Telephone connection in Lithuania
The communication system is quite modern and rapidly developing. Calling emergency services is free. For calls within the country (including to subscribers cellular network), you need to dial 8 - beep - area code (cellular network code) - subscriber number.
To call the country, you should dial 8 - dial tone - 10 - 370 - city code - number of the called subscriber. On holidays, Saturdays, Sundays and on weekdays from 22.00 to 06.00 a 30% discount is applied to all international telephone calls.
Some city codes: Alytus - 35, Birstonas - 10, Varena - 60, Vilkaviskis - 42, Vilnius - 2 (plus six-digit subscriber number), Visaginas - 66, Druskininkai - 33, Zarasai - 70, Ignalina - 29, Jonava - 19, Joniskis - 96, Kaunas - 7, Klaipeda - 6, Kretinga - 58, Lazdijai - 68, Mazeikiai - 93, Marijampole - 43, Nida - 59, Pakruois - 91, Palanga - 36, Panevezys - 5, Pasvalis - 71, Plunge - 18, Prienai - 49, Radviliskis - 92, Raseiniai - 28, Rokiskis - 78, Skuodas - 16, Taurage - 46, Telšiai - 94, Trakai - 38, Ukmerge - 11, Siauliai - 1, Šilale - 69, Šilute - 41, Sirvintos - 32, Elektrenai - 38, Jurbarkas - 48.
Roaming in Lithuania
Communication standards GSM 900/1800. Major Russian operators have roaming.
Lithuanian telecom operators - Bite GSM, Tele 2, Omnitel, Eurocom. All these operators offer prepaid tariffs, which is very beneficial for tourists. Omnitel - Ezys tariff, Bitle GSM - Labas tariff, Tele 2 - Pylduk tariff.
Cards of all tariffs can be bought at Lietuvos Spauda newsstands, in hypermarkets and Maxima supermarkets, at gas stations, in salons cellular communication. You can also top up your accounts through mobile phone stores, checks and payment cards (sold at all newsstands and at supermarket checkouts).
The validity period of the SIM card, depending on the tariff, is 100 or 150 days from the date of the last top-up, after which you can receive incoming calls and SMS for another 80-100 days.
Internet in Lithuania
Lithuania ranks first in the world in terms of Wi-Fi quality and speed. There are access points in almost all large shopping centers, hotels, cafes and restaurants, museums, as well as on the streets of large cities (in the most popular public places).
For example, in Vilnius these are: the courtyard of the Teacher's House, the open-air restaurant "Cili kaimo", Town Hall Square, K. Sirvydas Square, Moniuszko Square, Europe Square, Recreation Area on the White Bridge. Wi-Fi in the listed places is free, access point is Cgates.
There is also paid Wi-Fi Zebra - there are about 4,000 access points throughout Lithuania. Cost - from 0.87 euros per day. A map of access points in Vilnius can be obtained on the operator’s website.
Internet
Several hotels and a couple of restaurants have outlets Wi-Fi access. According to some information, they can be used for free. GPRS roaming is available to subscribers of major Russian operators. Internet access is available at the National Library and at Internet cafes, which can be found in major cities.Calling a taxi, ordering pizza or getting telephone advice about interesting excursions without spending huge amounts of money on it is the dream of every tourist. Which is better: roaming or offers Lithuanian operators inland? the site decided to find out how to make cheaper calls to Belarus from Lithuania, and tested one of the tariffs of the Lithuanian operator, affectionately called “Hedgehog”.
Everything is clear and without words
You will be surprised at how easy it is to get your own personal SIM card in Lithuania. Compared to Belarus, cellular communications in Lithuania are quite cheap, and connecting to a mobile operator takes literally a few minutes. The Belarusian public is sincerely surprised when they learn that a SIM card can be purchased anywhere, even at a post office kiosk, and for a very reasonable price. We buy a small cardboard envelope from some Lithuanian operator, connect and calmly communicate with all of Lithuania... on the advice of local residents, I chose the operator Omnitel(there are others, for example, Bite and Tele2), which offers a tariff for tourists Ezys, which means “hedgehog” in Lithuanian. Where this name came from is a mystery, but for some reason the Lithuanians themselves prefer “Hedgehog”.
Where to buy a Lithuanian SIM card
Buying a Lithuanian SIM card is easy. You don't even need a passport for this. Those interested have several suitable options. The choice is large. We are looking for:
- any Lietuvos Spauda newsstand;
- R-Kiosk;
- Maxima stores (apply at the checkout).
This is what newsstands look like where you can get a Lithuanian SIM card
What is the price mobile communications in Lithuania
We purchased a SIM card for only 3.50 litas ($1.38). Available at this price 150 minutes of conversation, 1000 SMS and 100 megabytes of Internet. There are also more expensive tariffs, where, of course, there will be more opportunities. The SIM card comes with a booklet with instructions for activation and basic operations in Lithuanian, English and Russian. As soon as you get ready to go back home, you can throw away the card, since the card simply turns off automatically after a while.
