| Popular Airport | Mechanics Bay Airport |
|---|---|
| Popular Airlines | |
| Approximate Flight Duration | 22 hour 10 min |
| Approximate Travel Distance | 17804 Km |
Tirana, the capital of Albania, makes you feel the magic of Ottoman architecture with its mosques and baths dating back to the 1600s. The surface area of Tirana, which is close to Istanbul’s, is a very calm city in terms of population. You need to use Tirana International Airport to visit this city.
It cannot be said that Tirana offer good service in terms of public transport. Until 2013, there were in-city train services that served the city along the shoreline. This line is not used now. The bus is the only means of public transport available for use in urban transport. Train services are now only an option for intercity transportation. A tourist information office is located in the Rruga Ded Gjo Luli district, north of Skanderbeg Square, which forms part of Tirana city center. We recommend you to visit this office to facilitate your access to the city. English speaking office staff can explain you how you can get to where you want to go through the maps.
Passengers who do not want to use public transport can choose to take a taxi or rent a car from the city for a more comfortable ride. The city center is quite small. So, if you have time, you can also visit the city center on foot. It is useful to remind that the frequent construction work done in the center may prevent your walk. It is also possible to rent bicycles in certain areas of the city. Although it is difficult to say that Tirana is a bicycle city, cycling is a pleasant option for short distances.
There are not many alternatives to get to Tirana International Airport from Tirana by public transport. First of all you have to come to Skanderbeg Square from where you are, then you have to transfer. Therefore, we recommend that passengers who wish to travel more comfortably should consider taxi or car rental options.
The Rinas Express, which takes you from the central square to the airport, is the only option for getting to the airport by public transport. Rinas Express is departing from the north of the Skanderbeg Square, near the other bus stops. The departure time of the buses, which operate between 6 am and 6 pm, may be earlier than the scheduled time. For this reason, we advise you to be there at least a few minutes before the departure time.
If the place you are in is located in a more remote part of the city, you have to get on one of the buses to Skanderbeg Square to get to the city center. After you arrive at the airport, you reach the terminal after passing taxi stops and car parking areas.
The train services are not providing access to the city anymore. However, it is possible to use trains, although with limited opportunities, for long distance travel. With these lines it is possible to travel to Durres, Shkodra, Elbasan Vlore and Librazhd.
MerrTaxi and SpeedTaxi are taxi stops used for intra city transportation. We recommend that you use one of these two stops. While it is possible to use a pirate taxis, many of these taxis do not use taximeters, so it is possible that you pay more for them.
You can rent a car from Rent A Car offices located in the city. However, if you are planning to stay in the city before going to the airport, it can be very difficult to find a parking place. Besides, the pavements of the roads in the city are not well. For this reason, driving can be a stress factor.
With the free Wi-Fi connection you can take advantage of at Tirana International Airport, you can use the internet from your devices, and you can spend your time untiringly until your flight. There is also a special area for the passengers who smoke in the Segafredo Bar section of the airport. In the check-in hall there are sweet shops, newspaper dealers, bookstores and jewelers. You can spend time in the Airport Bar and Piazza Restaurant in the arriving passenger area and in Segafredo Bar and Coli's Bar in the departing passenger area. Apart from that, there is also a Business Lounge at the airport.
The distance between the Auckland International Airport and the city center is about 25 kilometers. It is easy to travel between the two by taxi, bus, minibus, tram, shuttle or your own car.
While the transport within the city is not very complicated, different public transport vehicles are connected. It is therefore very easy to get off from one vehicle and to get on another. There is no single type of bus in the city: buses are operated in different colors, capacities and by different companies. There is also a sea trolley serving in the Auckland waters famous for its beautiful harbor.
You can rent a sea taxi owned by Reubens Cruises, which is a little more expensive than ferry transportation, for a day or hour. Apart from this, there are many public transportation vehicles such as trams named Motat, shuttles, ferryboats, trains. Three most popular public transportation vehicles in Auckland city, buses, trains and ferries, are connected to each other.
