Poland Travel Facts & Tips

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Captial City	Warsaw

Dialing Code	(00) 48

Emergency Numbers	Ambulance 999, police 997 (112 from mobile phones), fire: 998

Weather	Poland’s climate is rather temperate; it is characterized by cold winters and warm summers. In the inland from the Baltic coast, winters can get really cold. Average winter temperatures are around -5°C whilst in the summer, temperatures are usually around 19°C. Rain should be expected throughout the year, particularly in the southern mountains.

Tourist Board website	http://www.polandtour.org

Most Famous For	Chopin, Marie Curie, vodka

Useful Phrases	Dzien dobry (good morning); dziekuje (thank you); ile to kosztuje? (how much is it?)

Accommodation	You will find the majority of major international hotel chains in Poland rated in stars, one to five, five stars being the best rating. Boarding houses and motels are also rated, although the rating system's criteria may differ slightly so if you wish to stay in these, then you may wish to buy a guide to make sure you get what you are looking for. Bed and Breakfast is generally available in most towns. Regional tourist boards run them, the local offices will organise reservations for you. Especially during the summer (the main camping season is from June to August), camping/caravanning is a nice alternative to hotels, hostels etc. Poland has got over 200 campsites, the majority of them being fitted with 220-volt powerpoints as well as with 24-volt points for caravans. Facilities generally include washrooms, canteens and often also restaurants and food kiosks. Many of the campsites offer 24-hour reception and lighting. If you are looking for something a little cheaper, try International Student Hotels. They often offer better facilities than most youth hostels and high quality accommodation. Hostels in Poland are usually open all year round; you can find their contact details in the Youth Hostel Handbook that the Polish Youth Hostels Association publish.

Business Hours	Banks are open Monday to Friday 08:00 - 16:00, Saturdays 09:00 - 13:00. Small grocery shops and bakeries are generally open 06.00-19.00 Monday - Friday, whilst most are closed Saturday afternoon and Sunday. Super/Hypermarkets are normally open Monday to Saturday 08.00/09.00-21.00, and Sundays from 10.00- 18.00.

Visas	Citizens of the following countries can travel to Poland without a visa (Poland has been a member of the Schengen agreement since 2007): Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, El Salvador, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong (special administrative region), Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macao (special administrative region), Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Uruguay, the Vatican, Venezuela. Citizens of Russia, Belarus and Ukraine will need a visa.

Tipping	You would generally tip taxi drivers 10% of the metered far. In restaurants a 10% service charge is normally included in the bill however, if you feel like you received an excellent service, you can still leave an additional tip of 5-10%, it is always appreciated!

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