Follow the link to our Albania weather page for some detailed information about the climate in Albania, the best time to visit, and a detailed six-day Tirana weather forecast.

There is a fixed-line telephone network installed and run in Albania by Albtelecom. Each town in Albania is enabled with direct dialling. If you are planning to dial Albania, the country code is +355.

Quick City-Code Reference

Berat - 032
Durres - 052
Elbasan - 054
Fier - 034
Gjirokastra - 084
Kavaja - 0574
Korça - 082
Kruja - 0511
Kuçova - 0331
Kukes - 0242
Laç - 0536
Pogradec - 0832
Saranda - 0852
Shkodra - 022
Tirana - 04
Vlora - 033  

As far as mobile telephony is concerned, AMC and Vodafone have a presence in Albania. These two companies have arrangements with other European mobile networks. So if your cell phone is roaming enabled, you will not face any connectivity problems in Albania. However, you will be paying a higher cost for your calls in Albania as compared to other cities in Europe, especially if roaming is enabled.

Albanians spend in Leks and the currency code is ALL. You will find ALL currency notes in units of 100, 200, 500, 1000 and 5000. 1 Lek or ALL is valued at 100 qunidraka, the Albanian equivalent of a cent. ATMs linked to VISA, Cirrus, Maestro and Master Card networks can be found in all the major Albanian cities. These ATMs issue the Albanian Lek and tourists are advised to withdraw cash against their credit cards at these ATMs. However, ATM facilities may not be available in the small towns of Albania.

Very few hotels and restaurants accept credit card payments. So, stock up on the local currency. The limit for cash withdrawal is 500 USD. Travellers' cheques are also not very popular. You may be able to encash your travellers cheques only in Tirana banks and exchange offices referred to as "kambim valutor" can be approached for exchanging foreign currency.  The US dollar is accepted here and so is the Euro. Banks are open for business only on weekdays, between 8.30 a.m. and 2.30 p.m. 

To view the current Lek exchange rate, click on this link to OANDA.com - The Currency Site.

To view a list of Albanian embassies around the world, as well as foreign embassies within Albania, click on this link to EmbassyWorld.com.

Population - 3.2 million people
Total Area - 27,398 sq km (11,100 sq miles).
Capital - Tirana (585,700 people)
Time Zone - GMT + 1 (GMT + 2 from last Sunday in March to Saturday before last Sunday in October).

To view the current time in Tirana, click on this link to TimeAndDate.com.

Around 6,400,000 inhabitants in Albania's eastern Adriatic coast and some people in Yugoslavia speak Albanian, an Indo-European language. The areas where Albanian is spoken are Kosova and Macedonia. Besides these regions, there are a few villages in Southern Italy and Southern Greece where this language is spoken.  The Italian villages where Albanian is prevalent are Calabria, Abruzzi, Basilicata, Molise, Sicily and Puglia. The Albanian speaking villages in Southern Greece include Peloponnesos, Voiot'a, Cndros, Fvvoia and Attica.

Some common Albanian phrases (pronunciation only) handy for travellers include:

Albanian - shqip - (shkEEp)
Hello - tungjatjeta (abbrev. tung) - (tUhn-ngIAt-IEta)
good-bye - mirupafshim - (mEEr-Uh-oA-fshEEm)
please - ju lutem - (iU LU-tehm)
thank you - faleminderit - (fAh-leh-mEE-nde-rEEt)
that one - atë - (ATEH)
how much? - sa është? - (sAh ush-te)
English - anglisht - (ahn-GLEE-sht)
Yes - po - (POE)
No - jo - (IOH)
Sorry - më fal - (mUh FAL)
I don't understand - nuk kuptoj - (nUhk KUP-toi)
where's the bathroom? - ku është banjoja?- (kuh ush-tEh bA-nio-jA)
generic toast - gëzuar - (gUh-zuh-ar)
Do you speak English? - flisni Anglisht?- (flee-snEE ahn-GLEE-sht)

Albania is about the same size as Belgium, occupying 28,748 sq km in area. This area occupies the western part of the Balkan Peninsula, which lies in the south-eastern part of Europe. Montenegro and Kosovo are Albania's neighbours to the north and northeast. In the east Albania is bounded by Macedonia and Greece is its southern neighbour. On the western side lies the coast, formed by the Adriatic Sea and the Ionian Sea. Italy lies across the Adriatic Sea and can be approached through the Strait of Otranto.

Follow the link to view a current list of public holidays in Albania.

People belonging to Eastern Orthodox Christianity, Catholicism and Islam live together peacefully in Albania. Islam is by far the most popular religion here.

Passports

A valid passport is required by all nationals of the UK, Australia, Canada, USA and other EU nations.

Note

Make sure your passport is valid for at least 6 months.

Visas

Not required by residents of the UK, Australia, Canada, USA and other EU nationals for stays of up to 30 days.

Note: All visitors to Albania are advised to contact the embassy to check visa requirements before travelling.

US citizens that need to renew, add pages, change name, or just get a new US passport, can Apply for New US Passport here.

Albania was first inhabited by the Illyrian tribe. Later, the Greek arrived, around the 7th century B.C. Around the year 214 B.C. and after a long war; the Romans occupied Albania.

During the 5th and 6th centuries, Albania was invaded by the Visigoths, the Huns, the Ostrogoths, and Slavs. In the 14th century, independent feudal states appeared while the cities were developing.

In 1389 after defeating Serbs and Turks, Albania falls under the Ottoman rule until 1912 when the 28 of November the Albanians declared independence.

In 1939 during the Second World War, the Italians occupied their country. Communist partisans fought Italian occupation forces, and after a long war, they took control of the country, constituting a regime that lasted until 1989, the year of the Berlin wall fall. Due to an internal crisis, Albanians ran to take refuge in foreign embassies and escaped to Italy by boats. This provoked the fall of the communist regime.

As Albania is still a developing nation, tourists need to take adequate precautions on the health front. Those on any kind of regular medication should pack a supply of all the medicines they may need. Full medical insurance before travel is also advisable. Emergency medical attention is available and foreign travellers are not required to pay for it.  Visitors are also advised against availing of any dental facilities in this region.

Shopping hours are generally Monday to Saturaday 8:00am-12:00 noon and 3:00pm-7:00pm (although regional variations are possible). Many shops are also open Sunday.

Banking hours are Monday to Friday 8:00am - 4:00pm.