How to get to Albania from Montenegro?

I was planning to travel from Montenegro to Albania and it was quite difficult to find information on how to get to Albania from Montenegro. So, I did some research and I decided to write a blog post about it.

How to get to Albania from Montenegro? You can travel to Albania from Montenegro by bus, by taxi or with a rental car. The trip will take you at least 2 hours and it will cost you €10-€33 by bus or €90-€115 by taxi. If you drive a rental car, you will need to pay a fee to cross the border. There are no trains from Montenegro to Albania.

However, crossing the border between Montenegro and Albania is still quite off-the-beaten-path! So, let’s make sure you are well prepared for your trip across the border from Montenegro to Albania.

 

Bus to Albania from Montenegro

If you want to travel by bus from Montenegro to Albania, you can get on the bus in these Montenegrin cities:

1.       Herceg Novi
2.       Kotor
3.       Budva
4.       Podgorica

The bus from Montenegro to Albania departs from Herceg Novi at 9:30 am. From Herceg Novi, the bus makes stops in Kotor at 10:45 am, Budva at 11:20 am and Podgorica at 13:00 pm. From Podgorica, the bus continues its journey to the border at Bozaj at 13:35 pm.

The bus from Montenegro, stops in the following Albanian cities:

1.       Shkoder
2.       Lezhe
3.       Durres
4.       Tirana
5.       Elbasan

So, once the bus has crossed the border at Bozaj, the bus will make its first Albanian stop in Shkoder at 14:50. From Shkoder, the bus will make a stop in Lezhe at 15:30, Durres at 17:00, Tirana at 17:45 and its final stop is Elbasan at 18:30.

Bus pricing from Montenegro to Albania

The bus from Montenegro to Albania costs between €10.00 and €33.00, depending on how long you stay in the bus. Herceg Novi, Kotor and Budva are popular beach cities in Montenegro, but further away from the border. Podgorica on the other hand, is close to the border of Albania.

The shortest route to cross the border, is travelling from Podgorica to Shkoder. Podgorica is capital city of Montenegro, which happens to be close to the border. The first stop of the bus on the Albanian side of the border is Shkodra. Shkodra is absolutely worth a visit as a tourist. As a tourist in Shkodra, you can visit the Venetian boulevard, the famous Rozafa caste and the Lake Koman ferry.

From Kotor, Budva and Podgorica there are more frequent buses to Albania. Moreover, the most popular cities to travel to in Albania are Shkoder and Tirana.

Bus from Kotor to Shkoder

The bus journey from Kotor to Shkoder takes 3 hours and 45 minutes. There are three bus departures per day from Kotor to Shkoder. The earliest bus leaves Kotor at 6:45 am and arrives in Shkoder at 10:30 am. The next bus departs at 8:00am from Kotor and arrives in Shkoder at 11:50 am. And the third bus, departs at 10:45 am and will arrive in Shkoder at 14:50. The price for a bus ticket from Kotor to Shkoder is between €15.00 and €25.00.

Shkoder is a great starting point to explore the Albanian Alps in the North of Albania. Check out my perfect itinerary for the Albanian Alps here!

Bus from Kotor to Tirana

The bus journey from Kotor to Tirana will take you 7 hours. There are three bus departures per day. The bus from Kotor leaves at 6:45 am, 8:00 am or 10:45 am. Depending on how early you departed Kotor, the bus arrives in Tirana at 12:15 pm, 13:50 pm or 17:45 pm. A bus ticket from Kotor to Tirana will cost you €25.00.

Bus from Budva to Shkoder

If you travel from Budva to Shkoder, there are three bus departures per day. The journey from Budva to Shkoder takes 3 hours and 30 minutes. The first bus departs Budva at 7:30 am and will drop you off in Shkoder at 10:30 am. If you take the bus from Budva is at 8:30 am, you will arrive in Shkoder at 11:50 am. And finally is you depart Budva at 11:20 am, you will be in Shkoder at 14:50 pm. The bus ticket from Budva to Shkoder costs between €12.00 and €18.00.

