Packing for a few weeks or months of remote work is different from packing for a holiday. You want your usual setup working from day one, without spending your first days in Tirana hunting for a cable or an adapter.
This list covers the tech, the comfort items, the clothes and the documents worth bringing. Adjust it to your trip, but run through each section before you close the suitcase.
Power and connectivity
- Plug adapters. Albania uses type C and type F sockets at 230 V, the same round two-pin plugs used across most of continental Europe. If you come from the UK, North America or elsewhere, bring at least two adapters: one for the desk and one for the bedside.
- Check your chargers. Most laptop and phone chargers accept 230 V, but read the label. Devices made only for 110–120 V, such as some hair dryers, need a voltage converter, not just an adapter.
- A compact multi-socket extension. One adapter plus a small extension lets you charge a laptop, a phone and a headset from a single wall socket.
- A power bank. Useful on long call days, on travel days and whenever no socket is free. Keep it in your hand luggage, as airlines usually require.
- An unlocked phone. With an unlocked phone you can use a local SIM card or an eSIM for mobile data, which also gives you a backup connection for work.
- Spare cables. Bring one extra charging cable for every device you depend on. A USB-C hub with HDMI is worth the space if you plan to plug into a monitor.
Your portable desk setup
Working for weeks on a laptop alone is hard on your neck and wrists. A few light items turn any desk into a comfortable one.
- A foldable laptop stand. It raises the screen to eye level and weighs very little.
- A compact keyboard and mouse. Once the laptop is raised, you need them to type comfortably.
- A headset with a good microphone. Noise-cancelling headphones help you focus in shared spaces, and a decent microphone makes you easier to understand on calls.
- A padded laptop sleeve and a day bag. You will carry your setup between your flat and your workspace, so protect it.
- A privacy screen filter, if you handle client data in public places.
Clothes for the seasons
Tirana has hot, dry summers and mild, wetter winters, with a clear difference between day and evening temperatures in spring and autumn. Packing in layers covers most of the year.
- Summer: light, breathable clothes, sunglasses, sunscreen and a hat. Add swimwear if you plan a trip to the coast at Durrës, and a light layer for air-conditioned rooms.
- Spring and autumn: a light jacket or sweater for the evenings and a compact umbrella.
- Winter: a warm jacket, a waterproof layer and shoes that cope with rain. If you plan to go up Dajti mountain or travel inland, add warmer layers.
- All year: comfortable walking shoes. Central Tirana is easy to explore on foot, from Skanderbeg Square to the Grand Park and its lake.
Documents and practical items
- Passport or ID card. Make sure it is valid for your whole stay and that it meets the entry rules for your nationality. Rules change, so confirm them on official government sources before you travel.
- Digital and paper copies. Keep scans of your passport, insurance and bookings in cloud storage, and a printed copy in a separate bag.
- Travel and health insurance that covers a longer stay, with the policy details easy to find.
- Cards from two different banks, plus some cash. The local currency is the lek, and a little cash helps at markets and small shops.
- Your driving licence, if you plan to rent a car. Check in advance whether you also need an international driving permit.
- Documents for a longer stay. If you may stay for many months, find out which papers residence procedures require and bring the originals with you.
- Prescription medicine in its original packaging, with a copy of the prescription.
What you can leave at home
You do not need to pack a printer, a desk lamp or a big monitor. If you plan to work from a coworking space, the heavy items are already there. At n'Zon Coworking Space Tirana, in Myslym Shyri in central Tirana, you get high-speed Wi-Fi, printing and scanning, lockable storage for your gear, phone booths for calls, air conditioning and a kitchen with coffee, tea and water. It is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, which helps when your clients are in other time zones. A day pass is an easy way to try it in your first week, and the page for digital nomads in Tirana explains the options for longer stays.
Once your bag is packed, send us a message with your arrival dates and ask about a desk for your stay.