Communications
Post Offices
Each post code has its own post office. If you have a parcel sent to you, you will receive a slip of paper in your folder with the number of the post office on the top. The post offices are marked by numbers on town maps. Take the parcel slip and your passport to the post office to pick it up. The Central Post Office is at Stacijas Laukums 1, next to the main station, about 2 minutes walk from the school.
Phones
Public phones can be found all over town. To use them you need a telephone card or a credit card. Phone cards for 2,3 or 5 Lats can be bought at any post office, most kiosks in the centre and many shops. International prepaid calling cards can also be purchased, which can be used with mobiles and also from home. Central telephone boxes also have WI-FI within 100 Metres.
There are a few mobile phone companies, LMT and Tele2 are the biggest. You can pay by monthly subscription or with prepaid cards. To use the prepaid cards you need to buy a sim card. These are available from most shops and kiosks.
You can also, of course, use the phone in your flat. Local phone calls are cheap, although international calls can be expensive depending on when and where you call. It may be cheaper for your friends / family to ring you than for you to ring them and that is before you take into consideration the difference in the value of the currency. Many teachers have fallen into the trap of finding that their entire first month’s salary has disappeared in paying the phone bill. Our advice is to be careful for the first month and gauge how much that bill costs you before indulging in any long overseas conversations. Cheap rate is between 8pm and 8am.
Internet
There are ten computers in the CALL lab, which are available at all times, and can be used as long as nobody requires them for a lesson. Please remember, however, that people wanting to plan lessons should have priority at busy times. There are also numerous Internet cafés in Rīga .
