Skopje is the capital of Macedonia and Tirana is the capital of Albania and this travel guide is about Skopje to Tirana by bus. I was in Skopje, and I wanted to go to Tirana. First, I wanted to buy a flight.
But I didn’t find any direct flight, so I thought to do this journey by road. I wanted to document this journey by bus from Skopje to Tirana. and honestly speaking, I loved the journey by road because I saw most of the countryside of both North Macedonia and Albania. Let me share the details with you.
Skopje to Tirana Bus Trip
Skopje bus station is located within the city center. I had my hostel near the bus station so I just walked a few minutes and reached the bus station. but I had bought the bus ticket a day earlier to avoid inconvenience at the last minute.
The bus leaves for Tirana every day two times in the morning 7 AM and 9 AM and once at 21:00 night time. the bus ticket cost 1250 (Macedonian Denar) which is equal to $25 USD as of April 2020. you can buy the ticket anytime from the counter inside the bus station. there are money exchange shops, restaurants, and gift shops at the bus station in Skopje. and you can buy a bus ticket to anywhere in Europe.
How much time it takes to Tirana?
The bus journey is around 7 hours and the bus will have 6 stops at different locations. You’ll see the beautiful countryside of Macedonia and Albania. The border area between Albania and Macedonia is mountainous and green. Beautiful scenery and valleys are all part of this adventure.
I will prefer to take the bus trip in day time if I want to explore the places. The bus was not luxury, but OK to travel. The driver was a nice guy who always informed us about stop timing, so we were able to do something in that short time. it also stops for lunch after crossing the Macedonia-Albania border.
Also Read: Tirana Albania Travel Guide
Bottom Line
I myself love road journeys because this way I can see the real-life of countries and can feel it deep inside. I have taken many road trips in different countries, and every journey turned out to be a true adventure for me. and when there is no direct flight then it becomes easier to decide.
However, your case may be different. but if you ever want to travel by road from Skopje to Tirana by bus then this is the guide where you will come and read for yourself. That’s the only reason I have written this guide on my blog because I know someday, someone will decide to do this trip and he/she will search about it on Google. and they will find my this blog post and after reading it, they will post a comment 🙂
Don’t forget to watch the video in which I documented all of my bus journeys from Skopje to Tirana by bus, and I’m sure you gonna love the video as it’ll take you directly to the scene. 🙂