Albania

All road and tourist taxes (upon entering or leaving) the country have been lifted as of 2021. There is no longer a visa charge for any foreigners entering Albania. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, nationals of the following countries and territories can enter Albania without a visa: Andorra, Argentina, Armenia, Australia*, Austria*, Azerbaijan, Belgium *, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria*, Canada*, Chile, Colombia, Croatia, Cyprus*, Czech Republic*, Denmark*, Estonia*, Finland*, France*, Germany*, Greece*, Holy See, Hong Kong SAR, Hungary*, Ireland*, Iceland*, Israel, Italy…

The national currency is the lek (plural lekë, symbol L, ISO code: ALL). During the communist regime, the government redenominated the old lek into the new lek at a ratio of 1 to 10 (replaced previous Lek banknotes with new ones, 1,000 old lek became 100 new lek). According to a 2021 survey, despite the change taking place in 1965, the majority (80%) of citizens still use the logic of “old lek” in their language and when doing business, leading to a great confusion for both locals and tourists. For instance, for "200 lek" they would say dy mijë lek, literally meaning 2000 lek — the word 'mijë'…

By bus

Buses and furgons (minibuses) are the most reliable ways to travel around Albania. While the network is generally well-regulated and follows a fixed timetable, navigating the stations can be confusing. You will find numerous companies competing for business; however, many of these are merely ticket agents for the same service, which is often operated by an independent driver. ​ From Tirana, many buses and furgons a day depart to Shkodër, Durres, Elbasan, Fier and Berat. Furgons departing to the south like Gjirokaster or Saranda tend to depart fairly early in the morning. Check out…

The official language of the country is Albanian. Like Greek and Armenian, Albanian forms its own branch within the Indo-European language family. Italian is the most widely spoken foreign language in Albania. Italian was extensively taught in Albanian schools during the 1930s.

Albania is generally a safe place to visit but there are some safety precautions you have to take before visiting the country. Albania is one of the countries where stray dogs can be a problem. This can be of particular concern when you go out hiking in remote areas, where dogs not always stick to their territory or you even have to walk through their territory.

It's best to drink bottled water. Unboiled tap water should be avoided. In summer, insect repellent should be used as mosquitos are very active especially near former swamps and along the Western lowland.

Mobile

As of Sept 2021, Vodafone has the best coverage, with 4G in Tirana, the other main towns, and highways between. One and ALB have 4G in Tirana but less coverage elsewhere. Generally, Vodafone or One will be the first choice for travellers. You can buy a local prepaid SIM card from 800 lek including some MB of data. After that, top up credits are 35 GB for 2,000 lek, or 6 GB for 600 lek (per month). As of October 2025, the cheapest Vodafone tourist pack is 2400 lek for 40 GB.

Albanians are very hospitable. Even more so than the rest of the Balkans, elder males expect to be shown respect on account of their age. Men of the family have to be respected in particular. Shake hands with them and do not argue about topics such as religion and politics. Certain topics are strictly taboo, homosexuality being one. Don't speak about gay rights, no matter what. The situation changes a lot according to the location (village or city) and the people with whom you speak as well. In the hidden north, avoid topics that go beyond local understanding, but in Tirana you will find cosmo…