Poland

Traveling

Passport and visa service: Consult the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs website.
Diplomatic representations: Consult the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs website.

Recommendation: Public transport is well developed in Poland. Buses (urban and suburban) operate all over the country, there are trams and night buses in the large urban centers and the Warsaw metro works from 5 am to midnight approximately. A taxi can be a good means of transport for getting around town. You usually order one by telephone from one of the many companies. Find out on the spot the telephone numbers for calling them (displayed on the roof or the side of taxis) and the different fares charged.
Maps of urban networks: Map of Warsaw public transport (in Polish)
Map of the Warsaw metro (in Polish)

Recommendation: The domestic fleet (LOT) is modern. In winter, provincial airports are often closed because of fog.
Rail companies: Polish Railway Company
Inter-regional transport
Regional transport
Warsaw's suburban trains

Recommendation: Polish roads are relatively dangerous especially because of the state they are in and general driving conditions (damaged roads, potholes, poor signposting, poor lighting, expressways crossing small towns, pedestrians and horses on the roads). Headlights must be on day and night from 1 October to 1 February.
Road maps: Road map (in Polish)
Map of Poland (in Polish)
Map of Poland (in Polish)
Find an itinerary: Map and itinerary search (in Polish)
Looking for an itinerary
Viamichelin

Historical: There are many historic monuments to visit: Wilanow Palace, The Castle and Cathedral of Wawel or Malbork Castle.
Cultural: Cinemas, theater, ballet and opera, art galleries and museums in the large towns, such as the Czartoryski Museum in Krakow.
Nature: Poland is known for its many parks and natural reserves.
Kampinos National Park
Bieszczady National Park
Bialowieza National Park
Slowinski National Park
Lazienki Park
Religious: In Poland there are a large number of churches, especially Catholic ones. There are also Orthodox places of worship.
The Jasna Gora Monastery (Czestochowa) is very well known.
Thermal: There are many thermal spas in Poland.
Beach: The northern front of the country is open to the Baltic sea. There are many seaside resorts and sand beaches along the coast. The lakes of Mazuria are also a favorite destination for their beaches and numerous water sports.
Winter sports: Cross country skiing and skating are practised almost all over the country.
Alpine skiing can be practised in some resorts in the south of the country, especially in Zakopane.
Outdoor activities: Fishing, hiking, white water activities and equestrian activities.
Shopping: Glass and enamelware, handwoven rugs, silverware, handmade jewellery with amber and silver, dolls in regional costumes, woodcarvings and clay and metal sculptures.

Top 10 highlights of the capital city
The Old Town (Stare Miasto)
Historical Museum
30th floor of the Palace of Culture and Science
The Warsaw Rising Museum
The manor where Frederic Chopin was born at Zelazowa Wola (53 km from Warsaw)
Lazienki Park and the many other parks
Wilanow Palace
10th Anniversary Stadium (Stadion Dziesięciolecia: the largest flea market in Europe)

Top 10 highlights of the country
National Parks (Kampinos, Bieszczady, Bialowieza, Slowinski)
Wieliczka Salt Mine
The Black Virgin of Czestochowa
Krakow (castle, cathedral, university, synagogue)
The Krakow Gate in Lublin
Auschwitz-Birkenau
The 1 000 lakes of Mazuria
The Tatras mountain range
The Pomeranian coast (Kolobrzeg, Leba)

Tourism organizations: Portal for tourist information in Poland
National tourist office

Health precautions: There are no requirements concerning vaccinations for international travel. Vaccination against Tick borne encephalitis (Ticovac) is recommended for outdoor stays (hiking, camping) and for professionals in rural areas especially in the North and the North-East of Poland (Russian and Byelorussian borders). To guard against traveler's diarrhea (Turista), it is advisable to avoid the highest risk foods: prepared dishes which are later eaten cold; seafood, meat, fish which are undercooked or badly cooked, and raw vegetables as well as fruits you have not peeled yourself.
International hospitals: The US embassy in Poland's list of health services.
For further information on sanitary conditions: Consult the WHO website
Consult the Institut Pasteur website
Consult the Guide du Routard website
For further information on safety conditions: The advice of the Canadian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The Current Travel Warmings of the American State Department
Information sheet on the website of the Swiss Confederation Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Time and time difference: It is %T:%M %A in Warsaw (GMT+1 in winter, GMT+2 in summer)
Summer time period: Summer time from March to October

Fuseau(x) horaire

Type of climate: The climate is half continental and half oceanic. Average annual rainfall is 600 mm. Average temperatures in January are 5°C and in June 24°C.

For further information: Consult the website of the Institute of Meteorology and Water Management

Climate

Culinary specialties: The most well known specialties in Poland are the following:
Barszcz : beetroot soup with small ravioli stuffed with mushrooms or meat.
Placki Ziemniaczane : potato fritters
Bigos : cabbage with pieces of meat, prepared over several days.
Szarlotka : apple cake sprinkled with cinnamon.
Makowiec : poppyseed cake
Drinks: Concerning drink and spirits, the Poles like vodka and beer very much; Zywiec, Okocim and EB are the most famous in Poland. There is no, or little, Polish wine, so it is preferable to buy foreign wines. Tea is an institution and coffee is sometimes drunk Turkish-style.
Dietary taboos: There are no dietary taboos in the country.

Domestic currency: Zloty
ISO Code: PLN
To obtain domestic currency
Possible means of payment: Places where you can pay in foreign currency are rare.
In shops, restaurants, hotels, and cafés payment is made in cash or by credit card.

Official language: The official language is Polish.
Other languages spoken: Polish belongs to the family of West Slavic languages (with Czech and Slovakian).
The most spoken foreign languages are German and English, but it is useful to know a few words of Polish to travel across the country, especially outside large urban areas.
Business language: According to the type of company you contact, the geographical location and the sector of activity, it may be difficult to find someone who speaks English. Insufficient knowledge of English and German often makes it necessary to bring in an interpreter. However, the new generations speak English more and more frequently.
Getting some knowledge: Consult the Expat In Poland website.
Free translation tools: Onet Portail de la Conaissance - On-line dictionary (English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Hebrew)
TravLang - On-line dictionary
Leksyka - On-line dictionary (English, German)