Poland
 

I am going to Poland next Sunday for a week and I am interested in buying a local SIM card especially to connect to Internet (through a PDA and PC).
I have checked all the tables on the site and the country seems promising, which is quite unusual.

Now, the reason I am posting is that I am arriving on Sunday with all the shops closed and the following days I will be very busy and perhaps will not have much (or not at all) tome to get the SIM...

Questions are:

1) Are there shops at Warsaw airport where I can get one on Sunday afternoon? Alternatives?

2) Are there hidden problems? Prices for data transfer of most companies seem comparable (though with some differences), therefore I expect I can get the first I can get my hands on. Fact is, I am back now from Argentina, where I tried to do the same (and there I could spend all the time necessary to investigate), but for cheap data rates either you get a postpaid (impossible for foreigners) or you pay the usual huge amount of money with prepaid (voice calls where rather cheap and easy, anyway).:( I fear this type of problems...

Had I got more time probably all would be very easy, but much of the difficulty may come from the day of arrival and lack of time (very common in such situations and another help phone operators get against our strive for reasonable rates when abroad...)

I thank you so much for your help! :o

Sleepy

I think you can easily get a prepaid card also on Sunday at any open kiosk throughout Warszawa, probably at the airport too. I landed there some months ago but I didn't need a prepaid card; surely there's a newstand at the arrivals terminal, I think they should have at least Heyah or Sami Swoi, which is sold also at post office (there should be one at the airport for sure). It's very easy to get a prepaid card in Poland, really... and Sami Swoi seems easier for GPRS activation compared to Heyah.

Each Polish SIM has easy GPRS activation or it is already active - I have no idea why Heyah is such an exception :-(. Sami Swoi is not a good choice - the data rates are the highest on the market. Of course, the best solution for GPRS is a "data SIM" iPlus simdata or Orange Free na Kartę (0.03 PLN/100 kB) but they are not so easy to buy and have very high rates for voice calls. Whereas each Orange Go/POP SIM may be turned into an Orange Free na Kartę SIM, all the tariff change requests are not processed immediately but once a day (about 8:00 AM). Quick and easy compromise is Simplus (0.20 PLN/100 kB) or, for large data tranfers Tak Tak (0.72 PLN/ 500 kB).

Big shops don't close on Sundays in Poland, and many smaller ones don't, either. Look for a Plus authorized dealer in a shopping center, and you can get your iPlus simData card there. Alternatively, get Heyah, available in lots and lots of places and is probably the best all-round choice for data/international calls/local calls. You may or may not have to activate GPRS, but if so you can do it online (in Polish, though you might be able to figure it out), and if it works, sign up for the Megapaczka lower data rate (see the Poland page). The Heyah SIM costs 5 zloty, or about EUR 1.30, so there's not a lot to lose (it has 4 zloty credit).

OT - basically you're right but "Catholic talibs" that rule my country want to change this "violation of God's law". So far, they forced closing shops on 12 days of religious and national holidays. However, even them, they don't want to close petrol stations on Sundays :-P

Another good voice/data solutions are MVNOs mBank mobile and WPmobi but both SIMs and top-ups are available online only :-(. As to Heyah, there are new 5 PLN starters now. The inital credit is 1 PLN only but they give 5 PLN extra after the first top-up. Because the minimum top-up is 5 PLN, then in fact it's 11 PLN credit for 10 PLN spent. Not a bad deal, especially bacuse it's necessary to have at least 5 PLN credit to activate Megapaczka.

As to buying SIMs/top-ups by a foreigner in Poland - I think that the best places are Media Markt stores because they offer all brands of non-MVNO SIMs, SIM+phone kits and top-up scratch cards on self-service stands and payment can be done by debit/credit card so neither the "language barrier" nor even the lack of Polish cash are any problems.

[OT] God save Poland... and Przemolog sack the talibs! :-P

Hehe, in fact they don't say about "God's law" but they call their fantasies what is right and wrong "natural law" because one can ignore God but nobody can ignore the nature :-P

Going back to the main topic. I think that new Simplus 30 day internet packets may be quite a good deal. It's either 50 MB for 10 PLN (activation *121*11*04#) or 20 MB for 5 PLN (*121*11*05#), balance check *121#. The data are counted per single byte so there are no "wasted" bytes. If both packets are active, the 20 MB packet is used as the first one. When you run out of the packet, you can immediately buy another one. GPRS activation is *101*11*02#. The packets are valid for the internet APN www.plusgsm.pl, not the WAP one: wap.plusgsm.pl.

Dear all,
I thank you all for your help.

I was in Poland and I am back home now. I am here to report my experience after all the help I got from you.

Actually, there are many shops, mainly shop arcades and department stores open in Warsaw, even on Sunday afternoon.

