Car Rental in Albania

Are you ready for amazing stories? Let’s get to know each other. My name is Mary.

I’ve traveled to Albania four times and have always rented cars there. Once I even went with my little daughter, without a husband.

I don’t consider myself an expert. Not at all But not so many people went to Albania. So my knowledge about car rental and local rental offices will be useful to someone.

In Albania, you can’t go anywhere without a car! And there are only a few excursions.

Where to rent a car in Albania without a driver?

I’ve been to Albania 4 times and rented a car there 6 times. How so? It’s just that sometimes it’s good to break a vacation into several parts: drive a car, return it, warm up on the beach, ride again…

I understand that my numbers is unlikely to impress anyone against the experience of some other Tip to Trip authors. But the car rental market is relatively new  here.

So, I’ll tell you where I rented my cars and what conclusions I made. Here is my personal rating of the best car rental websites in Albania (subjective):

1. Localrent.com — the company is from Montenegro. In Albania, they work quite recently, but have already managed to combine many local car rental companies.
   • What are they good at: very clear site, low prices and deposits, amazing support and humane attitude towards each client.
   • What’s bad about them: the cheapest cars are almost always very old.
   • My experience: I rented a car in Albania 2 times and both passed 5+. In other countries I often use this service too. Everything was fine, always.
2. Economybookings, Rentalcars, Discovercars. These are international brokers. I won’t even write about each separately, since they are all doing the same thing: signing contracts with major international and local brands and buying “inventory” (the right to rent a car) from them at huge discounts.

   

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   Since the booking volumes of all these sites are very large, the distributors give better prices for them than for their “direct” customers. And the sites take part of this savings for themselves, and give part to you in the form of a discount. That is why their cars are cheaper than directly. The amount of this “discount for customers” is different for everyone, and it is constantly changing. So, you have to compare which company is more profitable for your dates.
   • What are they good at: you can rent a new car cheaper than “on the spot”. It is convenient to compare prices in different rentals. You can find out in advance the conditions for additional options and insurance.
   • What’s bad about them: often it’s more expensive than Localrent. Sometimes they try to sell you without notifying not-so-useful options like “Help on the road.”
   • My experience: I rented once on each of these sites in Albania. Whoever had the lowest price for a car I was interested in, I took it from them. I’ve been client of this companies dozens of times in other countries. I did not notice much difference (except for user interface). So I advise you to do the same and pick cheaper one.
3. Rent a car in local companies “directly”. I did this only once. Did not like it. They didn’t cheat me, but I overpaid at least 30%. I found the same car for less on Economybookings the same day.

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   I will not tell my opinion what is good and what is bad. To do this, you need to rent at least 3-4 different local offices. And I have no such experience.
4. Rent from international brands “directly”. Enterprise, Alamo, Ace, Europcar, Green Motion, Avis, Surprice, Budget and some other large companies operate in Albania. In my opinion, they do not make a big difference in the Albanian market and occupy about 10-30% there.

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   I don’t see the point in renting through them. You can find exactly the same car from the same distributor cheaper on Rentalcars, for example. Don’t overpay!

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How do I do? If I want to rent quickly and without “troubles”, I immediately open Localrent.com website and choose a car there. If I need to save as much as possible, I open all 4 sites, fill in the dates I need and see which service will offer better option.

And then I choose what I like more. I’m looking for some balance. So that the car is decent, and the price for isn’t hard for my budget.

How much does it cost to rent a car? What are the prices in Albania?

Prices depend on what kind of car you need, when exactly and for how many days you plan to rent it. In short, it is really possible to find a car for 40 € ≈ 42 $, 34.4 £, 154.4 Dh, 729.6 ₺ per day even in high season. But it will be quite an old car.

Something decent in August already costs 50-70 € ≈ 52.5 $, 43 £, 193 Dh, 912 ₺ per day. These are the cars that you can safely rent. The price does not change much rental period. But from the month you rent – greatly. I’ll show you with examples:

* I calculate all prices when renting for a week.

** Car brands are given for guidance. Their prices change from month to month. Therefore, if it says “the cheapest car”, then the price is for that car exactly. It will almost always be a 2006 Mercedes-Benz E-Class. But sometimes it isn’t…

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  The Krujë Castle is an hour's drive north of Tirana. A nice place, as you may see.

As you can see, the price “out of season” drops by almost 2 times. It is most expensive to rent in June and August, which is logical – the demand is high.

If you just want to see the country and do not plan to swim in the sea, you can come in May, June or September. The weather will still be good, there will not be so many people, which means prices will drop slightly.

