travel guide we checked lists Green Card fees of roughly €20 to €50 depending on the company, and one rental operator quoted about €30 per country for the cross-border authorisation. Not every company allows it. Tirana Airport Rental Car allows trips to Montenegro, Kosovo and North Macedonia for an extra fee, and Auto B. Brahimi requires advance notice, approval and a fee. The Tirana to Ohrid guide explains the process in more detail.

From the airport into Tirana

Central Tirana is 20 to 25 minutes away by road, according to Wikipedia. The airport connects to the national road network via SH60, which meets the SH2 Durrës–Tirana highway. The airport bus runs around the clock, roughly every hour, and stops outside the arrivals terminal. The airport’s own website lists a GoOpti shuttle and official airport taxis with a stop a few steps from the terminal, and it calls taxis the quickest option. None of these sources gives fares.

Tirana airport to Durrës by car

Durrës is an easy drive from Tirana. The distance from Tirana to Durrës is about 36 to 38 km, and the drive takes roughly 35 to 45 minutes depending on traffic, according to Chasing the Donkey. The road is the SH2 Durrës–Tirana highway, which the airport road joins. We did not source the airport-to-Durrës distance or time, so check a map before you set out.

If you would rather not drive, the same 2024 guide gives a taxi from Tirana to Durrës at 2,000 to 2,500 lek, taking about 45 minutes, and a bus at about 130 lek, leaving every half hour. Some companies also offer Durrës pickups. Nika’s lists Durrës as a pickup point, and Tirana Airport Rental Car lists delivery to Durrës for €20. An electric rail line linking Tirana, Durrës and the airport is under development, with trains planned to start in early 2027, according to Wikipedia. Check that before relying on it.

Before you leave the car park

• Photograph the car all round, and check the fuel gauge against the contract. Auto Edi’s site says cars are handed over with a full tank and must be returned full.
• Ask the company how to reach them if you land late.
• Keep the contract, any deposit receipt and the company’s phone number on your phone.

Once you have picked up the car, our guide to driving and parking in Tirana covers the first drive into the city. Book directly with the company you choose, using its own website or phone.

Want prices from local companies in Tirana? Send us your dates and we will ask two or three local rental companies for offers. Free for you, no obligation.

Want prices from local companies in Tirana? Send us your dates and we will ask two or three local rental companies for offers. Free for you, no obligation.

Tirana is where most of Albania’s small car rental companies are based, and it is the easiest place in the country to pick up a car. Some have an office on a main road, some run a desk at the airport, and several do both. This guide covers the companies whose own websites confirm they rent in Tirana, how a local rental differs from the airport desks, and what to check before you send a message. For the wider picture of driving in Albania and booking direct, read our Albania car rental guide.

How we chose these companies

Each company below was checked on its own website. We kept it only where the site confirms that it rents cars in Tirana, at Tirana International Airport (TIA, also known as Rinas), or both. The list is alphabetical and is not a ranking. Where we quote a price, it is the one shown on the company’s site when we checked. Prices and fleets change, so confirm the total in writing before you pay.

