Things to Do & See7 min read

How to Get to Saranda & Ksamil (Ferry, Flights, Buses)

The Corfu ferry hack, the Tirana road trip and the brand-new Vlora airport — every realistic route to the Albanian Riviera, with times and prices.

The classic: fly to Corfu, ferry across

The fastest way in is not through Albania at all. Fly to Corfu (CFU), hop 3–4 km to the port (taxi €15–25, or local bus line 15 for about €1.20), and take the ferry across: Finikas Lines and Ionian Seaways run the route, from about 30 minutes on the fast hydrofoil to 50–70 on conventional boats, with 20+ departures a day in summer. Official 2026 fares run roughly €20–30 one way. Door to door from the Corfu runway to the Saranda promenade: about two hours. Remember your passport — you are leaving the EU/Schengen area (Spanish citizens can also enter Albania with their DNI, per Spain's foreign ministry).

Via Tirana — and the new Vlora airport

Flying into Tirana (TIA) is often cheaper; the trade-off is 3.5–5 hours by road to Saranda. Around ten buses and minivans run daily (roughly €12–17), first around 5:30am, last around 10pm. The wildcard is the brand-new Vlora International Airport (VLO), which opened for commercial flights in summer 2026 — Zurich was announced as the first route — putting the Riviera about 2.5–3 hours from an international runway via the Llogara tunnel. Worth checking as routes are added.

Corfu to Saranda ferry: the border crossing, step by step

The part people underestimate about the Corfu to Saranda ferry is the border. Albania is not in the EU and not in Schengen, so this is a genuine international crossing in both directions: you check in at the port desk before boarding, your passport is looked at leaving Greece and again on arrival in Albania, and the whole thing moves at the boat's pace rather than yours. In July and August the queues are the slow part, not the 30-minute hydrofoil, so get to the port with time in hand instead of sprinting for the gangway. Keep your passport in your hand luggage rather than buried in a bag in the hold, and if you are travelling as a crew, keep everyone's documents together. One more thing that catches people out: EU roaming does not apply on this side of the water, so your phone drops off its home network the moment you dock. Sort it before you sail with an eSIM from around €3.50, or pick up a Vodafone Albania or One Albania SIM once you are in.

When to book the crossing — and what winter looks like

More than twenty departures a day in summer makes the crossing sound like a bus you can just turn up for, and in June or September it broadly is. In July and August it is not: two operators, Finikas Lines and Ionian Seaways, share the route, the fast boats fill first, and a sold-out afternoon sailing is the silliest way to lose a night here. Book as soon as your dates are fixed, at roughly €20–30 each way, and book the return with the same care — that is the leg with your flight home from Corfu waiting at the other end, so give it real margin if you fly the same day. Winter is a different country: the service drops to around one sailing a day and most of the Riviera simply closes, because the beach season runs roughly May to October. If you are coming for the programme, you are coming between those months, and the boat you want is the one that puts you on the Saranda promenade with hours to spare before the night starts.

From the boat to your bed in Ksamil

Saranda and Ksamil are 15 km and 20–25 minutes apart, and the choice you make on arrival sets the tone for the week. The bus is the cheap answer at 100–150 lek, cash, roughly every 20–60 minutes in summer — but with luggage straight off a crossing, a taxi is usually worth it: agree the price before you get in, because there is no official tariff and you will hear anything between €13 and €40. Renting is the freedom option, from about €20–35 a day for a small car or €5–20 for a scooter, and an international driving permit is recommended. Just be honest about how you will use it, because tolerance for drink-driving is effectively zero and our nights at Greg Beach and Principotes start at 11:45pm and 11:30pm — on those days the car stays parked. Whatever you choose, remember the bus stops around 8pm: settle the ride home before you go out, not when the music stops.

The last 15 km: Saranda ⇄ Ksamil

Once you are in, moving around is simple. The Saranda–Ksamil bus (100–150 lek, cash on board) runs roughly every 20–60 minutes in summer until about 8pm and gets rammed in August. Taxis are entirely negotiable — €13–40 depending on the season and your bargaining, agreed before you get in. Scooters rent from as little as €5–20 a day and small cars from about €20–35; note that Spain's foreign ministry recommends an international driving permit for Albania.

See what's on while you're here