In the era of the mobile phone calls from phone booths seem as strange as sending a letter by post instead of an email or traveling by horse drawn carriage to work. So popular not so long ago this mode of communication will most likely disappear one day. But if you need to use a phone booth on the street you won’t have a problem finding one, yet. One of the reasons you can still find them is that they are handy for visitors to the country for their local calls. Using mobiles from countries out with of Poland to make local calls in Poland can turn out very expensive. A local call from a booth in the street costs a few groszys. Remember also that when you use the hotel phone they will charge you over and above the going rate.

Telephone booths on the street are managed by Polish Telecommunications – the company which formally monopolized the telecommunications market in Poland and is still the biggest telecom company in Poland – and Netia, a private operator. The general difference is that TP phones accept phone cards and Netia only coins.

Polish Telecommunications – TP S.A.

The telephone booths are perhaps not as flashy as some of the ones in GB or France but they are visible and easily found. There are several shapes and sizes and colors to these booths and note that in the yellow ones you can send sms texts to your friends, wife, sister, etc.

To use TP phones you have to buy a phone card available in most kiosks, petrol stations and newsstands. These cards contain 15, 30 and 60 impulses. Below find the tariffs where you will see that the bigger the card you buy the cheaper the call.

Chip card with 15 impulses

1 minute local call – 0,27 zł

1 minute intercity call – 0,73 zł

1 minute mobile call – 1, 93 zł

 

Chip card with 30 impulses

1 minute local call – 0,22 zł

1 minute intercity call – 0,61 zł

1 minute mobile call – 1, 60 zł

 

Chip card with 60 impulses

1 minute local call – 0,18 zł

1 minute intercity call – 0,49 zł

1 minute mobile call – 1, 28 zł

 

 

Netia

Netia phones booths are for coins only. This may be easier as a card is not needed and you pay only for the calls you make. Unused TP cards are a poor kind of souvenir to take back home with you. Netia phone booths accept coins depending on the type of phone booth:

 

Siemens phones – accept 50 gr, 1 zł, 2 zł, 5 zł

Telecom phones – accept 50 gr, 1 zł

All return unused coins.

 

Local calls cost

24.00-19.00 – 0,50 zł for 2 minute conversation

19.00-24.00 – 0,50 zł for 3 minute conversation

 

Intercity calls cost

1 zł per each minute

 

Mobile phone calls cost

22.00-19.00 – 2 zł per 1 minute conversation

19.00-22.00 – 1,50 zł per 1 minute conversation

Every TP and Netia phone booth has its own number for incoming calls. This can be useful if you want your family in Hawaii for example to pay for the call.

I hope you will find this information useful 🙂

Do następnego razu! (Till next time…)