Local companies in Tirana

• Auto Rental Albania (ARA) has its base at Rinas, next to the airport. Its site lists small and economy cars, SUVs and 8-seat vans, with rates starting from €11 a day.
• Albania 4×4 Car Rental has a Tirana office on Rr. Pavarsia, which its site lists as open 24 hours a day. It offers airport pickup and drop-off, and says it can deliver to the airport on request. It specialises in 4x4s and SUVs, from €70 a day for the cheapest listed model. The site does not state a deposit amount.
• Auto Activity Rinas is based at Tirana airport. Its site says staff are at the airport around the clock to meet arriving travellers, and it offers an “Airport VIP Pickup” at arrivals. Every listed car comes with unlimited kilometres. The site says many rentals need no deposit, but the wording is inconsistent, so ask. Listed models start at €20 a day.
• Auto B. Brahimi describes itself as a car rental and sales business in Tirana, operating since 2000. It offers city delivery and airport pickup and return. The site says no deposit is required and that a second registered driver is included at no extra cost. Cross-border trips need advance notice, approval and a fee. Starting prices are €32 a day for a Chevrolet Spark, €50 for an Audi A4 and €55 for a BMW X3.
• Auto Edi Rent Car Tirana offers free airport pickup and drop-off and free delivery to a hotel. About 25 models are listed at €25 to €40 a day. The site says there is no cash damage deposit, but a 20% prepayment reserves the car. It mixes “Auto Edi” and “Rent a Car Tirana Airport” in its branding, so confirm the business name and phone number before you pay.
• Eurocar Rentals Tirana describes itself as a premium car rental company in Albania. Its Tirana city centre office is at Rruga e Durrësit 202, open 08:00 to 20:00. Its airport desk is in the arrivals hall at the Rinas terminal, open 24/7 with meet and greet. Complimentary airport pickup and drop-off, unlimited mileage within Albania and free cancellation up to 24 hours before pickup are all stated on the site. Prices appear only after a search, so ask for the total.
• Nika’s Rent Car Tirana offers pickup and drop-off at the airport, in the city and in Durrës. Starting rates on the site run from €20 a day for a Toyota Auris to €35 a day for a Kia Sportage or Nissan X-Trail. The site does not state a deposit policy, so ask before you book.
• Planet Rent a Car has pickup and return at Tirana airport and says it will deliver and collect cars anywhere in Albania. Its site describes a fleet of 90 vehicles, and the company says it started in 2016 with four. Prices are not shown. Its booking form also lists Podgorica and Tivat airports as return points, so ask about cross-border terms if you plan that trip.
• Rent a Car Tirana Airport gives its address as CP97+JC Rinas, Tirana. It offers free airport pickup and drop-off and free delivery to an address in Tirana. The site says there is no cash damage deposit but requires a 20% prepayment to reserve. Its FAQ sets a minimum rental of five days. Rates on the site start from €40 a day. Several businesses use this name, so check the web address before you pay.
• Tezaku Rent Car has a Tirana office on Bulevardi Gjergj Fishta and an office at Tirana airport. The site says there is no deposit and no hidden fees, and it offers airport pickup and return. The fleet is mostly vans and people carriers, such as a 2019 VW Caravelle at €100 a day. Bookings are made by phone, WhatsApp or Instagram rather than through an online checkout.
• TIC Rent Car has pickup points at Tirana downtown, Tirana airport, Vlorë and Sarandë. Each listed car is marked “No Deposit Required” and “Unlimited KM”. Listed prices start from €18 to €23, but the site does not say whether those are per day.The current listings are compact cars, although the site describes a range up to SUVs.
• Tirana Airport Rental Car describes itself as a locally owned company serving Tirana airport since 2018. Its office is on Rruga e Aeroportit, and pickup at the airport is free. Delivery to a Tirana address, or to Durrës, is listed at €20. The site says there is no deposit if you choose its standard or premium protection. It accepts cash, and cancellation is free up to 48 hours before pickup. Trips to Montenegro, Kosovo and North Macedonia are allowed for an extra fee.

Local companies compared with the airport chains

The international brands at Tirana airport work fine, but they usually come with international prices and a deposit hold on your credit card. The local companies above often run leaner. Several accept cash, several state that no deposit is needed, and many will meet you at arrivals or bring the car to your hotel. The trade-off is a smaller business, so read the terms carefully before you book.

What to check before you book

• The total price, dates, pickup point and what is included (insurance level, mileage, second driver), confirmed in writing. A WhatsApp thread counts.
• How the deposit is taken and when it is released, whether in cash or as a hold on a card.
• Whether the car can leave Albania, and what permission and Green Card cost if it can. Our Tirana to Ohrid guide covers the cross-border details.
• Whether delivery to your hotel is free, and whether the company will wait for you if your flight is late.
• The fuel rule. Auto Edi’s site says cars are handed over with a full tank and must be returned full, otherwise a refuelling charge applies. Ask every company which rule applies.
• Photograph the car all round at pickup, and again at return.

