Currency and money in Albania — the lekë guide

Albania runs on the lek (plural lekë, code ALL), a currency you won't find outside the country's borders, so plan to arrive with little and change or withdraw once you're on the ground. Notes climb to 10,000 lekë; coins cover the small change you'll rack up buying water and byrek.

Old lek, new lek — the quirk that trips everyone

The single most confusing thing about money here is the "old lek." Decades ago the currency was revalued, and much of the country never stopped quoting the old figure — which is ten times the real one. A market seller who says "dy mijë" (two thousand) for a bag of oranges almost always means 200 lekë. When a number sounds absurdly high, mentally divide by ten and you'll usually be right. Menus and shop tills show the real price; it's the spoken quotes, especially from older people and in markets, where the old lek lives on.

Cash or card?

Tirana, Sarandë, Vlorë and the bigger tourist towns take cards in most hotels, supermarkets and mid-range restaurants. Step into a village, a mountain guesthouse, a furgon (minibus) or a family taverna and cash is expected. Keep a reserve of small notes for the Alps, the Riviera's quieter coves, and anywhere off the main road.

ATMs are everywhere in towns. Many charge a withdrawal fee and some cap the amount per transaction, so take out larger sums less often. Look for machines attached to major banks, and always choose to be charged in lekë rather than your home currency to dodge poor "dynamic currency conversion" rates.

Euros, exchange and tipping

Euros are informally accepted for big-ticket items — some hotels, tours and Riviera rentals quote in euro — but you'll get a worse rate paying that way for everyday things, and change comes back in lekë. Exchange offices (këmbimi valutor) in city centres give fair rates with no drama; airport counters are the worst.

Tipping is appreciated, not obligatory. Rounding up the bill or leaving roughly five to ten percent in a good restaurant is generous by local standards. For coffee, leaving the coins is plenty.