Driving in Albania: What to Expect

Driving in Albania is one of the easiest ways to experience the country beyond the obvious stops. There are buses, but they are not always the most convenient option if you want to mix the Albanian Riviera with mountain villages, historic towns, and places that sit slightly away from the standard tourist trail.

We have been to Albania three times now and have done a few different road trips around the country, and for us, renting a car made everything simpler, smoother, and much more flexible. Most visitors begin in Tirana, then either travel north towards Shkodër, Lake Koman, Valbona or Theth, or go south towards Berat, Gjirokastër and the coast.

Driving in Albania: The Short Answer

Driving in Albania is perfectly manageable for most confident drivers, but it is not the kind of place where you can completely zone out and just coast along. Once we got out of busy Tirana, we found it mostly very straightforward, with many roads feeling no more stressful than driving in parts of southern Europe.

The key is to stay switched on, drive at a sensible speed, and understand that some rural and mountain roads are slower, rougher, and more tiring than they appear on Google Maps. If you are a nervous driver, it might feel intense at the beginning. If you have a decent amount of driving experience, you will probably be completely fine.

Quick Guide

• 🚗 Best place to start: compare rental prices on Discover Cars, then consider adding full coverage for peace of mind.
• ✈️ Best pickup point: most Albania road trips are easiest to start from Tirana Airport or just outside Tirana.
• ⛰️ Best northern route: Kruja, Shkodër, Lake Koman and either Valbona or Theth
• 🌊 Best southern route: Berat, Gjirokastër and the Albanian Riviera, including Himarë, Ksamil and Sarandë
• 🛞 Best car choice: a compact or mid-size car works for most trips, but avoid the smallest cars if you plan to drive into the mountains
• 🐢 Driving tip: mountain roads can be slow, narrow and bendy, so always allow more time than Google Maps suggests.

➡️ Still working out whether hiring a car is worth it? Have a look at our full guide to renting a car in Albania for prices, insurance advice and tips on choosing the right vehicle.

➡️ If you are deciding which stops deserve a place on your route, these are our favourite 10 places to visit in Albania by car.

Is Driving in Albania Safe for Tourists?

Yes – in general, we found driving in Albania safe for tourists. To be honest, it did not feel dramatically different from driving elsewhere in Europe, especially once we left Tirana and were on the open roads.

The main thing is not that Albanian roads are complete chaos, but that some local drivers can be fairly assertive. You need to drive defensively and not assume that everyone around you will behave exactly as you expect. We noticed a few impatient overtakes and some slightly pushy driving, particularly on busier routes in the south, but nothing that made us feel genuinely unsafe overall.

The places where you need to pay closer attention are the mountains and rougher secondary roads. The drive from Shkodër to Lake Koman was the toughest section we tackled: parts without asphalt, very slow progress, and one of those roads where you are half staring at the views and half worrying about the rental car underneath you. It was incredibly beautiful and peaceful, but definitely a route to take slowly.

The same applies to roads around Valbona, where a 4×4, or at least a car with larger wheels, is a much wiser choice, even though a regular car can still manage if driven carefully.

Our advice is simple: stay alert, do not copy the boldest local drivers, and allow more time than you think you need on mountain roads.

What Are Roads in Albania Really Like?

Road conditions in Albania are a real mix, but on the routes most visitors actually use, they are often better than many people expect.

This is not a country where you spend hours gliding along huge, fast motorways without thinking much about the drive. Most journeys are slower, narrower, and more varied than in Western Europe. That does not mean the roads are bad – it just means you need to set your expectations properly.

What we found on the road:

• 🚗 Main tourist routes: easy enough for most drivers, especially between major towns and coastal stops
• 🛣️ Road type: expect a mix of paved local roads, narrow lanes and only a few motorway-style sections
• ⏱️ Driving times: routes often take longer than Google Maps suggests, especially in the mountains
• 🚓 Speed checks: fairly common around Tirana and on some main intercity roads
• ⛰️ Mountain roads: slower, rougher and sometimes unpaved, so plan extra time and avoid rushing
• 🌊 Coastal roads: scenic and mostly manageable, but winding, narrow and much busier in peak summer

For example, we found the drive from Tirana towards Berat and from Berat toGjirokastër quite easy overall. Once we had escaped the city traffic, the roads were not particularly crowded, and the journey felt simple enough. We did see plenty of police speed checks along that route, so this is not the place to test how flexible the speed limit might be.

The biggest difference comes when you head into the mountains. The road from Shkodër to Lake Koman was the hardest route we drove: partly unpaved, very slow, and the kind of drive where you are constantly torn between enjoying the landscape and wondering if the rental car is coping. It was also one of the most beautiful drives we did in Albania – quiet, dramatic, and absolutely worth doing, just not quickly.

Shkodër to Theth is now paved, which makes it much easier than it once was, but it is still a steep, narrow mountain road with plenty of bends and slow sections. In colder months, snow and avalanche risk can affect access, and the roads around Theth itself are rougher than the main approach road.

Our overall opinion? Main roads are manageable, while mountain roads require patience.

The Most Difficult Parts of Driving in Albania

The most difficult parts of driving in Albania were not usually dangerous – they were more often stressful, slow, or awkward.

