Traveling to Poland any time soon? Don't get stuck with high roaming charges or slow overseas data roaming. Traveltomtom recommends buying a prepaid sim card in Poland. The 4G/5G network in Poland is good and data packages are very cheap! In this complete guide for buying a sim card for Poland you will find everything you need to know: where to buy a sim card, up to date prices as per July 2022, the best 4G/5G network operator, EU roaming limitations, my recommendation and even info about e-sim cards for Poland.
Buying a local prepaid sim cards is the first thing I do when arriving to a new country. My passion for providing travelers with resourceful travel tips led me to write already more than 200 local prepaid sim card guides from all over Europe: Spain, UK, France, Netherlands, Germany, Rome, London, as well as internationally: Europe, USA, Mexico, Canada, Thailand, Vietnam, Kenya, South Africa, Turkey.
Traveling to Poland is very affordable compared to other European countries. A very good 4-star hotel in the city center for less than $80 per night, a meal in a restaurant for just $8... it is all still possible in Poland!
Why buying a sim card in Poland
First off, don't rely on public WiFi. What if your hotel room has a weak signal? Are you gonna stand on the hallway to upload a photo? Public WiFi is often slow and there is no guarantee. Also be aware that a public WiFi connection is are through an UNSECURED network. The use of a VPN in these cases is very much recommended.
Being connected to the internet makes traveling so much easier. Think about ordering a taxi through an app, looking for a nearby rooftop bar or restaurant with good reviews or getting directions from Google Maps. There are many reasons I can come up with for you to stay connected. Buying a prepaid sim card in Poland is easy, done fast and you are instantly connected.
You don't like to swap sim cards and switch phone numbers? There are two solutions for you. You can look into getting WiFi on the road through a pocket WiFi, the old school way or get yourself an e-sim card for Poland.
My recommendation
Traveltomtom recommends buying a Plus sim card for traveling in Poland. They have the best 4G/5G network in Poland and for $1.5 you get 6 GB data for 2 weeks.
When you want to arrive prepared when traveling to Europe then check out travel sim cards with global coverage. Traveltomtom reviewed and compared them one by one and found some great international sim card deals for traveling in 2022.
E-sim cards for Poland
The most convenient way to stay connected when traveling to Poland in 2022 is an e-sim card. No need to swap physical sim cards anymore, just arrange everything online and within minutes. Order a Poland e-sim card, receive a code in your email, apply the settings and you are all set. Check out the following Poland e-sim card deals:
- 1 GB data for 7 days = $4.5 USD
- 3 GB data for 30 days = $9 USD
- 5 GB data for 30 days = $13 USD
- 10 GB data for 30 days = $22 USD
Click here to directly order one of the above Poland e-sim card deals or find more info in the link.
You can also still get physical sim cards for traveling in Poland. Especially for those who also want to make phone calls. E-sim cards are amazing, but they are data only! You can already get an international sim card with 20 GB data for use in all of Europe for $49.90 USD. Click here to order a sim card for traveling in Poland online.
Poland sim cards and traveling in Europe
As of June 2017 the EU banned international roaming fees within the European Union including Norway. Therefore the data, voice and text allowance on a Poland sim card should be free to use in every other EU country. But wait...
Unfortunately Poland mobile internet operators asked to be granted to not be part of the free EU roaming contract. This request has been honored by the European Union, due to the very low prices for mobile internet in Poland.
This means a Poland sim card is USELESS for a trip to Europe. I try it out myself and my Poland sim card did indeed NOT work in Norway and later in Spain neither.
If you after visiting Poland you are traveling onwards in Europe then see my comparison of the best prepaid sim card deals for traveling in Europe in 2022 or check my guide for buying a local sim card in Europe in 2022 with more info about free EU roaming.
Mobile internet operators in Poland
There are 4 mobile internet providers in Poland that sell prepaid sim cards for tourists:
- Orange
- T-Mobile
- Plus
- Play
All the above mobile internet providers have shops in all big cities in Poland and sell prepaid sim cards for tourists.
Best 4G/5G network in Poland in 2022
The best sim card for traveling in Poland is not only determined by the price for data package. Let's also look into the 4G and 5G network strength and data speed. Imagine you take the bus from Warsaw to Gdansk and as soon as you leave the city you have no signal anymore. That is not what we want!
Is there 5G in Poland?
Yes, there is 5G in Poland. All the 4 mobile internet providers offer 5G. However, the 5G coverage is mostly concentrated around the big cities at the moment, but Poland is working hard to bring 5G all over the country. Check the Poland 4G/5G coverage maps for more details.
Play Poland 4G/5G network coverage
T-Mobile Poland 4G/5G network coverage
Plus Poland 4G/5G network coverage
Orange Poland 4G/5G network coverage
From the above collected data we can see that Plus has the best 4G/5G network in Poland in 2022. However, the mobile network coverage in Poland is so extensive that even tourists that go off the beaten path in Poland will find a 4G signal almost everywhere.
Prices Poland sim cards in 2022
As all mobile internet providers in Poland have a strong 4G/5G network in all tourist destinations let's see what data package they offer. All the prices below are up to date as per July 2022 with the latest information from the mobile internet providers' websites.
