Stuff you need backpacking around Poland

The official language of Poland is Polish. Non-Polish speakers will find that most of the younger generation (35 and under), speak, or at least understand, English reasonably well. Since English is taught at a very young age (some start as early as 4 years old), only Poles who grow up in isolated towns or communities will not be given English lessons. Older Poles, however, especially those outside the main cities, will speak little or no English at all. Most people, however, will know German or Russian and can speak them more fluently, the latter more so being a Slavic language. A few phrases go a long way in Poland. Contrary to some other tourist cities where natives will often scoff at how bad a foreigner's use of the native language is, Polish people generally love it when foreigners learn Polish, even if it's only a few phrases. Younger Poles, however, will jump at the chance to practice their English as well. Do your homework and try to learn how to pronounce the names of places. Polish has a very regular pronunciation, so this shouldn't be a problem. Although there are a few sounds unknown to most English speakers, mastering every phoneme is not required to achieve intelligibility. It's rather about catching the spirit: practice asking for driving directions to Szczebrzeszyn. Poland's history has made it a very homogenous society today, in stark contrast to its long history of ethnoreligious diversity; almost 99% of the population today is ethnic Polish; before World War II it was only 69% with large minorities, mainly Ukrainians, Russians, and Germans and less than two-thirds Roman Catholic with large Orthodox and Protestant minorities as well as having the largest Jewish community in Europe that composed 10% of Poland's population of the time. Outside of the very touristy areas of the major cities, you'll find that there are few, if any, foreigners. Most of the immigrants in Poland (notably Ukranians and Vietnamese) stay in the major cities for work. Be advised that if you are heard speaking English in a public setting you will get looks; many people will listen in to practice their understanding of English. However, speaking English loudly in public also marks you immediately as a tourist, which can be dangerous in certain areas of the cities.

• There are Polish language schools in Łódź, Kraków, Wrocław and Warsaw.

Foreign visitors should be aware that almost all written and spoken information will usually be in Polish only. Tickets for buses and trains, public signs and information posters generally have no English on them. Even information displayed at museums, churches, etc. will usually only be in Polish, while important messages broadcast through loudspeakers at a railway station will not be followed by a translation.

Tipping For the most part, Polish restaurants and bars do not include gratuity in the total of the check, so you're server will be pleased if you leave them a tip along with the payment. On average, you should tip 10% of the total bill. If you tip 15% or 20%, you probably should have received excellent service. It is no longer difficult to avoid meat, with many restaurants offering at least one vegetarian dish. Also many major cities such as Warsaw, Kraków, Gdańsk, Łódź, Poznan, Szczecin and Wrocław have vegetarian restaurants, especially near the city center. If you want to eat cheaply, you should visit bar mleczny (milk bar). Bar mleczny is a typically Polish kind of a fast food restaurant. It was invented by the communist authorities of Poland in mid-1960s as a means to offer cheap meals to people working in companies that had no official canteen. Its name originates from the fact that until late 1980s the meals served there were mostly dairy-made and vegetarian (especially during the martial law period of the beginning of the 1980s, when meat was rationed). The milk-bars are usually subsidized by the state. Eating there is a unique experience - it is not uncommon that you will encounter people from various social classes - students, businessmen, university professors, elderly people, sometimes even homeless, all eating side-by-side in a 1970s-like environment. Presumably, it is the quality of food at absolutely unbeatable price (veggie main courses starting from €0.50!) that attracts people. Restaurants and other types of food service are generally inexpensive for those accustomed to price in Western Europe or the United States. Finer restaurants are on par with the best in those regions but cost two or three times less.

Poland is on the border of European "vodka" and "beer culture". Poles enjoy alcoholic drinks at least as much as other Europeans. You can buy beer, vodka and wine. Although Poland is known as the birth place of vodka, local beer seems to have much more appeal to many Poles. Another traditional alcoholic beverage is mead. Polish liqueurs and nalewka (alcoholic tincture) are a must mention. Officially, in order to buy alcohol one should be over 18 years old and be able to prove it with a valid ID (which is loosely enforced).

Beer

Poland's brewery tradition comes from far middle ages. Today Poland is one of TOP beer countries in Europe. Although not well known internationally, Poland traditionally sports some of the best pilsner-type lagers worldwide. The most common brands include:

• Lech (pronounced LEH)
• Żywiec (pronounced ZHIV-y-ets)
• Tyskie (pronounced TIS-kee)
• Okocim (pronounced oh-KO-cheem)
• Warka (pronounced VAR-kuh)
• Łomża (pronounced Uom-zha)
• Tatra
• Van Pur

Vodka

• Żubrówka - vodka with flavors derived from Bison Grass, from eastern Poland.
• Żołądkowa Gorzka - vodka with "bitter" (gorzka) in the name, but sweet in the taste. Just like Żubrówka, it's an unique Polish product and definitely a must-try.
• Żytnia - rye vodka
• Wyborowa
• Biała Dama

Deluxe (more expensive) brands include Chopin and Belvedere. Expect to pay about 100 złoty a bottle (2007 prices). Most Poles consider these brands to be "export brands", and usually don't drink them.