If the goal was to save as much as possible, I could rent a tiny 2004 Toyota Yaris or an equally old Mercedes-Benz E-Class for 266 € ≈ 279.3 $, 228.76 £, 1026.76 Dh, 4851.84 ₺. It is almost 100 € ≈ 105 $, 86 £, 386 Dh, 1824 ₺ cheaper.

But we felt cramped last time we drive in Yaris. And the old Mercedes will have much more fuel consumption than the modern Golf. I think that all the money saved be spent on refueling such a “beast”.

What do you need to rent a car? What are the requirements for a driver?

To rent a car in Albania you will need:

• International passport
• Driver’s license
• Bank card

Also, each company may have its own requirements for the driver. “Standard” is from 22 years old and at least 2 years of driving experience. For example, Localrent.com has such requirements for any of their cars.

If you book through Rentalcars.com, Economybookings.com or Discovercars.comyou need to study the conditions for each specific car. For some, a young driver will not be allowed at all. Others will require you to the purchase the “Full Cover” insurance or for 10 € ≈ 10.5 $, 8.6 £, 38.6 Dh, 182.4 ₺ per day. For premium cars, the conditions are slight absurd, like “from 30 years old and 7 years of experience.”

You can see what requirements for a driver specifically for your car by clicking the “Important Information” or “Rental Terms” button. There, you will find the required age and experience hidden among other text.

Do I need an IDP in Albania?

The situation with driver’s license in Albania is mixed. Albania is a signatory to the Vienna Convention and legally you don’t need an International Driving Permit or IDP. This is a translation of your driver’s license into different languages of the world. Made by the police. The procedure is simple and usually inexpensive.

An IDL is NOT a replacement for your ordinary driver’s license. This is exactly the translation. Therefore, you need to take with you both a driver’s license and an IDL.

But in fact they sometimes require IDP. For most companies, ordinary national rights are sufficient. The car will definitely be given out on Localrent.com, and most rental companies from other sites are unlikely to be too “strict”. But there were some bad precedents. Haven’t come across it personally.

I even saw a review where people wrote that they were found guilty of a car accident only because they did not have an IDP. It doesn’t look very believable. But in life this doesn’t happen. I have an international license for a very long time. And I take them with me to any country. It doesn’t matter if they are required or not. They’re very small, after all.

What about credit cards in Albania?

In order to get your car, you must somehow leave a deposit for it. “Standard” procedure – the deposit is “frozen” on the credit card. The money is not written off, but it is impossible to spend it either.

And after the end of the lease term, the money is usually “unfrozen” back.

Everything seems to be fine, but there are two nuances. I’ll tell you about them:

1. Unfreezing money does not happen instantly. Tey say it takes from 1 to 7 days. In fact, it could take a month. That is, you have the money, but you cannot use it. Which is inconvenient if the vacation budget is small.
2. Not every bank card is working. Oddly enough, some tourists do not have credit cards that are suitable for rent.

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   The requirements are as follows: the card must be a credit card, issued in the name of the main tenant and with convex (embossed) characters.Most people use debit cards. And then the lottery begins. For example, my debit cards seem to work. But no one can give you 100% guarantees.You can check this type of card, for example, on на bincodes.com. Enter the first 6 digits of the number. The Card Type field must be CREDIT.

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   This is not a 100% guarantee that the card will work. But, most likely, there will be no problems with it. If the card does not work, the distributors usually require you to buy “Full Cover” insurance. And it is quite expensive.

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So it turns out that many people want to leave a deposit in cash. This also has a drawback. Not all 100% offices accept and give a deposit in euros. Some may accept euros, but they will give your money back in Albanian leks (local currency). If you first take a car, and then you will spend time and relax on the beach, it does not matter.

But if you plan to return the car at the airport a few hours before departure, then spending even 300 € ≈ 315 $, 258 £, 1158 Dh, 5472 ₺ in the duty-free will be a problem. And changing money back to euros and dollars is not profitable because of the poor exchange rate at the airport.

Is it possible to find a car without a credit card and a deposit?

Yes, but only on the Localrent.com website.There you can set filters like this:

For cars without a deposit you can often buy CDW without a franchise at all. Such insurance costs 2-3 times more expensive, but it helps in case of emergency.

I used this option when I flew to Albania with a minimal budget. Well, I didn’t have extra money to leave a 1000 € ≈ 1050 $, 860 £, 3860 Dh, 18240 ₺ deposit for a car as Economybookings offered me then. By the way, this is how I found out about Localrent.com, which I now use most often.

Why is it worth to rent a car in Albania?

This is almost the only way to see the country. There are so few high-quality excursions here. Public transport is poorly developed and it is completely unsuitable for tourists: you will travel for a long time, it’s now convenient and not to the places you would like.

