Without your phone and an internet connection, you might have never seen gorgeous photos and videos of Albania, and you would have probably never considered Saranda as your holiday destination. But what about using your phone while you’re here? Does Albania have good phone reception and reliable internet?
The short answer is yes, but to give you more specific details we have gathered everything you need to know about using your phone and internet in Albania in this article.
Phone Country And Area Codes
To start with the basics, like every country, Albania has its own unique country code that precedes every local phone number. To call any Albanian number from abroad or with a foreign phone, you need to use the prefix +355 before the local number.
The local area code for Saranda is 085, so all landline numbers look like 085 XXX XXXX when calling from another Albanian number. From abroad the prefix is added and the ‘0’ of the area code is dropped, resulting in the following format: +355 85 XXX XXXX.
All Albanian mobile phone numbers start with 067, 068, or 069.
Data (Roaming)
Albania is not part of the EU, so the EU data roaming agreement is not applicable here. So while many Europeans might be able to use their phone and data plan as normal while on holiday in other countries like Greece and Italy, you will probably be charged a lot more when using your foreign phone in Albania.
So first of all, to be aware of the options and costs, you should check the prices for calls, texts, and data roaming in Albania with your phone provider. Roaming, and especially data roaming, can be very expensive and lead to high unforeseen costs if you’re not aware of this and forget to turn off your data when you arrive in Albania.
But don’t worry as there are very good alternatives so you can still be connected to the world while you are in Saranda or travel around Albania.
Getting A Local Sim Card
To keep the costs of using your phone in Albania down, you can buy a sim card from one of the local Albanian mobile phone providers: Albtelecom, ONE, and Vodafone.
All providers offer very generous data packages at fair prices. You can for example get a 20 Gb tourist package for 10 days for as little as 1500 lekë (€15), but if you’re staying for longer there are also 30-day packages, and with a residence permit you can also subscribe to a yearly plan.
You can buy a sim card from any of their own shops, or from resellers which you can recognize if you see any of the providers’ logos at the storefront. You can find a list of phone shops in Saranda on our website here, and you can also find them in the arrivals hall of Tirana Airport.
It’s also good to mention that you need to bring your passport when buying a sim card, as they need to officially register the phone number in your name in order to activate it.
Getting An E-Sim
An even easier way to get connected directly upon arrival in Albania is by buying an e-sim, for example from Airalo. This electronic, or virtual sim card can be purchased online even before you arrive in Albania. Once installed and activated you’re online immediately, so there’s no need to first go to an ATM to get cash and then queue up at a phone shop while all you want to do is get to your hotel.
Another advantage of e-sims is that they offer a wider variety of packages to suit your data needs when traveling through multiple countries. Airalo for example, not only offers packages for Albania, but also for other countries, and even more conveniently, a single package for Europe that is valid in 42 countries. You can easily browse through all the offers in their app, so you don’t need to search around the internet for which sim card to buy and where to get it for each country you’re traveling to.
Before buying an e-sim, make sure that your phone supports e-sims. This is most often the case for recent high-end models like the iPhone and Samsung Galaxy, but if you have a cheaper or older phone it might not support e-sims.
Buy e-SimPhone Coverage And Data Speeds
Cell phone reception is generally good in Albania as most of the providers have coverage in more than 95% of the country. Unless you’re somewhere very remote in the mountains, you’re most likely going to be able to make phone calls.
Mobile data speeds are generally very good and on average even better than for example in neighboring Greece. If you have a large data bundle, you can also use your phone as a hotspot for your laptop. This is also a great backup in case your apartment suffers from a power outage and your cable internet is down.
Wifi
Wifi is commonly available and free in most hotels, bars, and restaurants in Saranda. Most apartments rented from individuals or agents are also equipped with wifi, but it’s good to confirm that this is indeed the case.
Saranda often experiences power outages, which are usually very short-lived, but other than that, internet connections are pretty reliable, and high-speed connections of >100Mb/s are available. So if the internet in your apartment is too slow, you might want to ask your landlord to upgrade the package.
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