How to Hire a Car in Albania: My Experience + Essential Tips

Prices

So let’s get down to it: how much to rent a car in Albania?

Obviously, rental deals vary from company to company and depending on which month you are renting it (prices climb in summer, when the festivals in Albania are on). If you’re visiting during Albania’s off-season, this will be the cheapest time to rent a car and when you will get the best deal.

You can find cheap rental cars for as low as €13 in small car rental companies and as high as €100 per day for something fancier, the kind of car that matches a stay at one of the luxury hotels in Albania.

I would say the average for hiring a car in Albania or average price of a vehicle rental would be around €15-50 per day.

It will also depend on whether you want a manual or automatic and what type of car you would like (a bigger car helps if you plan to stay at Albania campsites).

Oh, also the minimum age for renting car in Albania is 21 years old. Depending on the car rental service, you may also need to have been a legal driver for one to two years.

Driving on the Roads in Albania

Is it easy to drive in Albania? Yes and no.

Travelling in Albania can be quite a hassle; Albanian roads can be in bad condition. There’s often a lot of potholes and usually, if there’s a big hole in the road, they will stick an object in it.

In Saranda, I have seen a chair in place of a hole. Yes, a chair. At least Albania driving is interesting (just one of the quirky reasons why I love Albania)!

Always keep an eye on the road and don’t go so fast that you cannot stop in a hurry. And make sure to follow these rules of the road.

Road Rules in Albania

Anyone looking into how to travel around Albania in a rental car should be aware of the Albanian road rules, so keep the following in mind:

1. Always Carry Your License

Make sure you always have a valid driver’s license on you (add it to your Albania packing list) even if you’re going on a short drive. For Albanians, there are harsh penalties for not carrying your driving license. Being a foreigner, you are in an even more vulnerable position so don’t risk it!

2. Drive on the right-hand side of the Road

As with many European countries, one of the most common questions asked is “what side of the road do they drive on in Albania?”

The answer is: on the right-hand side. In Albania, make sure you always stick to the right-hand side of the road! If you’re from the United States you will be fine!

3. Give Way to the Right

You should always give way at intersections to the person on your right. The person entering a roundabout has right of way.

The person already on the roundabout should be aware of others entering and give way to them.

4. Keep Your Lights On

When driving rental cars in Albania make sure you have your headlights on, all the time, at every part of the day.

5. Keep to the Speed Limits

This is an obvious one but keep to the speed limits.

Take notice of the signs. Albania has some strange speed zones. For no reason, the speed might change to as low as 30 Km an hour for absolutely no reason in the middle of nowhere.

Police will look for any excuse to pull you over so always keep to it, no matter how ridiculous.

I have heard that police have pulled people over for not having snow chains available, in the middle of summer.

6. Keep Off of your Cell Phone

It’s illegal to drive whilst using a cell phone in Albania.

7. Wait for the Police

If you are in an accident you are obliged to wait for the police.

Beware of Erratic Drivers

A common question about travel in Albania can be “is it safe to drive in Albania?”. The answer is yes. But be cautious (I cover the wider question in is Albania safe).

There are a lot of people driving in Albania who don’t go by the rules. Common infractions include a lot of excessive speeding, overtaking on blind corners and erratic driving.

Sometimes it’s enough to make yourself wonder, “Is it safe to rent a car in Albania? Should I rent a car in Albania when the other drivers behave this way?”

Unfortunately, there’s nothing that you can do about it. But don’t let this dictate whether or not you rent cars in Albania (or whether you visit Albania at all); Albanians may drive less safely, but they still don’t want to crash either!

Just be aware while you’re driving of what others are doing around you. You don’t want to crash a rental car in Albania and ruin your trip!

Keep your distance to the cars in front of you and always make a note if the car in front of you has his brake lights working; a lot of the time they are broken.

Always Carry Cash for Petrol

Most petrol stations have a card machine these but some do not (carrying cash is one of my top Albania travel tips).

