Albania until recently remained a closed country and inaccessible for tourist travel. Over the past 15-20 years, more and more travelers have included this country on their must-visit list. Those who travel to the republic in the Balkans for the first time and choose air travel as the fastest and most comfortable are faced with questions: “Which airlines fly through Albania airport? What is the level of service and services? Is it possible to rent a car? How to get to the vacation spot?
How many airports are there in Albania
Albania is a small country, occupying an area of just over 28 thousand square meters. km. There is only one air gate ready to receive airliners from other countries of the world in the Republic of Albania. Albania’s international airport is located a few kilometers from the capital Tirana, near Rinas, and has been named after the Catholic nun Mother Teresa since 2001.
Since 2005, the German company has completely rebuilt the passenger terminal and reconstructed the air terminal building in accordance with international standards. By 2008, the airport infrastructure was completely updated. So, TIA is relatively young and modern.
Albanian air harbor receives flights from many European countries:
- Slovenia,
- Turkey,
- Greece,
- Germany,
- Belgium,
- Great Britain,
- Netherlands,
- Serbia,
- Austria,
- Italy.
You can get from Moscow to Albania airport by charter flight. Tirana International Airport (TIA) held a ceremony to mark the arrival of the Moscow flight on Tuesday, June 18, 2019, to celebrate the start of a new tourist route between Moscow and Tirana.
Some 221 tourists arrived from Russia on the first flight from Moscow, curious to see Albania and enjoy its sandy beaches. Regular flights will be operated twice a week by Ural Airlines throughout the summer on an Airbus 320 aircraft.
Airport services
The service at Rinas International Airport (TIA) provides a full range of services necessary for a passenger to have a comfortable time. The airport service receives aircraft 24 hours a day, seven days a week. What can a passenger do while waiting for a flight or having just arrived on Albanian soil?
- ATMs are represented by four banks that are available 24 hours: Tirana Bank ATM, Raiffeisen Bank, ProCredit Bank and Banka Kombetare Tregtare, which provides currency exchange.
- There are 12 stores in the TIA building. In the registration hall there is a pastry shop, a book pavilion, a newspaper and magazine kiosk and a jewelry store. In the departure area, you will have the opportunity to visit a duty-free shop where you can buy souvenirs with national flavor, jewelry, alcohol, and branded products. Shops are open one hour before the first flight until the last flight departs.
- Guests at Tirana International Airport have free Wi-Fi internet access.
- There is only one place at the airport where smoking is allowed: in the lounge area of the Segafredo Bar (the bar in the departure area). In line with its policy of creating a friendly and healthy environment for its passengers, Tirana International Airport has implemented a strict no-smoking policy throughout its new terminal. This policy puts the airport at the forefront in Albania, demonstrating its social responsibility.
- If you have any problems related to the delivery of luggage, you can contact the lost and found office.
- If you require medical assistance at the airport, the staff will call a doctor and take you to an equipped first aid station.
- 490 parking spaces: 240 closed and 250 open. The cost depends on the location chosen and the duration of its use. Tariffs today in Albanian leks:
| Parking duration | Closed area (P1) | Open area (P2) |
| 0-7 minutes | for free | for free |
| From 7 minutes to 1 hour | 150 | 120 |
| From 1 hour to 4 hours | 240 | 190 |
| From 4 hours to 7 hours | 360 | 300 |
| From 7 o’clock to 12 o’clock | 480 | 300 |
| 12 hours to 24 hours | 720 | 300 |
| For a day | 600 | 300 |
| 1 Week | 3.000 | |
| 1 month | 10.800 | |
| 1 year | 100.000 |
- Kiss & Fly (Kiss and Fly). Since April 2012, Tirana International Airport has organized a passenger drop-off area in front of the terminal. You need to spend 4 minutes to use this service for free. The longer you stay in the Kiss & Fly area, the more you pay.
– From 0 to 4 minutes free
– From 4 to 10 minutes 300 lek
– From 10 to 30 minutes 500 lek
– From 30 minutes to 1 hour 1,000 lek - Special travel services are provided to passengers with disabilities, children traveling alone (aged 6 to 12 years), traveling with a child, and passengers requiring a special menu. At the airport you will be provided with assistance by appropriate services.
Recreation areas
The lounge area for business class passengers at Rinas Airport opened recently and has a stylish design. Waiting in a zone of increased comfort will allow you to take advantage of all its benefits.
Currently, the arrival hall also houses the Piazza restaurant bar, located next to the exit from the building. In the departure area you can relax in two more bars.
Which airlines fly to Tirana?
Albania attracts European tourists with its inexpensive holidays and environmentally friendly nature. Increased demand has made it possible to conclude international agreements with Albania Airport to transport its citizens to sea.
