Digital nomad in Albania: tips & my experience working remotely

In recent years, Albania has become increasingly popular as a travel destination. From impressive mountains to azure beaches, this Balkan country offers a surprising amount of variety. For digital nomads, it is still a relatively undiscovered place, but that is exactly what makes it interesting in my opinion. Life is affordable, the people are friendly and you can unfold your laptop in many places. However, there are also some challenges to consider in this country. In this blog I share my own experience as a digital nomad in Albania, combined with practical tips.

What you need to know about Albania

The language: a considerable challenge
Albanian (Shqip) is not an easy language. It is a unique language and has little common ground with languages you may already know. I really didn’t understand any of it myself. In addition, the words are often very long. A few examples:

Press hat = good day
Faleminderit = thank you
Mirupafshim = goodbye
Po = Yes
Jo = No

Although younger Albanians often speak English, especially in Tirana and tourist areas, it can be more difficult in rural areas or small villages. Google Translate is your best friend, but it pays to learn a few basic words in Albanian. The locals greatly appreciate it, and the facial expression when you thank someone in their own language is priceless, as they are clearly not used to this from tourists.

Money matters: the leak and the euro
The currency in Albania is the lek (ALL). 100 lek is approximately equal to 1 euro. What’s convenient: in many stores, accommodations and restaurants you can also pay simply with euros. Pin cards are accepted almost everywhere, especially in the cities. Still, it is smart to always have some cash with you, for example for small supermarkets or bus rides.

Insurance: coverage within Europe
A big advantage: for your health or travel insurance, Albania falls under Europe. This means that you usually do not need to take out extra world coverage, as is often the case with destinations outside Europe. Always check with your own insurer, but in general it is well taken care of.

Internet and calling: beware outside the EU
Albania is not an EU country (yet) and you notice this directly on your bundle. So roaming within the EU doesn’t work here. If you are online a lot, and as a digital nomad that is probably the case, you have three options:

An eSIM purchase through Airalo, for example. Arranged quickly and completely online, ideal for shorter stays.
A local SIM card buy. Providers like Vodafone and One have affordable data plans, often including lots of GBs.
Relying on wifi. In restaurants, cafes and accommodations the wifi is usually fine, but for remote work I would not rely on it completely and arrange at least one of the above options as a backup.

Transportation: car or local transportation?
If you want to see a lot of the country, you quickly end up with a rental car. Albania is mountainous and the distances are greater than you think. I rented a car through Sunny Cars, a reliable Dutch company that has good conditions so that everything is well insured, with no excess in case of damage and no hidden costs. In fact, I heard bad stories about the driving skills of Albanians. Maybe because they have only been allowed to drive here since 30 years? You also have no hassle when picking up and returning the car, which gives peace of mind.

A few tips:

Choose an automatic and a powerful engine. This is more comfortable in the mountains.
An air conditioner is not a luxury, especially in summer.
Arrange it online in advance so you don’t have any hassles on the spot.
Do you want to cross the border to Greece or Montenegro, for example? Always report this to the rental company, as there are additional conditions and costs involved.
Pay attention to parking. In Albania, really everyone throws their car everywhere. Sometimes you get built in, sometimes your door can barely open and the chance of a scratch is high. Hence a rental company like Sunny Cars where everything is well insured ;).

You can also make excellent use of local transportation. Minibuses (furgons) and local buses run between almost all towns and villages. It costs little (a few euros for longer rides) and gives you an immediate insight into daily life among the locals. Don’t expect fixed timetables or tight schedules; it’s all a bit looser, but it usually works surprisingly well. I had one breakdown when I wanted to catch the bus to Ksamil, when the bus was packed and I couldn’t get on. Funnily enough, a cab driver stopped and offered me and 5 others a ride for €5 each. He was happy and we were happy.

Working from Albania: coworkings and colivings

Currently, there are no colivings to be found in Albania. Too bad, because this would make the country even more attractive for digital nomads. Maybe that will come in the coming years.