Before you go

For the airport pickup and the trip into town, read our guide to car rental at Tirana airport. For parking and city traffic, see driving and parking in Tirana. Once you have chosen a company, book directly through its own website or by phone. Our Albania car rental guide covers the rest of the country.

Want prices from local companies in Tirana? Send us your dates and we will ask two or three local rental companies for offers. Free for you, no obligation.

Want prices from local companies in Tirana? Send us your dates and we will ask two or three local rental companies for offers. Free for you, no obligation.

Lake Ohrid is one of the classic trips from Tirana, and the drive is about 130 km. The lake is shared by Albania and North Macedonia, and the town of Ohrid sits on the North Macedonian shore. Driving it in a rental car is straightforward, but only if your company allows it, so the paperwork matters as much as the road. This guide covers the route, the border crossing, what your rental company must provide and what to plan for on the way. For the wider picture, read our Albania car rental guide.

Want prices from local companies in Tirana? Send us your dates and we will ask two or three local rental companies for offers. Free for you, no obligation.

The route

A transfer operator describes the usual route as running over the Krrabë pass to Elbasan, along the Shkumbin valley to Pogradec on the Albanian shore of Lake Ohrid, and then across the Qafë Thanë border to Ohrid town. The distance is about 130 km. The same operator gives a drive time of about 2 hours 15 minutes, door to door. Allow more if you stop on the way or meet traffic in Elbasan.

The road itself is a mix of valley and mountain driving, climbing over the pass and then following the river valley down to the lake, so it rewards a relaxed pace. Allow extra time at the border. Waiting times change with the day and the season, and summer weekends are usually the busiest.

Stops on the way

Elbasan is the town you reach after the Krrabë pass, and it makes a sensible first stop if you want a break from the road. Pogradec sits on the Albanian shore of the lake and is the last stop before the border, so it is the natural place to rest, eat and check your papers before you cross.

The border at Qafë Thanë

The crossing is called Qafë Thanë on the Albanian side and Kjafasan on the North Macedonian side. Wikipedia places the pass close to the border between Albania and North Macedonia, on the E852 road. If you plan to cross late at night or on a public holiday, check the current status of the crossing before you set off.

Carry your passport, your driving licence, the rental agreement and the Green Card in the car, where you can reach them quickly at the checkpoint.

What your rental company must allow

Taking an Albanian rental car into North Macedonia needs two things, and both should be agreed in writing:

• Written permission from the rental company that names North Macedonia. Some companies do not allow cross-border travel at all, so ask before you book.
• A Green Card, the international proof of third-party motor insurance. Fees vary by company, so ask for the cross-border fee in writing when you book.

Companies differ on the details. Tirana Airport Rental Car’s site allows trips to Montenegro, Kosovo and North Macedonia for an extra fee. Auto B. Brahimi says cross-border travel needs advance notice, approval and a fee. Ask for the total in writing, including the Green Card and the authorisation, and make sure the permission appears in the agreement.

What to check before you cross

• Confirm that the Green Card names North Macedonia and covers the dates of your trip.
• Ask the company what the rental insurance covers in North Macedonia. A Green Card is third-party liability cover, which does not pay for damage to the rental car itself.
• Keep the Green Card and the permission with the car for the whole trip, including the return.
• Ask whether the company’s emergency number works from North Macedonia.

If your company says no

Some companies will not allow a car to leave Albania, and that is a reasonable answer. If that is the case with the company you prefer, look at another company in the city that allows cross-border travel, or consider a private transfer. Several operators run private transfers from Tirana to Ohrid, and you can compare prices before you decide.

Whichever way you travel, make the decision before you book the car. A rental agreement that does not mention North Macedonia will not cover the border, and changing it at the desk at pickup is harder than arranging it in advance.

