For phone calls within Poland you will have to dial the respective area code and then the phone number. If you don't have a flat rate you can choose a preselect service provider. You will only have to dial the provider's number before dialing the area code and you will automatically be using their tariff plan. You can find information on preselect providers online.
Polish area codes include:
12 – Cracow
22 – Warsaw
32 – Katowice
42 – Lodz
48 – Radom
52 – Bydgoszcz
56 – Torun
58 – Gdansk, Gdynia, Sopot
61 – Poznan
81 – Lublin
85 – Bialystok
89 – Olsztyn
International Calls
Free of charge services, such as Skype , are a good way of staying in contact with friends and family at home. Since high-speed Internet is widely available in Poland there should not be any problems using such programs.
Additionally, many telephone providers offer special tariff plans for international calls. When signing for a contract you are able to choose them for a higher monthly fee. This option is more convenient than computer-based communication and therefore worth considering.
If you only stay in Poland for a short period of time you should use international calling cards. You can order them at home before your trip or just buy them in Poland. Usually these cards are charged up with a specified amount of money and are only valid for a specific country.
Emergency numbers
In case of an emergency call 112. This is the general emergency number in the European Union. It should be used in case of serious emergencies only. As well as their native Polish, the operators also speak English. The number is free of charge. Whether the call is made from a fixed line or from a cell phone, the caller can be located precisely and a response team dispatched instantly.
Since the 112 may sometimes not be available there are extra emergency numbers. They are:
- 999 - Ambulance / Medical
- 998 - Fire / Rescue
- 997 – Police
Other emergency numbers include:
- 0601-100-300 - Mountain Emergency Service
- 991 - Electric Line Emergency Service
- 992 - Gas Emergency Service
- 9656 - Technical Emergency Service (for Warsaw City)