Poland Travel Guide

Practical Info

Culture and etiquette

Religion

The majority of Polish people identify as Roman Catholic, with over a quarter attending mass every week.

Tipping

No one's going to force you to tip in Poland, but around 10% to 15% is very much appreciated for good service.

Smoking

Smoking is banned in enclosed public spaces, including shops and public transport. However, smoking is allowed in cafes, bars, clubs, restaurants and other public places as long as it's in a separate, well-ventilated room. So smoking rooms are quite common.

Language

The official language of Poland is, believe it or not, Polish. English is pretty widely spoken in the country so you shouldn't have too much trouble speaking to locals, but it might be worth learning a few handy phrases to help you along the way. Locals will appreciate it too.

Be warned – there are 32 letters in the Polish alphabet compared to the 23 in English. Don't worry, we'll help out with pronunciations...

Hello – Cześć (cheshch)

Excuse me – Przepraszam (psheh-prah-shahm)

Yes – Tak (tak)

No – Nei (nyeh)

Please – Proszę (proh-sheh)

Thank you – Dziękuję (dyen-koo-yeh)

Do you speak English? – Czy mówisz po angielsku? (tu moh-viez poh an-gel-skoh)

How much? – Ile? (eel-eh)

Where is? – Gdzie jest? (gd-yest)

• One – Jeden (yeden)
• Two – Dwa (d-vah)
• Three – Trzy (t-seh)
• Four – Cztery (ts-ta-reh)
• Five – Pięć (pee-ench)
• Six – Sze?? (seh-shch)
• Seven – Siedem (sheh-dem)
• Eight – Osiem (oshem)
• Nine – Dziewięć (jeh-vee-ench)
• Ten – Dziesięć (jeh-sench)

Goodbye – Do widzenia (doh vid-zenyah)

Jabs, visas and other advice

For up-to-date advice on jabs, visas and other foreign advice, we recommend following the government's website.

Emergency numbers

For fire call 998, police call 997 and call 999 if you need an ambulance.

What's the weather like in Poland?

Poland has four distinct seasons not too dissimilar to the UK. Think mild weather and blossoming flowers in spring, fairly hot summers, then a crisp and sunny autumn followed by cold winters.

The mountains get a lovely blanket of snow in the winter that's perfect for skiing. Head there between December and April for all things winter sports, or to laze on the beach (yes, beach holidays to Poland are a thing) head up to the Polish Riviera in summer – Sopot, Gydnia and Gdańsk will do the trick.

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Getting to Poland

It takes about two and a half hours to fly from London to Kraków, and you'll get to both Warsaw and Gdańsk even quicker. Perfect for a city break if you ask us.

If you wanted to cut down your air miles, you can also get there by train. Just catch the Eurostar from London to either Berlin or Brussels, stop off for a bratwurst or a Flemish stew, then when you're ready head on over to Kraków, Warsaw or wherever else takes your fancy.

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Getting around Poland

One way to get around is by hiring a car, which you can pick up at the airport. Conditions can be tricky though, especially in the countryside, so try to avoid driving at night and stick to major roads if you can.

Or, trains connect most major cities and are pretty reliable. Consider getting an InterRail or Eurail pass if you plan on travelling around a bit.

Sticking to the city? Major ones are well served by buses, trams and metros so you shouldn't have much trouble getting from A to B. Taxis are available too, just make sure to avoid unlicensed 'pirate' taxis.

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