Travel Tips for Poland

Part of the experience of finding your way around a new country is doing your daily shopping, and the cost of foodstuffs is

comparatively cheap in Poland reflecting lower income levels. The dreaded Tesco have carved out a significant presence with supermarkets in many Polish towns and cities around the

country. Similarly you will find a number of supermarkets operated by other western supermarket chains (Carrefour, LeClerks, Kaufland, Lidl, Intermarché). All offer a good range of choice but are more expensive. Even more ubiquitous are the smaller Biedronka (Ladybird) Polish supermarkets although these offer less choice

Every village has a sklep spożywczy (grocery shop), and some towns have a vegetable market (targ) usually still held in the town's rynek (market square).

There was no difficulty anywhere in Poland with supermarkets or garages refusing to accept payment by credit card. Similarly you trip over ATMs every few paces in every town, city or supermarket foyer, so obtaining cash in Polish złotys is problem-free.

	TRAVEL TIPS FOR POLAND
	Entry formalities and Health	Campsites in Poland
	Camping cards, Camping Gaz and Internet	Guidebooks and maps for Poland
	Driving in Poland	Supermarkets, credit cards and ATMs
	Beers of Poland	Review of Polish campsites
	Bottom of Page	Return to Index Page

CAMPSITES in POLAND: Top of page	Campsites: there is a ready availability of campsites ll across Poland (kemping or the more basic pole-namiotowe). Many however are still relatively straightforward, having evolved from chalet-huts (chaty) encampments which provided cheap holiday accommodation dating back to the Communist era. Some campsites still have chaty, now looking rather woe-begone, but still used; other campsites form an annexe to hotels, pensions or leisure complexes. Even in the less visited parts of the country, it is still possible to find campsites, albeit of variable standards. We toured the whole country in June~September 2010 and our experience of campsites is summarised in our Campsites Review which also includes campsite GPS coordinates to help with location: Review of Polish campsites We attach great significance to the attitude shown on arrival, and standards of hospitality are variable. There is no national accreditation process for campsites and despite the transition to market economy since 1990, commercial competitiveness seems to have made variable impact. Where campsites were private or family-run, campsite owners generally were hospitably welcoming and helpful; at larger sites however, employed staff tended to show casual or indifferent attitudes clearly indicating no awareness of the link between levels of hospitality shown towards guests and commercial success/failure, and therefore their job security. With some notable exceptions, many of the sites we experienced had fairly basic or old-fashioned standards of facilities, but generally were clean with hot water, and many had cooking facilities (common in Eastern Europe) with wash-ups (kuchnia lit. kitchen). Websites listing Polish campsites: the most useful web sites we found to help with pre-trip planning were: Polish Camping Federation Rento-camp - Campsites in Poland Camperpark Poland Camping-Info Poland Pola-Namiotowe campsite listing The Polish Camping Federation does not operate any form of quality-assuring accreditation and inclusion in their listing is no indication of standards. Their campsite numbering system does seem to be observed nationally and has been included in our Campsite Review. They also publish a 1:750k map with location, details and GPS coordinates of Polish campsites, which can be picked up free of charge at many campsites, but not obtainable from their web site. The Dutch camping organisation ACSI web site selectively lists its favoured sites and includes the Google mapping facility as a helpful means of pinning down a campsite's location (NB not always reliably accurate). ACSI accreditation however does not guarantee acceptable standards: some of our lowest rated sites were ACSI recognised, which certainly says something about its dubious value. They also tend to attract hoards of noisy Dutch caravaners in August - be warned. ACSI - Poland Campsite opening dates: the camping season is quite short with campsites opening from April/May to September; there are a few sites open all-year-round. Campsite prices: prices charged varied enormously and generally reflected the greed of the owners rather than the standards offered, with the most reasonable prices at campsites graded at 2 stars or less. The cost of living in the Poland (reflecting much lower income levels) still represents remarkably good value by our inflated West European standards. Expect to pay between 40zł and 60zł (with the £-sterling exchange rate at around 4.5zł, this translates as £8.80 and £13.33) for a night's camp (2 adults, pitch for camper plus electricity), although in August the more elaborate sites will charge considerably more. In our Campsites Review, we give the nightly charge we paid; prices may include a local tourist tax. Wild-camping: in the more remote and hilly areas, with awareness of potential security issues and basic common sense and courtesy, wild-camping is certainly practicable though with the number of reasonably priced campsites, rarely necessary.

CAMPING CARD INTERNATIONAL (CCI):	The Camping Card International (CCI - Camping Carnet) is a worthwhile small investment; it only costs £5.50, lasts for a year and, if you are an AA or RAC member, can be bought through Camping Organisations like the Caravan Club. It gives a degree of camping insurance, and since it also carries passport details, you can offer it to campsites in place of your passport during your stay. But on leaving, always ensure you have been given back the right card! More importantly, many Polish campsites are prepared to offer a discount on production of a CCI; always make sure you ask for a discount.

CAMPING GAZ IN POLAND:	Simple answer - there is none! Camping Gaz is unavailable in Poland and we failed to find any opportunity to exchange Camping Gaz 907 cylinders; there may be semi-legitimate sources of re-filling empty cylinders at gas supply outlets if you are really desperate. It is essential therefore to take sufficient for your planned period of stay in the country.