What you need to know before you go to Poland
Due to the pandemic Meet Me in Poland Tours were put on hold. However, any queries about travelling to Poland I will be there in August - September 2024 and would welcome your queries.
Do I need a visa for Poland?
Citizens of New Zealand can stay in Poland for up to 90 days without a visa. EU citizens do not need visas and can stay indefinitely. Poland is a member of the EU’s common border zone, the Schengen Area, and frontier crossings to neighbouring EU countries, including Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Lithuania, don't involve checks of passports or visas.
Border crossings into Belarus?
A 30-day visa-free regime is in place for most visitors as long as they arrive in and depart from Minsk National Airport. If arriving or departing by land, everybody needs a visa – unless you are targeting either Brest or Hrodna, the two visa-free zones, or if you're from Białowieża National Park. For stays longer than 30 days, everybody needs a visa.
What cash do they use in Poland?
The Polish currency is the złoty, abbreviated to zł and pronounced zwo-ti. It is divided into 100 groszy, which are abbreviated to gr. Banknotes come in denominations of 10zł, 20zł, 50zł, 100zł and 200zł, and coins in 1gr, 2gr, 5gr, 10gr, 20gr and 50gr, and 1zł, 2zł and 5zł. The złoty is a relatively stable currency, holding at around 4zł to €1 since 2010. Keep some small-denomination notes and coins for shops, cafes and restaurants – it can be a problem getting change for the 100zł and 200zł notes that ATMs often spit out.
Summer temperatures in Poland?
Poland’s weather during these months will vary from crisp cool mornings to a high temperature of up to 30c+. Its very changeable but we can expect sunny skies with maybe the odd rain cloud.
ATMs in Poland?
ATMs are everywhere in Polish cities and towns, and even the smallest hamlet is likely to have at least one. The majority accept Visa and MasterCard. Polish ATMs require a four-digit PIN code. Inform your bank before travelling abroad, to avoid having your card blocked by bank security when overseas transactions start appearing on your account. You'll often be given the choice to convert your ATM transaction to your home currency on the spot, but you'll get a better rate if you decline the option and choose 'Polish złoty'. Avoid Euronet ATMs, which give a much poorer rate of exchange than bank ATMs.
Is Poland a safe country to travel to?
Poland is ranked as one of the safest countries to travel in Europe. Like any tourist destination you will need to be careful but overall it is very safe.