Poland

Activities

     Practical Poland

Where To Stay

The number of hotels has increased in recent years, mainly due to foreign investment. Young visitors often can stay in student dormitories during vacation time.

Numerous castles, palaces and mansions have opened to tourists in recent years and offer stylish interiors and delicious Polish specialties.

Transportation

Arriving & Departing: Nonstop flights from the U.S. serve Kraków as well as Warsaw's new Okeücie Airport. A shuttle bus, called Airport City, goes to major Warsaw hotels for approximately $5. Taxi fare from the airport is about $20; it is adivisable to determine the fare beforehand.

Getting Around: In major cities, buses and streetcars are approximately 35 cents. Warsaw's new 11-mile subway line operates 19 hours a day.

The Polrail Pass offers unlimited first- or second-class travel. Passes are available for eight, 15, 21 or 30 days of travel. Prices range from $65 to $160, with an additional charge for reserved sleeper seats or couchettes and reduced-rate Junior Passes. For information, contact Orbis at 800-TO-POLAND. The railway also participates in the European East Pass. See the chart on page 36.

In addition to frequent trains connecting cities within Poland (including new InterCity expresses, which serve complimentary snacks), there are many trains to other European points, including new EuroCity expresses to Berlin.

Holidays

New Year’s Day, Easter Sunday and Monday (Mar. 30 and 31), Constitution Day (May 3), Corpus Christi (May 29), Assumption Day (Aug. 15), All Saints Day (Nov. 1), National Independence Day (Nov. 11), Christmas and Dec. 26.

Money Matters

Money Picture

Banking hours are weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The zloty is divided into 100 groszy. The currency was revalued in 1995. Old banknotes and coins can no longer be used, but they may be exchanged at banks for new currency. $1 = 2.85 PLZ, as of Dec. 2, 1996.

Free Literature

For information:

Polish National Tourist Office
275 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10016
Tel: (212) 338-9412
Fax: (212) 338-9283

Visit our web page at: http://www.polandtour.org

Or e-mail us at: pntonyc@polandtour.org