And you can see a lot of things by car. For example:

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  Picturesque resorts by the sea with excellent beaches. Here is Sarandë, my favourite.

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  Stunning rural scenery with friendly residents. Here is the Theth valley.

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  And majestic mountains. They even have a corresponding name: Accursed Mountains.

A complete list of the most interesting places in Albania will be further in the article.

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It is also much easier to get a car in Albania than in other countries. For example, in Cyprus, Iceland or Turkey, deposits for even the simplest car can start from 1000 € ≈ 1050 $, 860 £, 3860 Dh, 18240 ₺.

It would seem, what difference does it make if the money is returned anyway? But the answer is no. It’s one thing to find 150-200 € ≈ 157.5 $, 129 £, 579 Dh, 2736 ₺ to rent a car for a few days. And it’s quite another thing to get the right credit card and freeze more than a thousand euros there for at least a month. It doesn’t seem to affect the final vacation budget, but some tourists may simply not have “extra” money.

Cons of renting a car in Albania

The main disadvantage, I think, is a chaotic traffic. At first it was difficult to get used to, but then I get used to it or something. I’ll tell you more about this later.

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The second disadvantage for me personally is the availability of very cheap cars on Localrent.com. Why is that a disadvantage, you may ask? For example, I want to rent a car for a week in June. I open the website. And I see prices there from 135 € ≈ 141.75 $, 116.1 £, 521.1 Dh, 2462.4 ₺. Cool, isn’t it? Only 22-23 € ≈ 23.1 $, 18.92 £, 84.92 Dh, 401.28 ₺ per day for Mercedes E-class or Audi A3. Well, just a dream, right?

Then I look closely and understand that these cars are 15-20 years old. They will be working and in good condition. But an old car is always an old car. It is worse in terms of handling, safety and fuel consumption.

A fresh comfortable car costs from 240 € ≈ 252 $, 206.4 £, 926.4 Dh, 4377.6 ₺ or 40 € ≈ 42 $, 34.4 £, 154.4 Dh, 729.6 ₺ per day. And it will not be a Mercedes or Audi, but “only” a Hyundai Elantra. Makes you feel sad… Or maybe it’s just me.

It seems like here it is, the car is 2 times cheaper. But renting it is pointless. My caution begins to fight greed. Not the most pleasant feeling.

How to rent a car in Tirana: step by step instructions

Let’s say you decide to rent a car in Albania for the first time. And it’s not even clear for you how to start. In this case, check out these links to get started:

If you want to save as much as possible, search on all these websites. If you just want to rent a car quickly and comfortably and to be sure that some kind of “bureaucratic” problem does not come out later, just rent on Localrent.com.

It is very convenient service and almost always turns out to be the cheapest. Therefore, I will continue to explain, taking it as an example.

When to start looking for a car?

The earlier the better. It is the same in any country. And Albania is no exception. Now even the most small car rental office gives away their cars online in one way or another. Let’s think together what people book first:

1. The cheapest cars. Well, everything is obvious here. Most travelers have a limited budget. People want to save money.
2. Good cars. These are comfortable, interesting cars that you may get without spending “all the money in the world”. What you may call ideal in terms of price / quality ratio.

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So it turns out that the sooner you start searching, the more choice you will have. And if you start looking just a couple of days before your vacation, you will be able to get only what more “thoughtful” travelers did not want to rent.

Also, in general, they rarely have something interesting to offer on the spot. Especially in summer. Albanian rentals do not have dozens of “extra” cars. They have exactly as many as they think they will be able to give out to tourists. That’s why when you go to the rental you will not see anything “optional” there. Only more expensive cars. SUVs, for example. Or just relatively new cars.

There are rumors that rental managers understand that you still need a car, and when renting at the office, they overprice it a little. Assuming that you will not run around the city and compare prices. I don’t know if this is true or not. But it sounds logical.

Which car to choose?

You can choose any car for trips around the country. The main roads in Albania are surprisingly good. Asphalt is smooth, without sagging. I don’t remember pits or holes either. For example, you can get to the beaches in Durrës without any problems.

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  The lion's share of popular tourist roads look pretty decent.

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  But there are many dirt roads in the mountains. It is better to take at least a crossover or SUV.

If you plan to go to the mountains on some “unique” route, consider the option of an SUV. So that you can move off the asphalt, if you suddenly need to. And the roads in the mountains are a little worse in general.

It is often said on the Internet that the country is mountainous and automatic transmissions are not very popular here. About 5-7 years ago it was like that. But now progress has gradually reached Albania. On the Localrent.com, for example, there are about 2 times more cars with automatic transmission than with manual transmission.

