Phoning home & Skype from Poland to the UK?

I am a Brit coming to Poland for two weeks next month. I'd like to phone home most evenings. I don't want to bring my mobile as I don't know if it works out there, whether it is the most expensive way to phone home, and anyway I don't fancy the extra weight of a charger AND adaptor!

So, what's the best way for me to phone the UK frequently? Should I just put money in a coin slot phone box? Should I buy some kind of phone card? Can I use Skype in internet cafes?

Helena

your mobile will work if unlocked for roaming - who is your provider? speak to your provider.
if vodafone you can phone from uk out of your free allowance ....

you could buy a payg polish sim ....


not sure in cafes

Hi telefon

Surely it will be more expensive for me to use my mobile than to use a phone box on Poland?

where will you be staying in Poland? if you will have internet access you can use skype and call your family in UK for free (as long as they have skype obviously, or you can buy some credit from skype and call a UK landline or mobile, check out the rates). i will sure remember what tele said about vodafone, cos i'm on a contract with them ;). i think you can buy international phonecards at the PO in Poland and use that from a phone booth/landline in Poland.

Skype has a really good deal at the moment as if I remember correctly it was 5 Euro a month for 20,000 mins of calls anywhere in Europe to landlines and mobiles, but there are conditions so check it out yourself.

wow. thats like spending 12 hours a day on the blower

I'm going to different places, staying in hotels.

I thought Skype was free? THe person I want to phone everyday has Skype on the home computer.

it is free when you call another person with skype on their computer. you can buy credit from skype and call mobiles/landlines as well at a very good rate.

You havent clarified what UK network you are on?

If on VODAFONE your FREE allowance can be used from abroad to call the UK and you are not charged that is if you are on contract

O2 TMobile Orange and 3 charges vary

Im on TMobile and i used my phone from Poland to the UK no problems to call my mum and brother though not every single night ....

Skype is FREE if PC to PC calling but if phoning a landline you need to ensure you credit your account with money to use it

Skype monthly deal I use it now and speak for ages to the UK, and around Poland :)

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"You havent clarified what UK network you are on?"

TMobile. I never use the phone and I don't really want to bring it with me, as I said in my first post, unless it really is the cheapest way.

Im on TMobile and i used my phone from Poland to the UK no problems to call my mum and brother though not every single night ....

"Skype is FREE if PC to PC calling but if phoning a landline you need to ensure you credit your account with money to use it"

I would use it only to a PC. Do they have it in internet cafes?

Yes, most major towns and cities have internet cafes.


Sorry Bubbawoo, slight mistake there as I meant 10,000 mins

Sorry UKPOLSKA, that wasn't my question.

I know there are internet cafes, but do they have Skype?

Well if they don't then you just install it, it's really that simple. The machines are formatted everyday anyway, at least the ones that I used to use were :)

I believe you need a headset to speak, so just installing it to an internet cafe PC isn't enough.

I think I will just email home and use a budka telefoniczna to phone ~ less complicated!

Here's the answer, if you have a pen drive just install it on that and take it wherever you go and bob's your uncle, here is the link to show you how:)

pendriveapps.com/2007/06/20/make-skype-portable-voip/

And by the way they will have a headset in the cafe :)

Thanks UKPOLSKA I have an 8GB pen drive, plus a 2GB one.

With regards to budki, I'm assuming there are still some on the streets of Poland? Here in the UK they are becoming very rare. Even the one at Hastings's Summerfields Sports Centre has been removed, on the grounds that "everyone" has a mobile.

If I use a budka, any idea roughly how much it costs to phone the UK?
Is there are card system in Poland like here in England everyone uses a pre-paid card to phone abroad.

I constantly need to be able to ring between the UK and Poland, both from my PC and my mobile phone. So here is a brief summary of how I talk (worldwide if I needed to) for the price of a local call. Or in the UK it just uses my free minutes :)

Ok so what you need:

1) A polish Sim Card (I have an Orange one. Cost approx 15Zlt with a small amount of credit).

2) A voipcheap account - www . voipcheap . com (Same sort of thing as skype only its much cheaper when you pay for calls - its in Euro's and not Pounds).

Ok so whats the big deal? Well basically you ring a local number from your local sim i.e. a Polish sim card. So you pay for the call to a Polish number from a polish mobile. Nice cheap local call rate. Then by dialing the number it knows who you are (number is registered with your account before hand) and lets you break out onto the internet for the international part of the call (meaning its free or really really cheap compared to UK roaming charges in Europe).

So there you go, I've never looked back since doing this and still can't believe how much money it saves me. If you want more info then PM me or something and I can help you get set up.

Hope this helps :)

Thanks Marky! I'm only coming for 9 days and I don't think it's worth me getting involved in anything complicated. I'm going to email home daily with my news, use a callbox for a few minutes a few times, and have found a hotel with Skype!