Tirana International Airport

About Tirana International Airport

Tirana International Airport “Nënë Tereza” (TIA), named after Mother Teresa and also widely known as Rinas after the village where it sits, is Albania’s only major international gateway. It lies about 17 km northwest of central Tirana and operates from a single terminal handling all scheduled and charter arrivals, a compact building that has been upgraded in recent years to keep pace with the country’s fast-growing tourism numbers.

The airport serves as the entry point for both Tirana city breaks and the Albanian Adriatic coast around Durrës, so travellers arriving here are heading to two quite different kinds of trip.

Getting from Tirana Airport to the city and the coast

A pre-booked transfer to central Tirana and Skanderbeg Square takes around 30 minutes. Heading instead to the coast, Durrës is around 35 km away and typically 30 to 40 minutes by pre-booked transfer, with beach resorts like Golem a little further at around 50 to 60 minutes. Public transport options are limited outside the main bus routes, so a private transfer collecting you at arrivals is the more reliable choice for either destination.

Terminals and pickup points

Tirana International Airport operates from a single terminal building serving all flights. Pre-booked transfer drivers wait in the arrivals hall with a name sign confirmed in your booking, just past baggage claim.

Common transfer routes from Tirana Airport

Typical routes from TIA include:

• TIA to Skanderbeg Square and central Tirana, around 30 minutes.
• TIA to Durrës, around 30 to 40 minutes.
• TIA to Golem beach, around 50 to 60 minutes.
• Durrës city centre to Tirana city centre, around 45 minutes, for travellers combining both stops.

Many travellers combine a Tirana city stay with a beach extension on the Durrës coast, and both legs can be booked as separate fixed-price transfers rather than one long detour on arrival day.

Booking your Tirana Airport transfer

Compare licensed Albanian operators on this site for any TIA route. You get one fixed price up front, meet-and-greet at the terminal, flight tracking and free cancellation up to 24 hours before pickup. Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Alipay, iDEAL, Wero and PayPal are all accepted.

Booking a vehicle a few hours ahead is usually enough outside major holiday weekends, though reserving further in advance is sensible during the busy summer coastal season.