If you’re in Italy, it’s easy to catch the overnight ferry from Brindisi to Vlore, Albania. And this lesser-visited country should be on your Mediterranean bucket list! Sure, you can fly into Tirana, but that’s bad for the environment and you then have to catch a looooong bus to get to all the good beaches in the south. And let’s be honest, an overnight ferry is better for the plot.
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What to know before the Brindisi to Vlorë ferry
If you learn nothing else from this article, know this: don't arrive crazy early, bring euros in cash, and wear comfortable shoes. Here's what I wish I'd known before catching the ferry from Italy to Albania.
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1
Arrive early... but not too early
Your confirmation says last check-in is 180 minutes (3 hours) before departure. We rocked up at 19:30 for a 23:00 boat, which was a mistake lol. There's nothing at the terminal but a tiny bar inside. I'd aim for around 21:00 and no later. People were definitely checking in later than the 180-minute mark.
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2
Bring cash. Euros only, no lek, no cards
The onboard restaurant takes cash only, and only euros. Not even Albanian lek, despite the fact that you're heading to Albania. We'd already ordered two plates of pasta before we found out and had to return one with our last 10 euros (traumatic). Bring snacks and water, or eat in the terminal first. The food's not worth it anyway.
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3
Wear comfy shoes. You'll be standing for hours
There's a lot of standing around. We started boarding at 22:00 and didn't sit down again until we reached our cabin at midnight. Everyone queues and slowwwwly inches toward the customs desk, which is outside across a tarmac. Comfy running shoes — you'll be on hard pavement for a couple of hours.
Booking the overnight ferry from Brindisi to Vlorë
I searched for and booked our trip from Brindisi to Vlorë with Starlines through Direct Ferries. Ferryscanner, Ferryhopper, and Omio also turned up the same results. Other ships offer the same route, but Starlines was at the top of the page and had a good price, so we went for it.
If you’re not in Southern Italy yet, you can also consider the alternative route leaving from Bari and arriving in Durres or Vlorë. Both options take longer than the 8-hour overnight journey between Brindisi and Vlorë, but may be preferable if you’re flying into the Bari airport.
Note: Vlorë is also spelled Vlore, Vlora, or even Valona in Italian. I’m partial to the flair (and true Albanian spelling) of Vlorë with the accent, but I’m going to use all of the options throughout because why not.
Example cabin pricing the overnight ferry from Brindisi to Vlora
Ferry prices change, but here are current rates (last updated June 2026).
- 60 EUR — deck space (i.e. no reserved seat or cabin)
- 160 EUR — external 2-bed cabin with sink (2 passengers)
- 380 EUR — luxury cabin (1 double and 2 singles)
There are some pet-friendly spaces and accessible cabins as well. You may need to pay more if you’re a solo traveller booking a 2-bed room. Some boats had a 25 EUR “extra bed” fee. In 2023, we paid 135 EUR for both of us in a 2 bed outside (window) cabin with a sink. Not a bad price if you consider that it’s also a night of accom!
Fair warning
The Starlines website is kind of a nightmare. The English translation isn’t great — sometimes “Brindisi” translates to “toasts?” — but it’s workable. And if you want to go back to edit any details or change your cabin selection during the booking process, it’ll kick you back to the beginning. So I suggest bringing patience to your booking process.
Getting to the terminal in Brindisi, Italy
For the sake of simplicity, the best way to get to the ferry terminal is to take a taxi. We took one from the city centre and it cost 20 EUR. Not exactly cheap, but walking would take an hour and a bus will only get you so close. Assuming you have luggage, I highly suggest hopping in a taxi.
Bring some snacks or dinner to eat at the terminal while you’re waiting for the boat. There’s only a very small bar/convenience store inside.
If you haven’t packed any snacks, definitely buy something at this convenience store to bring on the boat. The food on board is atrocious and you won’t actually get on until around midnight. More on this below.
Getting on the overnight ferry from Brindisi to Vlore
The whole ferry process will take longer than you think. It’s more like a 12-hour journey, not 8. We were supposed to start embarking between 9 and 10 PM, but the line only started moving at 10. It was sloooow going. But we were on board and asleep by 1 AM.
Note: Embarkation time shown on the website is now 11:30 PM. (June 2026.)