Coworking spaces do exist, especially in Tirana. The capital has a number of modern workplaces that offer good wifi, coffee and a community of expats and remote workers. In the other cities, you have to rely on cafes and accommodations with good wifi.

My tips for fine places to work in Tirana:

n’Zon Creative Industries coworking
Coolab
Dutch Hub Coworking
Innospace Tirana
Destil Creative Hub Tirana
A branch of Mon Cheri (drinking good coffee and eating delicious cakes at the same time is a must here)
Sky Tower Tirana (with insane views)

There is one coworking in Sarandë, which is convenient if you are staying on the coast. I went to some nice laptop friendly cafes myself. Although the wifi is not great everywhere, so I mostly used my eSIM for mobile data. These are my recommendations in Sarandë:

Sarande Marketing & Coworking (€10 per day, bookable online)
Coffe Bar Seven (among the locals and delicious iced coffee for €2)
Mesdhe Restaurant & Lounge (very atmospheric and delicious food)
Beach clubs such as Lost Seaside (I do not recommend it due to often loud music and crowds)

Destinations not to be missed

Albania is surprisingly diverse, from stunning mountains to beautiful beaches and picturesque villages. I spent 3 weeks there myself. That may seem long, but considering I work 6 hours a day, that leaves less time to get out and about. These are the places I definitely recommend:

Tirana: the capital is lively, modern and bursting with coffee bars and coworkings. Perfect starting point.
Shkodër: cozy city in the north, known for its cycling culture. From here you will depart for the Albanian Alps.
Theth: the mountain village for hikers. Spectacular nature, rugged mountains and fresh air.
Gjirokastër: UNESCO city with a beautiful old center and an imposing castle.
Sarandë: seaside resort on the Ionian Sea, ideal for combining work and beach.
Himarë: smaller scale than Sarandë, with a relaxed atmosphere and beautiful beaches.
Ksamil: very popular and hip, but wonderful beach clubs to visit.

Albania by motorhome

Albania is also becoming increasingly popular among RV travelers. The country is camper-friendly, there are many (often small-scale) campsites and wild camping is still allowed in some areas. The coastal route along the Ionian Sea is among the most beautiful in Europe. For digital nomads who love freedom, this is a fantastic option. By the way, the same goes for neighboring Montenegro, which I also found to be a fantastic country. Read all my tips for hotspots in Montenegro here.

A cheap accommodation in Albania

I have done much of my travel via home exchange. For this I use the platform HomeExchange, a very reliable and large platform with a huge amount of supply of houses. As a result, I spent €0 on accommodation. How nice! Especially around high season and when the weather is nice, Albania is not so very cheap anymore. Outside the high season you can easily find something nice for € 50 per night for a 1 or 2 bedroom apartment. I stayed in Tirana in a modern apartment with cool views of the city and in Sarandë in a large traditional Albanian house. These were both really great experiences and I would definitely recommend. Use at HomeExchange my code alieke-14481 If you also want to give this a try.

My experience as a digital nomad in Albania

Albania positively surprised me. The alternation between working and traveling is ideal here: in the morning behind your laptop in a café or your own accommodation, in the afternoon a hike in the mountains or a swim in the sea. The country feels safe, the people are hospitable and generally incredibly friendly to foreigners.

The biggest challenge I found was the language and the bundle outside the EU, because you want to be sure of good internet if you are going to work remotely as a digital nomad. Fortunately, a local SIM card solved that quickly. Affordability is a huge plus: eating out, drinking coffee or traveling by bus costs a fraction of what you pay in Western Europe. On average, for €10 p.p. you go out for a delicious evening meal here.

What Albania still lacks are colivings and a larger digital nomad community. But perhaps that is precisely the charm: you will still discover places here that are not overrun by remote workers.

Remote working in Albania: a country with potential

Albania is not a standard digital nomad destination, but it is one with potential. It combines nature, culture and affordability with a growing supply of places to work. For those who like adventure and flexibility, this is a great place to stay and work. Curious about the best places in Albania? My colleague Daniëlle Bom is writing a blog about this with all her insider tips, to follow soon.