The 2026 guide to the Albanian Riviera — Tirana airport, Corfu–Sarandë ferry, Llogara Tunnel times, Vlora airport status & private transfers.
Tirana airport, the Llogara Tunnel, the Corfu–Sarandë ferry, the Italy overnight, and the private-transfer network — the definitive insider guide to reaching Dhërmi, Palasë, and the Green Coast, with the honest status on Vlora Airport.
Until recently, the Albanian Riviera suffered from one significant disadvantage: getting there. The crystalline Ionian water, the Blue Flag beaches, the 300 days of sunshine — all of it required a commitment. A flight to Tirana, followed by a four-hour drive that included the notorious Llogara Pass, a 2,000-meter mountain road with more than fifty hairpin turns that left first-time drivers white-knuckled and motion-sick. In 2026, that journey is almost unrecognizable.
The Llogara Tunnel is open, collapsing a 40-minute mountain ordeal into seven minutes. The SH4 and SH8 highways have been modernized end-to-end, Tirana International Airport has added a long list of direct European routes, and the Corfu–Sarandë ferry now runs nearly hourly in high season. Vlora International Airport — widely reported as "opening soon" — remains under construction and is not expected to accept commercial passenger flights during summer 2026. For now, nearly every traveler arrives via Tirana International Airport or the Corfu ferry, and the combination of expanded Tirana connectivity, the new tunnel, and the modernized coastal highway is what has genuinely transformed the journey.
This is the complete 2026 guide to how to get to the Albanian Riviera — every route, every airport, every drive time, and every insider trick we have learned from hosting thousands of guests at our luxury villas on the Green Coast. Whether you are flying in from London, road-tripping from Italy, or ferrying over from Corfu, the information below is current to 2026, based on official schedules and firsthand door-to-door experience.
There are three realistic ways to reach the Albanian Riviera in 2026 — plus a fourth airport that travelers keep asking about but that is not yet open. The operational options are: fly into Tirana International Airport (TIA) and drive south, fly into Corfu (CFU) and take the ferry to Sarandë, or drive overland from Italy, Greece, Montenegro, or North Macedonia. Vlora International Airport (VOA) is still under construction. Each route has distinct advantages depending on where you are coming from, how much time you have, and what kind of arrival experience you want.
| Route | Status (2026) | Best For | Total Transit Time | Typical Cost (pair) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tirana Airport (TIA) + drive | Operational | Widest airline choice, most travelers | Flight + 2.5 – 3.5 hr drive | €80 – €220 transfer |
| Fly Corfu + ferry to Sarandë | Operational | Scenic arrival, two-country trip | Flight + 30 min taxi + 30–90 min ferry | €70 – €110 ferry + taxi |
| Overland drive (Italy, Greece, etc.) | Operational | Road trippers, groups, flexible schedules | 4 – 14 hr driving + ferry if Italy | Fuel + tolls + ferry if applicable |
| Vlora Airport (VOA) + drive | Under construction — not accepting passengers in 2026 | (Future — once open, fastest route) | — | — |
Aerial view of the new SH8 coastal highway on the Albanian Riviera — a modern, continuous road running from Vlorë through the Llogara Tunnel to Palasë, Dhërmi, Himarë, and Sarandë, where there used to be mountain switchbacks.
Tirana International Airport — officially Nënë Tereza (Mother Teresa) International, airport code TIA — is Albania's largest airport and, for now, the primary gateway for most international travelers. Located 17 kilometers northwest of central Tirana, it handled more than 10 million passengers in 2024 and has undergone continuous expansion to accommodate the country's tourism boom.
More than 40 airlines now serve Tirana, with direct connections to nearly every major European capital. Wizz Air operates the largest network (London Luton, Milan, Rome, Vienna, Budapest, Berlin, Warsaw, Paris Beauvais, and dozens of smaller European cities). Ryanair serves London Stansted, Manchester, Dublin, and a growing list of European bases. Full-service carriers including Lufthansa (Frankfurt, Munich), Turkish Airlines (Istanbul, with onward connections to 300+ destinations), British Airways (London Heathrow), Austrian Airlines (Vienna), Swiss (Zurich), ITA Airways (Rome), Air France (Paris CDG), and KLM (Amsterdam) all operate year-round service.
