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Car rental in Durrës makes perfect sense if you want both the beach right outside your door and easy cultural day trips. You’re just 40 minutes from Tirana along the toll-free AK1, 30 minutes from TIA airport, an hour from the hilltop fortress of Krujë and an hour and a half from the UNESCO-listed “city of a thousand windows” in Berat. As Albania’s second-largest city and main seaport, Durrës has year-round ferries from Bari and Ancona, so it works equally well whether you fly in or sail in.
Our Durrës catalogue brings together dozens of local partners, many of whom will happily deliver the car straight to your hotel or even to the pier. Prices sit comfortably in line with Tirana and noticeably below the southern Riviera, while the choice of automatics in high season is almost as good as in the capital.
If you fly into TIA, Durrës is actually closer to the sea than the centre of Tirana itself. Thirty minutes on the AK1 and you’re already hearing the waves.
Quite a few of our customers arrive by ferry from Italy and simply collect the car at the pier. The same smooth routine works in reverse when it’s time to head home.
Autoverhuur beoordelingen in Durrës
How to reach Durrës and where to pick the car up
Durrës doesn’t have its own airport — the main gateway is TIA, just 30–40 minutes away via the SH60 and the AK1. This short, hassle-free link between sea and air is exactly why many travellers choose Durrës as their very first stop, even if they later continue south.
TIA arrival + 30 minutes to the sea
The classic summer plan. Collect the car at the airport and you’re on the beach in half an hour. The entire 38 km AK1 stretch is completely toll-free — no vignette required.
Ferry from Italy to Durrës
Durrës is Albania’s busiest ferry port with regular year-round sailings from Bari and Ancona. You can either bring your own car from Italy or simply step off the boat and pick up a rental from us right at the pier.
One-way from Tirana or Sarandë
A lot of people run a natural loop: collect at TIA, spend a night in Tirana, then move to Durrës for the beach part of the trip. One-way fees with our partners are usually €0–20 — often completely free within the same region.
The AK1 gets noticeably busier on Sunday evenings when everyone heads back from the coast to the capital. In summer add half an hour to your journey time.
If you’re arriving by ferry from Bari or Ancona, just drop us your ferry number on WhatsApp. We’ll meet you at the pier and have the paperwork wrapped up in 10–15 minutes.
Where to drive from Durrës: day trips
Durrës sits right in the geographical heart of Albania, so most of the country’s headline attractions are within an easy one- to one-and-a-half-hour drive. Tirana with its lively Skanderbeg Square, the trendy Blloku district and Mount Dajti cable car is only 40 minutes away on the AK1. The historic fortress of Krujë, complete with its Skanderbeg statue and 15th-century bazaar, takes an hour on the SH27. Berat, the enchanting UNESCO site, is an hour and a half via the SH4.
Head south and you’ll reach the Apollonia archaeological park with its ancient ruins and museum in about the same time, or enjoy the quieter beaches of Golem and Spille. If you’re planning to continue to the Albanian Riviera and the Llogara Tunnel, allow two and a half to three hours each way.
Most day trips from Durrës are perfectly manageable in a regular economy car — think Skoda Fabia, VW Polo or Hyundai i20. You won’t need four-wheel drive.
The most pleasant way to visit Tirana is to set off early, arrive by nine and head back at sunset. Sunday evening is the one time the AK1 can feel a little crowded.
The Durrës beaches and what to know about beach parking
The star attraction is Plazhi i Madh — the Big Beach — a glorious ten-kilometre stretch of fine sand running south from the city centre all the way to Golem. The sea shelves gently, the infrastructure is excellent and you’ll find sun loungers, bars and pizza places every few metres. It’s widely considered Albania’s most family-friendly beach, especially popular with Italian and Polish families as well as weekenders from Tirana.
Parking in summer is a chapter of its own. Free municipal spaces along the beach fill up by ten in the morning. Most beach cafés and hotels have their own private lots and charge a modest €1–3 per day, paid in cash to the attendant. At night you can usually park almost anywhere for free, except on a few central tourist streets that have 24-hour restrictions.
In the historic centre you’ll find a handy free municipal car park near the Roman amphitheatre — the smartest choice if you’ve come to explore the ancient ruins and Byzantine walls.
Whatever you do, never park on the actual sand of Plazhi i Madh. One summer shower and you’ll be calling for a tow truck.
When driving back to Tirana on the AK1 on a Sunday evening, give yourself an extra 30–40 minutes. Either leave before 17:00 or wait until after 21:00.
De prijs van autoverhuur in Durrës hangt af van het seizoen en de lengte van de huurperiode.
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1. Vergelijk auto's in Durrës
We maken het gemakkelijk om prijzen en huurvoorwaarden te vergelijken in Durrës zodat je gemakkelijker een auto kunt huren.
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2. Zeker je online boeking
Reserveer je voertuig met een kleine aanbetaling en we garanderen dat het op je wacht bij aankomst in Durrës.
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3. Deel je huurervaring
Help anderen de juiste keuze te maken bij het huren van auto's op TakeCars Durres.
Parking in central Durrës: zones and how to pay
The streets in central Durrës are divided into paid blue zones and free areas. Blue zones operate weekdays from 8:00 to 20:00 and are paid through the TPay app or at street meters. SMS payment to 50500 works only with an Albanian SIM card.
Free municipal parking
Right by the amphitheatre you’ll find a free municipal car park — the natural choice for a day exploring the historic centre. It’s a five-minute walk to the amphitheatre, ten minutes to the seafront and another 10–15 minutes along the promenade to Plazhi i Madh.
Beach parking in summer
In July and August most cafés and hotels along Plazhi i Madh run private lots at €1–3 per day. Spaces disappear quickly, so aim to arrive before 9:30. Otherwise use the free municipal lot in the centre and enjoy the pleasant stroll to the beach.
Blue zones become free at night, on Sundays and on public holidays — useful if your hotel is in the centre but doesn’t have its own parking.
Parking near the port itself is limited. If you arrive by ferry, it’s often easier to drive straight to your hotel or the municipal lot first and walk back to the pier.