These three main means of transport complement each other, enabling the development of urban transportation. Traveling around the city is not so easy, but it is possible to visit certain points. You can tour the city with bicycles for 2 people provided by Jafa Cabs free of charge. For more detailed information on transport within the city, call Rideline (36 6400), which operates between 7 am and 7 pm.
You can take advantage of the Museum of Transport and Technology (MOTAT) tram, belonging to Museum of Transportation and Technology, which provides transportation between local attractions and visitor places in Auckland with an adult fare of 16 dollar per person. The sea transportation service operated by the Waiheke Shipping Company offers very good opportunities. It serves with two kinds of ferries, one only for passengers and one for cars. This service, which organizes flights to Great Barrier Island, a busy tourist attraction, 6 days a week during summer season, is often preferred by passengers. It is easy to get to the city center from Auckland International Airport which is located 25 kilometer south of the city. Auckland offers a convenient transportation service to its passengers with multiple options and is economical in terms of public transportation.
Buses are the most frequently used means of public transportation to travel within Auckland city as well as between the city and the airport. The easiest transportation from Auckland Airport to the city center is the Airbus Express buses operated by the airport. Departing every 10 minutes on weekdays, these buses operate from 7 am to 7 pm. On weekends, buses operate between 6 am and 7 pm and depart from the airport to the city center every 15 minutes.
Airbus Express buses have two different routes: one via Mt. Eden Road and the other via Dominion Road. The first and last stops of both routes are the airport and the city center. It takes about 40-45 minutes by express bus from city center to airport. Considering the fact that the trip would last a bit longer in busy hours, it might be beneficial for you to leave early. You can call +64 9 366 6400 for further information on the Airbus Express buses. Express bus tickets can be purchased online or by cash from the bus driver. Or it can be obtained from the hotel and hostels where the company is contracted and from ticket kiosks located right next to Airbus Express bus stops. One one-way Airbus Express bus ticket costs 16 dollars as of 2016; for customers with YHA / VIP cards, it is 12 dollars.
If you are traveling with two or more passengers, you can use the shuttle bus, which is a cheaper option than the Airbus buses. Because the shuttle bus fare is 15 dollars for a person and 20 dollars for two. Double-decker buses run by United Airlines operate hourly, between 10 am and 4 pm. The route of these buses departing from the city center airport terminal is via Mission Bay, Kelly Tarlton, Auckland Museum and Parnell to the bungee-jumping area in Freemans Bay. A one-way ticket of the city bus called Circular Link costs 1 dollar. With these buses that pass through Customs Street, Star City, Parnell, Newmarket, K Road and Ponsonby you can take a city tour and visit the Victoria Street market, Auckland Cathedral and Auckland Museum.
Auckland's railway station, which is linked to all other major transport facilities such as ferryboats, buses, and shuttles, is located on Beach Road. The easiest way to reach here is to get Link buses that cost 1 dollar and pass through Customs Street regularly. You can also walk 700-800 meters, a walk that would last about 10 minutes, from the bus station in Auckland. You can buy your tickets for local and international trains departing from the train station online or from the station. You can find out more about train departure times and ticket prices by calling the support line (0800 802 802).
The shuttles, which are smaller than buses going to Auckland Airport and all the major points in the city, is cheaper than taxis and is a means of quick transportation. Private shuttle and taxi companies in Auckland serve passengers at high standards. All taxis and shuttles can pick you up from the airport and take you anywhere you like. You can go to the city center with a shuttle or taxi waiting at Gate 8 at the international arrivals terminal and outside the Jetstar area and the domestic terminal. If you make a pre-reservation, your vehicle would be waiting for you outside the terminal upon your arrival.
There is no rush traffic except during the morning and evening hours at the bridge entrances and exits in Auckland, thus it is possible to easily get to the airport with the help of a navigation device by renting your own car from the airport. Due to the large number of car rental companies, there is an increase in prices due to the competition during the tourist season. If you make an online reservation before your travel, you can rent your car at much more affordable rates.
