In Albania, parking can be free or paid.
Pay attention to the road signs and obey them because traffic police issue parking tickets rather quickly.
In the low season, you will have no problem finding available parking places (except for weekends and public holidays). In the summer, tourists flood the country, the number of cars increases, and it becomes more difficult to find an available parking place.
If you plan to travel by car in high season, it is best to rent accommodation with its own parking area.
You can find a free parking spot for your car in any city. In smaller towns and cities, all parking is free. In larger cities and popular resorts, parking fees are only charged in the centre and near the top attractions. If you want to save money, you can leave your car further away and walk.
You can park your car for free:
Albania has 3 types of paid parking areas:
Surface parking areas with a boom barrier and underground car parks can be found in all major cities. To use them, you need to get a ticket at the check-in and pay for it at the check-out. Depending on the location, you can pay to a parking attendant, cashier or special machine. Make sure to keep the ticket until the check-out. The average rate is 100-300 Lek/hour (~€1-3), and many car parks have daily rates.
Paid on-street parking spaces can be found in Tirana, Vlora, and other cities. They are marked with blue markings and/or a “P” road sign with information on paid hours, rates, and payment methods.
Parking is not allowed in areas with yellow marking. Those are parking areas for disabled people, taxi drivers or reserved parking spaces.
The centre of Tirana is divided into parking zones.
Parking rates:
The fee is charged on weekdays between 7:30 and 20:00, and you can park for free outside of those hours.
You can pay for a parking space by SMS from your local SIM card. To pay for one hour, you need to send a text message to 50500 in the following format: license plate number without spaces, SPACE, parking zone designation A, B or C. Example: TR123AR A.
If successful, you will receive a confirmation SMS. You will get a notification 10 minutes before the end of your paid time. To extend the time, you need to send the text message again.
*This information is relevant as of the date of publication. Make sure to check the latest information on the sign.
The centre of Vlora is divided into 6 parking zones. The payment process varies from zone to zone.
Parking rates:
You can pay:
The inspector can issue a penalty charge notice and leave it on the windscreen, clamp a wheel or even tow the car away. It all depends on the location and severity of the offence.
Payment of fines is the responsibility of the renter.
Fines for overstaying the time limit or incorrect parking range from 1000 to 20,000 ALL (~€10-188). The towing and impoundment are paid separately.
You can get a 50% discount if you pay the fine within the first 15 days.
You can pay the fine yourself at any bank, Western Union office or post office. Or ask the rental company for help.