Albania has quietly become one of the most interesting countries in Europe to explore by car. In a relatively small territory you get sharp mountains, turquoise beaches, Ottoman stone towns like Berat and Gjirokastër, the lively capital Tirana and a long coast that feels almost Mediterranean and almost Balkan at the same time. Public transport exists, but it does not really connect all the valleys, beaches and villages in a practical way, especially if you want to stop often or travel with luggage. That is why most visitors who want to see more than one city end up renting a car.
Before looking at the different types of rental companies, it helps to answer the main question: what does it actually cost.
Typical car rental prices in Albania
Prices vary a lot with the season, the car category and how early you book, but recent guides and rental sites give a fairly consistent picture. A small economy car for one week in low or shoulder season usually works out somewhere around 15 to 30 euro per day if you book in advance. In July and August, the same category can easily move into the 35 to 60 euro per day range, especially around Tirana Airport and the Riviera.
If you look at weekly prices, some Albanian companies publish ranges like these for a seven day rental:
- Economy cars: around 50 to 180 euro per week.
- Compact cars: around 70 to 220 euro per week.
- SUVs and 4x4s: roughly 80 to 400 euro per week.
- Nine seaters and minibuses: often 270 to 500 euro per week or more.
Guides aimed at tourists usually summarise it by saying that a standard car in Albania costs roughly 20 to 50 euro per day on average, more for luxury models or midsize SUVs in summer.
On top of the bare rental price you normally add:
- Insurance upgrades. Basic insurance is included almost everywhere, but full coverage often costs another 5 to 15 euro per day and can nearly double the final daily price.
- Deposit or guarantee. Many companies block between 200 and 500 euro, sometimes more, on a card as a security deposit.
- Extras such as child seats, additional driver, border-crossing fees or one way drop off.
So the “real” cost to have a small car, fully insured, in high season is often closer to 40 to 70 euro per day once everything is included with the more traditional providers. Outside summer and with the right type of company, it can be much less.
The interesting part is that the cost and conditions depend strongly on what type of provider you use.
1. Big international car rental companies
At Tirana Airport you find the classic international brands at the counters in the terminal and just outside. Their price structure in Albania is similar to what you see in other European countries.
Base daily rates for a small car can look attractive if you book early, but there are a few patterns:
- Credit card and big blocked deposit
Most large brands require a credit card in the main driver’s name. At pickup they block a security deposit on the card. It is not charged immediately, but it reduces your available credit. The amount is often linked to the insurance excess and can easily reach several hundred euro. Many terms and conditions for Albania mention deposits around half of the excess or a fixed amount in the range of 200 to 500 euro and sometimes more. - Insurance upsell
Basic coverage usually leaves you with a high excess if there is damage. Staff will almost always offer you extra policies at the counter to reduce this excess. In popular destinations it is very common that travellers feel pressured into buying extra protection to avoid the risk of large damage bills later. - Damages and small scratches
Because the cars are newer and the processes very standardised, the inspection at drop off can be strict. Online reviews often mention disputes about scratches, small dents or tyre damage that were not clearly documented at pickup. - Pros of this option
You know the brand, the contracts are standard, there is usually a clear support line and 24 hour assistance. For some people this familiarity justifies the higher deposit and stricter conditions.
Cost wise, the daily rate for an economy car with a big international brand might sit somewhere between 25 and 60 euro depending on season, but the real impact on your budget is the blocked amount on the card and the price of full coverage, which can add 5 to 15 euro per day on top.
2. Local Albanian rental companies
Outside the terminal building and in cities like Tirana, Saranda, Vlora or Shkodër you find many local agencies. Some are small family businesses with a dozen cars, others operate larger fleets but still focus on the Albanian market.
Compared with the big names, several things change:
- More flexible payment options
Many local companies advertise that you can pay with a debit card, by bank transfer or in cash, and some allow deposits in cash instead of blocking a large amount on your credit card. - Lower or no deposit in some cases
Because the cars are slightly older or because they work with different risk models, a number of Albanian companies simply do not ask for a large blocked guarantee. Some offer “no deposit” or “very low deposit” rentals, especially if you take a higher insurance level. - Daily prices
Local companies often position themselves below the big brands. It is not unusual to see small city cars in low season advertised from around 10 to 20 euro per day, sometimes even less for longer rentals or last minute gaps. In high season, prices rise, but you can still find rates more attractive than the major brands if you book early. - Service and car quality
The car may have a few more kilometres and a scratch or two, but in practice this can be an advantage, because nobody expects it to be perfect. You also often get direct contact with the owner on WhatsApp and very flexible handover points, including airport arrivals, hotels or bus stations.