The currency in Poland is the Zloty. As per July 2022 the exchange rate is: 1 Zloty = $ 0.22
Orange Poland sim card
An Orange sim card is free if you get one of the following Pay as you Go data packages including unlimited calls/text in Poland and Europe;
- 25 ZL ($5.8) = 15 GB data + free social media apps in Poland + unlimited calls & sms in Europe*
- 30 ZL ($7.0) = 30 GB data + free social media apps in Poland + unlimited calls & sms in Europe**
- 50 ZL ($11.6) = 50 GB data + free social media apps in Poland + unlimited calls & sms in Europe***
- 80 ZL ($18.6) = 100 GB data + free social media apps in Poland + unlimited calls & sms in Europe****
*3.48 GB EU data roaming included. **4.18 GB EU data roaming included. ***6.96 GB EU data roaming included. ****11.14 GB EU data roaming included. Check the latest Orange Poland sim card offers on the Orange Poland website.
Plus Poland sim card
A Plus Poland sim card costs 5 ZL ($1.20) and comes with 6 GB data and unlimited calls/sms in Poland valid for 15 days.They offer a wide variety of top up data packages:
- 10 GB data in Poland for 30 days = 25 ZL ($5.8)
- 15 GB data in Poland for 30 days = 30 ZL ($7)
- 25 GB data in Poland for 30 days = 50 ZL ($11.6)
Check the Plus Poland website for the latest prepaid sim card deals.
T-Mobile Poland sim card
There is a T-Mobile prepaid sim card for already 5 ZL ($1.2 USD) which comes with 1GB data + unlimited calls and sms in Europe for 5 days. But the main T-Mobile Poland prepaid sim card deals are:
- 25 ZL ($5.8 USD) = 20 GB data in Poland for 30 days*
- 30 ZL ($7.0 USD) = 30 GB data in Poland for 30 days**
- 40 ZL ($9.3 USD) = 40 GB data in Poland for 30 days***
*only 2.71 GB is valid for EU roaming. **only 3.25 GB is valid for EU roaming. ***only 4.67 GB is valid for EU roaming.
For the latest prepaid sim card deals check the T-Mobile Poland website.
Play Poland prepaid sim card
The last option for buying a Poland prepaid sim card is Play. The Play prepaid sim cards come with unlimited calls/sms in Europe however, data is only valid in Poland.
- 25 ZL ($5.8) = 10 GB data in Poland for 30 days
- 30 ZL ($7.0) = 15 GB data in Poland for 30 days
- 35 ZL ($8.2) = Unlimited GB (20 GB full speed) data in Poland for 30 days
Check out the latest Play prepaid offers on their website.
Best Poland sim card in 2022
The 4G/5G network strength is pretty similar all around Poland for all internet providers but the data bundles differ a little by provider. Orange includes free social media apps, which is a big plus compared to the other operators. All in all we can say that although there is not much difference... Orange is the best sim card for Poland in 2022!
For less than $6 you get 15 GB data for 1 month including free social media.
Buy a Poland sim card online
Prepaid sim cards in Poland are cheap, but finding a person that speaks English can be challenging. Travel to Poland prepared by ordering a sim card for Poland online and get it shipped to your home address before your trip! Check out the following international sim cards deals for Poland and Europe:
1. Orange Holiday ZEN - $29.90
- 8 GB data
- Unlimited calls/sms in Europe
- 30 minutes worldwide
- 200 sms worldwide
- Valid 14 days
2. Three PAYG AIO15 - $29.90
- 10 GB data
- Unlimited calls/sms in Europe
- Valid 30 days
3. Three PAYG AIO20 - $39.90
- 12 GB data
- Unlimited calls/sms in Europe
- Valid 30 days
4. Orange Holiday Europe - $49.90
- 20 GB data
- Unlimited calls/sms in Europe
- 120 minutes worldwide
- 1,000 sms worldwide
- Valid 14 days
Click here to order one of the above prepaid sim cards for traveling in Poland or click on the link for more info. Personally I recommend one of the last two available option: Three or Orange. Also another reminder that you can also order an e-sim card for Poland directly online through this link.
My experience buying a sim card in Poland
As I told you already before a Poland sim card for traveling in Europe is NOT preferable. Just to test this out I bought the cheapest Orange Poland sim card I could find. For 5 Zloty ($1.2) I got 6 GB data in Poland and 2 GB in Europe. In Poland it worked perfectly fine, but a couple hours after I landed in Oslo my Orange Poland sim card then kept on saying: insufficient funds. :)
When looking for the best prepaid sim cards to travel in Europe in 2022 I already found out that Poland has an exception within the free EU roaming rules. Free data roaming in Europe is the best invention since the Euro, but always ask if FREE data roaming is included and if there are limitations.
I hope the above tips for buying a prepaid sim card in Poland were helpful for your upcoming trip to Europe. In case you have any questions don't hesitate to leave me a comment or a question below. I am more than happy to help you out.
If you are interested what it looks like traveling to every country in the world then check out my Instagram profile @traveltomtom for some serious wanderlust. As of July 2022 I have visited more than 135 countries around the world.
Enjoy your trip to Poland!
Some links in this article about the best Poland sim card are affiliate links. If you buy any of the products after using the outgoing links I’ll earn a small commission. Don’t worry this is at no extra cost to you, but I have the duty to inform you. Thank you for your understanding!