Time Difference
Albania is one hour ahead of United Kingdom GMT where the standard time is Central European Time (CET; UTC+01:00). Daylight saving time, which moves one hour ahead to Central European Summer Time, is observed from the last Sunday in March (02:00 CET) to the last Sunday in October (03:00 CEST).
Money
Most major credit and debit cards are accepted in banks, larger supermarkets and international hotels. It is important to note, however, that smaller businesses and taxis will often only accept cash. You can obtain this at the numerous ATMs in Tirana and the main towns, as well as bureaux de change where sterling, US dollars and euros are widely accepted. It’s important to only use banks or established bureaux de change as there have been some cases of credit card fraud.
Electricity
Albania operates on a 230V supply voltage and there are two associated plug types, types C and F. Plug type C is the plug which has two round pins and plug type F is the plug which has two round pins with two earth clips on the side. UK travellers will need to bring an adapter.
Shops and Amenities
Generally, merchants open from 8am until 5pm, Monday to Friday, but it’s important to note that some businesses might not be open on Saturdays and Sundays.
Media
There are several daily and weekly newspapers including Panorama, Gazeta Shqiptare, Koha Jone and Tema. As for television, Albania enjoys several television channels including Top Channel, TV Klan and Vizion Plus.
Post
Post offices are usually open from 8am to 4.30pm, Monday to Friday, 8am to 12pm on Saturday and closed on Sunday. However, the main Post Office of Tirana is open Monday to Saturday from 7.30am to 8pm and Sunday 7.30am to 2pm.
Phone
To call United Kingdom from Albania, dial: 00 - 44 - Area Code - Land Phone Number 00 - 44 - 10 Digit Mobile Number.
Internet and Mobile Coverage
In Albania, most areas have good Wi-Fi coverage and 3G/4G signal. There are four operators: Vodafone, Telekom, Eagle and Plus Communication, all of which offer good coverage throughout the country.
Currency
Albanian lek.
