Tirana To Berat in 2024: Easy Budget Travel Guide
Getting from Tirana to Berat on a budget can be a bit annoying. But not to worry! In this guide I cover absolutely everything you need to make your trip a smooth one.
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Tirana To Berat: An Intro
Struggling to figure out how to get from Tirana to Berat on a budget? Don’t you worry – i’ve got you covered.
For most people backpacking in Albania, they’ll land in the capital – Tirana. So, the journey from Tirana to Berat will be their first experience travelling on a budget between cities in the country.
It can be daunting! Especially when you learn that you can’t book bus tickets online, and the bus schedules are very relaxed. Further down in this article, i’ve linked my guide on figuring out the Albanian bus system.
For me, the journey from Tirana to Berat was my first intercity trip within Albania – and I couldn’t find good enough information online.
I had to figure it out myself, so luckily for you guys – you won’t have to! All the important information is right here. The locations of bus terminals, how to get to and from them, the bus schedule and the cost.
So, come along with me as I run through exactly how to get from Tirana to Berat on a budget in 2024.
How To Get From Tirana To Berat
The distance from Tirana to Berat is 100km and takes roughly 2-2.5 hours to reach.
The best and most affordable way of going from Tirana to Berat is by minibus (or furgon).
If this isn’t the only post you’ve read about this topic, you might be under the impression that there is a train available between the two cities. This is waffle, and there hasn’t been a train going between Tirana to Berat for a long time.
In fact, passenger travel by train isn’t currently possible anywhere in the country.
Where To Get The Bus From Tirana To Berat
The bus from Tirana to Berat leaves from the South and North Bus Terminal, about 6km from the centre of the city.
How To Get To South and North Bus Terminal
If you’re insane and want to walk 90 minutes with your bag, go for it! But, I really recommend getting a city bus there.
It was super confusing figuring this out myself on my trip in 2023. There was a lot of conflicting information out there that overcomplicated things.
So, lucky for you – I made a dedicated post on how to get to Tirana’s regional bus station.
Tirana to Berat Bus Schedule
Tirana to Berat is one of the most popular bus lines in the entire country, with at least one bus leaving every hour from 5:30am to 5:30pm. You can check the rough schedule here at Gjirafa Travel.
This makes planning the trip as painless as possible! You can simply turn up and hop on any of the buses that have a sign in the window saying “BERAT”.
One of the things you should know about backpacking in Albania – the bus system can be a little disorganised. Buses don’t necessarily stick to the schedule and they tend to leave once they are full.
You can’t book tickets online for intercity buses in Albania, you can only turn up and get on! In a way, I really like this – it means I don’t need to stress about getting a ticket and I can be flexible with my schedule.
I’ve written a guide about buses in Albania and how the bus system works more in-depth.
Check out my 48 hours in Tirana itinerary
Cost of Tirana to Berat Bus Ticket
The cost of a bus ticket from Tirana to Berat is 500 LEK (8 AUD, 5 USD). There is no extra cost for bags like some other countries in the Balkans (looking at you Croatia).
As you can’t book tickets online, you’ll have to pay cash to the driver. Usually, the bus driver will either stop halfway to collect payment – or at the end of the journey.
Check out the pros and cons of visiting Berat
How To Get To Berat City Centre
Berat Bus Station isn’t located right in the heart of the city, annoyingly. So, you’ll have to catch a city bus to the city centre.
Thankfully, it’s not difficult! Look out for the blue coloured bus with the number 1 and that will take you all the way to the centre. A ticket collector will come around asking you to pay and that will only cost you 40 LEK (40c USD).
The bus has a pretty relaxed schedule so don’t freak out if it doesn’t turn up on time. Most of the time you can expect one to arrive every 20 minutes.
Some sources online claim that from 2022, buses from Tirana to Berat will take you all the way to the city centre. In my experience in 2023, this is untrue.
Planning a trip to Berat?
Check out my post on how many days in Berat
What To Do In Berat On A Budget
Once you’ve travelled from Tirana to Berat, it’s time to explore!
