Tirana International Airport Nënë Tereza

Tirana airport is at Rinas, about 17 km (11 miles) northwest of the city center by road. A taxi takes about 20 to 25 minutes depending on traffic, and the Rinas Express bus takes about 30 to 40 minutes to its stop behind the Palace of Opera and Ballet, near Skanderbeg Square.

Yes. The airport's official name is Tirana International Airport Nënë Tereza, Albanian for Mother Teresa, and it stands in the village of Rinas, so many people call it Rinas Airport. Its code is TIA. It is the airport for Tirana and the main international gateway to Albania.

Yes. The Rinas Express bus, run by LU-NA, leaves the airport every hour on the hour, 24 hours a day, for central Tirana. It stops behind the Palace of Opera and Ballet, near Skanderbeg Square, after about 30 to 40 minutes. LU-NA also runs daytime buses to Tirana's South and North bus terminals.

Adis runs scheduled buses between the airport and Durrës several times a day, from morning until late evening; the timetable is on the airport website. Durrës is about 37 km away, roughly 40 minutes by road on the SH2 highway, so a taxi or pre-booked car is quicker and goes straight to your hotel on the beach.

Tirana has one passenger terminal, opened in 2007 and extended in 2009 and 2022. It handles every flight, Schengen and non-Schengen alike, with check-in, arrivals and departures on the ground floor. All arriving passengers exit into the same arrivals hall.

Wizz Air and Ryanair carry most passengers and both base aircraft at Tirana, flying to cities across Italy, Germany, the UK and the rest of Europe. Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, Turkish Airlines, Pegasus, Aegean, Air Serbia, British Airways and Vueling serve their hubs, and many seasonal and charter flights are added in summer.

Licensed taxis wait in front of the terminal and at its pick-up area, 24 hours a day. They are yellow with the airport logo on both sides, and the airport advises using only these. The ride to central Tirana takes about 20 to 25 minutes depending on traffic.

Many travelers do not. Albania is outside the EU and Schengen, and citizens of the EU, the UK, Canada and many other countries can visit visa-free for up to 90 days, while US citizens can stay up to a year. Holders of a used multiple-entry Schengen, UK or US visa are also exempt. Check the rules for your nationality before you fly.

Albania's currency is the lek, and prices are set in lek. Euros are often accepted in tourist areas, but change is usually given in lek. ATMs and currency exchange desks are in both the check-in hall and the arrivals hall, so you can get lek as soon as you land.

Yes. The Tirana Airport Business Lounge is on the second floor of the terminal, on the departures side, open from an hour before the first departure until the last one. Frequent flyers and eligible guests enter free, and other passengers can pay to enter. The airport also runs a private terminal with VIP service.

Tirana airport has about 2,600 parking spaces in four parking lots: P1, P2, P3 and an underground parking garage, most of them covered. P3 is the largest, with 1,200 spaces. A Kiss & Fly zone in front of the terminal is for quick drop-offs and pickups only.

Not yet. An electrified railway linking Tirana, Durrës and the airport, with its own airport station, is under construction, and train service is planned to start in 2027. Until then, travelers use the airport bus, taxis, car rental or a pre-booked car to reach Tirana and Durrës.

Albania is on Central European Time, UTC+1, the same as Italy and most of Western Europe. It moves to UTC+2 for daylight saving time from the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in October, so check your watch if you are arriving from the UK, Greece or Turkey.