How to activate a Lithuanian SIM card
To activate the card, you just need to insert the SIM card into the phone, enter the PIN code and call the number specified in the instructions, after which you are automatically connected and can find out your personal number. We did this quite quickly. There’s just one catch: they’ll tell you the number in Lithuanian, so you’ll be crazy guessing the numbers. You will have to look for a person who, after your call, will give you the secret number. In fact, there are no big problems with this. They will help you in any cafe or at the hotel reception; in extreme cases, you can always approach someone on the street.
How to top up your account
You can top up your account:
- at the checkout in any store or kiosk of Lietuvos Spauda and R-Kiosk, saying that you need a replenishment for Ezys for a certain amount;
- through SEB and Swedbank ATMs;
- through the SMS-PERLAIDA service (SMS transfer);
- through a special operator card linked to your number.
All these operations are described in detail in the attached instructions.
Mobile Internet in Lithuania at Ezys tariff
We figured out the phone, but we had to struggle with connecting to the Internet. The instructions say that the mobile Internet connects automatically after receiving the settings via SMS. And again there is trouble. The SMS also comes in Lithuanian, so it’s impossible to understand anything if you’re not a polyglot. Moreover, the SMS message was not opened at all. In this case, you need to open the SIM card settings in your phone and manually select a data operator. Once you do this, the Internet will work. Perhaps it will work. We were lucky, but at the kiosk the seller warned that we might have to wait a while after connecting. The work of the Internet can hardly be called ideal. It periodically freezes or turns off completely. You will be transmitting photographs for six months; of course, you can completely forget about videos. Hedgehog still copes well with text transmission and website browsing. And the Internet in Lithuania is not such a problem. Available Wi-Fi points meet every 2 steps. As a last resort, go to the same newsstands Lietuvos Spauda, where free internet always guaranteed to work and provided free of charge.
In the envelope you will find a SIM card, a top-up card and detailed instructions
What is the validity period of a Lithuanian SIM card account?
The account remains valid for another 100 days from the date of the first call. After the expiration date, the phone number remains valid for another 150 days. At this time, you can only receive calls and messages. Then the number is blocked. A notification message will be sent 3 days before the account expires.
Offered Ezys tariff bonuses
If you register on the website www.ezys.lt and fill out a special form, you can order a special Ezio Visa card, with which you will receive discounts in cafes, nightclubs, cinemas, hotels and even travel agencies. The card can be picked up at any Omnitel salon.
Roaming from Belarusian operators
Perhaps the old friend is still better than the new two?
Do you really need a Lithuanian SIM card? Perhaps you prefer domestic operators? We have selected roaming tariffs with the lowest prices. We bring to your attention a comparison table to help you choose the most convenient option.
Comparative table of the lowest roaming prices for Belarusian operators (as of June 11, 2014)
| Operator | Calls in a minute | Send one message | 1 mb. Internet | Website |
| MTS (Price of Lithuanian operator OMNITEL) | $0.43 - incoming calls $0.53 - calls within the host country $0.84 - call to the Republic of Belarus $0.84 - calls to other countries | 0.25$ | $4.03 - for 1 MB | mts.by |
| Velcom (price of Lithuanian operator OMNITEL) | $0.54 - incoming calls $0.71 - calls within the host country $0.73 - call to the Republic of Belarus $0.86 - calls to other countries | 0.28$ | 0.18$ - for 50 KB | velcom.by |
| Life (price of Lithuanian operator TELE2) | $0.54 - incoming calls $0.54 - calls within the host country $0.54 - call to the Republic of Belarus $0.71 - calls to other countries | 0.12$ | $1.41 - for 1 MB | life.com.by |
Roaming SIM cards
In addition, you have the opportunity to use special roaming cards for tourists, which are used only during the travel period. Such, for example, are cards Sim-Sim Bright Light company, which actively promises its customers high quality communications in more than 190 countries around the world. Additional benefit is the absence of a subscription fee and expiration dates during which the SIM card is blocked. Even with a zero balance, you can receive incoming calls in most countries of the world (about 130). Cards are not far behind "GoodLine". Incoming calls are also free here, but you will have to pay for messages.
Comparative table of roaming prices offered by roaming cards (as of June 11, 2014)
For participation in organizing the trip, we especially thank the Minsk travel agency "Vervol", the Lithuanian travel agency Vilnius Relax for introducing us to unusual places in Vilnius and the Belavia airline.