Bags have to go through security, and in our experience there was literally one scanner and two guys working, so maybe that’s what took so long. People brought some hilarious stuff on board, including a fridge, which was at least entertaining throughout our long wait. Right after the security scanners, you pass through immigration and get your departure stamp. The immigration part was easy!
Then you can get on the boat!
What it's like on board the overnight ferry from Brindisi to Vlore
There’s a “reception” desk on board where you check in and get a key. After standing in line for so long, we were starting to question whether we’d even get a key or if the cabin would be more like a train car.
Anyway, totally worked out, we got our key super quickly and someone showed us to our room. He even offered to carry my luggage! Very fancy.
What's the ferry cabin actually like?
Our two bunk cabin was way bigger than I expected. Emphasis on the “than I expected.” Don’t get me wrong, it’s definitely not spacious by any means. But it had a bunk bed and enough room for our two big suitcases and two backpacks. There was a little reading light as well.
We had shared bathrooms just around the corner, including showers! Seemed a little unnecessary for an 8-hour journey but nice to know they’re there. If you can’t manage to sleep, at least you can get to the other side feeling refreshed.
I can usually sleep through anything, but I found it impossible to sleep until after we left Brindisi, around 2 am. I’d dozed off but then the engines started going to maneuver us out of the port and it was loud. Once you’re out at sea though, you should be golden! Neither of us felt seasick or anything, but we had good weather.
Why you should avoid the on board "restaurant"
There is only one restaurant on the Brindisi to Vlora ferry, and I use the term “restaurant” loosely. As mentioned at the very top of the article, not only do they only take cash, they only accept euros! (Even though you’re literally on your way to Albania…)
We didn’t see this information anywhere at the restaurant. We got two plates of pasta from the buffet set-up and had to give one up at the till when we couldn’t afford both lmao.
And if we’d known in advance, we would have packed some sandwiches. Fortunately, the food on offer is horrible anyway, so you’re not exactly missing out. And there were lots of people trying to get cozy and sleep in the restaurant area, so it’s kind of a weird place to eat anyway.
Fortunately (?), you won’t be on the boat until midnight-ish and you’ll be sleeping for most of the journey. But having a few euros handy will get you an espresso in the morning.
What time does the Brindisi-Vlora ferry actually arrive?
We arrived around 8 AM instead of the scheduled 7. It was way quicker and easier to disembark, including getting through customs. We were in our Airbnb by 9 AM! Bless hosts who offer early check-in.
Even if your hotel, hostel, or Airbnb can’t let you check in early, you can always ask them to hold onto your bags so you can go explore the city until the room is ready. Perhaps get in a nice nap on the beach if you couldn’t sleep on the boat.
Important: SIM cards
Don’t get a SIM card from the people selling them at the ferry terminal exit! There are several — arguably too many — Vodaphone stores around the city with more legit pricing. I asked one woman at the ferry terminal and she quoted me 6,000 LEK for a 20 GB card!? I don’t think so.
DO get an eSIM — it’s way easier. Check out European regional plans that cover both Albania and Italy so you’re immediately connected when you arrive in Vlorë. I like Saily (budget-friendly) and Holafly (unlimited data).
However, regional plans don’t always include both Albania and Italy, so make sure you look at the list of countries covered before you buy!
Where to stay in Vlore, Albania
Vlore has a charming Old Town and a nice beach with some nice restaurants and beach clubs. You kind of can’t go wrong. But placing yourself somewhere between the two will mean everything is super walkable.
So, is the Brindisi to Vlore ferry worth it?
The ferry option vs flying to Tirana is still worth it in my opinion. It was a bit of hullabaloo for sure, and took much longer from door-to-door. But especially if you’re just hitting the southern beachy part of Albania, cutting straight to Vlora instead of going all the way to Tirana makes sense.
We went south from Vlorë and saved Tirana for last, which made it easier to catch an international flight out. Skyscanner tells me that a one-way ticket from Brindisi (BDS) to Tirana (TIA) will run about 100 EUR in the peak summer season. And you can get them as low as 40 EUR in the off-season. There is no flight from Brindisi to Vlorë at this time.
For an Albanian ferry trip I do not recommend, see this day trip to Corfu from Sarandë. (And then erase it from your travel plans.)
Naomi Lai
Naomi is a Canadian travel editor and writer with 13 years of international travel across Southeast Asia, Europe, South America, New Zealand, and beyond. She covers everything from budget backpacking to luxury travel — always from personal experience.
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