Hi,
I'm an Italian girl and I've lived in Albania for 3 years, until 2005. I worked there as a project coordinator for 1 year, then as an English and Italian teacher for other 2 years. I worked for two different NGOs (Non Governamental Organisation).

Job: it's not difficult to find a job in Albania as a foreigner, but you have to accept a low salary, as you're supposed to be payed as a local worker. You need to be in Albania in order to look for a job there. Instead, if you are lucky you can find a job in an International Organisation such as NGOs or UN Agencies, wich is not very easy, though. You can look for these types of job on internet.

Travel: you can book a plane ticket on internet, which is cheaper than booking through a travel agency. You can try www.belleair.it or www.albanianair.com. Often they offer cheap tickets, especially during low season.

Visa: You don't need a visa to enter Albania. You need a valid passport, or just your Identity Card if you come from an European country. But I recommend to take your passport with you. You might need a visa if you are going to stay in the country for more than 3 months, but check this before going there. You could call the Albanian Embassy in Rome to ask for information. However, as far as I was there I didn't need to have any.

Accomodation: you could find expensive or cheap apartment for rent, it depends on what you are looking for. Usually if they see that you are a foreigner, they ask you more money for the rent. Living in the capital, Tirana, is more expensive than living in other cities or villages around the country. You could start to look for an apartment buying "Celsi" local newspaper, where you can find many advertisements for houses and apartments to buy/rent.

I travel to Albania three-four times a year, as my boyfriend lives there. I love Albania, his culture, hospitality, nature and pleasant weather.

Do not hesitate to contact me if you need any other information on the country.

Elisabetta