 TRAVELLERS INFORMATION |
 ENTRY AND CURRENCY |
Passports are necessary for all people traveling through, entering or staying in Kosovo. If you are an EU citizen you do not require a visa, however if you are from the United States or Australia from instance it is highly recommendable to have identity documents present on you at all times. The local currency is the EURO, which is recognized and used throughout Kosovo.
The most recommendable way of travelling to Kosovo is by air. The only international airport is located 30 minutes from the center of Prishtina. www.airportprishtina.com. Where there are daily and direct flights available to London (British Airways), Zurich (Swiss Air) and Vienna (Austrian Airways.) Booking in advance is advisable as tickets usually sell out quickly and are relatively expensive in comparison to European rates.
An alternative route to Prishtina can be taken by flying directly to Skopje in Macedonia. This route however forces the visitor to take a taxi from Skopje to the border and then another taxi directly to Prishtina. In total the trip should cost approximately 50 to 60 Euros, where a taxi to and from Prishtina airport directly to the capital should not set you back more then 20-30 Euro.
| GENERAL INFORMATION |
The easiest way to obtain information about Kosovo is through the United Nations Humanitarian Information Office, www.unmikonline.org that is situated behind the Grand Hotel. It issues a very useful handbook for visitors that contains contact details, phone numbers, maps and addresses of many foreign offices and organizations situated in Prishtina. Another very useful source of information is the Prishtina 2002 Guide, www.ofertasuksesi.com that publishes important contact information about, NGO's, Foreign Offices, Hotels, Banks, Hospitals, Doctors, taxi's, restaurants as well as travel and estate agencies. Within this publication any visitor to Prishtina will find all relevant contact details for their daily requirements.
| WHERE TO STAY |
Good accommodation is limited in Kosovo. Although limited Prishtina offers a little more variety then most urban centers, from the larger hotels to the smaller and privately owned motels and guesthouses. The Grand Hotel is the largest hotel in Kosovo, and is commonly used for functions such as press conferences and business meetings, as well as for receiving international guests.
The hotel however, is badly in need of refurbishment and is overpriced for the service and accommodation received. On average one night will set you back approximately 80$.
The smaller hotels in Prishtina such Beni Motel,
the Baci Hotel and Victoria Hotel offer much better
services and quality of accommodation for very similar
fees. Other major urban centers do not offer as
much variety but decent accommodation can be found.
The most recommended are; Hotel Theranda in Prizren,
Hotel Metohija in Peja and Hotel Pashriku in Gjakova.
If you have any concerns over security in the areas
that you are visiting or staying in it is recommendable
to contact the central KFOR information center for
updated and accurate regional information www.kforonline.com
or email kforcpic@main.kfor.nato.int |
| WORKING HOURS & PUBLIC HOLIDAYS |
Local Craftsman
Kosovars in general work a six-day week, with daily working hours between 8am to 5pm. Shops will be open from 9am to approximately 7pm. Though most Kosovars are of Muslim faith they celebrate Christmas and Easter particularly in catholic areas. Ramadan the Muslim month of fasting during the day is also recognized but has little effect on the average working day structure. Albania and Kosovo's National Day is celebrated on the 27th of November. Kosovar Albanians also celebrate the 11-12th of June and recognize it as a National Holiday to celebrate NATO liberation of Kosovo.
| GETTING AROUND |
Alternative forms of Kosovar transport
Public transport is very bad in Kosovo. At present there are no commercial railway services although most cities in the region offer internal bus links and services between towns. Mini bus and shuttle services are popular and exist in the most urban centers but are predominately used by the local people. For most foreign visitors it is advisable and relatively cheap to use local taxi firms especially for moving around Prishtina. The most recommendable radio taxi firm that also speaks English is the RGB Company (+ 377 44 15 15 15 or + 381 38 51 51 51)
| COMMUNICATION & TELEPHONES |
The easiest way to communicate in Kosovo is through mobile telephones or via the Internet. Internet cafes are very common in all cities and popular with local communities as well as international visitors. Public telephones are very hard to find in Kosovo, and since the conflict, many remain out of order. Most terrestrial phone lines are available in hotels or at private residences. In order to make international calls to Kosovo from abroad, it is necessary to use the following dialing codes.
+ 381 (Kosovo) + (38) Prishtina.
+( 39 ) Peja.
+( 280 ) Gjilan.
+( 290 ) Ferizaj.
+( 29 ) Prizren
+( 28 ) Mitrovica.
+(390) Gjkova. |