- Adria Airways/JP (Slovenia),
- Alitalia/AZ (Italy),
- Austrian Airlines/OS (Austria),
- British Airways/BA (UK),
- Jet Airfly (Belgium),
- Lufthansa/LH (Germany),
- Aegean/A3 (Greece),
- Turkish Airlines/TK,
- Pegasus Airlines /PC (Türkiye),
- Blue Panorama Airlines /BV,
- Ernest Airlines/EG (Italy),
- Air Serbia/JU (Serbia),
- Albawings/2B (Albania),
- Transavia/TO (France),
- Wizz Air (Hungary) is the main European airline that operates direct civil flights to the capital of Albania.
There are no direct air routes to Tirana from other continents.
How much is a taxi from Tirana airport to city center?
A taxi from Tirana airport to the city center costs 20 – 25 euros for a one-way trip.
The airport taxis are the fastest way to get to the city center. As a taxi journey will take only 20 – 25 minutes depending on the traffic. Moreover, since the airport taxis are always waiting right outside the terminal building, you can depart instantly.
Compared to the airport shuttle bus, the price for a taxi is relatively high. However, the taxi can depart right away. Whereas if you were to take the bus, you would have to wait for its hourly departure time. Moreover, the taxis are available 24 hours, while the bus only departs from 8:00 am until 23:00 pm.
The taxis are parked right in front of the airport terminal building. It is best to take an official Tirana Airport Taxi. The taxis are operated by Auto Holiday Albania (AHA). The licence taxis are yellow, they have an Auto Holiday Albania Logo and a Tirana airport logo on both sides.
One of the great benefits of taking the official Tirana Airport Taxi is that they have a set price list. So you will not be surprised with the bill when you arrive in Tirana’s city center.
You can see the official price list of the Tirana Airport Taxi Service here: https://tiataxi.al/travel/
Can I use UBER to get from Tirana airport to the city center?
You cannot use UBER to get from Tirana airport to the city center of Tirana, because UBER does not exist in Albania. Of course, there are alternatives to the official Tirana Airport Taxis.
UBER alternatives in Albania:
1. Merr Taxi (18 euros)
2. Speed Taxi App (9.80 euros)
3. UPs Taxi (13.90 euros)
4. Taxi.al
The great benefit of using Merr Taxi is that they have an Online Taxi Fare Calculator. As a foreigner, you are always aware that the taxi driver might “cheat-on-you”, by driving you a few extra rounds through the city center.
Which is why I highly recommend using the Merr Taxi Face Calculator online, because you will have a good idea of the price for your distance. Click here to open the Merr Taxi Fare Calculator: https://merrtaxi.com/tirana-taxi-fare-calculator
According to the Merr Taxi Fare Calculator, a journey from Tirana International Airport to the city center of Tirana costs 18 euros. Which is a bit cheaper, that the 20-25 euros quoted by the official airport taxis.
Another alternative is downloading the Speed Taxi App. Speed Taxi is a company that operates in Tirana an Shkoder. Speed taxi only charges 1200 leke (9.80 euros) for a journey from Tirana International Airport to the city center. When you request a taxi through the app, Speed Taxi will send one of their licensed and branded cars to pick you up.
You can download the Speed Taxi App here:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=al.speedtaxi.app&hl=en
https://apps.apple.com/al/app/speed-taxi-albania/id1054113261
Another app you can download is the UPs Taxi App. The UPs Taxi app connects licensed taxi owners with customers in the area. UPs Taxi charges 1700 leke (13.90 euros) for a journey from Tirana International Airport to the city center.
You can download the UPs Taxi App here:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.upstaxi.taxi.rider
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ups-taxi/id1119391072
And finally, you can use the Taxi.al app, which is the most similar to UBER in Albania. Because private drivers can register through their website. And in most cases you will pay cash for the trip.
You can download the Taxi.al app here:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.netinformatika.merrtaxi
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/taxi-al/id1474960140
Car rental at Albania airport
You can also rent a car at Tirana airport and drive to the city center. The distance from Tirana airport to the city center is 17 kilometres. Therefore, the drive will take you approximately 30 minutes.
Before COVID-19, all the major taxi companies like Hertz, EuropCar, Avis, Sixt and Enterprise, used to have offices in the arrivals hall of Tirana International Airport. However, many of the physical offices have closed.
Therefore, I recommend contacting several car rental companies before your journey and comparing the prices. You can find the direct email addresses of the car rental companies here: https://www.tirana-airport.com/c/24/car-rental
It is very easy to drive from the airport to the city center. The airport is near to the highway between Durres and Tirana. The highway is a direct connection between Tirana airport and the city center. From the airport parking, simply follow the signage for Tirana, which will lead you to the highway. You cannot go wrong once you are on the highway, keep following the road to the center of Tirana.
