Despite its tumultuous past, Poland is home to both friendly and welcoming citizens as well as beautiful landscapes. It’s an easily accessible country from France (about 2 hours by plane), but our lack of knowledge about the culture, customs, and traditions may hold us back from visiting this country, which is a real shame.
That’s why we’ve put together some interesting (and hopefully useful) information about Poland. We’ll talk about history, religion, behaviors, rules, and more. Who knows, maybe you’ll learn something new, and it might even inspire you to visit Poland.
Literally! Poland is the most central country in Europe, alongside Germany (which we talk about in more detail in this article: 10 Things to Know Before Traveling to Germany). It’s a Central European country, not an Eastern European one, as many say. In fact, this idea annoys Poles, so be careful not to use it in their presence, especially since Eastern Europe, beyond the geographical aspect, is a geopolitical concept dating back to World War II.
Now that we’ve cleared that up, it’s also important to note that Poland has been part of NATO since 1999 and joined the European Union in 2004. However, the country has chosen not to enter the Eurozone and has kept its local currency, the Złoty (PLN). As of August 2023, the exchange rate is 1€ = 4.47 PLN.
The cost of living in Poland and local purchasing power are lower than in France, so you can indulge while you're there.
You can eat for €5 at lunchtime and €15 for dinner, stay in hotels for less than €50 or €60 a night, and diesel is €1.42/L in August 2023 (compared to €1.83/L in France).
It’s sometimes possible to pay in euros, but that’s rare, and the exchange rate may not be favorable. We recommend withdrawing cash from an ATM (watch out for withdrawal fees) or paying by card (which is accepted almost everywhere now!).
In either case, to avoid fees, we suggest you prepare by bringing a card with no foreign withdrawal or payment fees. That’s the case with our Visa Ultim card from BoursoBank, which we’ve had since our European tour, and it’s really convenient. It’s free and has no fees. Plus, if you open an account with our referral code SILE2464 or through the link below, you’ll receive a bonus of €80 to €220 (depending on the current offer and conditions met).
No surprise here, Polish is the national language of the country. It’s a Slavic language written in the Latin alphabet but with accents all over the place, on both vowels and consonants: ą, ć, ę, ł, ń, ó, ś, ż, ź.
Today, despite a history that tried to erase its culture, Polish is the second most spoken Slavic language in the world after Russian.
Poles are also quite good at languages (especially the younger generation) and speak very good English, Russian, Spanish, Italian, and even French! So you should have no trouble being understood during your stay.
One of the main reasons for the first point in this article (about Poles not liking their country being referred to as part of Eastern Europe) is the country’s history.
Just to remind those who missed it or forgot their history lessons: Poland was wiped off the map for over 120 years at the start of World War II (in 1939).
The country was annexed by Nazi Germany and the USSR, who then divided the country between them in a “treaty of delimitation and friendship,” forcing the Polish government to flee the country.
A mix of the German Gestapo (in the West) and the Soviet NKVD or Red Army (in the East) took control of the territory at first to fight the Polish Resistance (whose government was in exile).
In 1941, Nazi Germany broke the non-aggression pact with the USSR and invaded the Soviet-occupied zone.
By 1943, all of Poland was under German control.
During this occupation, the Nazis used Polish territory to expand their ghettos, concentration camps, and extermination camps. 20% of the Polish population was murdered in one way or another (purges, massacres, Holocaust by bullets, deportations, etc.).
So, it’s no surprise that today, Poles don’t like being associated with Eastern Europe.
Yes, that’s right! Just because Auschwitz was a Nazi extermination camp doesn’t mean it was in Germany. Given the previous point, you now understand why the infamous Auschwitz-Birkenau camp is located in Poland. And in fact, all the extermination camps of that time (six in total: Auschwitz, Majdanek, Chelmno, Belzec, Treblinka, and Sobibor) were built on Polish soil.
The reasons for their location:
Today, visiting one of these camps, their museums, or memorials is possible. The most famous is Auschwitz (Oświęcim in Polish), as it was the largest (with three different camps) and the deadliest, with over 1 million people (Jews, Romani, prisoners of war, homosexuals, etc.) murdered.
Official Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum Website: www.auschwitz.org
Réservations : visit.auschwitz.orgYou must book in advance to enter the site. However, you have the option of a self-guided tour (free, but only available after 5 p.m.) or a guided tour (paid, and the time depends on the language). We recommend the guided tour option.
