Arriving in a new city with work to do is different from arriving on holiday. You need a working phone, a reliable connection and a routine before your first important call, not after it.
This checklist covers the practical things to sort out in your first week in Tirana, so you can settle in and get back to work quickly.
Days one and two: the basics
- SIM card: a local prepaid SIM with a data package is the easiest way to stay connected. You will find mobile operator shops in the city centre. Bring your passport, as you will usually need it to register the SIM. If your phone supports eSIM, ask whether that is available.
- Plugs and power: Albania uses type C and F plugs at 230 V, like most of continental Europe. If you come from the UK, the US or elsewhere, bring an adapter, and check that your chargers support 230 V.
- Money: the currency is the lek. Cards are accepted in many shops, supermarkets and restaurants in central Tirana, but cash is still common in small shops, markets, bakeries and some taxis. Carry some cash for small purchases and, where you can, use ATMs at banks.
- Offline maps: download a map of Tirana to your phone so you can find your way before your data is set up.
Set your time zone and your calendar
Albania uses Central European Time (CET), and Central European Summer Time (CEST) in summer. Before your first meeting, check that your laptop, phone and calendar have all switched to the local time zone, and that recurring meetings still show at the right hour.
Write down your core overlap hours with your team or clients. If you work with the US, your afternoons and evenings will be busy. If you work with Asia, your mornings will be. Knowing this on day one helps you plan the rest of the week.
Find a desk and a routine
Working from a sofa or a café is fine for a day or two. After that, most people work better with a proper desk, a good chair and a clear line between work and home.
- Try a coworking space with a day pass in your first few days. Check the Wi-Fi, the chairs, the noise level and where you can take calls.
- Pick a start time and keep it, even when nobody is waiting for you.
- Plan lunch away from the screen. Central Tirana has plenty of places to eat within a few minutes' walk.
- Decide where you will take important calls: a quiet room, a phone booth or your apartment.
Get around on foot
Central Tirana is compact and easy to explore on foot. Walking is the best way to learn the city in your first week, and a good way to start or end the working day.
- Skanderbeg Square is the main reference point in the centre, and many routes start from there.
- The Grand Park and its lake are a good place for a morning walk or run, and a break from the streets.
- For a weekend outing, the Dajti Express cable car takes you up Dajti mountain for views over the city.
- Further afield, Durrës on the coast and the UNESCO towns of Berat and Gjirokastër make good weekend trips once you have settled in.
Traffic in the centre can be heavy at peak times, so for short distances walking is often the simplest choice.
A base for your first week at n'Zon
n'Zon Coworking Space Tirana is on Rruga Him Kolli in Myslym Shyri, in central Tirana. It is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, which helps when your calls fall early or late. You can start with a day pass, use the phone booths and high-speed Wi-Fi, and keep your things in lockable storage if you stay longer. Read more about working from n'Zon as a digital nomad in Tirana.
When you land, come by and work your first day from here. Contact us if you have questions before you arrive.