A rental car at Tirana airport costs between €20.00 – €50.00 per day. The prices for a car rental vary depending on the brand, the age, the duration of the rental and insurance coverage. Before your trip, you can compare prices online with the different providers.
Can I pay for my transportation in euros?
You can pay for your transportation from Tirana Airport to the city center in euros. The Rinas Express Shuttle bus to the city center of Tirana usually costs 300 Leke, but it is also possible to pay €3.00 instead.
The official airport taxis quote their prices in both Albanian LEK and euros. So you can pay your taxi in euros, which is between €20-25, depending on your destination in Tirana.
When it comes to a rental car, it is easiest to book it online before your trip. So that you can compare the prices. You can give the car rental company your flight arrival time and flight number. Then the representative of the car rental company will wait for you in the airport arrivals hall. When it comes to car rentals it is easy to pay online with your credit card or pay cash euros.
Can I exchange money at the airport to pay for my transfer?
There are currency exchange offices at the airport. It is always smart to bring some cash euros, pounds or US dollars on your trip. So that, you have the possibility to exchange some currency, in case you need it immediately.
However, currency exchange is expensive at Tirana airport. Many foreigners will immediately rush to exchange their foreign currency at the airport. But compared to any currency exchange agency in the city, the currency exchange at the airport is very expensive. Currency exchange agencies in the city, have a margin of only 1%. However, you will be charged a much higher percentage at the airport.
***Insider Tip***
It is best to bring some cash euros with you for your trip to Albania. At the airport, pay for your taxi, bus or transportation with euros. At your hotel in the city, also pay for the first night with cash euros. Once you have settled in, take a walk around the neighborhood to find a currency exchange agency. This way, you save yourself the high exchange rates and withdrawal fees at the airport.
Is there an ATM machine at Tirana airport?
There are several ATM machines at Tirana airport. In the arrival hall, you will find ATM machines of Tirana Bank, Raiffeisen Bank, Banka Kombetare Tregtare and Procredit Bank. You may not be familiar with any of the banks, because they are all Albanian brands.
However, ATM withdrawal fees and paying with card, is relatively expensive in Albania. Moreover, some bank machines may charge you a “hidden fee”. Let me explain in more detail.
Within the European Union, banks must clearly show their fees, before you withdraw money. Basically, there are rules and regulations in the EU, that force banks to be transparent. However, Albania is not a part of the European Union (yet). Therefore, not all ATM machines in Albania disclose their fees.
Moreover, because your bank card is in a foreign currency, there is also a currency exchange fee. And some of the Albanian banks set their own exchange rates, which are relatively high.
So, when you withdraw €100.00 from the ATM machine, you might be charged €4.00 or €5.00 in fees by the Albanian bank. Not all the ATM machines and banks are the same though. So, it is smart to set up some text alerts or check your internet banking. Moreover, bring some cash with you, because currency exchange at an agency is very affordable in Albania.
How to get from Tirana airport to the resorts
Let’s look at how to get from Tirana Airport to the most popular cities and resorts in Albania.
How to get from Tirana Airport to Tirana city
The regular bus to Tirana goes to the final stop “National Opera and Ballet Theater”. From May 1, 2019, the ticket price is 330 Albanian lek.
- Tirana – TIA: every hour from 07.00 to 23.00
- TIA – Tirana: every hour from 08.00 to 24.00
How to get from Tirana Airport to Durres
How to get to the most popular resort of Durres from Tirana airport?
Since November 2015, Audit Travel and Tours has been organizing transfers from TIA to Durres and back. The cost of one tariff is 480 Albanian lek.
- Durres – Airport: 08:00; 09:30; 11:00; 13:00; 15:00; 19:00
- Airport – Durres: 10:00; 12:00; 15:30; 17:00; 22:00
How to get from Tirana Airport to Vlora
Euro-Albania Travel offers transfers from TIA to Fiera and back starting March 2017. The cost of one tariff is 1000 Albanian lek.
- Fiera – TIA: 07:00, 12:00
- TIA – Fiera: 09:00, 14:00
How to get from Tirana Airport to Saranda
There are no direct flights to the resort town in southern Albania. You can get to Tirana and use the services of the RivieraBus carrier there. You will cover the distance of 282 km in five hours and 30 minutes, costing about 40 euros. Tickets can be purchased on their website in advance.
Albania Airport is the gateway for tourists to the recently closed country. Today it is a modern transport hub, which attracts many foreign airlines. Now you know where the Albanian airport is located and how to get to it from the country’s popular resorts.