A two-week loop from Tirana: Shkodër and the Theth valley in the Albanian Alps, Krujë, the Ottoman towns of Berat and Gjirokastër, the Blue Eye, Sarandë and Butrint, then the Riviera up to Vlorë over the Llogara Pass. The main roads are good, but animals, risky overtaking and police checks call for careful driving, especially at night.
Road route calculated from the stops (OpenStreetMap). Driving times assume no stops and no traffic: add time for photo breaks.
May to June and September to October: warm sea, quieter roads, Theth road open. In July and August the Riviera is packed and heatwaves and wildfires multiply; from November to April, snow often closes the Theth road.
🚗 99 km · 2h of driving from Tirana
Thumanë-Kashar toll bypass, then the SH1 north via Lezhë. The Fushë-Krujë-Shkodër section has the worst accident record in the country.
🚗 73 km · 2h15 of driving from Shkodër
SH21 via Koplik, Boga and the Thora Pass: paved since 2021, narrow, with hairpins above the ravine. Fill up before the climb.
🚗 160 km · 3h55 of driving from Theth
Back along the SH21 to Koplik, the SH1 south via Shkodër and Lezhë, then a winding climb from Fushë-Krujë.
🚗 130 km · 2h10 of driving from Krujë
Thumanë-Kashar toll bypass, Durrës bypass, then the SH4 south. Heavy traffic and roadworks around Tirana.
🚗 148 km · 2h40 of driving from Berat
Towards Fier, then the SH4 via Tepelenë and the Drino valley. Well surfaced; herds on the road.
🚗 52 km · 1h of driving from Gjirokastër
SH99 over the Muzinë Pass, with hairpins. Short signposted detour to the Blue Eye on the way down.
🚗 54 km · 1h15 of driving from Sarandë
SH8 corniche road via Lukovë, Borsh and Porto Palermo: tight bends, dangerous overtaking, herds.
🚗 63 km · 1h40 of driving from Himarë
SH8 via Dhërmi, then the Llogara Pass (1,027 m) or the 5.9 km toll tunnel, and down to Orikum.
🚗 154 km · 2h10 of driving from Vlorë
Skip the north: Tirana (1 night), Berat (1), Gjirokastër (1), Sarandë (2), Himarë (1), then back to Tirana via Llogara and Vlorë. Krujë can be visited on arrival day, near the airport.
| Small car, August | ≈ €35 a day |
|---|---|
| Small car, February | ≈ €9 a day |
| Small car, annual average | ≈ €23 a day (Kayak, Sept. 2026) |
| Vehicle | A city car is enough, Theth included since the road was paved in 2021. Nothing on this loop justifies a 4x4. |
|---|---|
| Where to pick it up | Tirana airport (Rinas), at the end of the trip as at the start: a loop, so no one-way fee. |
| Rental company | Professional agencies only: the French Foreign Ministry advises against peer-to-peer rentals, which are often poorly insured. |
| Insurance | Fully comprehensive cover strongly recommended by the French Foreign Ministry, even though it is not compulsory. |
| Age and card | Minimum age 21 with most rental companies, surcharge under 25, credit card in the driver's name. |
| Leaving the country | Montenegro, Kosovo or Greece only with the rental company's written consent and its insurance supplement. |
⚠️ Accident with more than €300 of damage: do not move the car, call the police and insist on a report, otherwise the insurance will not pay out.
Sufficient and recognised in Albania according to the French Foreign Ministry, with no International Driving Permit. Other licences: check whether an International Driving Permit is required.
As in mainland Europe. Dipped headlights compulsory day and night.
110 on motorways, 90 on main roads, 80 on secondary roads, 40 in town. Fines from €30 to €200.
From the first drink: €150 fine and a six-month licence suspension; police custody above 0.5.
Cows, goats, sheep, pedestrians and cyclists, even on expressways. Slow down near villages.
Main roads and town entrances. Show your licence, passport and vehicle papers; never hand over cash.
Uneven surfaces, no lighting, unsignposted roadworks: drive by day, especially towards Theth and on the Riviera.
According to the French Foreign Ministry, which also reports 400 deaths a year on Albanian roads.
Automatic for the driver if someone is injured or killed, followed by an appearance before a judge.
Ask your insurer for the paper international motor insurance card: the number plate is no longer enough outside the EU.
Green Card not valid in Kosovo: about €15 for 15 days, bought at the border post.
Snow chains on board from 1 November to 30 April, mainly useful on the Theth road.
≈ €2.10 a litre of petrol (193 lek), €2.32 for diesel (213 lek)
Price recorded in September 2026: it changes every week, sometimes by 10 to 20 cents in a month. Check it before you go.
⛽ 933 km at 7 l per 100 km: about €140 at September 2026 prices, to share between passengers.
Maximum prices set by the state on 22 September 2026, €1 to about 92 lek. Fill up in Shkodër or Koplik before Theth.
| Thumanë-Kashar bypass (A1, near the airport) | €2.50 per trip, payable in lek, since January 2025 |
|---|---|
| Llogara Tunnel (5.9 km) | 250 lek per trip since spring 2026; the pass alongside is free |
| Kalimash, A1 motorway towards Kosovo (off the loop) | €5 per car, in lek at the Bank of Albania rate |
| Tirana-Durrës motorway | Free |
| Blue Eye (Syri i Kaltër) | 50 lek per person, paid parking, cash only |
| Kosovo border insurance | ≈ €15 for 15 days, if you arrive via Kosovo |
| SH21 to Theth, Thora Pass | Often closed by snow from November to April |
|---|---|
| Llogara Pass (SH8) | Snow possible in winter; the tunnel stays open all year |
| Roadworks | Numerous, sometimes unsignposted, especially at night |
Allow 10 to 14 days for this loop of 9 stages and 13 nights from Tirana, just under 1,000 km. In 7 days, leave out Shkodër and Theth and focus on Berat, Gjirokastër, Sarandë and the Riviera. Theth deserves two nights: the drive up from Shkodër takes about two hours.
Car only in August: about €455 of rental over 13 days (€35 a day, Kayak average), around €140 of petrol at September 2026 prices (€2.10 a litre), and under €10 of tolls (Thumanë-Kashar bypass twice, Llogara Tunnel). In February, rental drops to about €9 a day. Add fully comprehensive insurance, recommended by the French Foreign Ministry.
Not with an EU licence, which is sufficient and recognised according to the French Foreign Ministry. Other licences: check whether an International Driving Permit is required. Rental companies generally require a minimum age of 21, charge a surcharge under 25 and insist on a credit card in the driver's name.
Yes: the SH21 has been paved all the way to the village since 2021 and a city car is enough. It remains narrow, with hairpins above the ravine, and snow often closes it from November to April. Only the tracks inside the village are unpaved. Fill up before the climb and avoid driving at night.
Yes, but the number plate is not enough as proof of insurance: ask your insurer for the paper version of the international motor insurance card, required for Albania. If you come via Kosovo, buy border insurance (about €15 for 15 days) and pay €5 at the Kalimash toll on the A1 motorway.
The main roads are in good condition, but the highway code is little respected and accidents kill about 400 people a year. Animals and pedestrians take up the road, even on expressways. Drive by day with your lights on, without a drop of alcohol, and keep to the limits: police checks are frequent.
Driving rules, prices and closures checked in September 2026; hotels checked on OpenStreetMap and then on Booking. Rules change: read the official source before you leave, and check your own government's travel advice for the country. Stop photos: Wikimedia Commons, authors and licences under each image.
Off We Gooo road trip guide · offwegooo.com/en/road-trips/albania · by Pierrick, updated 1 October 2026