From the United States, there are no direct flights to Tirana in 2026. The fastest one-stop options are via Istanbul (Turkish Airlines from JFK, Newark, Washington, Chicago, Miami, Los Angeles, San Francisco), Frankfurt (Lufthansa from most US hubs), or Rome / Milan (ITA Airways from JFK, Miami, Los Angeles). From the Middle East, flydubai offers direct service from Dubai to Tirana.
Tirana International Airport (TIA) — Albania's primary gateway, with direct flights from more than 40 European cities and onward connections from Istanbul, Frankfurt, and Rome.
From Tirana Airport, the drive south to the Albanian Riviera follows the SH4 highway toward Fier and Vlorë, then continues on the SH8 coastal road through the Llogara Tunnel and into the Riviera villages of Palasë, Dhërmi, Himarë, Qeparo, Borsh, and onward to Sarandë. The entire route is now modern, paved, well-signed, and — since the tunnel opened — almost entirely free of the hair-raising mountain driving that used to define the journey.
| Destination | Distance | Drive Time (Private Car) | Drive Time (Bus / Furgon) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vlorë city | 140 km | 1 hr 45 min | 2 hr 30 min |
| Palasë / Green Coast | 200 km | 2 hr 30 min | 3 hr 45 min |
| Dhërmi | 210 km | 2 hr 35 min | 4 hr |
| Himarë | 235 km | 2 hr 50 min | 4 hr 15 min |
| Qeparo | 250 km | 3 hr 5 min | 4 hr 30 min |
| Borsh | 275 km | 3 hr 20 min | 4 hr 45 min |
| Sarandë | 305 km | 3 hr 30 min | 5 hr |
| Ksamil | 325 km | 3 hr 50 min | 5 hr 30 min |
These times assume average traffic. In July and August, weekend afternoon traffic between Tirana and Vlorë can add 30 to 60 minutes. We recommend leaving Tirana before 9:00 AM or after 4:00 PM during peak season to avoid the worst congestion.
Budget-minded travelers can take public buses from Tirana's Regional Bus Terminal (TRTT) to Vlorë, Himarë, and Sarandë. Modern air-conditioned coaches run 6 – 10 times daily to Vlorë (€7 – €10, 2.5 hrs) and 3 – 5 times daily direct to Sarandë (€12 – €18, 5 hrs). Furgons — shared minibuses that depart when full — are faster and cheaper but less predictable. For travelers arriving at TIA without a reservation, the easiest option is a taxi (€25 fixed fare) to central Tirana, then a bus south.
That said, the overwhelming majority of our villa guests choose a private transfer for this leg. A direct Mercedes V-Class from TIA to Palasë runs €180 – €240 for up to seven passengers with luggage, eliminates two transfer points, and includes flight-tracking so your driver is waiting even if you land late. Our concierge team arranges these for every guest as standard.
Vlora International Airport (ICAO: LAVL, IATA: VOA) is the most-discussed piece of Albanian infrastructure of the decade — and one of the most misunderstood. Located between Vlorë and Fier, the $170 million airport is designed to handle more than 2 million passengers annually from a 3.2-kilometer runway capable of accepting wide-body aircraft. Once operational, it will sit just 45 minutes by car from Palasë and the Green Coast. That is the future. The present is more complicated.
Vlora International Airport (VOA) under construction between Vlorë and Fier — the planned future gateway to the Albanian Riviera is not yet accepting commercial passenger flights, with the opening window now pushed beyond summer 2026.
Here is the honest status: Vlora International Airport is not yet open to commercial passenger traffic. Construction is ongoing, certification milestones are still outstanding, and the airport will not begin accepting passengers during summer 2026. Opening dates have been announced and revised multiple times, and the timeline has continued to slip. The current realistic window is late 2026 at the earliest, with many industry observers expecting 2027. Even once the airport opens, the initial schedule will start small — a handful of European charter and budget carriers for the first season, expanding over subsequent years.
If you are planning a 2026 trip to the Albanian Riviera, the sensible working assumption is that VOA will not figure in your itinerary. Book through Tirana International Airport and drive, or fly to Corfu and take the ferry. If a carrier tells you they are selling Vlora flights for summer 2026, treat that schedule with caution and check the official Vlora Airport website before paying.
Multiple carriers have publicly expressed interest in operating from Vlora once the airport is certified and open. The shortlist includes Chair Airlines (Zurich), Wizz Air, Ryanair, Lufthansa, Austrian, Turkish Airlines, and ITA Airways. None of those routes are bookable for 2026. When the airport does receive its operating certificate, watch Google Flights, Skyscanner, and the Vlora Airport website for route announcements — the expansion after launch is expected to be quick.