Albania as a whole is a budget destination with attractions not costing a whole lot, and Berat is no different. The main sight of the city is free and museums cost a couple of dollars to enter.
1. Berat Castle
Berat Castle will most likely be the highlight of your Berat trip. Aside from the unique houses lining the Osum River, people come here to see the castle.
It’s a tough walk up there, but once you get to the top you can check out an amazing view of the city and the surrounding valley. Unlike the castle in Gjirokaster, life inside the walls still thrive to this day – with bars, restaurants, homes and monuments perched on top the hill.
I remember sitting on the castle walls, watching as kids kicked a football around and flew a kite. It was a really wholesome experience!
Pro tip: It’s one of the best free things to do in Berat, as it’s open 24 hours a day – but only staffed from 9am-6pm. So make sure you enter outside of these hours to save money!
2. Wander The Mangalem and Gorica Quarters
Berat is a city of two main quarters – the Mangalem Quarter located on the castle side of the Osum River and the Gorica Quarter on the other side.
Credit: Konpasu.De (Unsplash)
One of the best free things to do in Berat is simply wandering around these two stunning quarters – it was great for travel photography.
The Mangalem Quarter is Islamic and used to be known as the Ottoman Quarter. Make sure you take your time walking the narrow streets with stone houses!
The Gorica Quarter on the other hand is known as the Christian Quarter, with much of the same architecture but also some orthodox churches that you can enter.
3. Experience Xhiro On Boulevard Republika
If you’ve done a tiny bit of looking around online about Albania, you might’ve heard the word “xhiro”! Xhiro this, xhiro that.
But what is it?
“Xhiro” is a tradition that dates back many years, and no one actually knows when it started!
The word directly translates to “walk” in English. And that’s what it is, just a walk! After the working day is over, the community spirit of Albanian cities come alive and friends and families head out for a stroll around the main part of the city.
In Berat, Boulevard Republika is where hordes of people wander around, eat street food and rinse off the stress of their days.
See my full list of free things to do in Berat
Where To Stay In Berat
There are quite a few decent hostels in Berat to choose from, most being within the gorgeous Gorica Quarter.
When people come to Berat, they tend to stay at either Maya Hostel or Berat Backpackers (who are owned by the same person). The latter was actually the first hostel to open in the city, but recently it’s gone a bit downhill.
If none of these hostels are available, check out my guide on how to choose the best hostel.
Check out my full, in-depth Berat travel guide
How Long Should I Stay In Berat?
Comparing Tirana to Berat is like night and day. Berat is considerably smaller and you don’t need all that long to see everything it has to offer! Ultimately, the amount of time you spend in Berat depends on your travel style and interests.
Just 24 hours in Berat will give you the chance to hit the main sights and have some good food.
Any more than this allows slow travellers like myself and history nuts to get into the nitty gritty of the city as it is definitely a history-based destination.
Check out my 1 Day In Berat Itinerary
Final Thoughts On Tirana To Berat
Gjirokaster and Berat were on my radar for a long time, something about it stood out to me as places full of heritage and culture.
But once I was almost there, figuring out how to get from Tirana to Berat on a budget proved a bit tricky!
For first time backpackers in Albania, it can be a bit worrying – with the lack of information online. Hopefully this guide eliminated any concerns you had, allowing the trip to be a breeze!
Book Your Trip With My Favourite Resources:
Cheap Flights: I always use Skyscanner to browse for cheap flights. It offers so many options to help you find a good deal! It even allows you to search for “anywhere” if you haven’t decided where to go yet!
Accommodation: I start my hostel search with Hostelworld. Most hostels are now on this platform making it the place to find the best hostel for you.
Travel Insurance: If you can’t afford travel insurance, you can’t afford to travel. It is so important to have when travelling as it will save you from illness, injury, theft and cancellations! I always use Worldnomads when travelling on a budget as they have the best deals for me.
VERY VERY VERY INFORMATIVE.
I am in Tirana now a.d trying to put an itinerary together and tou really give some good advise.
Thanks
Thanks Kedine! I’m happy that it helps!
Wow…you explain it so nicely. Helps a lot.thank you honey.
No problem! I hope you enjoyed your trip 🙂