On this page you will find all the relevant practical information to help you plan your trip to and stay in Prishtina.

As always, don’t forget to pack lightly. Please consider bringing your walking shoes and a warm coat for the evening. Please bring your own water bottle and mug.

Please also use the IETM forum to share your suggestions on how to minimise your footprint travelling to and from this Meeting.

You can click on the links below to jump ahead to the desired section.

• Accessibility: Information on accessibility in Prishtina
• Locations: General information about the meeting venues 
• Map: Overview of the meeting venues 
• Transport: Advice on how to get to and around the city 
• Accommodation: Tips on reserving your accommodation 
• Meals: Meals served during the Caravan
• Restaurants: Places to enjoy a good meal 
• Visa: Information on visa requirements
• Currency & payments: Info on exchange offices and cash dispensers
• Covid-19 travel regulations
• Useful numbers
• Environmental Consciousness at the meeting 

In the city

Prishtina is a difficult city to navigate in a wheelchair and for people with visual impairments.

There are a number of crossings in the city centre that are equipped with acoustic traffic lights, but there is no tactile paving in the city.

Moreover, most buildings and public transport vehicles are not wheelchair accessible in Prishtina. Sidewalks are high and not always equipped with ramps and there is a lot of illegal parking on sidewalks in the city, which could block your passage.

To know more about accessibility for the IETM Kosovo Caravan Meeting, please go to: meeting venues, accommodation, restaurants.

At the meeting

It is our aim to make the IETM Kosovo Caravan Meeting as accessible as possible. However, it may not be possible to offer all access requirements at every location. We therefore recommend that you check the location of your interest beforehand. 

The accessibility of each venue will be uploaded upon confirmation of the full programme. 

All accessibility details are collected based on the information received from the venues' staff and their websites. If you need more information, please feel free to get in touch with the venues directly.

There will be a range of accessibility features available at the meeting.

As we have budget restrictions and are dependent on the local infrastructure, we cannot always guarantee that the conditions will be the same from one meeting to another. Nevertheless, for this meeting we are able to:

• Offer preferential rates for disabled participants;
• Offer a free registration for your support worker;
• Offer our assistance before the meeting in order to answer your questions and to make accommodations to your access needs;
• Send you a large print version of the programme;
• Offer English subtitles for all performances in Albanian;
• Provide speech-to-text captions for all panel discussions of the meeting. Details of these services will be available online upon confirmation of the full programme.

If you have any accessibility questions or requests, please get in touch with us by writing to ietm@ietm.org.

Prishtina (Prishtinë/Pristina) is the vibrant capital of Kosovo; a young country (still the youngest in Europe) that declared its independence in 2008. The city hosts inhabitants from all parts of Kosovo as well as other neighbouring countries, especially Albanian speaking territories of North Macedonia, Montenegro, Albania, and Serbia. Kosovo has a very young population: 56% are under 25 years old and 75% are younger than 35 years old. Most of the people younger than 50 (which is more than 85% of population) speak English. People and food are considered to be its biggest tourist attractions. According to Yahoo travels, the best Macchiato in the world can be found in Kosovo!

Kosovo has a continental climate with all four seasons, and expected temperatures will range from 4ºC early mornings and nights to maximums of around 18ºC in late October.

Prishtina has three active theatres: the National Theatre of Kosovo (Teatri Kombëtar), ODA Theatre and DODONA Theatre.

Venues

Teatri ODA (ODA Theatre)

Address: Pallati i Rinisë dhe Sporteve, 10030 Prishtinë

ODA is an independent organisation committed to professional development of the theatrical art, encouraging inter-relations with other arts and building strong arts and culture foundations for coming generations. ODA is determined to play its role in strengthening the cultural sector within society and powerfully influence on building a democratic and open Kosovo.

At Teatri Oda, we will be using the following spaces:

• Café Bar ODA
• Main Hall

Accessibility: The venue is not wheelchair accessible, as you need to use a staircase to enter the café and the main theatre hall. 

Kino ARMATA

Address: Brigada e Kosoves, 10000 Prishtinë

Kino ARMATA is a public cinema space in Prishtina, promoting alternative culture and social dialogue.

Accessibility: The venue is not wheelchair accessible as you need to use a staircase to enter.

Click here for a map of all venues, restaurants and hotels.

Getting to Prishtina

Don’t forget to bring your passport when travelling to Kosovo and to check with your bank and phone service provider regarding any extra fees.

IETM is a strong advocate for encouraging low environmental impact travel, and we therefore encourage you to travel by land if you are able to.

