Renting a Car & Driving in Albania

I heard and read a lot about aggressive Albanian drivers and terrible roads. But I figured it couldn’t be much worse than driving in Greece, so I rented a car and did a road trip in Albania. And guess what? The driving was fine – Greece was much worse!

Driving in Albania does have its challenges, and I don’t recommend it for an inexperienced driver, but I found drivers were courteous and the roads pretty good.

Renting a Car & Driving in Albania

I was a bit nervous about renting a car and driving in Albania, but the whole experience was easy. Having the freedom to go anywhere, anytime and not worry about lugging my suitcase and dog around bus stations was wonderful.

It’s a great way to see the country, and if you’re planning a trip like this Albania 2 week itinerary, having your own car makes it so much easier.

How to Rent a Car in Albania

For the car rental I went through DiscoverCars.com. If you go on the website you’ll see all the rental options from different local companies. It’s easy to compare prices and see reviews.

DiscoverCars.com suggests you choose a company with an 8+ rating, but I couldn’t find one that suited my needs, so I chose a company with a 7.6 rating. I had no issues with my car at all and everything went fine.

When selecting your car, read the fine print and rules carefully because they vary. Rental companies can differ on these things:

• 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: Some companies charge extra for this. Mine charged an extra 5000 lek ($61 USD).
• 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.

I had no problems with my rental car, but I highly recommend you examine the rental closely on pick up for damage, inside and out, and make sure any issues are noted on the rental paperwork.

A video with your phone is also a good idea because it will be date and time stamped.

Tips for Driving in Albania

I had read so much about the terrible drivers in Albania I was a little nervous about driving a rental car for 10 days, but in my opinion the drivers were pretty good and courteous.

They do seem quite lax about the rules of the road, though. For example, I saw lots of double parking in Shkoder, or random parking in the most inconvenient spots (for other drivers), overtaking on the shoulder and speeding.

After driving for 10 days, 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/hr in urban areas and 80 km/hr on highways, but this varies. At one point the speed limit was 120 km/hr 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.
• 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.
• Take your time: Be courteous and let other drivers pass if they want to.
• Fold in your mirrors when parked: Roads can be narrow and when you’re parked, fold in your mirrors to avoid another car hitting them. I rented a Hyundai Venue and the mirrors folded in automatically when I switched the ignition off.

Road Conditions in Albania

For the most part, the roads were very 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.

Basically, the numbered roads are decent and paved. Once you get off the highways the roads tend to get narrower.

There were many occasions when I had to pull over to let oncoming cars pass – particularly driving the mountain route from Shkoder to Theth. Drivers also did the same for me.

I would definitely avoid gravel roads in a rental car. In Theth the roads are all gravel, potholed and narrow. I basically just parked the car while I was there and walked everywhere.

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 was a little shocking how fast some of the Albanians drove those roads with the numerous switchbacks and hair pin turns, but they did. I just took my time, let them pass me when the wanted, and honked before every blind turn.

Honestly I didn’t mind the mountain driving (and I did a lot of it), it was kind of fun. And the scenery was 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 booking my car online with DiscoverCars.com I indicated I would take the car over to Kosovo. 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.

FAQs

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.

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