Where to stay in Albania
Albania's coast and its capital sit more than 200 km apart, and the drive between them sets the plan. A guest meets three rules: a nightly hotel tax, an address notice within 10 days, and 90 visa-free days for visa-exempt visitors.
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How the areas differ
Tirana is the capital, 17 km from the airport. The national tourism agency's itinerary takes visitors to Skanderbeg Square, with the Et'hem Bey Mosque and the Clock Tower, to the pedestrian area by Tirana Castle and, in the evening, to the former Blloku, one of the liveliest parts of the city.
The agency's Riviera route runs south from Vlorë over Llogara and past the beaches of Palasa, Dhërmi, Jala, Himarë, Qeparo and Borsh before Sarandë and Ksamil. Himarë sits in the heart of that coast with a historic centre, forts and old churches, and Dhërmi is about 16 km north of it by road.
Sarandë faces Corfu across the Ionian, and the agency counts it among Albania's main tourist centres. Ksamil, about 15 km further south, looks out on its islands, and the UNESCO-listed ruins of Butrint are about 4 km beyond it.
Inland, Gjirokastër and Berat share a UNESCO listing for their historic centres. Gjirokastër is the "City of Stone", tower houses below one of the largest castles in Albania, about 53 km from Sarandë. Berat's old town spreads over both banks of the Osum, with the quarters of Mangalem, Gorica and the Castle district, about 123 km from Tirana.
Staying with a rental car
Tirana publishes its parking rules. Tirana Parking charges 100 lek an hour in street zone A, 40 in zone B and 20 in zone C. To pay, text only the plate number to 50500; the SMS costs 100 lek and buys one hour in zone A, a warning arrives 10 minutes before the time runs out, and a second SMS extends it. The municipal police fine cars that overstay. Whether a foreign SIM can send the SMS was not verified, so the municipal car parks are the safer choice: the underground ones at Skanderbeg Square, Bulevardi i Ri and Sheshi Italia take hourly parking and 1, 3, 6 or 12 month subscriptions.
On the coast and inland the picture is thinner. We found no official parking tariff for Himarë, Dhërmi, Sarandë, Ksamil, Gjirokastër or Berat as of September 2026, and Sarandë's municipal website could not be read. Ask the host whether a space comes with the booking before paying.
Distances are long. By road Himarë is about 211 km from Tirana airport, Sarandë about 246 km and Ksamil about 257 km. UK travel advice says rural road surfaces are poor and that outside towns there is no street lighting, even on major routes, with unmarked roadworks and unlit vehicles to watch for at night. GetCar's guide Driving in Albania with a Rental Car covers the road rules, the tolls and Tirana parking in more detail.
Tax and registration rules for a guest
Albania's hotel accommodation tax is a local tax under the local taxes law, charged per night's stay in hotels, motels, guesthouses, family tourism and any other accommodation. Tirana charges 350 lek a night in 4 and 5 star hotels and 140 lek in other hotels, guesthouses, hostels and motels, and 140 lek in its outer administrative units. The rates in Himarë, Sarandë, Gjirokastër and Berat were not verified as of September 2026.
Albania's foreigners law asks a visitor to notify the border and migration police of the address within 10 days of entry, as a rule, and again within 10 days of a move; the host can do it on the guest's behalf. The government exempts some nationalities from the 10-day rule, and that list was not verified. Hotels must report the arrival and departure of foreign guests and may not take a guest who cannot show a lawful stay.
Visa-exempt visitors, EU and UK citizens among them, may stay up to 90 days in any 180. A one-year stay for US citizens is widely reported, but it was unverified on an official page as of September 2026, so check with an Albanian embassy before planning a longer stay.
When to book what
The tourism agency describes Sarandë as a destination for seasonal tourism, while it says Himarë's cultural events make it worth a visit outside summer too. Tirana's hotel tax shows no seasonal rate, so a winter night costs the same tax as a summer one.
The drive decides the first night. With the Riviera 200 km or more from the airport and no street lighting outside towns, a late arrival suits a night in Tirana and a morning start. Albania is not in the Schengen area, so its 90 days run separately from a Schengen count. Compare prices on this page before booking.
Which area for which trip
An arrival night, the capital or a month with city services: Tirana.
The Riviera beaches with a car: Himarë and Dhërmi.
A town base for Butrint, the Blue Eye and the southern beaches: Sarandë.
Swimming by the islands: Ksamil.
Stone towns and castles inland: Gjirokastër and Berat.
Questions
How much is the hotel tax in Albania?
It is a local tax per night. Tirana charges 350 lek in 4 and 5 star hotels and 140 lek in other hotels, guesthouses, hostels and motels. The 2026 rates in the coastal municipalities were not verified as of September 2026.
Do visitors to Albania have to register their address?
As a rule, yes: within 10 days of entry, with the border and migration police, directly or through the host, and again within 10 days of moving. Some nationalities are exempt by government decision; that list was not verified.
How is parking paid in Tirana?
Text the plate number to 50500: the SMS costs 100 lek and pays one hour in zone A. Zones B and C cost 40 and 20 lek an hour. The municipal car parks, such as the one under Skanderbeg Square, are the alternative.
How far is the Riviera from Tirana airport?
By road about 195 km to Dhërmi, 211 km to Himarë, 246 km to Sarandë and 257 km to Ksamil. UK travel advice warns that roads outside towns have no street lighting.
Can US citizens stay a year in Albania without a visa?
That rule is widely reported, but it was unverified on an official page as of September 2026. Albania's foreigners law sets 90 days in any 180 for visa-exempt visitors unless a government decision provides otherwise.