In this guide
If you work from a laptop, Tirana gives you three kinds of place to work: a cafe, wherever you are staying and a coworking space. Each suits a different kind of day. This guide helps you match the place to the work.
Working from a Cafe
Tirana takes its coffee seriously and cafes are everywhere, above all in Blloku. A cafe is a good place to work when the task is light and short: clearing email, reading, planning the week.
It falls short in predictable ways. A socket is not guaranteed. The WiFi is shared with everyone in the room. You cannot take a client call without the next table listening, and after a couple of hours you are holding a table the owner would like back.
Working from Where You Are Staying
A flat or a hotel room is free and quiet, and it is the right choice for an early call before the day starts. The trade-off is the one every remote worker knows: no line between work and rest, nobody to talk to and a connection that may not have been set up with video calls in mind.
Working from a Coworking Space
A coworking space exists to solve those problems. You get a proper desk and chair, a connection meant for work, a place to take calls and other people working around you. At Innospace, in Blloku, that means:
- Dedicated high-speed WiFi, the same speed however many people are online
- Private call booths for calls and video meetings
- A personal locker
- Coffee, fresh water and a kitchen with an espresso machine
- A 70 m² veranda
- A meeting room from 3,000 lek an hour, with a three-hour minimum
- 24-hour access on a Weekly or Monthly Pass
You can see the rooms on The Place and in the gallery.
Cafe, Home or Coworking: A Quick Comparison
| Cafe | Where you stay | Coworking space | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | An hour or two of light work | Early calls and quiet tasks | A full working day |
| Internet | Shared, varies by place | Depends on the rental | A dedicated line |
| Calls | Difficult | Fine | Call booths |
| Cost | Whatever you order | Part of your stay | From 1,500 lek a day |
| People | Strangers | Nobody | A community of members |
Where to Look
- Blloku. The densest run of cafes in the city and the home of Innospace. Everything is within a short walk.
- Around Skanderbeg Square. The historic centre, about fifteen minutes on foot from Blloku. Good for a working morning between errands.
- By the Grand Park. The cafes facing the park and the artificial lake are the calmest choice on a sunny day.
How to Choose a Coworking Space
- Try it for a day. A day pass tells you more than any website. Ours is 1,500 lek.
- Ask about the internet. A dedicated connection matters more than a big number on a speed test.
- Check the hours. If you work with other time zones, you will want access outside office hours.
- Look for call booths. Open rooms and video calls do not mix.
- Mind the location. You will leave your desk for lunch and coffee, so choose a place where that is a short walk.
- Meet the people. A community is the one thing a cafe cannot give you.
For the difference between a day, a week and a month, read Day Pass, Weekly Pass or Monthly Pass. If you are new to the city, start with our digital nomad guide to Tirana.
