Trips to Tirana
Catch a flight to Tirana today!
Called "a place beyond belief", the Albanian capital certainly has its fair share of grand attractions and activities. From the mountains in the east to the Adriatic Sea further west, if you go at the right time of year, you can also enjoy some of the sunniest days in Europe on a trip to Tirana.
The city has expanded in recent times, but we reckon you'll be able to tick off your whole bucket list in a few days. Then again, if you want to venture beyond the beaches and Skanderbeg Square, you may want to be cheeky and enjoy Tirana for a bit longer.
For UK flyers, enjoying holidays in Tirana couldn't be easier. You can fly out of London to get there in one smooth journey, or with a single stop departing from:
- Manchester (MAN)
- Birmingham (BHX)
- Bristol (BRS)
- Newcastle (NCL)
- Liverpool (LPL)
- Norwich (NWI)
No matter how you choose to get there, you can get cheaper flights with Opodo. Just plug some details into our search tool and plan your trip to the pastel-coloured city of Tirana!
Make the most of your 3 days in Tirana
When you're working out where to stay in Tirana, choosing somewhere as close to Skanderbeg Square will help get you to the hot spots with minimal travel. Then again, it's a small city anyway, so a tad outside won't hurt.
Once you've enjoyed your 3-hour flight to Albania, and checked in at your accommodation, you'll be wondering what to do. To enjoy a long weekend, here's how you can plan for holidays in Tirana.
Day 1: Try Tirana’s bakllava and visit the Piramida
When you're hungry, you won't struggle to find eateries that specialise in fast food or takeaway in Tirana! For something to keep you going, look for the filo pastry swirls called 'byrek,' sauce-topped fried dough from food stands known as 'petulla,' some 'qofte' meatballs, or the famous bakllava.
Next, dotted around the middle of the city and enjoyable at any time of day, you can check out Et'hem Bey Mosque, the Resurrection of Christ Orthodox Church, or the Piramida.
The flight time to Tirana is 3 hours, plus Albania is an hour ahead of the UK. You've already ticked off a fair few bits, so get some rest and save the nightlife exploration for a big Day 2!
Day 2: Head up the Dajti Mountain
From Tirane Central Bus Stop, get the LU-NA shpk bus to Tirana Airport (TIA). There, hop on the Adis Travel bus to Durres, which will put you within throwing distance of the coast in an hour and a half for about €10. If the beach isn't for you, you could look east to explore the Dajti Mountain National Park, see the towering mountains, and even take a 15-minute cable car up the Dajti Mountain to get to Dajti Ekspres.
You can get to the top of the mountain for €12, and up there, you'll find an adventure park, mini golf, rollerblading, hiking, mountain biking and paragliding. Everything you could want for a fun day out on your holiday!
If you've got energy to spare and you're looking for Tirana's nightlife, you're in luck. Events are often held at Skanderbeg Square, so swing by this hub of city activity once the evening comes around. For a bigger night out in the city, gravitate towards Blloku for the top clubs.
Day 3: Visit Tirana’s Bunk’Art 2
See the Clock Tower and Tanners' Bridge for a nice and relaxing view before you have to get back to the airport. Within the city, you could also take the opportunity to see all of the brilliantly pastel-coloured buildings or visit Bunk'Art 2 or the National History Museum.
Perhaps also try more of the local cuisine. It'd be a shame to miss out on ferges (a cheese and vegetables stew) or the famed - and delicious - tavë kosi!
Frequently asked questions about flights to Tirana
What's the name of the Tirana airports?
When you do your search for your flights to the capital of Albania, you'll see its short name, TIA. It may be down as Rinas International Airport or Tirana International Airport Tereza.
Which airlines offer direct flights to Tirana?
You can go with 3 different airlines to get direct flights to Tirana from the UK:
- Wizz Air
- British Airways
- easyJet
All 3 of these airlines set off from one of the big London airports. Wizz Air flies from London Luton, British Airways from Heathrow, and easyJet from Gatwick.
How can I request assistance for children travelling alone?
With whatever airline you choose for your trip to Tirana, you need to contact them at least 48 hours ahead of your departure. They will then inform the airport that your children will require assistance and make arrangements for the children travelling alone.
How can I travel with an assistance dog?
You can always travel with an assistance dog with any airline, but you are required to give them 48 hours notice. Sometimes, you'll see the option to inform them of your disability-related need when booking tickets, but if not, you'll want to contact their customer service team directly.