I would recommend to take the car with a gearbox that you used to. If you drive a car with the automatic transmission – well, take this one. If you fet used to the manual transmission and want to control everything – it’s OK!

Any modern car normally drives in the mountains. “Engine braking” is also possible on the manual transmission. Yes, and it’s not necessary in Albania, if you’re not speeding.

In general, there is a tale about Albania that everyone here drives Mercedes. Once upon a time, that’s how it was. The country had terrible roads and very poor people. Only the wealthiest could afford a car. They bought Mercedes because of it’s reliability and to demonstrate their status.

For more than 10 years this is not the case. But you may still want to rent Mercedes. Just to be as everyone else. But in fact just don’t bother, take any car you like. Yes, there are a lot of Mercedes cars on the roads, but there are enough of other cars.

Car insurance: which one do you need?

Albania has a fairly standard insurance system:

1. TPL. It doesn’t protect you at all. But if, through your own fault, you crash into someone else’s car, the insurance will cover its repair. If someone crashes into you, then your car will be repaired at the expense of his TPL.

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   Such insurance is already included in the price of any car. You don’t have to pay for it.
2. CDW and SuperCDW. Protects your car even if you are to blame for the accident. Regular CDW does not cover damage to wheels, windows, underbody, mirrors or headlights. SuperCDW covers it all.

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   The insurance would be good if it were not for the deductible of 1000-1500 € ≈ 1050 $, 860 £, 3860 Dh, 18240 ₺. It protects only in the case of very large-scale accidents, which do not happen so often.

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   If you search on Localrent.com, you can find cars that give CDW for free with a deductible of 200 € ≈ 210 $, 172 £, 772 Dh, 3648 ₺. This is already quite a useful option that can help in case of something. But it’s about 20% more expensive.

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   How to find out what kind of insurance your car will have and how much it costs:
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     On Localrent, open any car and in the window that appears, scroll down to the block with insurances. There, each car will have its own options and prices.
     Click on the "Comparison of Insurance Policies" button.

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     The size of the deductible will be written here and it will be clearly explained what the insurance covers and what it does not.
     You better decide right away whether you need insurance with such a large deductible or not.

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     On Economybookings and Rentalcars, click the "Important Information" button. On Discovercars it's called "Terms and Conditions". Read information from there.

   Insurance with a large deductible is inexpensive. But they only protect if you get into a serious accident. Scratches and dents you will have to fix at your own expense.
3. Full coverage. This is the most reliable insurance, which usually protects against everything and without a deductible. But it also costs almost more than renting a car itself. And you still need a police report.

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Also, for each car you will need to leave a deposit. On Localrent, this can be a small amount of 100 € ≈ 105 $, 86 £, 386 Dh, 1824 ₺. But on Economybookings, Rentalcars or Discovercars they can ask for a deposit of more than 500 € ≈ 525 $, 430 £, 1930 Dh, 9120 ₺ even for a small car. This is more or less regular practice. It works like that all over the world.

Do I need to rent a child seat?

Every child should have a child seat. And how exactly you get it is your own business. You can buy if you want new.

But the easiest way, of course, is to rent a child seat along with the car. In Albania it costs 10-20 € ≈ 10.5 $, 8.6 £, 38.6 Dh, 182.4 ₺, which is not as expensive as in other countries. But there are also more “tricky” rentals that charge you 5 € ≈ 5.25 $, 4.3 £, 19.3 Dh, 91.2 ₺ per day. If you need a car for several weeks, then it is easier to buy a chair in a store.

Where can I get a car: airport, office, hotel

If you rent from a large company through Economybookings, Discovercars or Rentalcars, then you can pick up the car at the airport or at the company’s office in Tirana / another city. They usually do not want to deliver cars around the city. Even if you pay for it. To do this, you need to keep more staff, which is not profitable.

The business is built a little differently on Localrent.com. Most of the cars will be easily brought directly to the hotel. No need to go anywhere, look for an office, etc. By the way, in Albania it’s free. They charge money for such a service in other countries.

No need to worry. Car rental has been around for a very long time. The process is well thought out to the smallest detail and you will definitely get your car in the end.

How to accept the car and sign up documents?

Suppose you’ve already booked a car. If you have at least some experience of online shopping, this will not be a big problem. The interfaces of all the sites that I advised are quite simple and understandable. Yes, I’ve already explained almost everything.

Now there is only one “responsible” moment – you need to properly accept the car and carefully sign up all the documents.

If you booked a car with a decent company, their manager will help with this: he will show you everything, tell you and point where to sign. But it will not be useful to know  what are you doing and why. To do this, I made a guide:

Yes, my instructions look scary. In fact, the process of obtaining a car is usually not at all complicated. It’s just better to check everything well than to regret later and and face the consequences.

