For those who intend to travel around Poland, the best time to go is late spring
or early autumn, when temperatures are usually pleasantly warm – although
recently the weather in Poland has become quite unpredictable. At that time of
year, tourist spots are not as crowded as during the long summer holiday period
when coastal, lakeside and mountain resorts are packed with holiday visitors.
Big cities, by contrast, are noticeably quieter in summer, so that moving around
is easier and more relaxing. Summer is also when theatres close for the holiday
break. After the summer holiday season, many guesthouses, hotels, clubs and
restaurants in coastal resorts and other popular lakeside spots close. The
skiing season runs from the end of November to mid-March.

Finding an information centre can be really difficult. Even in a big town, there
is usually only one such centre. Their telephone numbers and addresses are
listed in this guidebook, next to the name of each location. Tourist information
centres provide professional advice, sell information bulletins and,
occasionally, albums and books on the history of the town or region. Sometimes,
information centres are found in railway stations.

For enquiries about accommodation, tickets and trains, Orbis agencies are
preferable. Hotel employees may also be able to assist in providing essential
tourist information if other sources fail.

Details of opening times for most galleries and museums mentioned in this
content are given here. Generally, museums are open from
Tuesday to Saturday, usually from 9am to 3 or 4pm. Entrance charges tend to be
quite reasonable. An extra charge may be made for admission to the more
elaborate temporary exhibitions. In some institutions, admission is free on one
day of the week.

As in many Catholic countries, visitors to churches are expected to be
appropriately dressed. Sleeveless shirts and shorts, exposing bare arms and
legs, are unacceptable.

Churches were once open from dawn to dusk, but crime has changed this. In big
cities, churches are usually open all day, although visitors are generally not
welcome during services. In small towns and villages, churches are likely to be
locked; the priest may agree to let visitors in. Admission to churches is
usually free.

All renovated or newly erected public buildings have ramps or lifts that have
been installed especially for the convenience of disabled people. Even so,
disabled people are quite likely to encounter difficulties. Only in a minority
of cities, such as Gdańsk or Gdynia, do most of the shops have proper wheelchair
access.

Sightseeing is a much more significant problem, since old churches, palaces and
historic residences are, more likely than not, inaccessible to disabled
people.

It is also worth noting that driving motorized wheelchairs along pavements can be
highly problematical on account of parked cars. New buses, by contrast, are an
unquestionable plus. Routes served by low-floor buses specially designed for
wheelchairs are marked on timetables. There are also special taxis for disabled
people. In general, disabled facilities in Poland continue to improve.

A valid passport is required for admittance to Poland. For most European, and for
many non-European, nationals, visas are not a requirement. However, check with
the Polish embassy for entry requirements. Personal items may be brought into
the country, but it is important to remember that limits are imposed on the
import and export of alcohol and cigarettes. Guns brought into Poland and
antiques exported from the country need a special permit. Gifts worth up to 150
Euros may be imported duty free.

Poland has a lively programme of cultural events that take place throughout the
year. Local bulletins providing information on upcoming events are useful when
planning a visit to a particular city or an itinerary in a certain area.

Local newspapers are another reliable source of information. Very useful is the
Friday edition of Gazeta Wyborcza , which contains a local
supplement, What’s on? , giving details of cultural events.
Newspapers also provide information on all regional events taking place in the
week to come. The foreign-language edition of What, Where,
When , which is regularly issued in big cities, is especially aimed at
foreign visitors.

Anyone who has an International Student’s Card (ISIC) – and this should be
obtained before arrival in Poland – is entitled to reduced admission to museums
and cheaper accommodation in international student hostels, which operate during
the summer holiday season. ISIC cardholders are also entitled to cheaper travel
on international routes.

Within Poland, local authorities determine whether or not ISIC cards are valid
for reduced fares on buses. In Warsaw, foreign students up to the age of 26 are
entitled to half-fare tickets, while secondary school pupils receive a 48 per
cent discount. The International Youth Hostel Federation (IYHF) allows reduced
charges for young travellers. Detailed information on student rates is available
from the tourist agency Almatur. Holders of Euro<26 cards will obtain
lower prices in many shops, pizzerias, bars and cultural institutions, so it is
definitely worth the effort to procure a card before travelling.

