Ferries from Durrës

Durrës is Albania's busiest port and the country's main gateway to Italy, sitting right in the middle of the city on the Adriatic coast, about 35 km west of the capital Tirana. The passenger terminal is a short walk from the old town, the promenade and the train station, which makes it one of the rare ferry ports you can reach on foot from a hotel or a bus from Tirana in well under an hour.

Where the boats go

The workhorse route is the overnight car ferry to Bari in Italy's Puglia region. Grandi Navi Veloci (GNV) runs it on a near-daily, year-round schedule, with Adria Ferries and Ventouris Ferries also long associated with the Adriatic Albania–Italy corridor. Sailings typically leave Durrës late in the evening, around 22:00–23:00, and dock in Bari the next morning near 08:00 after a crossing of roughly 9 hours. In the summer high season the frequency steps up and seasonal links to Ancona and Trieste come into play, giving foot passengers and drivers more ways across.

Because it is an overnight sailing, booking a cabin rather than a reclining seat is worth it, especially in July and August when the Albanian diaspora heads home and the boats fill quickly. Fares climb sharply in peak weeks and cabins sell out first, so reserve early if you are taking a car or want a berth.

A port in transition

Durrës is in the middle of a major change. Commercial cargo and container traffic is being moved north to a large new port being built at Porto Romano, freeing the current city-centre harbour for the Durrës Yachts & Marina redevelopment led by Eagle Hills/Emaar — a marina, residential and tourism scheme. The plan is a city with two ports: cargo at Porto Romano and passengers, yachts and tourism at the historic waterfront. For now ferry passengers still use the central terminal, so check your operator's confirmation for the exact berth as the works progress. Combine the crossing with Durrës's Roman amphitheatre and long sandy beaches before you sail.