Before leaving, I had selected IPlus, Plus and Orange (Orange Free na Kartę) as my best choices. Reasons were coverage and availability of 3G/HSDPA (the latter almost essential for Skype to work very well. 3G is sufficient, but sometimes conversation is not good enough) coverage, at least in Warsaw.

When in Warsaw, it was easy to find Hera, Tak Tak and similar SIMs, rather more difficult to find Plus or Orange. Kiosk and similar did not seem to have any, and the big luxurious shops of Orange and Plus were closed.

Anyway, in the new Department store near Centralny in Vobis I found the Iplus SIM. Therefore I got it. I paid 20 PLN and got full 20 PLN worth of traffic (about 66 MB of data transfer). Using it was very easy and it worked at first attempt. Also data speed was good.

The following day, following Przemolog's advice, I went to Plus shop under Marriott and got a regular Plus SIM for 9 PLN. I recharged it and bought 50 MB of traffic for 10 PLN, as he said. Then I used up all the remaining IPlus credit and switched to the Plus SIM.

Recharging the SIM is very easy. If you do not find the scratch cards, people at kiosks sell you via their terminal the credit and give you the number which you have to enter on the phone (*123*CODE#).

All went on well until the traffic in the Plus SIM was almost over. At that moment I tried to renew the data option before the credit was over. I could not understand the polish of the SMS I was receiveing back, but I think they meant that the option was altread active and that I could not have two at the same time. Therefore I closely monitored the credit with *121# in order to renew it as soon as the data was finished.
The counter however does not update in real time and in the end, when I managed to renew the option 2 extra PLN of credit were gone, since I had used data at the normal price.
The same happened the following time I finished the data, but worse, since, while I was trying to renew the option (which I did), I eventually went 15 PLN in debit (the option was renewed, but afterwards revoked).
It was the last day, so it did not matter a lot.

Anyway, I would say that this is a bit of a problem to be taken into account. So, the Iplus is a bit more expensive, but easier to use. The data packets in the Plus SIM are cheaper (and not even the people at the Plus shop seem to know about all this...), but the recharging mechanism is a but more delicate and there is a big risk of using data at the normal rate, however careful one can be.

All in all, a good experience. It does not happen in many places, that you can get into the country, buy the SIM and activate a data option at reasonable rates and almost no time.

The problems I pointed out where minor glitches. I only talked about it just in case!

Thank you again,

Sleepy

Hera? Do you mean Heyah or Era ;-)?
That's strange that you couldn't find Plus and Orange SIMs at kiosks. BTW, Plus's prepaid SIM is named Simplus. Anyway, Tak Tak and Heyah, prepaids from Era are in fact wider avaialble. Kiosks sell Orange Go and POP SIMs but not Orange Free na kartę. Each of those SIMs can be converted to Orange Free but it's not immediately - requests are processed once a day, about 8:00 AM.


Kiosk and similar did not seem to have any, and the big luxurious shops of Orange and Plus were closed.

You can also reachrge in some ATMs ("bankomat") but then usually you type your phone number and the credit is added w/o any extra codes.

Didn't you switch the language of messages to English? Anyway, not all Plus messages are translated ;-).


Yes, packets of any services may be "tricky" for the user. But in this specific case, it's usually easier to buy a Simplus SIM than an iPlus...

The only problem is that you can't get a good voice and data rates on the same SIM. IPlus and Orange Free have horrible voice rates. The 'compromise' SIMs are from MVNO's and are practically not available for foreigners (online sales from Polish-only websites) :-(

> Hera? Do you mean Heyah or Era ;-)?

Heya. Sorry...

> That's strange that you couldn't find Plus and Orange SIMs at kiosks.

Not in the vicinity of Central station and Centrum at least.
I actually could find Orange at Eriks (I hope this is the name of the book/newspaper shop in Maszakowska and in the new mall at Centralny), but I was more after SIMPlus

> BTW, Plus's prepaid SIM is named Simplus.

Right, I was using it in abbreviated form.

>Each of those SIMs can be converted to Orange Free but it's not immediately - requests are processed once a day, about 8:00 AM.

This is what prevented me from Orange (at least as a first choice). With SIMPlus I could be online right away and not the morning after.

> You can also reachrge in some ATMs ("bankomat") but then usually you type your phone number and the credit is added w/o any extra codes.

Right. But someone somewhere (not necessarily in Poland, since I had been on holiday in Argentina some days before,) had cloned my debit card and I had to block it the second day in Poland and I found myself without access to this possibility.

> Didn't you switch the language of messages to English? Anyway, not all Plus messages are translated ;-).

I did not know about this possibility... If you already wrote about this, I overlooked it. Sorry!

> The only problem is that you can't get a good voice and data rates on the same SIM. IPlus and Orange Free have horrible voice rates.

