Wikimedia Hackathon 2020/Travel/en

Visa information
Citizens from the following countries do not need a visa to visit Albania for 90 days. (copied from en.wp article which is linked below)

Everyone else will need to obtain a visa to join the hackathon. In some cases, travel outside your country for a visa interview may be required when there is no local assigned embassy.

There is a lot more information here about who needs a visa and where to apply for one: Visa policy of Albania

An option is to apply for your visa online. Please see https://punetejashtme.gov.al/en/aplikim-per-vize/ for details.

In some cases an additional trip for an interview will still be required.

If you need an invitation letter, any documentation or any support from the organizing team please email wiki-hackathon@undefinedopenlabs.cc as soon as possible. Please help us update this section with more information!

Related links

 * https://punetejashtme.gov.al/en/perfaqesite-shqiptare-ne-bote/
 * List of diplomatic missions of Albania
 * https://punetejashtme.gov.al/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/konsujt-e-nderit-rsh-jashte-2-vendit-26dhjetor2019.pdf

Tirana International Airport
“Mother Teresa” airport is served by various airlines from around Europe. A bus service, that runs every hour during day time, connects the airport with Tirana. At night and early morning, you might need to take a taxi.

The facilities include free Wi-Fi and an Adrion press shop. Beside the baggage carousel in arrivals, there’s an ATM, a currency exchange office, and the airport’s tourism information desk. The airport has a duty-free shop and customs operates 24 hours a day.

Contact information

 * Airport website: http://www.tirana-airport.com/
 * Phone: +355 4/2381800/1600
 * Fax: +355 4/2379065

Lost & Found

 * Phone: +355 4/2381681/82
 * Mobile phone: +355 69 20 66626
 * Email: [mailto:info@tirana-airport.com info@tirana-airport.com]

Via land and sea
If you're in Italy or nearby, you can catch an overnight ferry from Bari.

Albania is not connected to the international rail network. You can get by train via Belgrade until Bar in Montenegro (bonus stay there) and carry on by bus to Albania.

Other routes by road – also served by busses – connect Albania with Pristina in Kosovo, with Skopje in Northern Macedonia and with Greece.

By bus
Public transportation in Tirana consists of a number of intra-city bus lines. A single trip costs 40 leks (there are only single tickets available) and tickets are sold in the bus by a conductor. Buses marked ‘Unaze’ are for the ring road and travel in a loop around the city centre. There are also lines serving suburban shopping centres and the Tirana Airport.

Public transport in Albania mainly consists of overland buses and minibuses operating as share taxi. The system is quite chaotic with no schedules published, but all cities are well connected with Tirana. The bus station for all connections to the South-west, West and North-Albania is at the entrance to the town coming from the airport. The station for international buses is more centrally located behind the sports palace.

By taxi
In Tirana, you can do a lot by foot – the central part of the city isn't too big. The fastest way to get around in Tirana is by taxi. Public transportation is not always reliable and doesn’t run after 8 or 10-11 p.m depending on the line. Some of the services you can use from the biggests companies here are:
 * MerrTaxi – Number: +355 67400 6610, You can also use the taxi fare calculator online: http://merrtaxi.com/tirana-taxi-fare-calculator.
 * SpeedTaxi – Fixed line: 04 222 2555 Website: http://speedtaxi.al/
 * GreenTaxi – Fixed line: 0800 2000

Costs for a taxi generally range from 2-6€.

Plan your own trip!
Some interesting sights in Albania: https://thealbanian.house/

Consider attending Open Source Conference Albania (OSCAL 2020) which happens less than one week after the Wikimedia Hackathon on May 16th and 17th in Tirana also organized by Open Labs at the same venue

Contact: wiki-hackathon@undefinedopenlabs.cc This email address can be used for all inquiries or questions regarding the event.