Because Vlora Airport will eventually change the accessibility equation dramatically, the future drive times from VOA are useful reference information — even if they are not yet bookable. Once operational, expected drive times from the airport to the Riviera via the SH8 highway are:
| Destination | Distance | Expected Drive Time (Private Car) |
|---|---|---|
| Vlorë city | 18 km | 25 min |
| Radhimë | 30 km | 35 min |
| Palasë / Green Coast | 55 km | 45 min |
| Dhërmi | 65 km | 50 min |
| Himarë | 85 km | 1 hr 5 min |
| Qeparo | 100 km | 1 hr 20 min |
| Borsh | 125 km | 1 hr 40 min |
| Sarandë | 155 km | 2 hr |
| Ksamil | 175 km | 2 hr 20 min |
When VOA does open, these transfers will be transformative — a London-to-Palasë door-to-door of under seven hours, faster than reaching the Amalfi Coast from London in most scenarios. For 2026, however, this is a preview, not a plan. Book through Tirana.
Three years ago, guests arrived exhausted, dehydrated, and often carsick. Today the Llogara Tunnel has turned the hardest part of the drive into a seven-minute glide — and when Vlora Airport finally opens, the door-to-door time will drop by another two hours.
The most scenic arrival to the Albanian Riviera is the one that involves two countries. Corfu International Airport (CFU) — on the Greek island directly across from the Albanian coast — is served year-round by British Airways, easyJet, Jet2, TUI, Ryanair, Lufthansa, Austrian, Swiss, and seasonally by dozens of European carriers. Once on Corfu, you take a 30-minute taxi to the Corfu New Port (Neo Limani), then a 30- to 90-minute ferry directly into Sarandë, Albania. From Sarandë, it is a 90-minute scenic coastal drive north along the Riviera to Dhërmi and Palasë. Many of our guests use this route to combine the two destinations into one trip — see our Albanian Riviera vs Greek Islands comparison for the cost, beach, and infrastructure trade-offs that decide which side gets the bigger share of the holiday.
The Corfu to Sarandë ferry approaches the Albanian coast — a 30-minute crossing on the Ionian Sea that doubles as one of the most scenic arrivals in the Mediterranean.
Three operators run the Corfu–Sarandë route in 2026: Finikas Lines (fast catamaran, 30 minutes), Ionian Seaways (hydrofoil, 30 minutes), and Joy Lines (conventional ferry, 70 – 90 minutes, carries vehicles). Passenger-only fast ferries run 4 – 8 times daily in July and August, 2 – 4 times daily in shoulder season (May, June, September, October), and 1 – 2 times daily in winter.
| Operator | Vessel Type | Journey Time | Price (one-way) | Vehicles? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finikas Lines | Fast catamaran | 30 min | €27 – €32 | No |
| Ionian Seaways | Hydrofoil | 30 min | €27 – €30 | No |
| Joy Lines (Ilida) | Conventional ferry | 70 – 90 min | €25 – €30 (pp) | Yes — €65 – €95 per car |
Booking is straightforward via the operators' websites or aggregators like Ferryhopper or Direct Ferries. In peak summer, book at least one week ahead — these vessels sell out. Remember that this is an international border crossing: you need a valid passport (not an EU ID card) and should arrive at the port at least 60 minutes before departure for immigration processing on the Albanian side.
Sarandë is the southern gateway of the Albanian Riviera. From the port, you are 10 minutes from Ksamil, 90 minutes from Himarë, and about 2 hours from Palasë and the Green Coast. Private transfers wait at the port (€120 – €180 to Palasë), taxis are widely available (€100 – €140 negotiable), and rental cars can be collected from Sarandë offices of Europcar, Enterprise, and local operators. Because the drive north along the SH8 from Sarandë to Palasë passes through many of the Riviera's best beaches, many guests build in a lunch stop at Borsh or Qeparo to turn the transfer into a first-day coastal tour.
For road-trippers, groups, or anyone wanting maximum flexibility on the ground, driving into Albania is an excellent option. Albania shares land borders with Montenegro, Kosovo, North Macedonia, and Greece, and has a ferry link to Italy. All major land borders are modern, quick, and — for EU and Schengen-area citizens — typically cleared in under 20 minutes.
