Renting a Car & Driving in Albania
After multiple road trips, day trips and car rentals I can honestly say driving in Albania is not that bad. There are a few challenges, and I don’t recommend it for inexperienced drivers, but in general it’s fine.
I’m going to walk you through how I rent cars in Albania, and how to avoid common mistakes and pitfalls – some of which I have made myself and learned to avoid the hard way. I’ll also go into road conditions and what to expect.
Renting a Car & Driving in Albania
Albania is a really beautiful country, and having a car gives you a lot of freedom to explore. And it’s pretty easy to rent a car in Albania – most people don’t even need an international driver’s license.
Before my first road trip in Albania I read a lot about aggressive Albanian drivers and terrible roads. It just isn’t true. Even though a lot of drivers like to go fast, they are courteous.
As for the roads, some are fantastic and some are terrible. The drive to the remote mountain village of Theth had fantastic roads. The highways and roads around Durres (the second largest city in Albania) – horrible.
One thing that drives me crazy about renting a car in Albania, is that the gas is never topped up. Don’t be surprised if you pick up your car and there’s only a quarter tank of gas in it.
How to Rent a Car in Albania
For Albanian car rentals I go through DiscoverCars.com. The website shows you all the rental options from different local companies. It’s easy to compare prices and see reviews.
If possible, I highly recommend you choose a known car company like Enterprise, Alamo or another large franchise. If that’s not possible choose one with an 8+ customer rating.
I had issues dealing with a small outfit in Durres over a damaged tire and photo radar speeding ticket. Getting the backup paperwork from them or proof of the radar photo was so difficult, I finally gave up. Now I only rent from larger companies, even if it costs more.
When selecting your car, read the fine print and rules carefully because they vary. Things to keep in mind:
- Driver age restrictions: The minimum age is often 20 and maximum age 70, but this varies.
- International driver’s license: Usually not required if your driver’s license is in English.
- Insurance: You may have coverage through your credit card company, but many rental agencies require you to purchase additional insurance.
- Mileage: Usually unlimited, but double check.
- Cross-border travel: Permission to take a rental car across a border is required, along with additional insurance. Not all countries are permitted.
- Ferry: Most companies do not allow ferry travel, including the Komani Lake ferry.
- Additional driver: There’s usually an extra fee for this.
- Credit card hold for damage deposit: Expect to have a hold of up to $1000 USD put on your credit card. If you purchase the car rental insurance the damage deposit may be waived.
- Automatic or manual transmission: Manual transmission is common in Europe. If you want automatic, make sure you request it.
Searching for affordable car rental in Albania?
I recommend using DiscoverCars to hire from a local agent. Prices start from just $18 USD/day.
Click here to browse the listings at DiscoverCars.com
It is imperative that you make a video of the car (inside and out – including license plate and spare tire) on pick up. This is your proof if the car company comes back and claims any damage.
Why I Won’t Rent a Small Car in Albania
I once rented a small vehicle (Hyundai i10) for 4 days in Durres – and I will never rent one again. The small frame and tires were not suited for Albanian roads.
I hit a pothole at 20 km/h leaving the port area of Durres (the pick-up point for the rental), and destroyed one of the tires. The tire was literally shredded and had to be replaced for €200. I had literally driven the car for less than 5 minutes when that happened!
After that experience, I always rent standard sized vehicles or SUVs.
The Biggest Problem Tourists Have With Rental Cars in Albania
The complaint that comes up again and again from tourists who rent cars in Albania is problems with tires. I’ve also experienced this.
Albanian roads can be rough on tires, especially if you’re hitting pot holes or driving on a lot of gravel. I once completely shredded a tire hitting a deep pot hole, and another time one of the rental car tires had a slow leak and required filling up with air every couple of days. That’s when I found out not all gas stations have air.
When you pick up your rental check the spare tire. Make sure there is one, and that it’s not flat.
I also recommend renting a larger vehicle for this reason – bigger tires, less problems.
Tips for Driving in Albania
Despite what you may read, the drivers in Albania are pretty courteous. They drive fast and I’ve seen some careless passing, but they’re not rude.
They do seem quite lax about the rules of the road, though. There’s lots of double parking, parking in the most inconvenient spots (for other drivers and pedestrians), overtaking on the shoulder and speeding.
I’ve driven all over the country, including cross border, Tirana and the mountains. My biggest tip is to take your time. Let other drivers pass if they want to and keep your sense of humour!
- Speed limits vary a lot: Generally they are 40 or 50 km/h in urban areas and up to 90 km/h on highways, but this varies. At one point the speed limit was 120 km/h on the A1 toll road. The speed limit also drops around exits and entry points on highways.
- Watch your speed: There were days when I saw a lots police with radar on the highways. Other drivers were really good about flashing their lights as a warning. I also found out the hard way there is photo radar.
- Avoid driving at night: During the day the roads are fine, but they become extra challenging at night.
- Gas stations are full service and they may not take credit cards: Not all gas stations accept credit cards. Make sure you have cash.
- Fold in your mirrors when parked: Roads can be very narrow. Fold in your mirrors when parked to avoid another car hitting them. Most rentals have mirrors that fold in automatically when the ignition is switched off.
Road Conditions in Albania
For the most part, the roads are good. The A1 toll highway is excellent, and it saved me about an hour driving across Albania. It includes the 5.5. km long Kalimash Tunnel, an engineering marvel.
Tolls costs are low. Between Kosovo and Lezhe it cost 500 lek ($6.10 USD). When I was driving back to Tirana from Lezhe, the toll was less than 200 lek.
Once you get off the highways the roads tend to get narrower, and you may run into some gravel roads in remote areas. There have been many occasions when I had to pull over to let oncoming cars pass – particularly driving the mountain route from Shkoder to Theth.
The biggest danger on Albanian roads are the pot holes. I found the roads around Durres the worst for this, including the highway.
Mountain Driving in Albania
Albania is one of the most mountainous countries in Europe. It’s safe to assume that if you are driving in Albania, you will have to do some mountain driving.
It’s a little shocking how fast some Albanians drive these roads with numerous switchbacks and hair pin turns, but they do. I just take my time, let them pass me when they want, and honk before blind turns.
Honestly I don’t mind the mountain driving (and I do a lot of it in Albania). The scenery is usually spectacular.
Taking a Rental Car & Driving Cross Border
Most car rental companies will allow you to take the car to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Greece, Kosovo, Montenegro and North Macedonia. This may vary by company, so read the cross border rules carefully.
You will need written permission from the car rental company and insurance to take a car cross border.
When I planned to drive to Kosovo from Albania, I indicated this when booking the car online with DiscoverCars.com. At the time of pick-up I was given written authorization to show at the Kosovo border.
I also needed to purchase extra insurance, above what my credit card company covered, and pay a cross border fee. The good news was that because I purchased the car rental insurance, they didn’t put a damage deposit hold on my credit card.
At the Kosovo border I just handed the guard the ownership papers and my passport. He never asked to see the special permission, proof of insurance or my dog’s paperwork (my dog was with me). This was also true returning to Albania from Kosovo.
Last Words on Renting a Car & Driving in Albania
Because of all the negative things I’d heard, I was a little worried about driving in Albania. I shouldn’t have been.
Albanian drivers like to drive fast, but they are polite. I did witness a lot of haphazard parking and some crazy overtaking, but apart from that I didn’t have any issues driving. I’ve driven in a few European countries and found the driving in Albania easy.
