Spent a couple weeks hiking around Theth and the Valbona Valley area last year.
I'm not sure what the different options look like for transport, but travelling the main road from Tirana to Shkoder by coach wasn't too much hassle. Just wandered down to the local coach park and asked around for one going in the direction I needed. The coach was in decent condition.
If you're looking to head out into the country or mountains, it might take a little bit more planning. To get into the mountains, I pre-booked passage on a ferry / mini-bus with some people that are contactable online.
Where are you thinking of heading?