Coming back

If you return the car in Albania, you cross the border again, so keep the paperwork with you in both directions. If you plan to drop the car at Tirana airport when you finish, our guide to car rental at Tirana airport covers the drop-off options. For the companies in the city, see the Tirana local companies guide, and for the city streets, the driving and parking guide.

Book directly with a company that allows cross-border travel, using its own website or phone. Read the country guide before you go for the rest of the Albanian route.

Want prices from local companies in Tirana? Send us your dates and we will ask two or three local rental companies for offers. Free for you, no obligation.

Driving in Tirana is busy, but short trips are manageable once you know how the city’s streets are used. Our Albania guide describes local drivers as assertive, with scooters, pedestrians and overtaking all sharing the road in town. This guide covers the traffic, the paid street parking zones, the public parking options and some practical tips. For the broader view of the country, read our Albania car rental guide.

Want prices from local companies in Tirana? Send us your dates and we will ask two or three local rental companies for offers. Free for you, no obligation.

How the traffic works

Expect scooters, pedestrians and cars that move quickly, and expect overtaking in places you might not be used to. Drive defensively for the first day and it quickly becomes normal. The road from the airport into central Tirana typically takes 20 to 25 minutes, according to Wikipedia, but allow more time at morning and evening rush hours.

Plan any city movements around the peak hours, and leave yourself extra time if you are heading to a hotel in the centre. Local companies can tell you which parts of town are easiest to reach by car. Our Tirana local companies guide lists operators with offices in the city centre and on the main roads.

Paid street parking

Most street parking in central Tirana is paid, and the municipality runs it through an agency called Tirana Parking. According to a 2019 report on acqj.al, Tirana Parking is an agency of the Municipality of Tirana that began in 2016 to run paid public parking, both above ground and underground.

Street parking in central Tirana is divided into zones, with the highest hourly rate in the centre and lower rates further out. Paid hours are usually on weekdays during the day. Tariffs have changed over the years, so read the zone sign on the street for the current rate and hours before you leave the car.

How to pay

Since September 2018, street parking has been paid by SMS. You send your licence plate, the parking area and the number of hours. From January 2019, you could also pay Tirana Parking employees or use self-service devices, according to a 2019 report on citizens.al. Check the zone sign on the street for the current payment method and code, because the system may have changed since.

Fines

Enforcement is by the Municipal Police, and it is strict. A fine costs far more than a few hours at the meter, so if you are unsure whether a space is paid, pay for it.

Where to park

• Paid street zones. Park where the zone signs apply, and pay by SMS or at the agency’s points before you walk away.
• Public car parks. Tirana Parking manages paid public parking above and below ground. Rates are posted at each entrance, and a car park is often the simpler choice for a longer stay in the centre.
• The airport. The airport’s website says it has 2,600 parking spaces. It does not list rates.
• Your accommodation. Ask when you book whether the hotel or guesthouse has off-street parking or a space nearby. This is worth asking in August, when the centre is busiest. Our Albania guide notes that parking in Tirana in August requires patience.

Practical tips

• Fill up before you leave the city. Our Albania guide notes that fuel stations are everywhere on the main routes, but the mountain and village roads you may take beyond the city can be narrow and steep.
• Photograph the car before you drive off, and keep a note of where you parked, especially if the street has no clear signs.
• Carry your licence, passport or ID and the rental papers. If a police officer stops you, smile, show your licence and carry on, as our Albania guide suggests.
• Ask your rental company which parking areas they recommend and whether any fine would be passed on to you. Companies differ on how they handle fines, so ask in writing.

Next steps

For the pickup itself and the trip from the airport, read our guide to car rental at Tirana airport. If you are heading south towards the coast or north to Ohrid, the Tirana to Ohrid guide covers the route. Book directly with a local company through its own website or phone, and read the country guide before you set off.

Want prices from local companies in Tirana? Send us your dates and we will ask two or three local rental companies for offers. Free for you, no obligation.