The main risk is that quality is not uniform. One local agency can be extremely professional, another less so. That is why many travellers prefer to book local providers through a platform that screens them.
3. International aggregators such as DiscoverCars, Kayak and similar sites
DiscoveryCars, Kayak, Skyscanner and other international aggregators show you a grid of prices from many suppliers at once. For Albania they tend to list the big international brands and some local agencies.
Their strengths are obvious: easy comparison, reviews, and sometimes very low headline prices. It is common to see offers for a week in November from 6 or 7 euro per day for a small car when you search through these sites.
But a few points matter a lot for your budget:
- The platform price vs the local conditions
The aggregator shows you a nice low daily rate and an insurance upsell, but the deposit and rules are those of the underlying supplier. These suppliers are often the same big international brands or mid sized regional companies that still require a credit card and a significant blocked deposit. - Deposit size
Large deposits in the range of 500 to 1200 euro are standard practice with many of these suppliers. That is fine if you are comfortable freezing that amount on your card, but it reduces your spending flexibility for the rest of your trip. - Damage handling
If something happens, you deal first with the local supplier. The aggregator may refund you under their “full coverage” product, but only after you have paid the local company and provided documents. For some travellers that process feels long and complicated, and repair costs can look high compared with local prices.
So these platforms can indeed give you a low initial price, but you should read carefully the deposit, card and insurance sections of the conditions of each offer before trusting just the big number in bold.
4. RentFromLocals.al and similar marketplaces for small local companies and private owners
A different category is the new generation of marketplaces that focus almost entirely on small Albanian companies and private individuals who rent out their cars. RentFromLocals.al is built on this model in Albania: it is not a rental company itself but a platform where vetted local owners list their vehicles.
This type of marketplace changes both the cost structure and the practical experience:
- Lower base rates from real local competition
Because many small owners list their cars side by side, you often see very competitive prices, especially outside the absolute peak weeks. It is common to find concrete examples of real cars at Tirana Airport from 6 euro per day in low season and 20 euro per day in high season, with typical compact or family cars somewhere in the 10 to 25 euro per day range depending on dates. SUV cost between 12 euro per day in low season and 35 euro per day in high season. 8 seater vans starts from 30 euro per day in low season and 60 euro per day in high season. - No credit card requirement
On RentFromLocals the standard model is that you pay a small advance online and pay the rest to the owner on arrival. The platform highlights that a credit card is not required and that deposits are low or even zero with many providers. - Transparent deposits and insurance per car
Instead of discovering the deposit amount at the counter, marketplaces for local cars typically show the deposit, insurance options and extras clearly on each listing. You can filter for cars with low or no deposit, full insurance, or specific pick up locations. - Insurance
Every car includes basic Third Party Liability insurance, which means that if you cause an accident, damage to other people and their property is covered, but your own rental car is not covered when the fault is yours. To reduce this risk, RentFromLocals has a partnership with the biggest insurer in Albania, SIGAL, offering full insurance packages at very reasonable rates, clearly shown for each car. On top of that, many owners also offer their own extra insurance from about 5€ per day, usually much more reasonable than what traditional rental desks charge at the airport. - Support for the local economy
When you book a car that belongs to a local family or a small Albanian company, the rental income stays in the country. Many travellers like the mix of lower prices and more direct human contact: the person who hands you the keys is often the owner. - Trade offs to be aware of
The cars may be slightly older, and conditions like mileage limits or border crossing rules can vary from owner to owner. The platform usually provides support if something goes wrong, but you still deal with individual providers, so reading the profile and reviews matters.
From a pure cost perspective, this model is often the cheapest way to have a car in Albania with full cover and without putting a large amount on a credit card. For someone who does not have a credit card at all, or who prefers to keep the limit free, this detail is important.
In the end, the price you pay to rent a car in Albania is a mix of daily rate, season, insurance and how much risk you are willing to carry on your card. Big international brands trade higher deposits and stricter processes for predictability. Local companies offer lower rates and more flexible payments but vary in quality. International aggregators make comparison easy but often hide the real cost in the small print about deposits and insurance. Marketplaces such as RentFromLocals.al try to combine local pricing with online transparency, while removing the need for a credit card and heavy deposit for many cars.
If you already know your travel dates, the most realistic way to see the actual cost is to do a search for your exact week, look at the total with full insurance if you want peace of mind, and compare not just the daily rate but also the deposit and payment method each option requires.