Poland Travel Guide

Social Conventions

Poles are friendly, industrious people and foreigners are usually made very welcome. There are vast contrasts between urban and rural life and the Polish peasantry is very religious and conservative, maintaining a traditional lifestyle. Roman Catholicism plays an important role in daily life and criticism or jokes about religion are not appreciated, despite the general good humor of the people.

Shaking hands is the normal form of greeting. Normal courtesies are observed when visiting private homes and it is customary to bring flowers, preferably in odd numbers. Fairly conservative casual wear is the most suitable attire, but dress should be formal when specified for entertaining in the evening or in a smart restaurant. Smoking is restricted in some public buildings.

Photography: Military installations including border points should not be photographed.

International Travel

Getting There By Air

Poland’s national airline is LOT Polish Airlines (LO) (www.lot.com).

Departure Tax

None.

Main Airports

Warsaw Frederic Chopin Airport (WAW) (www.lotnisko-chopina.pl) is 10km (6 miles) southwest of the city. To/from the airport: Buses and taxis are available (journey time - 20 to 40 minutes by bus; 20 to 30 minutes by taxi). Facilities: Post office, banks, bureau de change, bars, restaurants, left luggage, tourist information services, car hire and duty-free shops.

Krakow (KRK) (Balice John Paul II) (www.krakowairport.pl) is 14km (9 miles) west of the city center. To/from the airport: Buses, trains and taxis are available (journey time - 15 minutes by train; 35 minutes by bus; 20 minutes by taxi). Facilities: Bar, restaurant, bureau de change, car hire and duty-free shops.

Wroclaw (WRO) (Strachowice/Copernicus) (www.airport.wroclaw.pl) is 8km (5 miles) from the city center. To/from the airport: Buses and taxis are available (journey time - 30 minutes by bus; 20 minutes by taxi). Facilities: Duty-free shops, bar, restaurant, car hire.

Katowice (KTW) (www.gtl.com.pl) is 34km (21 miles) from the city. To/from the airport: Buses and taxis are available (journey time - 40 minutes by shuttle bus or taxi to city center; 2 hours 10 minutes by road to Krakow). Facilities: Bank, bureau de change, duty-free shops, restaurants and car hire.

Gdansk (GDN) (Lech Walesa Airport) (www.airport.gdansk.pl) is 10 km (6 miles) southwest of Gdansk. To/from the airport: Buses and taxis are available (journey time - 25 to 40 minutes by road to Gdansk city center). Facilities: Bureau de change, duty-free shops, post office, tourist information, restaurant and car hire.

Getting There By Water

Main ports: The Port of Gdansk (www.portgdansk.pl) on the Gulf of Gdynia is the largest Polish port and the main ferry hub for Poland in the Baltic. The Port of Gdynia (www.port.gdynia.pl), just north of the Port of Gdansk, also welcomes ships, containers and cruiseliners.

Polferries (tel: (046) 4097 6180; www.polferries.com) operates from Poland to Sweden and Denmark. Tickets can also be purchased online, from travel agents or at the ferry terminal.

Getting There By Rail

Polskie Koleje Pan'stwowe (Polish State Railways) (tel: (022) 9436, in Poland only or (022) 511 6003; www.pkp.pl) operates EuroCity trains between Poland and a number of major European cities. All services from Western Europe to Poland pass through the Czech Republic, Germany or the Slovak Republic. The main routes link Warsaw with Berlin and Cologne, Budapest, Prague and Vienna. There is a car-sleeper service from the Hook of Holland to Poznan that continues to Warsaw. There are also rail services to Moscow, Minsk, Kiev and St Petersburg.

Rail Passes

InterRail: offers unlimited first- or second-class travel in up to 30 European countries for European residents of over six months with two pass options. The Global Pass allows travel for 22 days, one month, five days in 10 days or 10 days in 22 days across all countries. The One-Country Pass offers travel for three, four, six or eight days in one month in any of the countries except Bosnia-Herzegovina and Montenegro. Travel is not allowed in the passenger's country of residence. Travelers under 26 years receive a reduction. Children's tickets are reduced by about 50%. Supplements are required for some high-speed services, seat reservations and couchettes. Discounts are offered on Eurostar and some ferry routes. Available from Rail Europe (www.raileurope.co.uk/inter-rail).

Eurail: for those traveling from outside Europe and North Africa the Eurail pass (www.eurail.com) offers similar discounts.

Getting There By Road

Coming from Western Europe Poland is reached from the Czech Republic and Germany. The E30 connects Warsaw to Berlin.

The A4 from the German border (Görlitz/Zgorzelec) to Wroclaw is now complete, resulting in direct highway access from Dresden via Wroclaw to Krakow.