Shkoder is a great starting point to visit the Theth mountain village, hike across the Valbone Pass & see the Blue Eye of Theth. Check out my perfect Albanian Alps tour itinerary over here!

Bus from Budva to Tirana

The bus journey from Budva to Tirana will take you 6 hours and 25 minutes. You can depart Budva at 7:30 am, 8:30 am and 11:20 am. The bus from Budva will arrive in Tirana at 12:15 pm, 13:50 pm and 17:45 pm. The bus ticket from Budva to Tirana costs €23.00 per person.

Bus from Podgorica to Shkoder

The bus journey from Podgorica to Shkoder takes only 1 hour and 50 minutes. There are four bus departures from Podgorica to Shkoder per day. The bus departs Podgorica at 9:00 am, 10:00 am, 13:00 pm or 16:00 pm. The bus from Podgorica arrives in Shkoder at 10:30 am, 11:50 am, 14:50 pm or 18:30 pm. A bus ticket from Podgorica to Shkoder costs only €10.00 per person.

Did you know that the North of Albania has some amazing beaches? Rana e Hedhun beach close to Shkoder is an amazing place to visit. Check out my full guide to beaches in the North of Albania here!

Bus from Podgorica to Tirana

The bus journey from Podgorica to Tirana lasts 4 hours and 45 minutes. There are four bus departures per day between the capital cities. You can depart from Podgorica at 9:00 am, 10:00 am, 13:00 pm or 16:00 pm. Depending on which bus you took, you will arrive in Tirana at 12:15 pm, 13:50 pm, 17:45 pm or 20:15 pm. A bus ticket from Podgorica to Tirana will cost you €15.00 per person.

Taxi to Albania from Montenegro

Instead of a bus, you can choose to travel from Montenegro to Albania by taxi as well. Prices are considerably higher for a private transfer or taxi.

A private car for 3-4 persons from Podgorica to Tirana will cost you €110 – €113 per car. Alternatively, you can book a taxi transfer from Podgorica airport to Tirana for €90.00. The taxi journey will take between 2 hour or 2.5 hours depending on the traffic. However, in high season there is usually a larger number of tourists at the border crossing in Bozaj. Therefore, you should expect an additional 45 minutes waiting time at the border.

It is also possible to book a minivan for 8 persons. The price for a minivan transfer from Podgorica to Tirana is between €185.00 – €213.00.

Driving a rental car from Montenegro to Albania

You can also rent a car in Montenegro and drive it across the border to Albania. But if you want to drive across the border, you need to inform your car rental company beforehand.

Moreover, to drive the rental car across the border between Montenegro and Albania, you will need a Green Card. A Green Card is an international certificate, that shows you are covered by insurance. It is a document that proves, that the rented car is covered with basic insurance. The price for a Green Card for one car is €42.35 including VAT.

If you rent a car with Enterprise Car Rental or Green Motion Montenegro, they only charge you €42.35 for the Green Card to drive across the border. If you rent a car from Hertz Montenegro, they will charge you €42.35 for the Green Card and you can choose to pay €6.00-€12.00 per day for additional car insurance. If you pick Europcar for your rental, you will be charged an additional €10.00 per day for taking the car across the border.

From Podgorica, you can drive across the border crossing “Hani I Hotit – Bozaj”. This border crossing leads to the Albanian city of Shkoder. Customs are open until 22:00 every day.

Montenegro to Albania train

It is not possible to travel from Montenegro to Albania by train, because there are no international passenger trains. The only railway between Montenegro and Albania is used to transport goods and cargo only.

Related Questions

Are there trains in Albania? There are no international passenger trains between Albania and Europe. The only international railway between Albania and Montenegro is used for cargo only. There are a few national trains, but they are not fast. You can take the national train between Tirana and Durres as a touristic adventure.

Is Albania safe to drive through? Albania is safe to drive through. The government is improving the roads. You need a 4 wheel-drive car, if you plan on driving to a remote area, due to the gravel roads. To find the route for your travel, it is best to check with locals. Be sure to keep your lights on, because it is a safety law.

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