Warsaw Life and Visitor Travel Tips

(Warsaw, Mazowieckie, Poland)

Since the Warsaw of today now enjoys high levels of tourism and business, much of city life is based around welcoming visitors to the city, with plenty of choice in the way of places to stay and eat. There are a number of free tourist magazines, which are published every month and these are worth finding during your trip to Poland, such as the 'Welcome to Warsaw', the 'What, Where and When', and also the 'What's Up in Warsaw'.

These magazines are all extremely popular and helpful, being filled with information about the latest cultural events, reviews of clubs and restaurants, and much more besides. The city's tourist offices also provide a number of handy pocket-sized booklets free of charge, which may well be of interest and include the 'Visitor'.

Useful Contact Details

The Warsaw Tourist Office operates a number of separate outlets, which are located around the city centre, within major transport hubs, such as the Main Hall of the Central Railway Station. Further tourist information can be found at Warszawa Zachodnia Bus Terminal, and also at the Frederic Chopin Airport itself. These offices provide a hotel booking service, maps, travel guides and various free brochures, such as the ever-popular 'Warsaw in Short' booklet. They are also good places to purchase the Warsaw Tourist Card, which provides free travel on public transport and discounts for many attractions, although do first consider if you are going to be using it enough to make worthwhile savings.

Tourist Information Centres (Centrum Informacji Turystycznej)

• Address: 39 Krakowskie Przedmiescie Street, Warsaw, Poland, PL
  Tel: +48 022 9431
  Website: www.warsawtour.pl
  Email: info@warsawtour.pl
  Open hours: daily, May to September - 09:00 to 20:00; October to April - 09:00 to 18:00
• Address: Central Railway Station, Main Hall, Al. Jerozolimskie 54, Warsaw, Poland, PL
  Open hours: daily, May to September - 08:00 to 20:00; October to April - 08:00 to 18:00
• Address: Warsaw Frederic Chopin Airport (Terminal 1 Arrivals), Ulica Zwirki i Wigury 1, Warsaw, Poland, PL
  Open hours: daily, May to September - 08:00 to 20:00; October to April - 08:00 to 18:00
• Address: Warsaw Frederic Chopin Airport (Etiuda Terminal), Ulica Zwirki i Wigury 1, Warsaw, Poland, PL
  Open hours: daily, May to September - 08:00 to 20:00; October to April - 08:00 to 18:00

Warsaw Tourist and Cultural Information Centre
Address: Palace of Culture and Science, Plac Defilad, Warsaw, PL-00110, Poland, PL
Tel: +48 022 656 6854
Open hours: Monday to Friday - 09:00 to 17:00, Saturday and Sunday - 09:00 to 15:00

Language and Dialect

The official language of Warsaw is Polish, although many Poles do also speak English, French and German to some degree, particularly those who are involved with commerce or in the tourist industry. Polish is actually classed as a West Slavic language and simple phrases are easy to pick up and will enhance your stay in Warsaw. Some useful Polish phrases include:

• Where can I find a guesthouse? - Gdzie moge znalezc pensjonat?
• Can I use a credit card to pay? - Czy moge zaplacic karta kredytowq?
• How must is it? - Ile to kosztuje?
• Please - Prosze
• Thank you - Dziekuje
• Excuse me - Przepraszam
• Does anyone speak English? - Czy pan mówi po angielsku?
• I understand - Rozumiem
• I do not understand - Nie rozumiem

Dos and Don'ts / Tourist Traps

• Hotel Taxis - whilst many of the more upmarket hotels in Warsaw do run their own convenient taxi fleets, you can expect to pay almost double what a reputable local taxi would charge you
• Paying Taxis - lots of taxis often say that they have no 'small money' and therefore will not be able to offer you change. Pre-empt this and make sure that you have change yourself, so that you don't end up paying over the odds
• Pickpockets - an increasing number of pickpockets in Warsaw are now operating on the buses from the airport (bus no. 175), and also at the Central Train Station, so always be extra vigilant and careful with your money and valuables
• Plan Ahead - prepare in advance before your actual holiday in Warsaw, deciding the best places to see and how to get there. Planning ahead will often avoid you wasting time and money
• Public Transport - when using public transport in Warsaw, don't forget to validate you ticket in the machines provided, so that you can be safe from the many ticket inspectors that often target tourists
• Street Entertainers - before you take a photograph of costumed street entertainers, be aware that you will likely be expected to cough up for the privilege