Returning the Car: what to look for?

Returning a car is always much easier than receiving it. Usually this process looks ridiculously primitive:

• You drive up to the parking lot, where you promised to hand over the car.
• Write to the distributor something like: “hello, I’m here”
• He goes around the car in a circle and that’s it.
• If you left a deposit in cash, take it back. If they “frozen it” on the credit card, simply unload the suitcases from the trunk and give the keys with the documents.

There are no special tricks when returning a car. You can ask the manager for some piece of paper that you returned the car intact and there are no complaints against you. But not everyone agrees to issue it. You don’t need the documents you have left with after a month or two.

Car rental scam in Albania: how is it really?

If you read the forums, you get the impression that in Albania almost every second someone is being deceived. But there is a nuance … You open a branch for any other country, and everything is the same there: crooks and deceivers are all around.

What do you mean tourists cheat? How can it be? Here are some examples:

1. Scratches and dents. If you scratched the car, you have to pay for it. And many tourists don’t want to. It starts like this: “it’s not me” and “it was all scratched up.”
2. Agreement conditions. People don’t always read what they sign. And when “suddenly” it turns out that the car have a limited mileage or, for example, a CDW franchise of 1250 € ≈ 1312.5 $, 1075 £, 4825 Dh, 22800 ₺, they begin to accuse everyone of cheating.

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   Guys, the car was cheaper because of the limited mileage. And they gave you insurance for free precisely because there is a franchise there. Such insurance costs a penny for a distributor, but it will save you in the event of an accident.
3. Misunderstanding of responsibility. Many people think that “if it’s not your fault – you shouldn’t pay”. But it’s not always the case. Let’s say you are driving your car and catch a nail with a wheel. Or a stone in the windshield. Or some weirdo in the parking lot will scratch your car and drive away. And you couldn’t find it. Who will pay?

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   And why do you think that it is different with a rented car? As long as it is in your hands, you are responsible for all damage. Including those that do not depend on you.
4. You get in touch with scammers. For example, they seduce you with the price of 10 € ≈ 10.5 $, 8.6 £, 38.6 Dh, 182.4 ₺ per day. You took the car from shady dealer. Or sent an advance payment to some crook. Some “Albanian” guy with perfect English.

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   Who is guilty? Well, such tourists were deceived by other people, right? But if they had restrained their greed and laziness a little, nothing would have happened.

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That is, people are either trying to cheat “these scratches were here before me!” Or they just don’t fully understand what they are signing up for.

If you rent a car on decent, trusted websites, you will not have any problems. For convenience, I will even duplicate the links:

P.S. When I first scratched the car, and even in an inconspicuous place, I also had a vile thought to blame everything on the company. Like, “this scratch was definitely there, I don’t know anything.” But my parents raised me very well and I didn’t do that.

And sometimes it happens that you damage the car and you don’t notice it yourself. Or in the parking lot someone will scratch it. During drop-off they show me a new scratch. I open the video, I look … Yeah, it really wasn’t there when I get the car.

FAQ: answers to popular questions about car rental

I will answer the most popular questions about car rental in Albania. I got ideas for them from what friends usually ask me when they start to think about whether they should go to Albania.

Is it dangerous to rest in Albania?

There are a lot of horror stories about Albania on the Internet. But most of them are based on movies, where Albanians are often portrayed as “bad guys”. Remember the movie “Taken” with Liam Neeson. The events may take place in Paris, but the bad guys in the film and sequels are from Albania.

Add some bad vibes guides from neighboring Montenegro. Especially if you buy excursions near the waterfront. They will tell you any fairy tale to make emotional impact. And since some people went to Albania as an excursion from Montenegro, these “horror stories” then begin to surf the Internet.

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  On the contrary, there are a lot of pretty, quiet and safe towns by the sea in Albania. Take a look at Himarë village, for example.

In fact, I did not feel any danger in Albania. The people are friendly, calm and treat tourists very well. No matter if they’re from large cities or from small villages somewhere in the middle of the mountains.

And all sorts of ratings agree with me. For example, according to most ratings, Albania is considered slightly safer than neighboring Serbia, Montenegro and Greece. Albania is ahead of the UK, France, Cyprus, Moldova, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Georgia and Armenia in terms of security. Strongly ahead of Ukraine, Turkey and Russia.

As I see it, all these ratings are a rather arbitrary thing. But Albania is really safe. No one will rob you, girls are not molested, and in general everything is highly cultural.

Is it possible to get a car directly at Tirana airport?

Of course. Many people do just that. This is convenient and allows you not to pay for a transfer or taxi. The savings are small, but still they’re nice.

