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The bay of Himarë seen from the hills to the south: a long pale beach, the town along the shore and the mountains of the Albanian Riviera behind

Where to stay in Albania

Photo: Ekki3, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Places to stay in Albania

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About Albania

Tirana airport is 17 km from the capital, and Himarë, Sarandë and Ksamil lie more than 200 km south of it by road. A trip that covers both works best with two bases, one inland and one on the Ionian coast, and a daylight drive between them.

Albania. Guide last checked .

Facts and rules

Last checked . Each fact links to its source.

Airport
Tirana International (TIA) at Rinas, 17 km outside Tirana, reached from the Tirana to Durrës motorway. Source
Tourist tax
A local hotel accommodation tax per night. Tirana: 350 lek in 4 and 5 star hotels, 140 lek in other hotels, guesthouses, hostels, motels and other accommodation. Coastal rates unverified as of September 2026. Source
Guest registration
As a rule, a foreigner notifies the border and migration police of the address within 10 days of entry, directly or through the host. Hotels report foreign guests' arrivals and departures. Source
Visa-free stay
Visa-exempt visitors, EU and UK citizens among them, may stay up to 90 days in any 180. The one-year stay reported for US citizens is unverified as of September 2026. Source
Parking in Tirana
Zone A 100 lek an hour, zone B 40, zone C 20, paid by texting the plate to 50500; municipal car parks by the hour or on 1 to 12 month subscriptions. Source
Roads at night
Outside towns there is no street lighting, even on major routes. UK travel advice warns of unmarked roadworks, potholes and vehicles without lights at night. Source
Monthly stays
A month fits inside the 90 visa-free days. For longer stays the foreigners law includes a digital nomad residence permit, issued for up to one year the first time. Source
Currency
The lek, issued only by the Bank of Albania. Source
Emergency numbers
Police 112, ambulance 127, fire 128 Source

Areas of Albania

The green lawns and paths of Skanderbeg Square in Tirana, with the Skanderbeg statue, a hotel tower and government buildings behind
Photographed in 2019. Photo: albinfo, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Tirana

The capital, 17 km from the airport: Skanderbeg Square with the Et'hem Bey Mosque and the Clock Tower, the pedestrian area by Tirana Castle, and the former Blloku, which the national tourism agency calls one of the liveliest parts of the city. It suits arrival and departure nights and a month with city services.

Tirana airport
about 16 km
Berat
about 123 km

Car and parking

Tirana Parking charges 100 lek an hour in street zone A, 40 in zone B and 20 in zone C, paid by texting the plate to 50500. Its car parks, among them the underground ones at Skanderbeg Square, Bulevardi i Ri and Sheshi Italia, take hourly parking or 1, 3, 6 or 12 month subscriptions.

The bay of Himarë seen from the hills to the south: a long pale beach, the town along the shore and the mountains of the Albanian Riviera behind
Photo: Ekki3, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Himarë and Dhërmi

The heart of the Albanian Riviera, in the tourism agency's words: Himarë has a historic centre, forts, old churches and numerous beaches, and Dhërmi is one of the beaches the agency lists north of it, with Palasa, Jala and Qeparo along the same coast. It suits a beach stay with a car.

Tirana airport
about 211 km
Sarandë
about 53 km
Dhërmi to Himarë
about 16 km

Car and parking

No official parking source for Himarë or Dhërmi was found as of September 2026. The drive from Tirana airport is about 211 km, and UK travel advice warns that roads outside towns have no street lighting.

The public beach below the seafront promenade in Sarandë, with the town and its apartment blocks around the bay
Photo: BBB2021, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Sarandë

A coastal city on the Ionian opposite Corfu, which the tourism agency counts among the main tourist centres in Albania for its beaches, accommodation and services. It suits a base for Butrint, the Blue Eye and Ksamil.

Tirana airport
about 246 km
Ksamil
about 15 km
Gjirokastër
about 53 km

Car and parking

The municipality's website could not be read, and no official parking tariff for Sarandë was found as of September 2026. Ask the host whether a space comes with the booking.

Clear turquoise water off a beach at Ksamil, with one of the wooded Ksamil islets and the hills of Corfu across the strait
Photo: DieliAlla, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Ksamil

Beaches facing the Ksamil islands, south of Sarandë on the tourism agency's Riviera route, with the UNESCO-listed ruins of Butrint a few kilometres away. It suits a beach holiday built around swimming.

Sarandë
about 15 km
Butrint
about 4 km
Tirana airport
about 257 km

Car and parking

No official parking source for Ksamil was found as of September 2026, so settle where the car goes before booking. Butrint is about 4 km away by road.

Stone-roofed Ottoman houses in Gjirokastër old town below the castle hill and its clock tower
Photographed in 2018. Photo: Radosław Botev, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Gjirokastër

The "City of Stone" on the slopes above the Drino valley: tower houses with stone roofs, one of the largest castles in Albania and the Old Bazaar with its workshops. Its historic centre shares a UNESCO listing with Berat. It suits a night or two inland between the coast and Berat.

Sarandë
about 53 km
Tirana airport
about 212 km

Car and parking

No official parking source for Gjirokastër was found as of September 2026. Sarandë is about 53 km away by road.

Aerial view of Berat with the white houses of Mangalem and Gorica on the hillsides either side of the Osum river
Photo: Arianit, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Berat

An old town on both banks of the Osum, with the UNESCO-listed quarters of Mangalem, Gorica and the Castle district, and a new town that the tourism agency says offers accommodation and services. It suits a stop on the way between Tirana and the south.

Tirana
about 123 km
Tirana airport
about 117 km

Car and parking

Berat's municipality has a parking page, but it gave no tariff as of September 2026, so parking prices are not stated here. Tirana is about 123 km away by road.

Guides

Questions

Where should a first visit to Albania be based?

Tirana for the capital and the airport, 17 km away, then a Riviera base such as Himarë, Sarandë or Ksamil for the beaches. Sarandë is about 246 km from the airport by road, so plan the drive for daylight.

Is there a tourist tax in Albania?

Yes, a local hotel accommodation tax charged per night. Tirana charges 350 lek in 4 and 5 star hotels and 140 lek in other accommodation. The coastal municipalities' 2026 rates were not verified as of September 2026.

How long can a visitor stay in Albania without a visa?

Up to 90 days in any 180 for visa-exempt nationals, including EU and UK citizens. A one-year stay for US citizens is widely reported but was unverified on an official page as of September 2026.

Where can a rental car be parked in Tirana?

In the paid street zones, 100 lek an hour in zone A, 40 in zone B and 20 in zone C, paid by SMS to 50500, or in the municipal car parks, among them the underground one under Skanderbeg Square.