Before going to the country it is always good to know some history and general knowledge about the place where are you going, not only for yourself but mainly for local people, especially in Poland which is the country that attached great importance to the history.
Believe me, this couple of fact will allow you to reach to many people in Poland.
Some fact about Poland
Poland is located in central Europe, remember that, I know what I’m saying. During one of my first visits in this country, I was talking with some locals about the great quality of vegetables and fruits and I say that it wasn’t surprising for me and I expect that in the Eastern Europe everything will be more natural and fresh. The person who I spoke to didn’t pay attention to the compliment about food, he only corrected me with a little anger on the face that Poland is placed in central Europe. The name Poland comes, most probably from Slavic tribe “Polania” who inhabited the area of today’s Wielkopolska – One of the biggest polish regions. You should also know that polish society is ethnically homogenous – over 97% of the citizens declare polish nationality. The only official language is Polish but doesn’t worry you won’t have a problem with communicating because a lot of people (especially young) can speak English and german. The last thing which is worth to know is the fact that over 90% of polish people are faithful Catholic so jokes about faith are definitely not welcome by the locals.
Traveling to and through Poland
Poland has couple big airports so you don’t have to worry about this part of a tour. For example in the capital city – Warsaw, or other big cities like a Gdansk – on the north of the country, Cracow on the south or Poznan on the western part of the country. Transfers from the airport to the city center is also easy, you can choose the bus, or book your transfer online for example at Quicktransfer. If you are planning for example a trip through Cracow (which is the most beautiful city in Poland) you can always use discovercracow.com. Some problems can appear when you are trying to move from one city to another – it can be time-consuming because travel by train from north to south can take you from 6 to 9 hours, so be prepared for this. You can always rent a car and be partly independent but remember that Poland is a pretty big country.
Accommodation
Poland has no difference between other countries in western Europe. If you are looking a really cheap accommodation you can check a couple of sites which can offer Couchsurfing, yes this kind accommodation is also present in Poland and it can be a great chance not only to save some money but also meet some local people. Of course, you can also book a five-star luxury hotel in every bigger city or cheap hostel, it all depends on you. Every kind of accommodation you can book via Booking.com
Couple of words about climate
I Heard a lot of myths about climate in Poland and I hope that this short paragraph denotes all stupid rumors about a climate of Poland. First of all, let’s look at the map Poland is placed in the middle of Europe. Poles are not living in the North Pole. It is located in the transitional zone between oceanic and continental climate. So taking all these things into consolidations prepare for hot summers over 30 degrees and cold winters (but not as cold as myths say) -15 degrees it’s rather the lowest temperature which can you expect, of course, if you do not go to the mountains placed on the south of the country.
Prepare your stomach
I’m a big fan of polish traditional cuisine, I’m sure that you have an opportunity to heard about Pierogi (dumplings) with a potato, cheese, fruits or ground meat filling. Or about polish bread and sausages. Believe me, quality of the products is really good especially in comparison with things which I have to opportunity to eat every day, fruits and vegetables are really juicy and full of taste. You should also prepare for the fact that if you meet some locals they will invite you to their home, and you can be sure they will not entertain you only with tea. I’m pretty sure that there will be waiting for you a table with a lot of dishes and remember it is really rude to refuse to try them all. So be prepared for some extra pounds after your trip.
Avoid this
First of all, when you will be in the big city it will be hard to avoid tasting some polish nightlife. During the party remember two important things you can’t walk through the street with the bottle of alcohol it is illegal and you will get a penalty or in the best scenario instruction from the local police. Tip number two, also connected with the party, if you are from the western part of the Europe or from the US don’t even think to take a part in some competition connected with drinking alcohol you will probably lose before the locals will warm up, believe me, I know what I’m saying. When I was talking about Polish food I mentioned about the hospitality of the Polish people. There are two basic rules about behavior in the polish home. When someone invites you don’t come with empty hands, bring some cake, chocolate or alcohol and hand the gift to the female head of the family. And don’t forget to take your shoes off when you came into a polish house.
This was just a few of bits of advice based on my recent visit to this charming country, I hope that I interested you to visit this country and my tips will be useful in your journey.