The sections we found trickiest

• 🚦 Tirana: the busiest and most stressful place to drive
• 🚗 Tirana to Krujë: slow, especially when traffic starts building
• 🪨 Gjirokastër old town: steep, narrow, cobbled streets and a one-way system
• 🅿️ Sarandë in summer: parking can be genuinely frustrating
• ⛰️ Mountain routes: rougher surfaces and much slower progress

Tirana was the place where we enjoyed driving the least. There is a lot of traffic, it moves slowly, and it can feel fairly chaotic. We deliberately stayed on the outskirts so we would not have to drive deep into the centre, and honestly, that was a smart decision. Even the drive out towards Krujë took far longer than expected at one point because there had been an accident on the single-lane road.

Gjirokastër was challenging in a very different way. The old town is steep, narrow, and covered in cobbles, so it was not scary in a “this is dangerous” sense, but more in a “this is definitely not relaxing” sense.

We stayed right in the historic centre near the bazaar and did manage to park next to our hotel, although we got a little confused with the directions once. A local man went completely out of his way to help us, driving ahead so we could follow him. Very Albanian, very kind, and thankfully no drama.

Sarandë was the most frustrating place for parking, particularly during summer. Berat, by contrast, felt much easier. We found a free parking area only a few minutes from our accommodation.

Places such as Himarë and Dhërmi also felt calmer and less stressful than Sarandë.

Do You Need a 4×4 in Albania?

No, you do not need a 4×4 for a standard Albania road trip. If you are following the classic tourist route and visiting places such as Berat, Gjirokastër, Sarandë, Himarë or Dhërmi, a regular car is usually perfectly fine. We covered plenty of ground in a small economy car, and for most main roads and popular stops, that was all we needed.

A 4×4 becomes more useful if you plan to drive on rougher mountain or rural roads, especially in northern Albania. The road from Shkodër to Lake Koman was slow and unpaved in places, and for routes around Valbona, we would definitely choose at least a car with bigger wheels next time.

Quick summary

• 🚗 Classic route: no 4×4 required
• ⛰️ Mountain-focused trip: helpful, but not always essential
• ⚠️ Avoid: very tiny mini cars for rough northern roads

Essential Rules and Tips for Driving in Albania

These are the main things to know before you drive in Albania. None of them are especially complicated, but a few are worth remembering because they can save you stress later.

1. 👉 Drive on the right. If you are coming from the UK, Australia, or another country where people drive on the left, this is the first thing to keep in mind.
2. 🚗 Be ready for impatient overtaking. We saw drivers overtake in spots where we probably would not have done it, so drive defensively and do not assume everyone around you will wait calmly.
3. 💡 Keep your headlights on. This is an easy rule to forget if you are used to only switching them on after dark, so make it a habit from the beginning.
4. 🚓 Watch your speed. Albania is not a country where rushing gets you very far, and we saw quite a few police speed checks, especially between Tirana and Berat. Roads are often slower than they look on the map anyway, so speeding rarely saves meaningful time.
5. 🪪 Carry the correct documents. Bring your driving licence, passport or ID, rental documents, and if required, an IDP. Whether you need an International Driving Permit depends on your licence and the rental company, so check before travelling rather than discovering it at the counter.
6. 🍷 Do not take risks with alcohol. The alcohol limit is low, so the simplest approach is this: if you are driving, do not drink.
7. 🅿️ Book accommodation with parking whenever possible. This matters more than you might expect. It made places like Gjirokastër and Berat much easier for us, while in Sarandë, summer parking was genuinely annoying.
8. 🌙 Avoid driving at night on rougher roads if you can. It is not illegal, of course — it is just often more tiring and stressful than it is worth.

Can You Cross Borders in a Rental Car From Albania?

Sometimes yes, but it depends entirely on the rental company and the car category. Some suppliers are quite flexible, while others have stricter rules, so this is never something to assume automatically.

From what we saw on Discover Cars, companies such as Alamo may allow cross-border trips to countries like Greece, Montenegro, Kosovo or North Macedonia, while others such as Europcar may only permit travel to a shorter list of neighbouring countries.

In most cases, taking a rental car across the border involves extra requirements:

1. 💶 a cross-border fee (often around €50)
2. 📝 written permission from the rental supplier
3. 🛡️ additional insurance or coverage
4. ⏰ advance notice before collecting the car

The simplest way to check is on Discover Cars: after selecting a vehicle, scroll down to the supplier’s full travel policies to see exactly whether border crossings are permitted. We have not personally done this, so it is definitely something to confirm before you book.

When Driving in Albania Is Not Worth the Stress

Driving in Albania is worth it for many trips, but it is not the best choice for every traveller.

It may not be worth hiring a car if:

🎒 You are backpacking or travelling on a tight budget. Buses and furgons are cheaper, even though they are slower and less flexible. You can still see a lot of Albania this way – it just requires more time. ➡️ You can still cover plenty by bus, but it helps to plan realistically with an Albania itinerary.

🏖️ You are staying in just one beach base, such as Ksamil. If your plan is simply to base yourself in one coastal town like Ksamil, a rental car may become more hassle than help – especially if you have already chosen the best area using our guide to where to stay in Ksamil.

😬 You are not a confident driver. If winding roads, assertive overtaking, or slightly chaotic traffic make you anxious, Albania is probably not the ideal place to “gain confidence” behind the wheel.

🌙 You only want very easy daytime drives. Once you move beyond the simplest routes, driving in Albania can be slower and more tiring than it looks on a map.

Final Verdict

Driving in Albania is absolutely realistic for most confident drivers, and for us, it was the best way to explore the country properly. It is not always relaxing, and some roads require patience, but the freedom you get is hard to beat.

If you want a simple official resource for planning before your trip, Albania’s tourism board also has a useful tourism map where you can browse routes and destinations.