Read interesting materials in the section "Lithuanian Lessons"
Lithuania is one of the Baltic countries where not only tourism is well developed, but also cellular communications. Having arrived here, a tourist can purchase a local SIM card in large stores, in kiosks under the sign of Lietuvos spauda and at gas stations and, of course, in branded cellular communication stores. Here you can also buy a top-up voucher, indicating the name of the provider. It is worth noting that tourists have quite a wide choice. Lithuanian operators:
Bite GSM,
Omnitel,
Tele2,
Eurocom.
All of the above providers have prepaid rates that are suitable for tourists. Bite and Tele2 services are the most popular not only among guests, but also among Lithuanians. Thanks to high quality communications and good coverage. Omnitel and Eurocom, in general, are also not inferior in these characteristics. In this case, the tourist needs to focus on the price and volume of necessary services. The validity period of the starter package depends on the tariff plan that was selected. From three months to six months from the date of the last account replenishment. Moreover, after this period has expired, the subscriber can receive incoming calls and SMS for two to three months.
And although the conditions of Lithuanian operators are acceptable, for tourists, we would recommend connecting to an inexpensive tariff for Lithuania, so that you can not only use mobile Internet in Europe, but also make inexpensive calls from different countries.
Internet in Lithuania: choosing a tariff plan in Russia
You can also buy a SIM card in Lithuania, but it is much better when all important issues are settled before crossing your native border. Moreover, roaming in this case will be profitable. To travel to Lithuania, we suggest considering the following connection options:
The tariff option on the Globalsim Direct SIM card will be doubly profitable - the subscriber will be able to use inexpensive Internet. You can connect to the Baltic Internet package on the card - for only $5 per 1GB.
Mundo tariff from Orange will allow you to forget about the problem mobile internet not only in Lithuania, but also in 40 European countries. Package prices:
Mundo 3 GB – 7 euros
Mundo 7 GB – 10 euros
Mundo 10 GB – 15 euros
On the website you can compare and choose a SIM card for your trip.
Lithuanian wireless networks
As practice shows, most tourists are more concerned about the cost of conversations with Russia than the cost of the Internet. After all Wi-Fi network here is one of the best in Europe (both in terms of coverage and data transfer speed). Free wireless networks available in shopping centers, hotels, cafes and other popular public places. In addition, anyone can connect to paid Wi-Fi Zebra (daily use - 87 cents). There are more than 4 thousand access points throughout the country.
However, if a tourist is going to conduct financial transactions via the Internet during a trip (paying for tickets, restaurants, etc.), then it will be more reliable to connect to the mobile Internet in Lithuania rather than use wireless networks. Since today cases of theft of personal data have become more frequent.
Traveling to several countries in a row is a kind of torture for Internet addicts. Take, say, the European Union, where there are no borders, but a lot of roaming. They have been promising to cancel it for a long time, but still nothing. All kinds are crutches, if problem solving, then only partially. In many European countries, buying a SIM card is a whole story. In some (as, alas, in ours) it requires passport registration and is associated with various difficulties and conventions that require a lot of time and effort.
Thank God, in the Baltics, in this sense, everything is simple and, as if invented for car travelers. Here is my experience from the New Year's road trip Moscow - Tallinn - Riga - Vilnius - Moscow
SIM cards are sold at almost any gas station, kiosks and shops, and mobile Internet is inexpensive.
It is good not only because it explains how things are with mobile Internet in a particular country and helps you choose the best option. The main thing is that it contains activation instructions, which are often present on starter packages only in national languages. Yes, and even about some of them tariff plans and options are silent.
We didn’t have much time to look for the best options, so we took what was available at the gas station along the way. And here’s how much it cost me, the amount for one SIM card is given, it includes the price of the starter package and 1 GB of mobile Internet, which is more than enough for a couple of days (that’s how long we were in each country):
I spent about 10 minutes each time purchasing and activating cards.
Each of them still had some calls and text messages, but they didn’t bother me much, we only needed the Internet. Thanks to it, you can do without it for some time, but pretty soon your needs go beyond the limits of navigation maps and points of interest on them. By the way, here you should not act on the principle of “holding out to civilization, where there will be a lot of choice.” If you arrive in the city late, you will have to look for a working kiosk or shop, not to mention a communication shop, but gas stations are open 24 hours a day. The only thing is to avoid Neste gas stations, they are automatic, they usually have some kind of Hesburger running, but they most likely don’t sell SIM cards. It's a shame, because refueling at Neste is very convenient and cheaper than at many other gas stations. If you are traveling to Estonia, it makes sense to immediately put a little more money into your account, since it is easy to pay for car parking using your mobile phone - payment machines are not available in every parking lot. At local parking prices, 2-3 euros per day will most likely be enough for you. Most likely, this also works in Lithuania and Latvia, but there everything is fine with parking meters.