Wine

Poland does make a few quality wines around Zielona Góra, the Southeast, in the Beskids and Central Poland. You usually can buy them only at the places where they are produced or at wine festivals, like in Zielona Góra. There are also popular Polish fruit wines. They are sold in much of shops, also actively exported. As for imported wine, apart from the usual old and new world standards, there is usually a choice of decent table wines from Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania or Moldova available. It the winter time, many Poles drink "grzaniec"(loosely translated as something that warms), a beverage consisting of hot red wine, cloves, nutmeg, and ginger. It can also be made using beer, although wine is the most popular method.

Mead

Mead - Miód Pitny is a traditional and historical alcohol drink in Poland. Mead is brewed from honey and has excellent unusual taste similar to wine. Original Polish mead contain 13-20% alcohol.

Cocktails

Poles are very keen on beer and vodka, and you'll find that cocktails are often expensive but can be found in most bars in most major cities.

Tea and coffee

Throw stereotypes out the door. For Poles, one of the most important staples to quench their thirst is not wódka or beer, but rather tea and coffee. As such, you'll likely come across dozens and dozens of cafés. There aren't any Starbucks in Polamd, yet, but Poland does have its own version – Coffee Heaven [4], but, unfortunately, its coffee products can be a let down compared to the heavenly delights of Frappucinos. No worries, though, AmRest [5] is slated to start opening Starbucks in Eastern and Central Europe. For those that believe pouring boiling water on to a tea bag is the way to make a good cup of tea, beware! When ordered in a cafe or restaurant, it is common practice in Poland (and some other mainland European countries) to receive a cup of hot (not boiling) water, with a tea bag on the side. Perhaps also accompanied by a small carton of lemon juice. It is then the customer's job to make the tea. Add to this that the majority of tea bags are weaker than the UK equivalents, and this can be one area of Polish 'tradition' that the average UK tea drinker may be not be taken aback by. Still, fortunately, Poland has a great deal more to offer than this. For the most part, a good coffee can be had for 5 - 10 zł a cup, while a cup of tea can be purchase for the same, unless you happen to order a small kettle, in which case you'll probably pay something between 20 - 30 zł.

Water

Most Polish people will tell you not to drink the tap water in Poland, regardless of where you are. Almost all Poles drink bottled spring water or boil water to filter it. In some places (Warsaw) you can find "studnia oligoceńska" - a public deep-drilled well that serves water from Oligocene period - water from those should be safe to drink(boil it if unsure). Foreigners should note that drinking water with a meal is not a Polish tradition; you will almost always have to ask for water with your meal. Some Westerners will be surprised to discover that most Poles drink carbonated water, although non-carbonated bottled water is generally widely available. The phrase "woda niegazowana" ("non-carbonated water") works well. Poland is known for its mineral waters. You can buy it in every shop, or try real mineral water with salts in "pavilions of water" (Pijalnia wód) in mountain resorts, where this water is produced. For example, Szczawnica or Krynica.

Polish 100 zł banknote

Paying

The legal tender in Poland is the Polish złoty (zł, PLN). Poland is expected to adopt the common European currency Euro (€) in ca. 2010 but it can be used to pay in many bigger shops ("hypermarkets") even now. Remember to always check the conversion rates though!

• 1 zł (złoty, pl. złote (2, 3, 4, then 22, 23, and so), or złotych (5-21 then 25, 26 and so)) = 100 gr (grosz, pl. grosze or groszy as above)

Private exchange offices in Poland usually offer better rates than commercial banks. They are called Kantor and are very common, especially in places like railway stations. Be cautious about those in tourist hot-spots, such as the Warsaw Old Town, since they may overcharge. Plastic money can be used to pay almost everywhere in the big cities. Popular cards include Visa, Visa Electron, MasterCard and Maestro. AmEx and Diners' Club can be used in a few places (notably the big, business-class hotels) but are not popular and you should not rely on them for any payments. There is an extensive network of cash machines (ATMs). Cheques were never particularly popular in Poland and they are hardly used nowadays. You're likely to accumulate several hundred single grosz (1/100th of a złoty), while the grosz is legal tender some vendors and stores will refuse to accept them, but they have no problem giving you grosz as change. You'll want to be sure to always have larger groszy coins to satisfy the vendors that refuse the single grosz coin. Other vendors will seem to become irate if you cannot pay exact change.

Goods

It is illegal to export goods older than 55 years that are of ANY historic value. If you intend to do so you need to obtain a permit from the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage

Shopping

Super and hypermarkets Hypermarkets are dominated by western chains: Carrefour, Tesco, Auchan, Real. Usually located in shopping malls or suburbs. However Poles shop very often at local small stores for bread, meat ,fresh dairy, vegetables and fruits - goods for which freshness and quality is essential.