I agree. Therefore I switched to SIMPlus, with better data rates also, but with some "side-effects" on recharching the data.

Thank you again!

Sleepy

You probably mean Empik. That's great that they still sell Orange since they involved into a stronger partnership with Play :-).

> You can also reachrge in some ATMs ("bankomat") but then usually you type your phone number and the credit is added w/o any extra codes.

Unfortunately cloning the cards in ATMs also happens in Poland :-(. Basically, only ATMs located in banks or some well-monitored places are safe (but you can never exclude some "conspiracy" from the people who serve the machines :-P).

I didn't. I thought it's located on the Simplus page on this site and you had read about it b> The only problem is that you can't get a good voice and data rates on the same SIM. IPlus and Orange Free have horrible voice rates.

I agree. Therefore I switched to SIMPlus, with better data rates also, but with some "side-effects" on recharching the data.ut this code must have disappeared during some update in the past ;-).


U r welcome :-)

hi help needed urgent..
 

Hi all can anyone tell me how to recharge a orange SIM from italy with orange.pl website..
i can reach till the option after filling in th ephone number of thsi polish number.,....but on payment page there si no visa/visa electron option..all are related to polish banks..:( ..please if someone knows how to recharge with credit card option let me know..asap.
ciao
its urgent.
thanks everyone in advance over here!!

Do you mean https://doladowania.orange.pl/?
Then you should select "Karta płatnicza" option under the POLCARD logo. POLCARD is not a bank but an acquirer of payment cards. The problem is that for security reasons, the first recharge of any user can't be done from the card but via a bank transfer anyway :-(.

There are some other recharge services e.g. http://doladowania.telepolis.pl/ which accept using cards w/o stuoid restrictions as the one described above. However, they restrict the cards to those issued by Polish banks only :-(.

How much time do you have to recharge the SIM and what amount are you interested in? Perhaps there's some other solution but I must look for it...

It seems that http://www.doladowania.pl isn't restricted to Polish cards only.

If it fails, try eBay.pl:
http://telefony-akcesoria.listings.e...istingItemList
Select Orange Go or POP and look for "doładowanie" or "doładowania" (=regarge(s)). Most items people sell there are recharges (even if not described, but some may be SIMs.

thanks
 

Hi Prem Thanks very much for the info..
I am at the https://post.polcard.com.pl website..
but are you sure if i send money to a SIM in turkey, my friend is there...she loves to travel without money..:), it will be recharged in real time.?
from ebay i have to register there for buying..and its a difficult task with me not knowing any polish.:(

ayway i wait for your responce..or alternate solution.
ciao!!
thanx again!
sumeet

If the site accepts your Italian card, the recharge process will complete in a few seconds. It doesn't matter where the SIM itself is located "physically" because the credit is stored in the billing system in Poland.
After all, I don't think if travelling in Turkey with the Orange Poland SIM is a good idea, even when we choose from Polish SIMs only :-). And it doesn't matter if your friend has any money or not - she won't buy Polish recharges in Turkey or any place abroad unless online :-P.

rightly said..:)
 

Hi..yes its true..seems you have some experience too regarding poliash girls travelling abroad without money..:rolleyes: ...and not even saying they need recherged..but i know i did it for myself.;)
anyway..enough jokes..
thanx again man.
I am from india anyway..and i will keep checking for india travellers ..as i study in italy..i can only say for getting wind card here for ppl reading this blog.

now there is offer with ppl getting 200 mins / month sfree to talk inside italy with other wind nos...= NOI WIND.
one other offer enable s you to get you credit recharged based on incoming calls duration.
some 1 euro for 15-20 mins call i guess..;)
ok..
finally to conclude i buyed from ebay.pl this code....and the vendor rechardeg it for me in 2 mins...alhough it took me 20 mins to register and explain the vendor the situation..:p

help >.<
 

hi, um..I just moved to Poland and I use Orange..and my credit finished..and I bought credit from some shop, whatever..but what do I do to recharge it? I cant do it..ive tried everything T_T HELPPP

What did you exactly buy? A scratch card - a black carton (credit card format) with the Orange logo and a nominal in zlotys printed on it or a terminal printout - a piece of paper with the 14-digit code? If it's a scratch card, remove the protecting paint carefully and discover the code. If it's a printout, find the 14-digit seqeunce (with the word "kod" somewhere around).

If both cases, dial *125*14digitTopUpCode# and press OK/green button on your phone. After the confirmation SMS arrives, the credit is increased.

Doesn't Orange provide English menus? I'm pretty sure they do.

Another option is to go to one of the many places that has a Telepompka or equivalent topup service (lots of newsagencies and supermarkets do, they usually have a sign near the door). Just write down your phone number and the name of the network and hand them some money. They will add the credit to your account automatically.

BTW, why would you want to use Orange?