Mobile data in Poland: Warsaw, Kraków and the mountains
Poland is in the EU and its mobile networks are fast and cheap by European standards. For most visitors roaming is already covered; the parts worth reading are the mountains, the countryside and the eastern borders.
At a glance
- Does an eSIM work in Poland?
- Yes. It connects to Play, Orange (5G).
- Price
- From 4,49 € (3 GB, 15 days).
- For a one-week trip
- 5 GB for 30 days: 6,49 €.
- Does an EU phone plan work there?
- Yes: Poland is in EU roaming, so a plan from an EU country usually works at no extra cost, within your operator's fair-use limit. If your plan is from outside the EU, it charges international roaming.
- When does the plan start?
- When your phone first connects to a network in Poland. The QR code arrives by email within minutes.
Is roaming free in Poland?
- Plans from the EU and the EEA: yes, roam like at home applies, within your operator’s fair use limit.
- UK plans: it depends on your operator since Brexit.
- Plans from outside Europe: usually international roaming or a daily pass.
The EU roaming calculator shows the minimum your plan has to give you.
eSIM for Poland
Data on your phone the moment you land in Poland. No account, no app, no shop.
Choose your data
For one to two weeks of maps, messaging and the odd video.
Nothing is charged now · When we are done improving, we will email you 30% off
Will it work on my phone?
On iPhone: Settings → General → About, and scroll to EID. If there is an EID, your phone takes eSIMs. Every iPhone from the XS (2018) onwards does.
On Android: Settings → About phone → Status, and look for EID. If there is an EID, your phone takes eSIMs. Most Galaxy S20, Pixel 3 and later do.
It also has to be carrier-unlocked. If you bought it outright or your contract is over, it almost certainly is.
Not sure about your model? Ask us before you pay and we will tell you — a person answers within 24 hours.
How it works
- 1Choose and payCard, Apple Pay or Google Pay. No account.
- 2Install it at homeThe QR arrives by email. Scan it on wifi in a minute.
- 3Connect when you landTurn on data roaming for the eSIM and you are online.
The eastern border: what changed in 2026
- The full picture is in our map of roaming in Europe.
Ukraine and Moldova joined the EU roam-like-at-home area on 1 January 2026, so crossing from Poland into Ukraine no longer drops you out of the rule. Belarus and Russia are a different matter and stay outside it entirely. Near any of those borders your phone can pick up the network on the other side, so choose it by hand if you are close.
Which eSIM works in Poland?
A Poland eSIM runs on the local networks, Play (5G), Orange (4G). Data only: your usual number stays where it is.
Coverage: cities, the Tatras and the lakes
Warsaw, Kraków, Gdańsk and Wrocław have strong coverage with 5G, and the motorways are well served. In the Tatra mountains, the Bieszczady and around the Masurian lakes it thins out, and on high trails it can disappear. Download maps before a hike.
What uses data on a trip to Poland
- 3 GB: a long weekend in Kraków or Warsaw, tickets and maps on the phone.
- 5 GB: a week moving between cities by train.
- 10 GB: two weeks, or a trip with long train rides and video calls.
- 20 GB: a month, or sharing data with a laptop.
Day to day, Poland is light on data: tickets and timetables in apps, maps and messages. Two things change that. Long train journeys between the big cities take a few hours, which is when people stream, and the onboard connection depends on the train, so count on your own data. And before a day in the Tatras or the Bieszczady you want the map downloaded in the valley, not loaded on the trail.
The data calculator gives an estimate in five questions.
Trams and buses: tickets in the app
In Poland’s larger cities, Warsaw, Kraków and Wrocław among them, the app to have for public transport is Jakdojade: it plans routes across trams, buses and the metro and sells tickets you keep on the phone. Ticket sales only cover the biggest cities, so in a smaller town check the app first and otherwise use the machines at stops or on board. In Kraków, for instance, a ticket bought in an app is tied to the vehicle you are in: the app asks for the side number, two letters and three digits shown above the validator, so look for it as you get on and activate the ticket straight away. For trains between cities, PKP Intercity sells tickets in its own app.
Mountain rescue in the Tatras and the Bieszczady
In the Polish mountains rescue is run by TOPR in the Tatras and GOPR in the other ranges, on one number answered around the clock: 601 100 300. Save it as +48 601 100 300, so it connects from a foreign SIM; 112 also works and passes the call on. The official RATUNEK app dials that number and sends your GPS position to the rescuers by text during the call, which saves time when you cannot say exactly where you are. Two things follow for a traveller. The app works through an ordinary phone call, so it needs your own SIM with a voice line, not a data-only eSIM: keep that SIM switched on in the mountains. And install it and allow location access in the valley, not on the ridge. For emergencies on lakes and at sea the equivalent number is 601 100 100.
Prices for Poland
Poland data eSIMs: 3 GB for 4,49 €, 5 GB for 6,49 €, 10 GB for 11,99 € and 20 GB for 16,99 €. The plan starts on the first connection in Poland.
Travelling later?
Going to Poland later? We remind you before you fly
Tell us the day you leave. We email you a week before and the day before with the steps to install the eSIM on Wi-Fi at home. Nothing else.
We only write about this trip, and every email has a one-click unsubscribe. Privacy policy
What number do I call for help in the Polish mountains?
601 100 300, saved as +48 601 100 300 if your SIM is foreign; 112 also works. The RATUNEK app dials it and sends your position, but it uses your own SIM’s voice line, not a data eSIM.
Does my plan work if I cross into Ukraine?
Since 1 January 2026, yes: Ukraine joined the EU roam-like-at-home area. Belarus and Russia remain outside it.
Is there signal in the Tatra mountains?
In the valleys and the resorts, usually. On high trails it can vanish on any network, so download offline maps.
Can I buy tram and bus tickets on my phone in Poland?
In the larger cities, yes: Jakdojade plans routes and sells tickets for Warsaw, Kraków, Wrocław and others. In Kraków an app ticket is tied to the vehicle, using the number shown above the validator.
Get your eSIM before you fly: the QR arrives by email in minutes and the plan only starts when you connect at your destination.
See eSIMs for Poland