Tirana Airport to Saranda by hire car
The drive from Tirana Airport to Saranda (Sarandë) is 248 km and routes at about 4 hours and 5 minutes in free-flowing traffic; Ksamil, further south, is 258 km and about 4 hours and 20 minutes. A hire car collected at the airport can make the drive and stay in the south, returned in Sarandë on a one-way hire from the airport, or come back north at the end of the trip.
Which road does the drive from Tirana Airport to Sarandë take?
The routed drive heads towards Durrës on the A1 and the SH2, turns south on the SH85 and then follows the SH4 for about 142 km. It crosses to Sarandë on the SH83 and the SH78 for the last stretch. That route runs inland; it does not follow the coast through Vlorë and Himarë.
The routed drive to Himarë is a different route: it continues through Vlorë onto the SH8 and the Llogara tunnel road, 213 km and about 3 hours and 40 minutes from the airport.
Can I leave the hire car in Sarandë?
Yes, on cars that accept Sarandë as a drop-off. Book one-way car hire in Albania with Tirana as the pick-up and Sarandë as the drop-off, and only those cars appear. Each total includes the car's one-way charge, which is set by the rental company and differs between cars.
The handback in Sarandë is by city delivery, at an address agreed with the rental company, or at one of the rental offices. There is no airport or port drop-off point for Sarandë in the search.
Ksamil is also a drop-off city from Tirana, booked the same way.
Find your hire car.
Search cars for your dates at Tirana Airport.
Search cars for your datesCan I hire a car in Sarandë instead?
Sarandë appears in the search as a pick-up city with one option, City delivery. The car is brought to an address in Sarandë, and a delivery charge can sit inside the car's total.
How is the one-way hire booked and paid?
An advance of 15 to 20% of the total is paid online, and the rest is paid to the rental company at the airport pick-up. The rental company's contact details arrive with the voucher, and the Sarandë handback is arranged with that company.
A booking cancels without penalty up to 7 days before the rental (30 days for luxury cars and convertibles), or 24 hours before on cars with Free cancellation, less the 6% payment service fee.
Which roads in the south can a hire car not use?
Hire cars are allowed only on paved public roads, and the terms prohibit unpaved exits to beaches.
Two of the prohibited routes touch Berat: Berat to Përmet through the Osumi Canyon and on the SH74, and Memaliaj to Berat through Martallozi. Tomorri Mountain National Park is a prohibited region. No insurance is valid on these routes or in the region.
What costs come up on a long drive south?
Fuel, parking, fines and toll roads are paid by the renter. On a one-way hire the car is handed back with the same fuel level as at pick-up; a lower level is charged at the rental company's rates.
The terms require the phone number given at booking, with its country code, to stay reachable from the day before pick-up to the end of the rental.
Can I take the car from Sarandë into Greece?
The terms require you to tell the rental company in advance about any trip outside Albania, so it can prepare the required documents. They do not say which countries a given company allows, so ask before booking the car.