Comments on: Buying a SIM Card or eSIM for Travel in Poland

By: Stewart

Stewart

I bought the Orange SIM + 15 GB option and only got about 1 GB of EU roaming. Stupid, haha.

By: Dave Dean

Dave Dean

In reply to Todd.

Orange Poland’s national rates are very inexpensive, and while it doesn’t include free EU roaming with its prepaid plans, the costs to roam elsewhere in the EU aren’t too bad (the equivalent of around $2/GB for data, for instance).

If you don’t plan to use a lot of calls/texts/data during your time in Germany, you’ll likely pay noticeably less if you buy the SIM in Poland when you arrive rather than buying off Amazon. Of course, there’s more hassle involved in doing that, so you’ll basically just need to decide how highly you value your time. 🙂

By: Todd

Todd

Dave,

I am going to Palowice for a mission trip. I am only staying 12 days and and going through Germany also. I was wondering should I purchase the (Orange Holiday Europe – Prepaid SIM card – 10GB Internet Data in 4G/LTE (data tethering allowed) + 120 mn + 1000 texts in 30 countries in Europe) from Amazon for $50 before I leave for Poland while in the US or would you suggest to just purchase it when I land in Poland? Thank you for your advice and help. Blessings!

By: lejeczek

lejeczek

Everybod avoid “Plus”(gsm) as of 2018.
I’ve purchased their sim with three options of “promotion” to choose from. One I needed and went for is roughly “number stays active a year without a need to top-up”. I had to top up 30PLN as a started/activation of the package/tariff.
“Promo” works in a simple way, that if you have no funds on your account/number then you can only receive incoming calls, which was exactly what I wanted.
Since roaming does not make difference in Europe(EU) any more my friends could then reach me easily when I stay abroad, so I thought.
I have “Plus” as second SIM in my phone.

It has never worked, my Polish number never worked abroad, my “year active number” turned out to be fiction.

But! what’s even more appalling is that you cannot contact Plus own help/info line if you have no credit on your phone!! Their web portal in terms of contacting help and/or support is equally abysmal.
I tried to to use web site but to no avail.

So if you are in a situation similar to mine just avoid!! Polish Plus GMS.

cheers

By: Dave Dean

Dave Dean

In reply to Jose Albar. It's personal preference for individual use -- neither is inherently better or worse unless you want to retain your home SIM in your phone at all times for receiving calls and texts to that number. If you're sharing the connection between multiple people, use a pocket wifi.

By: Jose Albar

Jose Albar

What should be a better traveling with, and using a prepaid data sim in Poland/Europe? An open line phone? Or an open line pocket wifi?

By: Dave Dean

Dave Dean

In reply to Kyle. Non-residents are allowed to purchase and activate SIM cards in Poland. Do you mean using a credit card to top up online after purchase, or doing it in person at a store?

By: Kyle

Kyle

I will be traveling to Poland next Spring from the USA. Are non residents allowed to purchase and register sim cards? Also do they allow the use of foreign credit cards to top it off? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

By: François

François

Hi Dave, thanks- this is what I assumed. I’ll stick with the more expensive country option (my Irish sim has been fine for a month on the mainland so far)

By: Dave Dean

Dave Dean

In reply to François. Whether you're resident or not, you won't get much roaming data with any of the Polish providers, including Orange -- prices are low, and they're allowed to restrict the amount of free roaming data they provide in line with that. Orange gives about 5% of its allowance for roaming use -- after that, you'll start paying extra. More on the roaming rules here. Not sure about topping up with foreign cards, sorry, although it's possible with Orange in at least some other European countries.