Before going to an unexplored country, an experienced traveler is required to learn some information about transport. Albania , like most countries on the Balkan Peninsula, specializes in tourism. For the comfort of tourists the transport of Albania develops in all possible directions.
Railway transport
The railway transport of Albania plays a huge role in passenger and freight traffic. The first railway of Albania was built in 1947, and it was she who connected Durres , Albania's main seaport, with Tirana and Elbasan. The railway network consists of 447 km of road, and all trains in Albania are diesel. Railway transport, as a rule, is much slower than other transportation methods (the average speed of the train does not exceed 35-40 km / h).
Along the shore of Lake Skadar there is a single railway branch connecting Albania with other states. Line Shkoder - Podgorica (the capital of Montenegro) was built in the 80's. XX century. Now there is no passenger traffic on it, the road is used exclusively for the transportation of cargo.
It is worth noting that local youth in Albania are not very kind: sometimes they throw stones at the windows of a moving train. It's kind of fun with them. Avoiding an unpleasant situation is simple enough - do not sit by the window.
Automobile transport
Domestic shipments are mainly carried out by road. Despite the fact that the government makes significant investments in improving the roads of Albania, the quality of the surface of many roads is disgusting. In Albania, widespread disregard for the rules of the road. Traffic lights are practically absent. In general, the road infrastructure in Albania leaves much to be desired. So be vigilant: avoid night traveling outside of the main urban areas, and never drive behind while intoxicated. The imprudence of a traveler can lead to a lot of trouble.
In Albania, right-hand traffic (left-hand drive). In total there are about 18000 km of roads. Of these, 7,450 km are the main roads. In urban centers, the speed limit is 50 km / h, in rural areas - 90 km / h.
Taxi
At any hotel there are taxi drivers and wait for clients. Prices are usually not overstated by anyone, but it's better to agree on the fare in advance, because sometimes drivers choose the path more authentic and, accordingly, more expensive.
Car rental
You can rent a car in Albania if you have an international driver's license. Naturally, you should be at least 19 years old. Leave the deposit in the form of cash or credit card.
Air transport of Albania
There is no domestic air service in Albania. Due to the small size of the country itself, in Albania there is only one international airport - the airport named after Mother Teresa . It is located 25 km north-west of Tirana, in the small town of Rinas. "Albanian Airlines" is the only international airline in the country.
Water transport of Albania
The main port of Albania is Durres . From Durres you can get to the Italian ports of Ancona, Bari, Brindisi and Trieste. There are other large seaports: Saranda , Korcha , Vlora . With their help ships can cruise between Italian and Greek ports. Also in the country there is the river Buyana, which is used mainly for tourist water transport. It should be noted that the international ferry connecting the Pogradec with the Macedonian city of Ohrid is running along the river Buyan.
Intercity transport
The situation with the bus service is even worse than with the roads. There is no central bus connection between the cities. No cash desks, no timetables. Everything will have to be learned on your own, and find out early in the morning - the bulk of the transport is recovering at the destination at 6-8 in the morning. Coming closer to dinner, you risk not to leave at all on that day.
Hundreds of private buses run around the country. You can find out about the locality you need only if you come to the stop in person. We pay the fare directly from the driver. The bus leaves in a way, as soon as all places are occupied. However, there are advantages to this method of traveling around the country: a unique view of the countryside will be of interest to any tourist. In addition, traveling by bus, you will save a significant amount of money (the prices are quite low).
The main routes from Tirana:
- To the south: Tirana-Berati, Tirana-Vlera, Tirana-Gyrokastra, Tirana-Saranda. To the south, buses depart from Kavaja (Kavaja) Street from the brewery in Tirana.
- To the north: Tirana-Shkoder, Tirana- Kruja , Tirana-Lezh. Minibuses to Bairam Kurri depart from the headquarters of the Democratic Party on Murat Toptani Street. Buses to Kukes and Peshkopii depart from Laprak. Buses to Shkoder start traffic near the railway station located on Karla Gega Street.
- To the south-east: Tirana-Pogradets, Tirana-Korcha. Buses heading south-east depart from the Kemal Stafa stadium .
- To the west: Tirana-Durres; Tirana-Golem. Buses to Durres and the Golem area of the beach leave from the train station.