The best SIM Card in Albania for fast internet

Travel Resources › The best SIM Card in Albania for fast internet

Read my guide to find out what you need to know about SIM cards in Albania and what to bear in mind choosing your card. 💸

In this article, I would like to share my experiences with the Albanian mobile internet and the various providers with you. Which provider offers the best value for money and which SIM card I ultimately chose. So if you are planning a holiday in Albania, are passing through or are simply curious about prepaid cards Albania, you should definitely read on.

Table Of Contents

SIM Card Albania: The best providers

Why do I need a prepaid card in Albania?

Before you travel to Albania, you should check your contract conditions with your current mobile phone provider. Most contracts are limited to use within the European Union. Albania is not a member state of the European Union and therefore roaming charges apply.

A local SIM card makes it possible to reduce costs and get better network coverage.

Can I buy a SIM Card at Tirana airport?

If you are flying to Tirana International Airport, you can buy a SIM card directly at the airport. There are stores of Vodafone and ONE in the Arrivals Hall. When you arrive by plane, you will first pass the passport control, then luggage collection and after that, you will go to the Arrivals Hall. In the Arrivals Hall, you will immediately see the stores.

In case you do not have Albanian Lek with you, you can ask if they accept cash euros or foreign currency. If not, you can withdraw from the ATMs in the arrivals hall to pay for your SIM card.

Albanian prepaid SIM cards for your Holiday – Overview

Firstly, the general network coverage in Albania is excellent. Unfortunately, I wasn’t unable to find exact data, but in the past the Albanian mobile network was better developed than that in Germany for example. So you can’t go wrong with prepaid cards in Albania.

Vodafone Albania

Vodafone Albania offers the Vodafone tourist package. This is valid for three weeks and will cost you 2500 Albanian Lek, which is currently around €25. There is however an option that provides better value for money in my opinion – Vodafone Advance:

The package Vodafone Advance:

• Tariff: Vodafone Advance
• Price: 1500 ALL (incl. VAT)
• Data: 10 GB Internet
• Valid: 30 days

You can find all further information on the Vodafone website. If you need more data, I recommend going for one of the tourist packs.

ONE Albania

The provider One also offers a tourist package. This is also valid for three weeks and costs you exactly 2000 Albanian Lek, which currently corresponds to approx. 20 €.

The package includes:

• Tariff: One Paketa Tourist
• Price: 2,000 ALL (incl. VAT)
• Validity: 21 days
• 35 GB Internet
• 3000 national calls
• 3000 national SMS

You can find all further information on the ONE website.

Tip: I had problems once or twice with top up not being available with ONE. I therefore recommend Vodafone Albania. It also has excellent coverage.

As you travel through Albania, you will encounter many unexpected and exciting experiences. One of them was certainly the purchase of our prepaid card in a ONE store in Shkoder, the first big city after crossing the border.

eSIM Card for Albania

eSIMs are alternatives to the classic SIM card that work completely without the actual card. Newer smartphones, but also smartwatches and other devices can be equipped with them, some smartphones even allow for two SIM cards at the same time, like my iPhone XR. As you don’t need an actual SIM card to install an eSIM, you can also get one before you travel to Albania. To do this, you should visit a marketplace for eSIMs and download the eSIM you want.

Similar to normal SIM cards, prepaid eSIMs offer a certain amount of data volume, text messages and/or phone minutes that you can use as you wish in the respective country. You can choose the package you want and usually extend eSIMs easily.

Advantages of eSIMs

An eSIM card has numerous advantages and is often the better alternative to a traditional SIM card for tourists. In our opinion, the biggest advantages include:

• Internet immediately upon arrival
• No hassle queuing to buy a card at the airport
• Transparent and fair pricing
• Online renewal often possible
• Card payment possible
• Multiple telecommunications providers available

My recommendation: Airalo is an excellent provider of eSIMs for Albania. The marketplace offers global access to eSIMs through cooperation with local telecommunications providers. In Albania, Airalo works with Voda AL and One.al and offers different tariffs to pick from. These range from $4.50 to $26. Most users should be able to get by with one of the tariffs without any problems. I also like the fact that Airalo has a website in multiple languages.

Airalo e-SIM Albania – 26.00 EUR

• 10 GB data 
• valid for 30 days 
• 4G/LTE
• Operates on the Vodafone and One network
• data-only e-sim
• valid in Albania only
• €2.6 per Gigabyte

For the best mobile network experience in Albania, choose Vodafone Albania due to its official certification as the best network for fast speed and reliability, offering various prepaid tourist SIM and eSIM options. One Albania is another great local option, providing competitive tourist packages and strong network coverage. Alternatively, for a quicker setup or if you prefer digital, providers like Airalo offer convenient, data-only eSIM cards that operate on Vodafone’s network in Albania.

I hope that you’ve enjoyed this Albania SIM cards travel blog, and it’s helped you plan your trip and prepare for a great time travelling Albania.

While you’re here, why not take a deeper dive into your travel planning by reading some of my travel guides to Albania below?

• Albania Holiday: Guide To The Balkan Destination – the most comprehensive Albania guide you’ll find online.