In terms of nationality, Poland is a very uniform country, so that Polish is
spoken everywhere. Because Polish is a western Slavonic language, it is usually
possible to communicate with Poles quite easily in other Slavonic languages. The
older sector of the population, however, is less likely to speak English, so
that it is useful – as well as courteous – to master a few basic words and
phrases. All those professionally involved in the tourist trade speak good, or
at least adequate, English. German and French are much less widely spoken.

Over 90 per cent of Poles are Roman Catholic. Although Poles generally attach
much importance to religion, most do not have a dogmatic attitude. Symbols and
rituals are deeply rooted, as is evidenced by the wayside shrines and solitary
crosses seen everywhere. Religious holidays are solemnly observed, and the cult
of the Virgin Mary is particularly strong. Eastern Poland has a large Orthodox
minority, while Silesian Cieszyn has many Augsburg Protestants. The places of
worship of other religions and Christian denominations can be found in big
cities. Visits to Catholic churches are often forbidden during services. On
weekdays these take place in the morning and evening. On Sundays and religious
holidays, visits are possible only during the short break between services in
the early afternoon. On certain feast days, such as Corpus Christi, processions
wind through the streets, and traffic problems can be expected.

Poland maintains diplomatic relations with most foreign countries, and these
countries have their embassies in Warsaw. The United States and certain European
countries also have consulates in Poland. In the case of serious problems, such
as the loss of a passport, the relevant embassy or consulate will provide
help.

The modernization of public toilets is one of the most conspicuous changes in
Poland since the fall of Communist rule in 1989. Although the provision of
public toilets still leaves something to be desired, they can be found in
offices, railway stations, museums, galleries and restaurants. Most petrol
stations also have customer toilets.

In Poland, the electric voltage is 220 V. Plugs are of the two-pin type, as is
the case in most continental European countries.

Poland is in the Central European Time Zone, one hour ahead of Greenwich Mean
Time. Summer time, two hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time, applies from 21 March
to 21 September.

Photographic film is widely available in Poland. It can be speedily developed in
numerous film processing centres, where the service is a little cheaper than in
Western Europe. With a few exceptions, photography inside churches is permitted.
Some museums do not allow photography, while others only forbid the use of
flash. In places where photography is allowed, filming with a camcorder is also
usually permitted, although a small fee sometimes applies.

The mainstream foreign newspapers are available in most hotel shops and in some
bookshops and newsgents, as well as EMPiK (International Book and Press Club)
centres, which can be found in big cities. Among the most highly respected
Polish national newspapers are Gazeta Wyborcza  and Rzeczpospolita. Fakt , at the more populist end of the market,
also has a large circulation. The largest advertisement sections are to be found
in Gazeta Wyborcza  and local newspapers.

Outside Warsaw, where the major national newspapers are published, the local
press is the most popular. Gazeta Wyborcza , however, also
enjoys nationwide popularity on account of the local supplements that are folded
into the main national newspaper. These are issued in several regions of Poland.
Newspapers and magazines in the English language are also available. The most
prominent include The Warsaw Voice  and Warsaw
Business Journal . For cultural information, the anglophone leader in
its field is What, Where, When .

The most popular television channels are the state-owned channels 1 and 2 (TVP1
and TVP2) and the commercial networks Polsat and TVN. There are also many local
and satellite channels, received through cable or digital television. Of the
national radio stations, Radio Zet, which broadcasts pop music (107.5 FM) and
RMF FM (91.0 FM) are the most popular. Interesting music programmes are
broadcast on Trójka, Polish Radio 3 (98.8 MHz). Polish Radio 1 (223 kHz, 92.0
FM) and Radio 2 (102.4 FM) also have a large following. Polish Radio 1 has a
programme that runs between mid-summer’s day and 31 August from 9am to noon
called “Lato z Radiem”, Summer with the Radio . During this
programme, the news and weather is broadcast on the hour in five foreign
languages, including English. Local radio stations are based in every big
city.