If you arrive or depart in the middle of the night or early in the morning, when the offices of most rental companies are not yet open, I recommend booking through the Localrent.com website. They have a surcharge of about 30 € ≈ 31.5 $, 25.8 £, 115.8 Dh, 547.2 ₺ (the site will show it at the booking stage) even at 2 am a person will drive up and give you a car.

International brands aren’t that flexible. It is usually not possible to pick up a car during non-working hours. But sometimes you can turn it in in the middle of the night if you leave it in the parking lot and throw the keys into a special box. I don’t like this, because I always worry whether everything is okay. But my friends often leave the car.

Is it possible to travel abroad? To which countries?

To travel abroad, you need permission from the distributor and special insurance called a green card. Therefore, be sure to warn the distributor in advance where you plan to go. For example it may look something like this:

Rentalcars.com, Economybookings.com and Discovercars.com also have this option for you to travel abroad and it costs around 50-100 € ≈ 52.5 $, 43 £, 193 Dh, 912 ₺. You will need to write about this to the distributor after booking. Better 5-7 days before the start of the rental.

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Greece is to the east of Albania and Montenegro is to the west. Both countries are interesting and theoretically you could go there from Albania.

In practice, I would not recommend doing this. That’s why:

1. Insurance. In Albania you can have good CDW or even full coverage insurance. Abroad, “the carriage turns into a pumpkin” only a green card will be valid, that is an analogue of TPL.
2. Logistics. In both Montenegro and Greece, most of the interesting places are far from Albania. You can’t see everything in a couple of days.

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   You can return the car only in Albania. That is, you first pass the border. Then you go to see something, and then you drive back for two days and go through the border again only to return the car. It comes out uncomfortable.
3. Prices. It’s starting to get interesting. You can find a car in Montenegro for 10-20% cheaper than in Albania. The car will be newer and with good insurance.

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   That is, it is easier and cheaper to get to Kotor, Tivat, Bar or Podgorica by public transport and rent a car there. If you plan your trip wise, you even don’t have to return to Albania. Buy a ticket home from Tivat airport. After you travel all over the country.On the other hand, car rental in Greece is more expensive. Prices there are at least 15-20% higher than for a similar car in Albania. So there is some sense in traveling abroad. But I haven’t done it myself yet, so I can’t say how great it is.

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  You can drive to St. Stephen's Island in Montenegro and get there in 3-5 hours from Tirana. You will get there even faster by bus, as they are going through the border in a simplified procedure.

I would not go to Kosovo and North Macedonia. Even if the managers of the rental companies allow it, which is a common thing in Albania.

Personally, I’m scared (after Albania, yeah!) And I don’t understand what to do there. Montenegro or Greece – yes. But Kosovo doesn’t sound such tempting, I guess.

Kosovo is a partially recognized territory. Albania considers it a separate country. Serbia thinks of it as a part of its territory. Therefore, you cannot enter Kosovo from Albania, and leave through Serbia. They will punish you for that.

For how many days should you rent a car?

I would recommend renting a car for at least 3-4 days. In Albania, some cars will simply not be handed over to you for 1-2 days. And what’s the point? The first day you get a car, but almost the next day you have to return it? It’s kind of tedious.

Of course, you may find in Albania some “discounts”, when the distributor sets you a lower price per day for a long rental period. But even in summer this is not as pronounced as in other countries. The same car may cost you 45 € ≈ 47.25 $, 38.7 £, 173.7 Dh, 820.8 ₺ for a 2-day rental and 40 € ≈ 42 $, 34.4 £, 154.4 Dh, 729.6 ₺ for a week or even two. Not at all like in neighbouring Montenegro, where the discount can be almost doubled!

How are the roads, parking lots, gas stations and traffic rules in Albania?

Roads are good. Asphalt is fine. Road surface markings are not everywhere. But there are almost no holes in the road. No need to constantly think about how to go around the next pothole on the way.

I noted that on the roads where cars drive, you can see beasts of burden walking around.

It was pretty cool to admire the donkeys right from the car window. Albanians are sociable. So if you are stuck in traffic together, it will be fun.

Therefore, one must be careful on Albanian roads. The movement is chaotic, and even at any moment you can be “cut off” by the most real donkey.

There are no unique features in the traffic rules. In addition, not all Albanians know and follow the rules. Speed mode is simple:

• In the city it’s up to 50 km/h
• Outside the city up to 80 km/h
• On highways up to 110 km/h

There are many 40 km/h signs around the city. And on the roads, too, you may see a lot of speed limit signs. Better to follow them. They don’t hang there without a reason.