Please note that travel grant applications for category 1 or 2 IETM members closed on 28 March.

By train

Train travel is a rewarding way of travelling which reduces your contribution to climate change and brings you closer to the country you visit. On your journey you can relax, read a book, take a nap or dive into the programme of the IETM Caravan Kosovo.

However, Prishtina is not easy to reach by train but there are a few regional lines available to and from Prishtina. Prishtina train station is the main railway station, and you can view the location here.

Alternatively, we encourage you to reach cities such as Budapest, Vienna or Zagreb via the main European railways and finish your journey using a bus to Prishtina. Learn more about potential train routes across Europe on Trainline or Omio.

Important: The daily direct train connection from Skopje to Prishtina is currently under renovation, so make sure to factor this into your planning, especially if you are landing in Skopje. 

By coach

Coach travel is the easiest way to reach Prishtina by land, as there are many connections to and from neighbouring countries and other cities in the region, Skopje (North Macedonia), Tirana (Albania) and Podgorica (Montenegro). Please note that Flixbus is not operating in Kosovo. You can plan your bus journey on Rome2Rio or GetByBus.

Prishtina Bus Station is located 2 km away from the city centre and you can view the location here.

By ferry

There are a couple of ferry connections to Albania from Italy.

You can connect to Durrës (Durazzo) in Albania in approximately 11 hours from Bari and in 16 hours from Ancona. The return fare costs approximately €150. Once in Durrës, a 5 hour bus trip from Durrës will take you straight to Prishtina and will cost around €15, one way.

Car pooling

If you choose to drive to Prishtina, don’t forget to ask other participants if they want to share a ride by posting on our Forum. Prishtina has direct connections to the European motorway networks, making it easy to get to and from most European cities. 

Please note that Prishtina can be a difficult city to park in. Public parking in Prishtina is managed by the public company Prishtina Parking - please note that the website is in Albanian, you should be able to translate depending on your browser.

Private parking providers start at 1€ per hour. Public parking is the cheapest and the most central location is the parking provided by ‘Prishtina Parking’, which is behind ODA. The cost is 0,30€ per hour or 1,30€ for 24h, taking a ticket upon arrival and paying when you exit. 

Other public spots, apart from on the street, are paid by SMS but only with local phones. Fares in Zone 1 are 1€ per hour, for a maximum stay of 2 hours and 0,50€ per hour for a maximum stay of 3 hours in Zone 2.

By air

Taking the plane is the quickest way to travel to Prishtina, with direct flights from Brussels, Milan, London, Istanbul, Vienna, Copenhagen, Munich, Frankfurt and more. 

• Prishtina International Airport

Prishtina International Airport Adem Jashari is located 17km away from the city centre. You can view the airport’s location here. 

The A1 bus will take you from Prishtina International Airport to the centre of Prishtina for 3€. Learn more about tickets and the schedule here.

You can also take a taxi from Prishtina International Airport to the centre for around 15€, we would recommend booking with Blue Taxi.

• Skopje International Airport

Taking a flight to Skopje in North Macedonia is another option to reach Prishtina in Kosovo, as Skopje is located 1h15mn away by car. You can view Skopje International Airport’s location here. 

If you are flying to Skopje Airport, you can travel to Prishtina either directly by taxi or by bus. There are licensed taxis available around the clock, without a reservation, for around 70€. You can also book a taxi in advance, for a cheaper price. We would recommend either of the following two services (download their mobile app to book): 

• Dallas Taxi: 60€
• Online Taxi: 50€

You can take the airport shuttle to Skopje and the schedule is available here. After that, you can take a bus from Skopje to Prishtina and the bus schedule is available here.

Getting Around

By foot

In Prishtina, most locations are conveniently within walking distance, making walking the strongly recommended primary mode of transportation during this meeting.

By bike

Although many bike lanes have been built and incorporated in urban traffic lanes, Prishtina is not a suitable city for bikes as there are hills surrounding the city centre, as well as obstacles in traffic and illegal parking.

Public transport

Trafiku Urban (TU) is the public transport company owned by the Municipality of Prishtina, operating the bus lines in the urban area. One bus ticket costs 0,40€ and shall be paid to the bus driver. Learn more about the bus lines and schedule here. 

We also recommend you check the website Girafa for information on how to get around Prishtina and its surroundings. 

Taxi

Taxis are commonly used to get around the city. You can often find taxis waiting at the following locations in Prishtina:

• Near the Shtepia e Shendetit QMKF in the city centre (Fehmi Agani – Luan Haradinaj street)
• Near the Cathedral, behind the bus stop, at the end of the city centre near the Grand Hotel
• Near Prishtina station

Blue Taxi 

How to book: +38 344 800 900

Fare estimates: The starting price is 2€ and the 0,75€ per km.