The main coach service connecting dozens of European cities to Poland is Eurolines (tel: 08717 818181, in the UK; www.eurolines.com). Eurolines offers travel passes lasting 15 or 30 days.

Duty Free

Overview

Poland is within the European Union. If you are traveling from the UK, you are entitled to buy fragance, skincare, cosmetics, Champagne, wine, selected spirits, fashion accessories, gifts and souvenirs - all at tax-free equivalent prices. There are no longer any allowance restrictions on these tax-free items.

If you are arriving from a non-EU country, the following goods may be imported into Poland by persons over 17 years of age without incurring customs duty:

• 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 100 cigarillos or 250g of tobacco.
• 1L of wine and 1L of spirits.
• Goods up to the value of €175.

Prohibited Exports

The export of all articles of artistic, historical or cultural value is subject to special regulations.

Internal Travel

Getting Around By Air

Domestic flights are operated by LOT Polish Airlines (www.lot.com). There is a comprehensive network linking all major cities.

Getting Around By Rail

Cheap and efficient InterCity trains are operated by Polskie Koleje Pan'stwowe (Polish State Railways) (tel: (022) 9436, in Poland only or (022) 511 6003; www.pkp.pl) and link all parts of the country in a network radiating from Warsaw. There are two classes of travel and trains are often classified as Inter-City, Express or Local; for comfort and speed stay on Inter-City (IC) or Express (Ex) routes.

Rail Passes

InterRail One-Country Pass: offers travel for three, four, six or eight days in one month within Poland. Travel is not allowed in the passenger's country of residence. Travelers under 26 years receive a reduction. Children's tickets are reduced by about 50%. Supplements are required for some high-speed services, seat reservations and couchettes. Available from Rail Europe (www.raileurope.co.uk/inter-rail).

Eurail Poland Pass: available to visitors traveling from outside of Europe. Offers unlimited rail travel within the country for five, eight, 10 or 15 days' travel within a one-month period (www.eurail.com).

Getting Around By Road

Traffic drives on the right, and standard international traffic signs are used. Major inter-city routes use the prefix ‘E' and motorways use ‘A'. Most petrol stations located along international routes are open 24 hours a day. Road quality ranges from smooth brand new motorways to narrow, pot-holed single lanes.

Bus: There are good regional bus and coach services operated by Polish Motor Communications (PPKS) (tel: 0703 300 130, in Poland only or (022) 823 6200; www.pks.warszawa.pl).

Car hire: Self-drive cars are available at the airport or through various car hire offices in town centers. All major firms are available. The minimum age for hiring a car is 21.

Regulations: The minimum driving age is 17. Speed limits are 50kph (31mph) in built-up areas, 90km (55mph) on other roads, 100kph (62mph) on major roads and 130kph (81mph) on motorways. Seat belts and warning triangles are compulsory. Trams have the right of way. From 1 October to 1 March, all vehicles should have their lights switched on at all times.

Emergency breakdown service: For roadside assistance, contact the Polish Automobile and Motorway Federation, Polski Zwiazek Motorowy (PZM) (tel: 9637, in Poland only and (022) 849 93 61; www.pzm.pl).

Documentation: Tourists traveling in their own cars should have vehicle registration cards, their national driving license (driving licenses of EU nationals are accepted) and third party insurance documents. Green Card motor insurance is necessary for vehicles coming from outside the EU and Switzerland. An International Driving Permit is required for those from outside the European Union.

Getting Around Towns and Cities

Warsaw: In Warsaw, the Municipal Transport Board (ZTM) is responsible for the bus, metro and tram services. ZTM tickets are valid for all services and can be purchased as a single ride or as a day, week or monthly pass. Some buses allow the purchase of tickets on board, but it is best to buy before you use any transport.

Krakow: The MPK is the transport board responsible for public buses and trams in Krakow and the system works similarly to the one in Warsaw, except there is no metro. Public transport tickets are available in all towns at green Ruch kiosks, hotels and post offices.

Most public transport operates from 0530-2300; night buses, in the major cities, run from 2300-0500.

Taxis are available in all main towns. They are usually found at ranks or can be ordered by phone. There is a surcharge from 2300-0500 and for journeys out of town, as well as at weekends. Tipping is welcomed.

Journey Times

The following chart gives approximate journey times (in hours and minutes) from Warsaw to other major cities/towns in Poland.

	Air	Road	Rail
Cracow	1.40	4.00	2.35
Poznan	1.00	4.00	3.00
Wroclaw	1.15	6.00	4.35
Gdansk	1.00	6.00	3.40