The Italy–Albania ferry is one of Europe's great underappreciated travel experiences — overnight sailings on comfortable ships with cabins, restaurants, and panoramic decks. Three operators run the route in 2026: Ventouris Ferries, Grimaldi Lines, and Adriatica Lines, all sailing into Durrës — Albania's main port, about 30 minutes from Tirana and 2.5 hours from the Riviera.
| Route | Journey Time | Frequency | Typical Price (car + 2 adults) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bari → Durrës | 8 – 9 hrs (overnight) | Daily | €180 – €320 |
| Ancona → Durrës | 15 – 16 hrs (overnight) | 5 – 7 per week | €280 – €480 |
| Brindisi → Vlorë | 6 – 7 hrs | 3 – 5 per week (summer) | €150 – €260 |
| Trieste → Durrës | 25 hrs | 2 per week (seasonal) | €380 – €620 |
The Bari to Durrës overnight is by far the most popular — embark at 22:00, wake up in Albania at 07:00, and drive south to reach your villa by lunchtime. Cabins start at €60 extra; they are essentially mandatory unless you are very young or very tired.
Overland entry from neighboring countries is straightforward. From Greece, the main crossing is at Kakavija (near Gjirokastër); from Thessaloniki via Ioannina, it is roughly a 5-hour drive to Sarandë. From Montenegro, the Hani i Hotit border (near Shkodër) connects coastal Montenegro to northern Albania — Budva to the Albanian Riviera is about 7 hours. From Kosovo, the Morinë crossing connects Prizren to Tirana in about 2.5 hours via the modernized A1 motorway. From North Macedonia, the Qafë Thanë crossing near Pogradec links Ohrid to Tirana in around 3 hours.
If you are renting a car in another country and crossing into Albania, confirm with your rental company that the vehicle is permitted to cross the border — and that your insurance covers Albania. Most major international rental agencies allow it with a small surcharge; many small local agencies do not. For detailed, up-to-date border information, the Albanian Ministry of Internal Affairs publishes crossing wait times.
No single piece of infrastructure has changed the Albanian Riviera's accessibility equation more than the Llogara Tunnel. Before the tunnel, every traveler heading south from Vlorë to Dhërmi or Sarandë had to cross the Llogara Pass — a 2,000-meter mountain road carved through the Ceraunian range with more than fifty hairpin turns. On a clear day with an experienced driver, it was a 40-minute white-knuckle ordeal. In fog, rain, or snow, it could close entirely, cutting off the Riviera from the rest of the country.
The Llogara Tunnel — a 6-kilometer, modern, well-lit passage through the Ceraunian mountains. What was once a 40-minute mountain crossing is now seven minutes.
The new 6-kilometer tunnel bypasses the entire pass, cutting the Dukat-to-Palasë drive from 40 minutes to 7 and operating at a constant 80 km/h in both directions. There is a toll (approximately €2.50 for a standard car) and mandatory headlights are on at all times. For travelers who want the old-road experience — and the jaw-dropping viewpoint at the Llogara Pass summit, where the entire Riviera unfolds below you like a map — the original road remains open and is now blissfully empty. Many guests take the tunnel on arrival (fastest and most comfortable) and drive back over the pass on departure for the view.
Once you are on the Albanian Riviera, there are five realistic ways to move between villages, beaches, and restaurants. The right choice depends on how long you are staying, how much you want to drive, and whether you are traveling as a couple, a family, or a group.
Private transfers are the most popular choice among villa guests. A Mercedes V-Class for up to seven passengers with luggage, plus an English-speaking driver, can be arranged point-to-point (airport to villa) or as a day rate (typically €350 – €500 for a full day). For longer stays, many guests book a chauffeur for arrival, a beach-hopping day in the middle, a dinner night-out at a cliffside restaurant, and the return transfer — the best of both worlds without the stress of driving. Our concierge team arranges this for every guest who requests it.
A Mercedes V-Class private transfer waiting at arrivals — the most popular arrival option for villa guests on the Albanian Riviera, with flight-tracking pickup at Tirana International Airport and English-speaking drivers.
Renting a car gives maximum flexibility and is strongly recommended for stays of five nights or more. All major international agencies have desks at Tirana Airport, and prices in 2026 run €35 – €60 per day for a compact and €65 – €95 for a mid-size SUV. We cover everything you need to know — companies, prices by category, deposit and credit-card requirements, cross-border policies, insurance, and the things that catch first-time visitors out — in the dedicated "Renting a Car in Albania" section below.
