With their picturesque settings and rich cultural heritage, the cities of Prizren, Peja and Gjakova are some of the most popular places to visit in Kosovo. Whilst Europe’s youngest country does have a limited train network (which we used to travel between Pristina and Peja), by far the easiest way to get around is by bus. In our experience, the buses in Kosovo were a comfortable, affordable and reliable way to explore this wonderful area of the Balkans.
It can often be difficult to know what to expect when planning your travels by bus around the Balkans. To help give you an idea of the facilities, ticket options and timetables, here’s our guide to the bus stations in Prizren, Peja and Gjakova.
All information is based on our own experiences whilst exploring Kosovo by bus in October 2023. We will try to update this post with any significant changes to the information below.
A short guide to Prizren bus station
From toilets to timetables, here are the important things you need to know about Prizren bus station.
Location and facilities at Prizren bus station
Location: Prizren bus station is relatively central, only a 15 – 20 minute walk from the famous Stone Bridge. We visited the bus station multiple times and it always seemed busy, especially in the early afternoon when school finished.
We felt completely comfortable walking from the bus station into Prizren city centre. However, we only caught buses at mainstream times of day – we never did the walk in the dark. Nonetheless, we had caught a bus from Prizren in the early hours of the morning back in 2015 and had no issues with the walk.
For a map of the walk from Prizren’s main square to the bus station, click here.
Facilities: There are places in the bus station complex to buy drinks and snacks. There are also plenty of cafes on the walk between Prizren city centre and the bus station.
There are toilets inside the bus station (they cost €0.30 to use) and plenty of seats if you need to relax before your bus. However, the inside seemed deserted – everyone waited for buses outside near the platforms.
Timetable and tickets
Timetable: The timetable at Prizren is displayed inside the bus station. Everything is sorted by destination. The timetable also shows the bus company operating the route, which is useful to help find the right bus in the bays outside.
The bus timetable seemed to be accurate. This conclusion is based on the buses we caught, as well as those that we saw in the bays when we visited.
See below for a photo of the timetable at Prizren bus station as of October 2023.
Tickets: There was nowhere inside Prizren bus station to buy tickets for domestic journeys – the ticket counters were closed. Therefore, the easiest way to buy tickets when travelling to the likes of Peja or Gjakova is on the bus.
When your bus arrives, just hop on and take a seat. Shortly the bus sets off, someone will come down the aisle and you can buy your tickets directly from them.
Make sure to check the sign at the front of the bus or ask the driver to confirm the destination as the buses don’t always stop in the correct bay.
Note: The buses only took cash.
International travel: For international buses, there are stands around the edge of the bus station for each bus company. You can buy tickets in advance from the operator.
Read next: 6 of the best things to do if you only have a day in Prizren.
A short guide to Peja bus station
For those travelling to the rugged mountain city of Peja, here is what we think you should know about the bus station.
Location and facilities at Peja bus station
Location: Peja bus station feels like it’s slightly further out, hidden away on the edge of the city centre. However, it is also just a 15 – 20 minute walk from the busy streets and bazaar of central Peja. The bus station was very busy when we arrived and we felt completely comfortable walking into the city centre.
For a map of the walk from the main square in Peja to the bus station, click here.
Facilities: There is a small kiosk to buy drinks and snacks and a grill cafe just outside the bus station. There are also plenty of cafes and grill houses on the walk from Peja city centre.
Inside the bus station, there was a large (deserted!) seating area. We couldn’t spot any toilets when we visited.
Timetables and tickets
Timetable: The timetable at Peja bus station is displayed inside the building. All the routes are sorted by destination and operator.
Just like Prizren, we found that the bus timetable seemed to be accurate. This is based on the buses we caught and those that were in the bays when we visited.
See below for a photo of the timetable at Peja bus station in October 2023.
Tickets: Again, it didn’t look possible to buy tickets inside the bus station. However, there was an information counter for help.
For domestic journeys, you can just hop on the bus and buy tickets in cash upon departure.
Read next: 10 fantastic things to do in Peja
A short guide to Gjakova bus station
Sandwiched between Prizren and Peja, Gjakova bus station is a gateway to the city’s famously long bazaar. Click here for more information on the best things to see and do in Gjakova.
Location and facilities at Gjakova bus station
Location: Gjakova’s bus station is a short walk (around 15 minutes) from the entrance to the Old Bazaar. The walk was not particularly straightforward when we visited due to extensive roadworks, but without these, it would have been fine.
Click here for a map of the walk between Gjakova’s Old Bazaar and the bus station.
Facilities: There is a small kiosk selling the usual drinks and snacks on the platform. There is not much else around Gjakova bus station for buying food or drinks, save for a couple of bakeries.
Inside, Gjakova bus station is vast but empty. It is well worth wandering in just to admire the design.
There are toilets inside the bus station (€0.30 to use) but they are – to put it politely – not the best. At least they exist.
Read next: Finding the best views of Pristina from the top of a tower.
Timetables and tickets
Timetable: The timetable is displayed inside and outside the bus station building at Gjakova.
As with Peja and Prizren, the bus timetable in Gjakova seemed to be accurate. The usual caveat applies here – this is based on the buses we caught and those that were in the bays when we visited.
See below for a picture of the timetable at Gjakove bus station as of October 2023.
Tickets: As with the other bus stations we visited in Kosovo, we couldn’t spot anywhere to buy tickets inside the bus station.
For long-distance, international routes, there were operator offices outside the bus station where you could buy tickets.
For shorter routes – anything within Kosovo – the best option is to buy the ticket on the bus.
How we planned our bus travels around Kosovo
When originally planning our route around Kosovo, we used Gjirafa Travel to make sure our route was possible and check on the frequency of buses.
We would recommend Gjirafa Travel as a good starting point for planning your trip. However, you should definitely double-check the bus timetables displayed at the bus stations when you are in Kosovo – these are the most up-to-date.
We will try our best to keep this information up to date. However, if you spot any changes based on your own travels around Kosovo by bus, please do let us know in the comments.