Language: The national language is Polish. English is widely understood in tourist areas.
Currency: The official currency is Zloty (PLN), divided into 100 groszy.
Poland is essentially a 'cash country', and it is difficult to negotiate credit cards and travelers cheques in the cities, and well nigh impossible in rural areas.
American Express,
Diners Club, Visa and
MasterCard are, however, accepted in places frequented by tourists. ATMs are also beginning to proliferate in Polish cities, where the sign 'Bankomat' indicates them. Money (preferably US$ or Euros) can be exchanged
in the cities and larger towns at banks, hotels or bureaux called 'kantors', which offer the best rates. Banks are open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm and some are open on Saturday till 1pm.
Time: Local time is GMT +1 (GMT + 2 from last Sunday in March to last Sunday in October).
Electricity: Electrical current is 220 volts, 50Hz. The standard two-pin European style plugs are used.
Communications: The international access code for Poland is +48. The outgoing code is 00 followed by the relevant country code (e.g. 0044 for the
United Kingdom). City/area codes are in use, e.g. (0)22 for
Warsaw and (0)12 for
Krakow. Cheap rates apply between 4pm and 6am, and on weekends. Mobile phones work throughout the country, local operators use GSM networks, which may not be compatible with some US cell phones. Internet cafes are available in most towns.
Duty Free: Travelers to Poland over 17 years arriving from non-
EU countries do not have to pay duty on 250 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250g tobacco; 1 liter wine and 1 liter spirits; cosmetics and medicines for personal use; gifts up to the value of EUR175. Travelers to Poland arriving from within the EU do not have to pay duty on 800 cigarettes or 200 cigars or 1kg smoking tobacco; 10 liters spirits, 90 liters wine and 110 liters beer. Prohibited items include birds and poultry arriving from countries infected with Avian influenza. The export of all articles of artistic, historic or cultural value are subject to special regulations.
Tourist OfficePolish
National Tourist Office, Warsaw: +48 (0)22 849 8128 or www.polandtour.org
EmergencyEmergencies: 112/999
Embassies
Polish Embassy,
Washington DC,
United States: +1 202 234 3800.
Polish Embassy,
London, United Kingdom: +44 (0)870 774 2700.
Polish Embassy,
Ottawa,
Canada: +1 613 789 0468.
Polish Embassy,
Canberra,
Australia: +61 (0)2 6272 1000.
Polish Embassy,
Pretoria,
South Africa: +27 (0)12 430 2631/2.
Polish Embassy,
Dublin,
Ireland: +353 (0)1 283 0855.
Polish Embassy,
Wellington,
New Zealand: +64 (0)4 475 9453.
United States Embassy, Warsaw: +48 (0)22 504 2000.
British Embassy, Warsaw: +48 (0)22 311 0000.
Canadian Embassy, Warsaw: +48 (0)22 584 3100.
Australian Embassy, Warsaw: +48 (0)22 521 3444.
South
African Embassy, Warsaw: +48 (0)22 625 6228/6233.
Irish Embassy, Warsaw: +48 (0)22 849 6633.
New
Zealand Embassy, Warsaw: +48 (0)22 521 0500.
