You can use bus or minibus to reach Berat from Tirana. The trip lasts approx. 3 hours with bus as it stops everywhere to collect as many passengers as possible. Price is around 3$, isn't it cheap? I'm writing this again and again, but you have to remember that the last bus to Tirana leaves at 15.00. After this time you can use minibuses, but the bus is my favourite for moving around in Albania.
There is only one connection a day beetwen Berat and the most popoular summer resort of Albania - Saranda. Bus leaves from the central square of Berat (next to Lead mosque) at 8 a.m and reaches Saranda after 7 hours of driving. Ticket costs 800 Leke.
From Tirana you have the option of coming to berati either by bus or by furgon. We chose to go by furgon simply because we dislike sticking to strict timetables - so I don't even know when buses leave.
We took a furgon which travelled to smaller towns before going to berati - it took us about 3 and a half hours to get there, on a somewhat not very comfortable road. If I remember correctly we paid 500 lek each for the entire trip.
To reach the Kalasa from where the buses (or furgons) stop it's a longish walk uphill... Mind you, it's not impossible (I'd say abouy 30 minutes) - but with temperatures nearing 40 degrees celsius one might not quite fancy walking such a distance under the scorching sun.
Taxi drivers know this and will take you there for 500 leks - which is about 4 auros. It's not much but for Albanian standards it's exorbitant. My advice is: on a hot day take a taxi there - but to return into town, walk... downhill, even with the heat, the walk is manageable.