E-Taxi Tesla

How to book: You can call the company at +0800  501  50 or mobile numbers +044 501 501, +048 501 501 or +049 501 501 or book on the company website here.

Fare estimates: The starting price is 2€ and then 0,75€ per km.

Share a room or host an IETM participant

Looking for someone to share a room with? Post your accommodation offer or find a bunkmate on our Forum.

Hotels

Deals

We have negotiated discounted rates for Caravan participants with two hotels in Prishtina for Caravan participants.

The rates include VAT (8%) and breakfast, unless detailed differently.

Royal Hotel ***

Address: M554+4HG, Pashko Vasa, Prishtina

Rates

Hotel Royal offers discount rates for Caravan participants for nights between 23 and 30 October.

How to book?

To benefit from the deal, write an email directly to royalhotel_pr@yahoo.com before 25 September 2023 and mention 'IETM Caravan Meeting Kosovo, organised by Teatri ODA & Qendra Multimedia'.

Accessibility: Royal Hotel is accessible to wheelchair users.

Hotel Parlament ****

Address: Zenel Salihu Nr.1, Prishtina, Kosovo

Rates

Hotel Parlament offers discounts for Caravan participants for nights between 23 and 30 October.

How to book? 

To benefit from the deal, write an email directly to info@hotelparlament.com before 25 September 2023, mentioning ‘IETM Caravan Meeting Kosovo, organised by Teatri ODA & Qendra Multimedia’.

Accessibility

Hotel Parlament has a staircase entrance and is not wheelchair accessible. 

Hotel Prishtina****

Address: 20 Pashko Vasa, Prishtina 10000

Rates

How to book: 

To benefit from the deal, write an email directly to info@hotel-prishtina.com before 25 September 2023, mentioning ‘IETM Caravan Meeting Kosovo, organised by Teatri ODA & Qendra Multimedia’.

A number of light snacks may be served in case there is little time to grab some food in between activities. All meals served at the IETM Caravan will be locally sourced and vegetarian. Please make sure to communicate any allergies or dietary requirements beforehand via your IETM profile.

Most restaurants in Prishtina are open from noon until midnight. You will find many options around the city centre, whether you want to eat a full meal or just grab a coffee or a snack.

Wheelchair access is difficult in Prishtina and most restaurants are only accessible through a staircase, and are not equipped with wheelchair adapted toilets.

Please note that Kosovo does not have a smoking ban in all public indoor areas and private businesses - including restaurants, entertainment venues, workplaces etc. 

There are a variety of delicious vegetarian restaurants in Prishtina which we have listed below.

Coffee & drinks

Café Bar ODA (inside Teatri ODA)

Address: Pallati i Rinisë dhe Sporteve Prishtina, Kosovo

Opening hours: Every day, from 09:00 - 00:00

Café ODA is a cosy underground bar and café in the lobby of Teatri ODA. It offers soft and alcoholic beverages at a good price and it will be the meeting’s main late night meeting point. 

Please note that payments are cash only and that smoking is permitted in Café Bar ODA.

Accessibility: The access to Café Bar ODA is not step free, as there is a staircase to access the main floor of the venue. The venue is also not equipped with wheelchair adapted toilets.

Mulliri i Vjetër Prishtinë

Address: Luan Haradinaj, Prishtina, Kosovo

Opening hours: Every day, from 07:00 to 23:00

Located 3 minutes away from Teatri ODA, Mulliri serves different sorts of coffee, sweets and snacks.

Accessibility: The access to Mulliri is not step free, as there is a staircase to get inside. However, there are tables outside with a seating area.

Contact: +383 43 805008

Lunch & Dinner

Traditional options

Tiffany

Address: Fehmi Agani Prishtina, Kosovo

Opening hours: Every day, from 8:00 - 23:00

Tiffany serves traditional Albanian meals such as their signature dish “Elbasan tava”, slow cooked lamb (or chicken) with egg and yoghurt. Tiffany makes fresh salads and starters containing cheesy dips and homemade ajvar. There is no menu, an assortment of local dishes is served. It is recommended to make a reservation.

Contact: +381 38 244040

Price range: around €22, all included.

Renaissance

Address: 35 Musine Kokalari, Prishtina, Kosovo

Opening hours: Monday to Saturday from 17:00 - 23:00, closed on Sunday.

Renaissance has a fixed price menu and serves fresh products from Kosovo according to seasonal offerings.