Parking lots in Albania

I met paid parking only in Tirana, Pogradec (Lake Ohrid), Durrës and other resorts by the sea. The prices are decent: 0,5-1 € ≈ 0.525 $, 0.43 £, 1.93 Dh, 9.12 ₺ per hour.

In Tirana, free parking is a real problem. Paid ones are divided into two zones: “zone A” is more expensive and “zone B” is cheaper. How to pay is described on the signs. Send SMS from an Albanian number and park. Do not take free parking lots of other people. They are marked with a rope or some kind of chair.

As for me, specifically in Tirana you do not need a car. Rent a car and immediately drive out of the city. That way there are no problems with parking. And if you suddenly find a paid parking, then it will always have staff to whom you can pay.

Gas stations in Albania

There are a lot of gas stations, from different brands. Usually they are managed by private owners. There are not so many networks. The most popular are Kastrati.

It makes no sense to memorize the names. If everything looks more or less decent, then the gasoline there will be good.

Fuel if of high quality here. It is the same on every gas station. It is cheaper at small gas stations simply because it is a purely family business with a small margin.

How much does fuel cost in Albania?

At Albanian gas stations, everything is usually quite simple. There is only 95-octane petrol, one type of diesel and gas. I didn’t see any gas powered cars. Diesel cars are very popular, about 2/3 or even a little more. Petrol, respectively, about 30%.

Gas is not available everywhere. It goes without saying that at different gas stations, fuel prices are slightly different. But usually not very much, within 10-15%. There are refueling workers at gas stations. You don’t even have to go out of the car, just open the gas tank hatch and that’s all.

Bank cards are accepted only at large network gas stations. Yoy have to pay in cash in local currency at the small ones, which are the majority in Albania.

How do the police treat tourists?

Very friendly. They say that the police have an unspoken order not to touch the tourists, if they are not “badly behaved” and seriously violate traffic rules.

That is, it is still aren’t allowed to exceed the speed limit, drive drunk or drive on a red light. But if you violate the little things somewhere or get confused on the road, the police will most likely help and let you go without a fine.

How do Albanians drive?

Many talk about the aggressive driving style of the Albanians. I didn’t see it. They drive with disdain for traffic rules. But at the same time, they are not making you problems by such messy driving. I’ve never met “teachers” and “eccentrics” on the roads here, not did I hear screams and curse words.

Yes, here they can drive in the oncoming lane, almost never use turn signals, overtake in the wrong places, turn around through a solid line or even at a pedestrian crossing when people are walking along it.

But at the same time, there seems to be no rudeness or deliberate sabotage on the road in Albania. Here you will let a person through, then you will mess with the rules somewhere and they will let you through even breaking the traffic rules. It’s accepted here. You just have to adjust.

In general, as you travel around Albania a little longer, you begin to understand that you have a lot to learn from them. They drive calmly. Nobody is in a hurry. And you won’t be rushed either. They won’t even honk if you suddenly stop in the middle of the road. Someone will go around, someone will ask if you need help.

What should you come to see in Albania if you have a car?

If you have already decided to go to Albania, then you know exactly why you need it. But I will still share a list and photos of places that I especially liked. Well, what if you missed something?

First, let’s talk about the capital of the country, the city of Tirana. As I already mentioned, it is better to do without a car there at all. Finding free parking is a problem, traffic jams are big, and all the most interesting things will be in the center:

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  The famous square with always flowing water.

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  Et'hem Bey Mosque is located nearby. You can come in.

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  The pyramid is the legacy of a long-dead dictator.

It is absolutely impossible to show the whole of Tirana with three photographs. It is necessary to write a separate article here: the city is large and interesting.

So I recommend you to see the bunkers, the monument to Skanderbeg, the painted Soviet skyscrapers and art objects when you get here. You will enjoy walking around Tirana for 2-3 days at least. It is such a pleasant city.

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Well, now we can talk about routes that cannot be seen without a car.

Route to Skadar lake and mountains

The second most popular route is to the north of the country. It looks like this:

1. You leave Tirana and drive towards the town of Shkodër. On the way you see the Rozafa and Krujë castles, and after the city – the arched Mesi Bridge.
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     Rozafa Castle. It's pretty big and interesting fortress.

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     I remember Shkodër as a nice, cozy town.

   • 

     Mesi Bridge nearby. Impressive structure.

   There will be the famous Skadar Lake nearby – the largest lake in the Balkans.
2. If you have an off-road car, then you may move to the northeast, to the Theth National Park. There are beautiful mountains and a great waterfall, but the road is so-so.

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     Here are some beautiful mountains in Theth National Park.

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     And this is the Theth waterfall.

