Driving in Albania in a hire car
Driving in Albania in a hire car means following the Albania rental terms from pick-up to handback: the licence, the roads a hire car may use, who pays tolls and fines, and what to do after damage. The drive times below are routed from Tirana Airport.
Do I need an International Driving Permit in Albania?
The terms require a valid national driving licence with its details duplicated in Latin script, valid until at least the last day of the rental. Copies and electronic licences are not accepted.
An International Driving Permit is strongly recommended by the terms when your licence is valid only in the country that issued it, and it should be ready to show on request.
Minimum age and driving experience are set per car, listed on each car's page in the search for cars at Tirana Airport, and can differ between similar models. The rental company can refuse the car if a driver does not meet them.
Which roads can a hire car be driven on?
Paved public roads only. The terms prohibit hire cars on unpaved exits to beaches and on five named routes: Berat to Përmet through the Osumi Canyon and on the SH74 motorway; Tirana to Qafë-Shtamë Nature Park through Lake Bovilla; Thethi to Valbona through the mountains; Memaliaj to Berat through Martallozi; and Krujë to Burreli through Qafë-Shtamë Nature Park.
Five regions are closed to hire cars as a whole: Tomorri Mountain National Park, Lura National Park, Lake Koman, Korab Mountain and Qafë-Shtamë Nature Park. The terms give the emergency condition of the road surface as the reason, and no insurance is valid on the routes or in the regions.
How long are the drives from Tirana Airport?
The table gives routed times from the airport pick-up in free-flowing traffic, rounded up to the next five minutes. The routed drive north to Shkodër uses the A1 and the SH1; the drives south use the SH2, the SH85 and the SH4, with the A2 into Vlorë and the SH83 into Sarandë.
Find your hire car.
Search cars for your dates at Tirana Airport.
Search cars for your datesWho pays tolls, parking and fines?
The renter pays for fuel, parking, fines and toll roads. The car goes back with the fuel level it had at pick-up; below that level, the difference is charged at the rental company's rates, and above it nothing is refunded.
A car returned so dirty that it hinders the inspection is washed at the renter's expense.
What do I do after an accident in Albania?
Notify the rental company immediately and obtain a police report, unless the company agrees otherwise. Under the terms, failing to do so cancels the insurance on the car and leaves the renter fully responsible.
Standard insurance does not cover the wheels, the undercarriage, the windscreen or the interior, and no insurance covers deliberate damage or neglect. The cover on each car, including full insurance where it is offered, is shown on the car's page before booking.
Why does the rental company need my phone number?
The terms require the phone number given at booking, with the correct country code, to be available the day before pick-up and throughout the rental. Service quality claims are not accepted if the renter could not be reached by phone or by Viber, WhatsApp or Telegram.
Can I drive a hire car out of Albania?
Tell the rental company in advance, so it can complete the required documents. The terms set that notice as the requirement and do not list which countries each rental company allows.
Can I extend the rental or bring a pet?
To extend the rental, inform the rental company in advance. The minimum chargeable rental is 24 hours, and part of a day counts as a full day.
Only small pets may travel in a hire car, and they stay in their travel carriers at all times.