Just pull up, tell them how much Lek worth of petrol you want, wait and then pay the person directly.

Parking

You may notice that a common thing Albanians do is not park properly.

They will pull over, put their hazard lights on and run into a store, or go have coffee (or a plate of traditional Albanian food).

In cities around Albania, long-term parking or free parking can be hard to come by and you might find yourself driving for a while to find a car park, so it’s worth picking one of the best hotels in Albania with parking.

If you can’t find a car park, on-street parking is always an option, whether it’s in a paid section in Tirana, or just by the side of the road in smaller towns (handy for stopping to pick up Albanian souvenirs).

Albania also has a much lower rate of vehicle theft than other European countries such as France or the UK, one of the more surprising facts about Albania.

In Albania car theft is extremely rare, so parking on the street is very safe and a common practice.

Don’t Trust Google Maps

I have found on numerous road trips that what Google Maps says is different from reality.

The best way to combat this is to use Google Satellite and see in real time what the road looks like (very handy when driving to the best hikes in Albania), or if it’s even a road!

Another tip would be to ask the locals. The word for car is ‘Makena’ and the word for the road is ‘Rruga’. Put those two words together, point in the direction you want to go and see what happens!

You might even get some free tips on what to see in Albania to add to my list of unique things to do in Albania!

Can you Hire from One Place and Drop Off in Another?

When wondering how to hire a car in Albania, you should know that there are not a lot offices of the same company which limits the amount of drop-off locations.

A company running car rental in Tirana will probably not have an office in Saranda or Shkoder where you want to drop it off.

Similarly, a car rental in Shkoder (home to Rozafa Castle, which features in my castles in Albania guide) will probably have to be returned to the same office in Shkoder. The same goes for car hire in Gjirokastra (one of the Albania UNESCO sites), your car rental in Himarë, and so on.

Always check with the car company first. Maybe they will let you but with a big fee. The only recommendation I have heard from tourists is the company ‘EuroCar’.

Check with the Company if you Want to Take It to Other Countries

If you do want to visit one of Albania’s neighboring countries (maybe to tick off a few incredible castles in Europe), then always check with the company and its rental terms if this is allowed.

You will need to get extra car papers and potentially sign a new rental agreement if you do wish to take your Albania car rentals overseas and rental prices may increae.

Take Pictures and Videos of the Car Before You Leave

Before you leave for your road trip ALWAYS take many pictures and videos of your Albania rental car to have evidence just in case they accuse you of scratching or denting the car when you bring it back and want to add on additional fees.

If there are any minor damages to the car when you get it, be sure to document that and talk with the car company and confirm that they see these damages before you hire it.

Trust me, cheap car rental in Albania isn’t so cheap once you have to pay additional charges for pre-existing damage that wasn’t your fault! You will also want to do some checks inside the car to make sure the car is in good condition before you drive it.

Not sure about driving? Here are my Albania bus timetables too.

Police and Bribes

Police may pick on international number plates or if they can see a foreigner driving, especially in popular destinations like the city center. However, its always best to stick to the rules even in urban areas too.

If you do get pulled over for something you didn’t commit, always ask for evidence. Police can also give on the spot fines of up to 5000 Lek but that’s if you do something wrong!

Bribery used to be obvious but fortunately now they don’t try with foreigners so much as the penalty for them getting caught doing this is high.

Other Things to Note

• Tirana centre traffic is always bad and an absolute headache. You can rent a car in Tirana, but if you can avoid doing a lot of driving within Tirana (some Albania tours and excursions include pickups), then do it!
• Hitchhiking is very common in Albania with foreigners and locals. Learn more about Albania locals in my Albania Travel Guide.
• If you are coming to Albania in the winter, be aware of the weather (see my Albania weather guide). Flash-flooding and ice on the road can happen in an instant and can be very dangerous and its not a good idea to drive in these conditions.

I hope the process of how to hire a car in Albania has been made clearer for you! Let me know how your car hire in Albania went and where you went on your trip!