Taxis are widely available in Vlorë, Sarandë, Himarë, and at both airports. Official airport taxis have fixed fares posted at the rank (TIA to central Tirana: €25; VOA to Vlorë: €20). Outside the airports, insist on the meter or agree a fixed fare before departing. Uber does not operate in Albania. The local ride-hailing app Speed Taxi works in Tirana and Durrës but has limited coverage on the Riviera. For short hops between villages, your villa host or concierge can usually arrange a trusted local driver in under 20 minutes.
Regional buses connect the Riviera villages — Vlorë to Sarandë via Dhërmi and Himarë runs 4 – 6 times daily in summer, €5 – €10 per leg. Furgons (shared minibuses) fill the gaps on routes where buses are infrequent. They are cheap, characterful, and a legitimate cultural experience — but unreliable, crowded in August, and not recommended if you are carrying significant luggage or traveling with small children.
For beach-hopping between coves that are difficult or impossible to reach by road — Gjipe Beach, Grama Bay, the wild coves north of Palasë — boats are the answer. Shared water taxis run daily in summer from Himarë and Dhërmi (€10 – €20 per person per trip). Private boat charters with a captain start around €400 per day. Our adventure activities guide has full details on boat tours, sea-cave excursions, and Gjipe access.
For most visitors to the Albanian Riviera, a rental car is the right choice. The roads are now modern, fuel is cheap, tolls are virtually nonexistent, and the alternative — buses, furgons, taxis — does not give you the flexibility to detour for an unmarked viewpoint or a beach you read about in a guidebook. The flip side: Albanian rental car practices have a few quirks that can catch first-time visitors off guard, particularly around insurance, deposits, and what the published "from" rate actually includes. Here is the complete picture for 2026.
The vast majority of visitors rent at Tirana International Airport (TIA), which is by far the largest, most competitive, and most internationally connected pickup location. All major global agencies — Sixt, Europcar, Hertz, Avis, Enterprise, Budget — operate desks immediately at arrivals, alongside reputable Albanian operators (Localio, GreenWheel, Edu Rent). Picking up at TIA is the standard recommendation: best fleet selection, longest opening hours (24/7), and the smoothest insurance process if anything goes wrong.
Downtown Tirana rentals are typically 10–20% cheaper than airport rates because they avoid the airport concession fee. The trade-off is a €25 taxi ride from TIA to the city, plus the time to get there. Worth it for stays of 7+ days; not worth it for shorter trips. Sarandë has a handful of local rental agencies for travelers arriving via the Corfu ferry. Rates are competitive (€30–€45/day for a compact) but fleet selection is narrower and English-language support is more variable. Vlora Airport is not yet operational for commercial rentals; once it opens (expected late 2026 or 2027), expect Sixt, Europcar, and local operators to follow.
| Category | Example Models | Daily Rate | Weekly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compact (manual) | VW Polo, Hyundai i20, Opel Corsa | €35 – €50 | €220 – €310 |
| Compact (automatic) | Toyota Yaris, Renault Clio AT | €45 – €65 | €280 – €410 |
| Mid-size sedan | VW Passat, Skoda Octavia | €55 – €80 | €350 – €500 |
| Compact SUV | Nissan Qashqai, Hyundai Tucson | €65 – €95 | €420 – €600 |
| Premium SUV / 7-seater | VW Tiguan, Mercedes V-Class | €110 – €160 | €700 – €1,000 |
Shoulder season (May, June, September, October) is roughly 25–35% cheaper. Winter rates drop further. Manual transmission is significantly more common in Albania than automatic — automatics command a 25–40% premium and need to be booked further in advance, especially in July and August. If you can drive a manual, the savings are substantial.
You will need: (1) a full driving license held for at least 1 year (EU and US licenses accepted directly; non-Latin-script licenses require an International Driving Permit); (2) a passport or national ID; (3) a credit card in the main driver's name for the security deposit. The credit-card requirement is the single most common reason rentals get refused at the desk in Albania. Albanian agencies almost universally reject debit cards (including Revolut, Wise, and Monzo virtual cards) because they cannot place the €500 – €1,500 hold required for the deposit. If you only have debit, book through a major international agency at TIA in advance — they sometimes accept debit with extra paperwork — but plan a backup. Minimum age is 21 (with a "young driver" surcharge of €8 – €12/day) or 23 standard. Drivers over 70 face an "elderly driver" surcharge with most agencies.
