(in)Direct connections to Pristina / Tirana?

SiDUDe
Traveller
752 comments

Pristina is connected daily with Skopje by bus, and possibly with places in Serbia but that depends on the border situation. It has an international airport. The only direct international links with Tirana are by air, otherwise you need to bus to the border and taxi accross. There is a ferry to Italy

rnl
Traveller
20 comments

Trains: Skopje-Pristina only.
dep Skopje 16.35
arr Pristina 19.37

dep Pristina 07.10
arr Skopje 09.51



Buses: Plenty!

Pristina-Tirana: Yes, a couple of times a day. Pristina has an organized bus terminal, Tirana doesn't have a bus terminal at all. Enquire in Pristina station.

A useful bus service travellers coming from western europe is the Sarajevo-Novi Pazar(Serbia)-Pristina night bus. It left sometime around 22 from Sarajevo's main bus station. The last part of the ride to Pristina is unofficial and not announced in the timetable.
There's also a bus from Podgorica in Montenegro, which is useful if coming from the adriatic coast. Scenic ride through a mountain pass on the border.

By bus from/to Istanbul is also possible to both destinations.
Pristina has many long-distance buses to western europe due to all the refugees living there.

So, I can just tell you that these services definitely exist, but the exact timings and prices you'll have to find out on the ground.


Domestic rail travel in these countries is super-slow and comically inefficient, but totally worth it for the experience alone!
The Pristina railway station is not much bigger than a shed and has a few connections every day.
And Tirana's station is even worse...
Albanian trains are completely dilapidated and three-four times slower than any bus, but it's incredibly cheap (0.5€ for like half a day trip) and the landscape is nice.

baobab
Traveller
128 comments

There are also frequent buses from Greece to Tirana and Pristina.
Patra, Larissa, Thessaloniki, Athens, Ioannina definitely have direct bus connection.

anonymous
Traveller
2469 comments

So one WILL get buses without prebooking etc?

baobab
Traveller
128 comments

[quote]So one WILL get buses without prebooking etc?[/quote]

Usually yes but during weekends or holidays etc maybe they are full..but there are so many routes recently that i don't think would be a problem.

anonymous
Traveller
2469 comments

[quote][quote]So one WILL get buses without prebooking etc?[/quote]

Usually yes but during weekends or holidays etc maybe they are full..but there are so many routes recently that i don't think would be a problem.[/quote]

That is interesting to know... :o )