Poland - Eastern Europe - page 384

English Polish Pronunciation

Bon appétit! Smacznego Smahch- neh -go

Open Otwarty Oh -twar-tee

Closed Zamkniety Zahm- knyeh-tee

2 Planning Your Trip to Poland
VISITOR INFORMATION
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
There are no special requirements for entering Poland. Passport holders from the U.S.,
Canada, and Australia can enter the country without a visa and stay for 90 days. Pass-
port holders from E.U. member countries, including the U.K., do not need a visa.
MONEY
The main unit of currency is the z l oty (z l ), which is divided into 100 groszy (gr). Bills
come in denominations of 10 z l , 20 z l , 50 z l , 100 z l , and 200 z l . The most useful coins
are the 5 z l , 2 z l , and 1 z l . You'll also see coins of 50 gr, 10 gr, 2 gr, and rarely 1 gr. At
the time of this writing, 1 U.S. dollar was worth a little under 3 z l , and 1 British
pound about 5.7 z l .
As a member of the European Union, Poland will someday adopt the euro, but
that's not likely to happen until 2009 or 2010. In the meantime, some establishments
catering to visitors, including many hotels, will quote rates in euros and accept them
as payment. Some hotels quote exclusively in euros.
You can change money in nearly any bank or exchange office, identified in Polish
as “kantor.” You'll see them everywhere. You'll get the best rate, however, simply using
your credit or debit card in an ATM. In large cities and towns you'll see an ATM on
nearly every block.
WHEN TO GO
Poland's climate is characterized by hot summers and dark, cold winters. Unless you're
heading to the Tatras to ski, avoid travel from January to March. Many of the attrac-
tions are closed for the season, and the cold and snow make getting around difficult.
Note that Kraków and Zakopane are both popular Christmas and New Year's destina-
tions and hotel prices rise accordingly. Summer brings good weather, but more crowds
as Poles take to the roads on their summer holidays. September and October are ideal
with fewer crowds and usually reliably good weather.
HOLIDAYS
January 1 (New Year's Day), Easter Sunday and Monday, May 1 (State Holiday), May
3 (Constitution Day), Corpus Christi (falls on 9th Thurs following Easter Sunday),
August 15 (Assumption), November 1 (All Saints' Day), November 11 (Independence
Day), and December 25 and 26 (Christmas Day). Offices, banks, museums, and
many stores are closed on holidays, though some stores and restaurants remain open.
GETTING THERE
BY PLANE Warsaw remains the major air gateway to Poland, with extensive connec-
tions throughout Europe, and some nonstop flights to North America. See Warsaw,
“Getting There,” below for more details. Kraków's Jan Pavel II Airport is also easy to
reach from nearly any large airport in Europe. The advent of low-cost budget carriers