Albanian rentals always include basic third-party liability by law. Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) is the part that varies wildly, and where the cheapest "from" rates can become an unpleasant surprise at the counter. The default CDW typically carries an excess (deductible) of €800 – €1,500, which is what you would pay out of pocket for any damage. Full coverage with zero excess (often called "Premium" or "Full Protection") adds €10 – €18 per day but eliminates the deductible exposure entirely. For Riviera driving — narrow coastal roads, tight village parking, gravel side roads to hidden beaches — we strongly recommend full coverage. Credit-card travel insurance covers some of this for some cards, but Albania is excluded from many European cards' rental coverage; verify before relying on it.
If you plan to drive into another country (a day trip to Corfu via the Greek border, an extension to Montenegro's coast, a detour to North Macedonia's lakes), tell the agency at booking. Most allow cross-border travel into Greece, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Kosovo with a one-time fee of €30 – €80 plus a green-card insurance extension. Italy is almost universally prohibited — the Adriatic ferry from Durrës to Bari is forbidden in nearly every rental contract because of vehicle theft history. Returning the car across borders without prior authorization voids your insurance and can trigger a €500+ penalty. Always declare planned cross-border use in advance.
Petrol stations are plentiful on the SH4 motorway and the SH8 coastal highway. Major chains — Kastrati, Gulf, Conad, Lukoil — accept international Visa and Mastercard. Petrol runs around €1.65 per liter in 2026; diesel is roughly €1.55. The full Albania route covered in this guide (Tirana to Saranda and back) consumes about €60 – €80 in fuel for a compact. Tolls are essentially zero. The only toll in the country is the short SH7 stretch heading toward the Kosovo border, which Riviera-bound travelers never use. The Llogara Tunnel is currently free, with a small toll expected from 2027.
August parking in Dhërmi village, Himarë harbor, and Sarandë's old corniche can genuinely be the single most frustrating part of the trip. Plan to arrive at popular beaches before 10:30 AM or after 5:00 PM. Most of our villas on the Green Coast include private parking on the property — a meaningful convenience that is worth more than it sounds. Tirana street parking is metered via the e-Albania app; most central hotels include parking. For driving conditions, road safety rules, and local driving etiquette, see our comprehensive Albania safety guide.
A rental car is not always the right answer. If you are staying 3 nights or fewer at a single villa with no plans to leave the local area, a private transfer in (€180 – €240) and a local driver-on-call for two beach days will cost less than a 4-day rental with full insurance, and is markedly less stressful. Larger groups (8+ adults) often benefit from a Mercedes V-Class with chauffeur for the entire stay rather than two rental SUVs. Our concierge team arranges either path for every guest, on whatever combination works for the trip.
To illustrate how the new infrastructure translates into real journey times, here are realistic door-to-door itineraries for travelers arriving from major world cities. All times are for a villa in Palasë on the Green Coast and assume no flight delays.
The general rule on the Albanian Riviera: book flights and villa accommodation as early as possible, book ferries and rental cars a few weeks ahead, and leave most other decisions for when you land. Specifically:
Albania is visa-free for passport holders of the EU, US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland, Japan, South Korea, and roughly 90 other countries, for stays of up to 90 days within any 180-day period. An ETIAS-style pre-registration will apply to short-stay non-EU visitors in the future; check the Albanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for current requirements.
For all points of entry — airports, land borders, ferry terminals — you need a passport valid for the duration of your stay (no six-month rule applies for most nationalities, but check your own). Albania is not in the Schengen Area, so arriving from Italy or Greece does involve a fresh stamp. Keep that in mind if you are also planning time in Schengen countries and tracking your 90-day limit.
For decades, getting to the Albanian Riviera was part of the story guests told when they got home — usually with a wry smile and at least one anecdote about the Llogara Pass. In 2026, the story is already very different. A 6-kilometer tunnel where there used to be an hour of switchbacks. A modernized SH4 and SH8 highway that runs from Tirana straight down the coast. A nearly-hourly ferry from Corfu. And, on the horizon, a brand-new coastal airport at Vlora that will close the final accessibility gap once construction wraps up and certification is complete. The infrastructure is catching up to the beauty of the place.
Whether you fly into Tirana, take the Corfu ferry, or drive in on the overnight from Bari, the Albanian Riviera is now one of the most straightforward luxury destinations in the Mediterranean. Our team arranges every flight, ferry, transfer, rental, and onward leg for guests staying with us. Explore our collection of luxury villas and apartments on the Green Coast, read why the Albanian Riviera is Europe's fastest-rising destination, or contact our concierge team to plan your arrival. We will take care of the logistics. You take care of the sunset.