You can top up by purchasing a voucher in any store, or through the website, but Zen’s online service is very inconvenient and has a truncated Russian version, Pildyk does not have a Russian version at all, instead there is a pdf file with instructions.
By the way, those who want to save even on such, in general, non-ruinful expenses, especially by European standards, and most importantly - reduce the hassle of rearranging SIM cards, should take care in advance of a pan-Baltic SIM card, which is also a pan-Scandinavian one. There is one, but it is not sold at gas stations. You will need an agent in Estonia, who you need to ask for a simple favor - to purchase and ship this to you. There is roaming throughout the Baltics and Scandinavia, up to 5 SIM cards in one package, beauty.
However, for me this is still in theory, I haven’t tried it myself, but at the first opportunity I’ll study it. By the way, no one rents out a house on the Baltic Sea shore in August?
Lithuanian Telia, formerly TEO, owned by the Swedish-Finnish Telia group, has the best coverage in the 3G network (97.3% -95 dBm): Telia LT coverage map. In 2016, 4G/LTE covers about 99% of the population, available to prepaid subscribers without additional charges. Their prepaid brand is called "Ežys" (in English"hedgehog" - "hedgehog").
Buy SIM card Ežys
The Ežys SIM card is available for 1.50 euros with the same balance. Can be purchased at Telia stores (list), Iki, Rimi, Maxima supermarkets, kiosks, cafes and many other retail outlets, where you can also purchase top-up vouchers.
All Ežys SIM cards are double size (mini and micro). If you need a nano SIM, you must ask for it upon purchase.
You can also find prepaid SIM cards in Telia packages. These are actually the same plan, but in different packages.
Activation and validity period
When you purchase a new Ežys SIM card, the number mobile phone unknown You can find out the number after activating the SIM card. To activate the card, you need to dial 1544. Listen to the voice menu; They will ask for a language (press "9" for English), then press "1" to activate the card and hear the assigned one mobile number. Be prepared to write it down for future reference. The activation call is free of charge.
To check your balance, you need to dial 1544 and press “2” in the voice menu (0.03 euros per request), then you will hear your account balance.
The SIM card is valid for 100 days after its first use. After this, it will be possible to receive only incoming calls and SMS messages, available for a grace period of 250 days. After 250 days it will be blocked forever, without the possibility of recovery. To extend the validity period, you need to top up your account. Each top-up of 1 euro extends the validity period by 30 days.
Roaming outside Lithuania is disabled by default. To enable it, you need to send the command +TRP to 1566 (cost 0.05 euros). After receiving confirmation, you can use the card outside of Lithuania (international roaming service). Special offers Internet roaming does not exist in other countries, but you will be able to receive SMS outside Lithuania.
Replenishment
You can top up your account in various ways:
Multi-card replenishment: in each new Ežys package you can find a plastic card with a special barcode. With this card you can make instant (electronic) top-ups at supermarkets, kiosks and service stations. If you want to top up your account, provide the top-up card and the required amount of money (or credit card) to the cashier. The cashier scans the barcode and the account will be topped up instantly, with confirmation via SMS. The minimum top-up amount is 1 euro.
Top-up voucher: You can purchase a top-up voucher at Telia kiosks, supermarkets and stores. To purchase a voucher you need to dial 1544 and follow the voice menu prompts; The minimum top-up amount is 2 euros. Vouchers can only be redeemed in Lithuania. Unfortunately, you cannot purchase them abroad by phone or online. Vouchers also have an expiration date before which they must be redeemed.
Using a credit card online. Ežys allows direct online replenishment using a credit card. You can top up your account online here. Not all EU cards are accepted.
Characteristics of data packets
The default data transfer cost is 0.26 euros per 10 MB. Ežys offers the following packages:
Validity Period Volume Price Activation Supplements
7 days 1 GB 1.19 euros +NARSYK SAVAITE
30 days 1.5 GB 3.39 euros +NARSYK STARTAS
30 days 4 GB 6.39 euros +NARSYK 4 unlimited Facebook
30 days 10 GB 11.49 euros +NARSYK 10 unlimited Facebook
The night package is valid (from midnight to 6 am) for 30 nights up to 1 TB of data for 0.89 euros - activation code: + AKC NAKTYS
To activate the selected package, you must send text message with a code to the number 1566. SMS charges 0.05 euros. These packages are automatically renewed if there are enough funds in your balance. To stop their action, you need to send the activation code, replacing the + sign with – , to the number 1566 (for 0.05 euros).
To avoid entering SMS commands and avoid SMS costs, you can use mobile application"Mano Ežys" ( Android application) for smartphones or complete these tasks online.
Use above the established limit is charged by default.
Internet settings Ežys
APN: omnitel
User manual and descriptions in English: http://www.ezys.lt/en/
Website (only a limited version of the site is available in Russian): http://www.ezys.lt
