MONEY AND EXCHANGE OF CURRENCYThe Polish obligatory currency is the polish zloty (PLN). On the market there are banknotes with nominals: 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 PLN, and coins: 1, 2 and 5 PLN, and also 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 gr. The Grosz is one hundreth of zloty.
The most safe places to exchange currencies are banks. Banks are open from Monday to Friday (average 9.00 to 17.00), and some of them on Saturdays (till 13.00). Better courses are offered in currency exchange offices. It is discouraged to exchange the currencies in hotels (low courses and high manipulative charges).
SOME POLISH PRICES 1GBP = 5,7 PLZ
| ITEM | PRICE |
small bottle of beer | 1 ₤ |
movie ticket | 3 ₤ |
litre of milk | 0,30 p |
tent site in camping ground | 5 ₤ |
English/Polish newspaper | 1-2 ₤ |
dormitory bed in average hostel | 8 ₤ |
3* hotel room (2 beds) | 30 ₤ |
litre of vodka | 5 ₤ |
taxi (5 miles) | 5 ₤ |
average meal price (restaurant) | 5-10 ₤ |
BEER OR / AND VODKA
Polish beer (piwo), like German or Czech, has a good name and many of
the breweries have been in business for centuries. It comes in a number
of local brands, the best include Zywiec, Okocim, Warka and Tyskie.
Beer is readily available in shops, cafes, bars, pubs and restaurants -
virtually everywhere.
Depending on the class of the
establishement, a half-litre bottle of Polish beer will cost anything
from one to two euros. The retail price is around half euro. You’ll get
beer at pub for about 1 ₤. It is very popular to mix beer with
raspberry or black currant juice (piwo z sokiem) and drinking it using
a straw (this is common for women).
Vodka consumption is a bit on the wane but still Polish vodka comes in many varieties.
Of
the high-quality vodkas, the most original is ‘Żubrówka’ Bison Brand
Vodka. It is flavored with grass from the Bialowieza forest on which
the bison feed. In every bottle you'll find a blade of grass straight
from the Białowieża Forest. No other vodka has such an unique taste.
It's socially accpeted to drink it with a dash of apple juice.
Chopin
vodka is a single-ingredient, pure vodka, distilled from 100% organic
potatoes grown in the Podlasie region. Due to its low level of
industrialization, this area is one of the healthiest most fertile
agricultural regions in Europe.
A half-litre bottle of Zubrowka
costs less than five euro in a shop (Chopin 0.75l sells for around 15
euro), but in restaurants it can double or even triple the price. There
are hundreds of drinks based on vodka available at pubs. Prices: from 2
to 6 ₤.
