Best way to see Albania is with a hired car!
“I love travelling around the country by car. It gives you so much more flexibility to be able to see some of the real hidden gems”.
Mainly this short article is addressed to the travelers arriving in Albania through Tirana airport or by other means such as ferry boat or busses.
The number of the foreign tourists willing to visit Albania keeps increasing. This comes as a result of the very good experiences the tourists are finding here regarding the landscape, traditions and the organized accommodation conditions at affordable prices.
But quite often they challenge us with the question: “which is the best way to see Albania”?
The answer is not that easy on the moment, but if you make a resume of desires and wills that you have faced from the foreigners so curious to know Albania during the years on one hand and being aware of the opportunities offered on the other hand, the answer is a determined “by a rented car”.
Why a hired car is the best option to see Albania?
The majority of the foreigners are interested on the wonderful Albanian landscape, seaside, mountains, North, South, lakes, old traditions, remote areas, but unfortunately the access to these secret treasures is very limited. They are not easily reachable by public transport such as train, bus or minibus (taxi is an option but an expensive one).
With a hired car you can have your freedom to move around whenever you want, on your own schedule, reach and leave your destinations at your pleasure, without forcing yourself to fit to some unusual (very early in the morning?!) and rare (once a day?!) organized public transport.
Car hire in Albania, although it may seem daunting, actually is “a piece of cake”.
Mainly this short article is addressed to the travelers arriving in Albania through Tirana airport or by other means such as ferry boat or busses.
The number of the foreign tourists willing to visit Albania keeps increasing. This comes as a result of the very good experiences the tourists are finding here regarding the landscape, traditions and the organized accommodation conditions at affordable prices.
But quite often they challenge us with the question: “which is the best way to see Albania”?
The answer is not that easy on the moment, but if you make a resume of desires and wills that you have faced from the foreigners so curious to know Albania during the years on one hand and being aware of the opportunities offered on the other hand, the answer is a determined “by a rented car”.
Why a hired car is the best option to see Albania?
The majority of the foreigners are interested on the wonderful Albanian landscape, seaside, mountains, North, South, lakes, old traditions, remote areas, but unfortunately the access to these secret treasures is very limited. They are not easily reachable by public transport such as train, bus or minibus (taxi is an option but an expensive one).
With a hired car you can have your freedom to move around whenever you want, on your own schedule, reach and leave your destinations at your pleasure, without forcing yourself to fit to some unusual (very early in the morning?!) and rare (once a day?!) organized public transport.
Car hire in Albania, although it may seem daunting, actually is “a piece of cake”.
- The companies that offer car hire are usually flexible and no extra paper is required.
- International driving licenses are accepted.
- The prices are very affordable starting from 15 Euros a day in the off season reaching 30 – 35 Euros maximum, but also the choice of the hired car might influence the price.
- Trustful companies such as: Hertz, Enterprise, Europcar, Avis, Budget, Sixt, Alamo are available, offering very professional services in the field of car hire and have their offices at Tirana Airport (you can directly hire a car booking online from here and profit from very good deals offered there) . There are also lots of other companies that you can choose according to your preferences again consulting MyGuide services.
Most of the Albanian territory is covered by mobile networks and GPS is functioning well and traveling is very safe, but still keep in mind that:
- Traffic in Albania is still somehow chaotic.
- Some of the roads might be not at very good conditions or under repair.
- Always keep an eye on the road and don’t go so fast that you cannot stop in a hurry.
- Always carry cash for patrol, because at the pump stations may be they will not accept credit cards.
- If you drive to the remote areas be sure to have enough fuel in the tank for both ways.
