For years, Albania was the only Western Balkan country without a toll on its highways. That changed in 2018 with the Kalimash tunnel, and again in January 2025, when a second booth opened just outside Tirana. If you're picking up a rental car in Albania and heading north or to Kosovo, here's what you'll pay this season.

The two tolls you might hit

There are exactly two paid sections on the Albanian A1 / Rruga e Kombit (the "Nation's Road"). Everything else — including the AK1 Tirana–Durrës motorway and the new Llogara Tunnel — charges nothing for a car.

1. Kalimash Tunnel — €5 for cars. This is the tunnel under the Kosovo border, about 34 km before the Morinë crossing. Motorcycles pay €2.50, four-axle trucks more. It's mandatory in both directions and the only way through the mountain — no detour.

2. Thumanë–Kashar — 250 lek (≈ €2.50). A twenty-kilometre stretch just north of Tirana, on the segment toward Lezhë and the airport bypass. Opened to traffic in mid-2024, ran free for six months, then started charging on 4 January 2025. The booth is hard to miss — three lanes under a big gantry.

If you drive Tirana → Kosovo and back, you'll pass both. Round-trip cost: around €15 per car.

A guest from Warsaw last September drove Tirana to Prizren and back, expecting one toll. He came home €5 surprised. We now mention the second booth on every pickup.

How you pay

Cash in euros or lek works at every booth. Visa and Mastercard are accepted at most lanes — look for the "card" sign before you queue. The Digitalpass OBU transponder gives frequent drivers up to 40% off, but for a one-week rental it isn't worth the registration.

What doesn't exist in Albania: a national vignette. You don't buy a sticker at the border like in Slovenia or Bulgaria. Old guides still claim you do. Ignore them.

Where it's not a toll

A few sections still confuse drivers:

  • AK1 Tirana–Durrës — fully free, despite what some forums claim.
  • Llogara Tunnel (Vlorë–Sarandë) — free for cars.
  • All coastal SH8 and Riviera roads — free.

If your route app quotes a fee for any of these, the data is stale.

Quick math for a typical road trip

A week-long loop Tirana → Berat → Sarandë → Theth → Tirana with one day in Kosovo: €5 at Kalimash plus €2.50 once on Thumanë–Kashar (only if you go north past the airport). Under €10 in tolls for the whole trip.

Keep small notes handy and you'll never wait at the cash lane.