Contact: +383 44 239377

Price range: 18€ for a three-course meal including wine.

Arabella Taverna

Address: 16 Nurije Zeka, Prishtina, Kosovo, in the passage next to Foto Nesha

Opening hours: Everyday, from 8:00 - 00:00.

Arabella Taverna serves an à la carte menu of traditional dishes and daily specials in a warm and welcoming atmosphere just off Mother Teresa Boulevard.

Contact: +383 48 702777

Vegetarian options

Matcha Coffee and Eatery

Address: Fazli Grajqevci, no: 104, Prishtina, Kosovo

Opening hours: Monday to Thursday, from 8:00 to 18:00, Friday from 8:00 to 17:00, Saturday from 9:00 to 18:00, closed on Sunday

Matcha Coffee and Eatery serves snacks with vegetarian options such as toast, sandwiches, soups and salads along with a variety of cold and hot beverages.

Price range: 3€ for a toast or a sandwich, 5€ for a salad

Accessibility: The entrance is step-free and the toilets are wheelchair accessible.

Baba Ganoush Meze

Address: 1000 Johan V. Hahn, Prishtina, Kosovo

Opening hours: Monday to Saturday from 17:00 to 23:00, closed on Sunday

Small eatery that serves local food as well as other Mediterranean and Arabic-influenced dishes.

Price range: Low prices

Green & Protein

Address: rr. Rexhep Luci, no 20/1, Prishtina, Kosovo

Opening hours: Monday to Saturday, from 8:00 to 22:00, closed on Sunday

Healthy food bar with vegetarian and vegan options located right in the city centre by the main promenade, offering salads, soups, bowls, wraps, hummus and burgers.

Price range: 4€  for a wrap or a burger, 6€  for a salad

Markets

Bazaar of Prishtina

Address: Pedestrian area east of Rruga Ilir Konusheci

Destroyed during the 1950s and 1960s, the Old Bazaar was the core merchandising centre of the Old Pristina since the 15th century. Nowadays, the Bazaar is a lively area where all kinds of goods are for sale: fruit, vegetables and Balkan specialties.

Kosovo has an extensive list of agreements with a number of countries. Nevertheless, we recommend that you view the list of countries for which a visa is requested to enter Kosovo here.

Upon arrival, please make sure that you have a proof of hotel reservation or a letter indicating you are being hosted by a friend or family member.

If you need an invitation letter to apply for a visa, please register for the meeting first and then contact ietm@ietm.org with your passport and legal address details. 

The currency used in Kosovo is the Euro. Most places only accept cash payments so make sure you take out enough money for your trip.

Bank and exchange offices are located in the city centre close to the hotels, and cash points accepting major credit cards are conveniently located all over the city. If you have a EU bank account, please note that although your bank will not charge you for currency conversion costs, you will probably still be charged for withdrawal costs outside of the EU.

Please be aware that local COVID-19 regulations may affect your journey as well as the Caravan until the very last minute.

As of February 2023, all COVID-19 entry restrictions have been lifted. When entering Kosovo, foreign citizens will not be required to show a negative PCR test, a rapid antigen test, proof of recovery or a vaccination certificate, regardless of which country they come from.

Nevertheless, the general advice from the Kosovar health authorities should still be followed, and general infection prevention recommendations should be taken into account. We recommend that you regularly check the latest regulations and requirements leading up to your trip. 

Make sure to also check if there are any restrictions when returning to your home country from Kosovo. If you travel by land, COVID-19 entry restrictions may differ depending on the countries that you cross. For an updated overview of the regulations in place around the globe, check here.

Emergency numbers

Emergency (Ambulance and fire fighting service): 112

Hospital emergency: 94

Police:

• 192 (mobile phone)
• 922 (mobile phone)
• 92 (landline)

For all emergency numbers, state at the outset your location and the location of the person in danger.

In addition to the precautions we take to make the impact of the Caravan on the environment as low as possible, we ask you to also contribute by following these tips:

Switch off your computer and your smartphone when they are not in use.

Connect to the venue’s public Wi-Fi instead of your 3G/4G data, if possible.

Avoid disposable tableware whenever possible and bring your own tote bag to shops and grocery stores.

Sort your waste according to the instructions at the Caravan venues and throughout the city if possible. 

Bring your own water bottle and reusable coffee mug to spare the environment the plastic and yourself the money.

Refill your bottle. Tap water in Prishtina is completely safe to drink. We recommend that you fill up your water bottle in the morning at your hotel, and do refills during the day. You can do so in the bathroom at the meeting venues.