How do I find cheap flights to Tirana that have flexible change policies at Opodo?
As low-cost airlines don't tend to cater to flexible change policies, with Opodo, you can add the Opodo Flexflight as an additional service. When booking through the Opodo site, you can add this to valid flight bookings to get post-booking changes without handling charges and the flexible dates guarantee.
How can I book cheap hotels on Opodo in Tirana?
At Opodo, hotel bookings are another part of the travel experience that you can get sorted in one place. For cheap hotels, simply press the 'Hotel' button atop the page, input in Tirana, your travel dates, press the 'Search Hotels' button, and then sort by Price (lowest first).
What baggage do I need to check on my flight?
This will depend on your airline and tickets, as each offers a different allowance for hand luggage. Overall, however, all airlines require baggage that contains over 100ml liquid containers, sharp objects in excess of 4'', firearms and ammunition - including toy weapons - flammables, explosives, and some agricultural items.
How can I check in with Opodo?
You can't check in directly with Opodo; you have to check in via the airline that's taking you to Tirana. To do this, log in on the airline's website, go to your account, your flights, and then check in during the timeframe that they require. Most have an app for this.
Do I need to pay a cancellation fee if I cancel my flight from London to Tirana?
For cancellations, you will need to pay an admin fee to get a refund, but this isn't always possible with low-cost airlines. Some flights do come with free cancellations within a set timeframe via Opodo, but if that's not used, the platform will deduct a £25 fee from the refund.
How do I know if my flight is eligible for compensation?
All air passengers are eligible for a full refund or a free alternative form of travel under certain circumstances. Those include flight cancellations within 14 days of the flight, delays from 2 hours or more, overbooking, strikes, and if luggage gets lost, delayed, or damaged.
Getting flights to Albania and Tirana
You'll have a few London airports to fly out from and not so many Tirana airports to choose from. Luckily, there's just the one for you to fly to.
As one of the smaller capital cities in Europe, direct flights to Tirana aren't as common as ones you'd find to Paris or Berlin from the UK. You can get nonstop flights to Albania from London, going capital to capital, from the likes of airlines like Wizz Air, easyJet, and British Airways.
Each of these airlines flies from a different airport:
- Wizz Air has the shortest flight time to Tirana at 3 hours from London Luton Airport (LTN).
- easyJet takes 5 minutes longer from London Gatwick (LGW).
- British Airways runs flights for holidays in Tirana from London Heathrow (LHR).
The best way to get to Central London from any of these airports is via train, likely coming in on the overground and then changing to the underground.
Heathrow, Gatwick, and London Luton are among the busiest in the country. Each has lounges, a wide selection of shops and restaurants, and more.
When you land, you'll be wondering how to get from Tirana airport to the city centre. Luckily, it's as easy, if not easier, than getting between London and any airport. Tirana International Airport has an easy-peasy bus system. Catch the 30-minute ride on the LU-NA shpk shuttle from the airport to the city centre for just under €4 (or 400L) or the Rinas Express.
Taxis are also available and take 10 minutes less than the bus, but they'll cost you about €20.
What's the best time to visit Tirana?
Sitting to the east of Italy across the Adriatic Sea, and with a mountain just behind, Tirana stands as one of the sunniest and rainiest capital cities on the continent. Luckily, the two are usually quite segmented, resulting in superb summer days. If you're hoping for a particularly warm holiday in Tirana, the best time to visit is August.
At the end of the summer months, temperatures range between 20ºC and 31ºC and rainfall is at a minimum. This minimum is still a good 6 or 7 days of light rainfall, so the chances are that you'll end up sprinting between doors in Tirana at some point!
For more moderate temperatures, but around a 50-50 chance for rain on any given day, target May. You'll be able to bask in the glow of up to 22ºC or still stay content if the temperatures hit their lows of around 12ºC. Between May and August, the temperatures rise, and the number of rainy days decreases, so there's a nice middle ground to be found for those who don't want very hot days.
If you're basing your trip to Tirana on events rather than temperatures, you may want to look a bit beyond the summer window. The Tirana International Film Festival takes place in September, as does the Peza N*Fest, 40 minutes southwest of the city centre, which celebrates the end of summer. That said, there are music, arts, and culture festivals throughout the summer months in and around Tirana.
For regular holidays in Tirana that hope to enjoy the coast, sunshine, and relaxing days, August is your best month to look at flights to Albania. For slightly cooler temperatures but perhaps more intriguing events to explore, September may be the better option for you. Either way, you're going to love the city!
