Driving in Albania: car hire, rules, tolls and road conditions in 2026

The limits and penalties below are those given by the French foreign ministry (as of 30/09/2026).

The 40 km/h limit in built-up areas surprises visitors: it applies from the town sign, even on a main road through a village, and that is where police set up mobile speed checks. It is not only about fines. Rune Elvik's synthesis (Transportation Research Record, 2005), which pools dozens of evaluation studies, shows that the number and severity of crashes rise faster than average speed. On roads where pedestrians, animals and farm vehicles share the carriageway, a few km/h less makes a big difference.

The French foreign ministry notes that road accidents are the main risk for travellers in Albania, and advises against night driving, especially in the mountains.

Tirana airport has the widest choice: international firms and many Albanian agencies, often 20-40% cheaper and more flexible, but of uneven quality. A city car or compact is enough for most of the trip: main roads, the coast road and the road up to Theth are paved.

Three things to check in the contract: the excess amount, exclusions (tyres, wheels, underbody, unpaved tracks) and permission to cross borders. We recommend the rental company's zero-excess cover, and a full video of the car at pick-up and return.

Albania has no vignette. A few structures are tolled: the Llogara tunnel between Vlorë and Himarë (250 lek for a car), the Thumanë–Kashar section of the A1 near the airport (250 lek) and the Milot–Morinë “Nation's Road” towards Kosovo, tolled near the Kalimash tunnel.

Fuel is the bad surprise: prices are capped by a public board and, on 22 September 2026, they reached 213 lek per litre of diesel and 193 lek per litre of petrol, about €2.30 and €2.10 at €1 ≈ 92 lek. Fill up before heading to Theth or Valbona, where stations are rare.

Albania combines well with Montenegro, Greece, North Macedonia or Kosovo. With a rental car you need written permission from the rental company (ask when booking), a green card covering the country and often a cross-border fee of around €20-60 for the whole rental. For Kosovo, check that the green card covers it; if not, border insurance is sold at the crossing. Towards Greece (Schengen area), the EES registration system has applied to non-EU travellers since October 2025, which can lengthen waits.

This is increasingly common. Two options: overnight ferries from Italy (Bari–Durrës, Brindisi–Vlorë, about 8-10 hours) or driving through the Balkans (Croatia, Montenegro) or Greece. Bring the original registration document and check that your green card covers Albania (AL not crossed out). If the car is not in your name, a letter of authorisation from the owner is wise.

The network has improved a lot in ten years, but driving times remain long: winding roads, village crossings, frequent roadworks. 150 km often takes three hours. The Lake Komani ferry, linking Koman and Fierza from April to November, also carries cars (€7 per m² online in 2026, about €50-60 for a compact).

In Tirana, leave the car at the hotel: heavy traffic, difficult parking. In Berat and Gjirokastër, park below the old towns and walk up. On the Riviera in summer (Ksamil, Saranda, Himarë), car parks are full by 10 am: choose accommodation with parking. At roundabouts, enter slowly: priority to traffic on the roundabout is the rule, not always the practice.