   I would like to have some time in the Prokletije National Park and the Valbona Valley. But the navigator did not know the “direct” road. And I did not dare to search them for a long time. Maybe this road doesn’t exist and you can’t get there through Shkodar, and the only way to see them is to go by another road.

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Show approximate route on the map

Is it dangerous to rent a car in Albania?

They often say that Albania is an ideal country for the first car rental experience. I cannot agree with this. It’s the same for me as any other country. No better or worse. Car traffic is very chaotic and it will be quite difficult for an inexperienced driver in the city. And in August there are often traffic jams outside the city.

On the other hand, the main traffic jams are in Tirana. You can do without a car there. And the driving style of the Albanians, although rather chaotic, is generally friendly or something.

No one is trying to “teach” you by braking sharply right in front of the bumper, as happens in some other countries. There are almost no cases of reckless driving either.

Deposits in Albania are minimal. If we’re comparing them to Turkey or Cyprus – we can assume that they do not exist. And distributors are loyal to small scratches and dents. If you do not take a car from crooks, no one will fool you.

Others say that cars are being stolen en masse in Albania and even people are being stolen for organs. It seems to me more like horror stories inspired by Hollywood action movies. I did not see anything terrible during my 4 trips to Albania.

In general, the Albanians seemed to me very polite and friendly people. A couple of times they rescued me in a difficult situation. Completely free, by the way.

Is it safe to rent a car with prepayment?

If you rent on Localrent.com, Rentalcars.com, Economybookings.com or Discovercars.com — it’s 100% safe. They don’t do cheap shots. Of course, in real life there are some “mess ups”, but usually everything is resolved quickly and fairly.

On the contrary, prepayment is good. The company has an obligation to give you a car. And if you rent without prepayment, then your voucher is considered only a “notice” that you would like to take such a car on such a day and at such a price. If the car will be free – they will give it to you. If not, they will offer something else, more expensive.

My experience: I have rented cars from these sites many times. Both in Albania and in other countries. And I have never been deceived.

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Rent at your own peril and risk through other services and “directly” from the distributor. I saw different reviews. Including those when people gave an advance payment and then they never received the car.

But still, more often than not, people complain that a deposit was confiscated from them on a far-fetched pretext. You will find such complaints in any country. The same Spain, for example, you may read the reviews. Usually they are connected with the fact that people either unknowingly took a car in the first place they came across and ran into scammers, or consciously thought to “cheat the system” and took a car at a suspiciously low price.

Do I need to wash my car after renting?

No need. In Albania, this is not very common. You can return the car in the dust after a trip. Nobody will say a word to you.

But there are car washes on almost every corner. They are called Lavash. It’s like a national “feature”. Therefore, if the car is very dirty, you can wash it to see another facet of the national color. It’s very cheap here. They will wash your car both outside and even inside for 3-5 € ≈ 3.15 $, 2.58 £, 11.58 Dh, 54.72 ₺.

What to do if you scratched the car?

In this case, I have an ancient Chinese spell:

• Stand up straight.
• Take a deep breath in and out.
• Wave your hand from top to bottom.
• Say “Well, to hell with it.”
• Drive on like nothing happened.

Next we write to the distributor in WhatsApp or any other messenger. Send a photo and ask what to do. Most likely you don’t need to do anything.

It happens that Albanians do not fine at all if the scratch is small, because they’ve already planned to take the car to the paint shop in the near future.

What should I do if I get into an accident?

To begin with, even in Albania you should not be too afraid of a car accident. I looked the statistics here: less than 1% of car rental customers get into serious accidents. Small scratches and dents are “made” by another 5-8% of drivers.

This is noticeably more than in other countries (Albanians drive strangely, yes), but still not that much. Most likely, you will not get into a car accident.

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But what to do if you’re still unlucky. Your actions will depend on what happened. It’s one thing when the bumper was crushed, and absolutely another if you hit a man:

1. If there are no casualties in the accident, it is better to first write via WhatsApp or call the rental manager (his number is in the voucher) or write to Localrent support. For example, your bumper was scratched in a parking lot. Or you crashed into the back of another car.

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   It happens that it is more profitable for the distributor to resolve the situation through their own channels. Without papers, not involving the insurance and the police.
2. If the accident is really serious and there are people whose life and health may be in danger, first dial these numbers:
   • 112 — SOS signal. They will immediately organize an ambulance and the police.
   • 127 — an ambulance. Call it to rescue the victims. Call this number if suddenly 112 does not answer. Although that doesn’t seem to happen.
   • 129 — police. I give you the number, but I don’t see the point in it. If the accident is serious, then they will come with a 112 call. If not, the distributor will solve the problem himself.
   And only later, when you have taken care of saving a life, be sure to call the distributor anyway and report what happened.