Are you planning a trip to Albania by car? You will definitely spend a wonderful holiday there. Our guide will help you plan it. You will find a car route to Albania, covering interesting places along the way. Drive to Albania is long but not necessarily boring! Check out the car map of Albania and plan your car trip in minute details!
When planning a trip to Albania, you will definitely get to the point where you will have to think about how to get there. According to various calculations and discernments in the Internet, the best means of transport is by car. Not only does it allow you to decide when to take off and which route to the Balkans to take, you will also be able to make as many stops along the way as you need, and admire the scenery as you pass by.
Driving to Albania means freedom, but you have to reckon with a fairly long ride time – after all, it’s an average of 2000 kilometers to cover. It is worth it, but do not take such a distance all at once and plan some accommodation along the way.
We provide information about everything you will need to prepare in advance: documents, routes and maps!
Documents needed to enter Albania
Although Albania is a part of neither the European Union nor the Schengen Area, Polish citizens have been able to enter the country after presenting a personal ID since 2009. In addition, the driver must have a valid driver’s license and a vehicle license, though it is an internationally accepted norm rather than one specific to Albania.
When it comes to insurance, you have to have a Green Card. It does not apply only in Kosovo, so if you are going there, you will need to buy additional insurance. It is also worth knowing that in the case when you travel by a borrowed car, you need to also have an authorization (issued in English by a notary) by the owner of the vehicle.
There is no fee for using the roads in Albania, but when entering the country you get a certificate to be shown while driving out of the country and then you will have to pay 1 euro for each day of stay for cars with less than 7 seats. For larger cars, this fee will be two euros.
Now it’s time for the most important information: Routes to Albania
The length depends obviously on where do you start from in Poland. Starting from the south means a somewhat shorter drive.
Choice of route to Albania is also influenced by the destination and whether do you intend to use toll roads or rather avoid them. Interestingly, the selection of toll motorways will not always guarantee the fastest way to reach your destination.
Traffic jams can happen anywhere, which should be taken into account when planning the final date of arrival to your destination.
You should also consider queues at the borders – especially during high season and at weekends. Some arrange the route so that the strategic border crossings can be crossed at night, which is a good idea to avoid standing long on the border. What’s more, there may be road works, as well as winding and dangerous roads (for example those in the mountains), so it will take more time to cover them than what your GPS or Google Maps indicate.
Here are two commonly used routes from Poland to Albania:
- The most popular route from Poland to Albania is probably through:
Slovakia – Hungary – Serbia – Macedonia – Albania
The above route leads through the following cities:
- Bratislava – Budapest
- Roszke – Novi Sad
- Belgrade – Niš
- Skopje – Ochrid
- Elbasan – Tirana
Below is a detailed map of car route from Poland to Albania according to the above plan:
In this case, you need to buy vignettes in Slovakia and Hungary. Another option is to program the GPS to avoid paid roads, which will lead you through side, unpaid roads. The choice is yours – chose the fast route, the cheap route, or the shortest route!
While traveling the above route, you have a chance to stay overnight in the vicinity of Budapest. In Serbia, you are heading for Belgrade, while in Macedonia you can visit the lovely Lake Ohrid. From there, you will go through Elbasan straight to Albania.
- Another car route to Albania is passing through:
Slovakia – Hungary – Croatia – Bosnia and Herzegovina – Montenegro – All the way to Albania
- Žilina – Komarno,
- Szekesfehevar – Osijek,
- Sarajevo – Podgorica,
- Shkoder
It looks like this on the map:
In comparison to the first Poland-Albania route, this route is about 150 kilometers shorter, but not faster due to crossing mountains in a few places. You also have to take into account tolls on the highways. If you take this route, we recommend you stop near the Tara river, where one of the deepest canyons in Europe can be admired.
GPS car navigations
If you want to ensure following the route from Poland to Albania directly, it’s best to get the latest GPS navigation for your car. Below are the best ones according to us:
You can also make your own route through Greece, drive through Kosovo (passport is a necessity) or drive along the Croatian coast, sightseeing on your way. Various options are possible, depending on time and especially money.
Map of Albania
Now that you know how to get to Albania by car, use the map below and check the location of the most attractive destinations for your holidays in Albania. See also what the planned and current network of motorways in Alabama looks like on Wikipedia. It is also worth taking a look at the official website of Albania where the entire transport in the country is described in detail.
It looks very promising.
And now the previously promised map of Albania:
Have a nice holiday in Albania and drive safely! Let us know in the comments which route to Albania you chose.