Taking a bus in the Balkans is the most efficient and economical way of getting around. Whatever your itinerary, there’s likely to be a suitable connection available.

But when I went online before my trip from Lake Ohrid in Macedonia to Albania’s capital city of Tirana, I found scarce information and contradictory timetables. My journey went quite smoothly, but took a challenging turn towards the end…

Read on about my journey from Ohrid to Tirana for tips and heads-ups.

Before the journey

In June 2024, there were apparently only two buses a day from Ohrid to Tirana: 8 in the morning and 2 in the afternoon. From what I gathered, frequency does change depending on the season, so make sure you double check. You can go to the bus station and ask at the desk, which is what I did the day before for clarity. It’s about 25 mins from the main square on foot.

Ohrid bus station

Tickets

On many bus routes in the Balkans it’s perfectly fine to buy a ticket onboard. But this time, we were advised to get them beforehand from a ticket desk inside the building. The good thing is that they accept cards!

Standard adult ticket costs 1200 denars, which comes up to 16.50 British pounds, 19.50 euros or 21.20 American dollars. It’s more than I expected, and rather pricey for Balkan standards, but hey!

Man buying a ticket at the counter at a bus station

Black seats in the waiting area at a bus station, with several people waiting for departure

The journey

Our bus was a double decker operated by EuroBus, but there are also other companies. The reclining seats were pretty comfortable and had foldout tables. Above our heads, there were lights, air blowers etc. Wi-Fi was apparently available onboard, but I struggled to connect.

Man and a dog in front of a busThe cute dog hasn’t bought a ticket and wasn’t let onboard. 😉

People sitting inside a bus

In Macedonia, we picked up a few passengers in Struga. Then there was a longer stop close to Librazhd in Albania, with a chance to use the washroom and buy something to eat.

This is quite a scenic route, although for best views you need to wait until you cross the border into Albania. You’ll be stunned how beautiful, and underrated, Albanian nature is! To make the most of it, sit on the left. (Or on the right if you’re making this journey in reverse.)

One of the highlights for me was Bushtricë Bridge (Ura e Bushtricës) near the village Qukës-Shkumbin, carrying a railway once connecting the area with the seaside city of Durrës. Although now disused, the monumental, 50-metre tall viaduct can still put you in awe as the bus navigates the semicircular road around it. But don’t make my mistake and have the camera ready. And do sit on the left. 🙂

River with green mountains on both sides

Later, there are some outstanding mountain views where the road runs along River Shkumbin. Here and there, you might spot more abandoned rail tracks. It’s quite sad how Albanian rail network fell into neglect following the collapse of the old system. Hopefully, it gets to be rebuilt one day.

Mountain in Albania, largely covered with greenery, against a blue sky

Border crossing

At the Kafasan crossing, the driver collected our passports and had them scanned in bulk, for exit from Macedonia and entry into Albania at once. As convenient as it was, it didn’t give us a chance to ask for any stamps. ☹️ I doubt it’s the standard procedure (I have a feeling it depends on the driver), but in case you’re an avid stamp collector, be prepared for disappointment.

Arriving in Tirana

So, after about 3 hours, we finally reached Tirana. I expected the bus to drop us off at the international arrivals parking lot, which is where I arrived from Kosovo a few years back. It’s slightly west of the centre of Tirana and would’ve been a walking distance from our accommodation.

Instead, it terminated at the East Bus Terminal in the south-eastern outskirts of the city. It was very annoying in that it was completely unexpected.

Although it took just one city bus to get to the centre, at that point of the day (late morning) the traffic was horrible, and the streets chock-a-block with cars. With that being Tirana’s hottest day of the year (40 °C/104 °F!), we were seriously exhausted and done…

After what felt like ages, the bus reached Barrikadave Street right in the centre of the city.

City bus in Tirana, Albania, with people queuing to board itSingle rides on Tirana’s city buses cost just 40 lek (£0.34/€0.41/0.45 USD).

I hope this post will be useful in planning your trip. Happy travels! And if you’ve made this journey yourself, leave a comment if any information needs correcting or updating. Thanks! 🙂