For a guaranteed French-speaking tour (usually at the same price, depending on the exchange rate of the złoty), you can book through Civitatis: www.civitatis.com/owicim
Despite this difficult past, you won’t feel it at all today. Poles, though they may seem reserved at first, are actually quite welcoming and warm. So don’t hesitate to make the first move and talk to them—they will be happy to help or chat with you.
In fact, the people of the country have retained a strong sense of hospitality, rooted in their traditions, where it was important to welcome travelers into one’s home: "Guest in the house, God in the house," as one of their proverbs goes.
Poland is a country with a diverse landscape.
This is quite contradictory to the very name of the country "Poland," which literally means "land of plains."
But once you look beyond this contradiction, you'll realize the country has a lot to offer:
However, it’s good to know that in terms of weather, Poland has very hot summers (up to 40°C) and cold winters (down to -20°C). It’s important to be aware of this before booking your trip. If you're looking for temperate temperatures, it’s best to visit in the off-season (spring or autumn).
If you want to travel across the country and rent a car, you can check and book directly on DiscoverCars. The platform compares hundreds of offers to find the best prices and conditions. With them, there are no hidden fees, and you'll also get unlimited mileage, theft protection, and partial coverage included in the base price.
Poland is a very religious country. 84% of its population identifies as believers, with 42% being active Catholics (source: CBOS,2021). This is a high figure, especially when compared to France, where 51% of people don’t believe in God (source: IFOP, pour l'Association des journalistes d'information sur les religions, août 2021).
Poland is among the most religious countries in Europe, along with Romania, which has 91% of believers. You can learn more about this country in our article: 10 things to know before traveling to Romania.
However, the downside to this is that the acceptance of sexual minorities isn’t as high as in other European countries. In Poland, only 29% of citizens support same-sex marriage (source: sondage CBOS, 2019),compared to 59% of French people who approve of marriage for all (source: Statista opinion survey, 2021).
Even though Poles are used to eating very early (11 AM for lunch and 6-7 PM for dinner), restaurants (especially in Warsaw, the capital) are usually open all day, from 11 AM to 10 PM. However, note that 10 PM is the closing time for restaurants, not the latest time to accept a customer.
Speaking of restaurants, it’s good to know that service is generally not included in the bill, and it’s customary to leave a tip between 10% and 15% of the total.
Sometimes, the tip is included, and in that case, if you pay in cash and say "thank you" or "dziękuję" (thank you in Polish, pronounced [djinkuya]) to the server while paying, it means they can keep the change.
Additionally, it’s important to note that the table is a sacred place for Poles! It’s where people gather and "toast to friendship and good fortune." So, avoid standing on a table during an overly drunken evening, for example!
Much like its neighbor the Czech Republic, Poles are big beer drinkers. It’s even the most consumed beverage in the country, alongside sparkling and still water.
Strong liquors aren’t far behind, however. The country’s specialty is bison grass vodka (an aromatic herb from the eastern plains of Poland, much loved by bison). A must-try if you’re in Poland.
Much like France, Poland has many culinary specialties, but they are very rich and often contain meat! Pork or lamb knuckles, bigos (a dish made of fresh cabbage, sauerkraut, various meats and cold cuts, smoked bacon, mushrooms, and spices), pierogi (fried dumplings stuffed with meat), kotlet schabowy (similar to a breaded pork cutlet), goulash... Ultimately, few specialties are vegetarian.
However, the good news is that as vegan cuisine is becoming more trendy, you’ll definitely find vegan restaurants in the big cities!
And if you still want to try Polish specialties, try asking for pierogi with onions or a zurek (traditional Easter soup) but without sausage!
During our visit to Poland, we were surprised by the number of stores and brands that we also find in France: Action, Auchan, Carrefour, Intermarché, Brico Marché, Stradivarius, etc.
Generally, each country or region of Europe has its own brands or stores, but here, it was impressive. Sometimes, when looking at a shopping area, you could easily think you were in France. So, on that front, it's not very exotic, but at the same time, it’s reassuring.
That’s it! We’ve shared our 10 key insights about Poland (with 11, thanks to a little bonus). We hope you’ve learned something and, above all, that it will help you prepare for your trip and while you're there 😊. And some “tips” are waiting for you at the end of the article, don’t miss them!
If the article made you want to visit this country, you can book your flight right here:
Feel free to share your experiences and tips for other travelers in the comments.
1. Don't cross on a red pedestrian light! In Poland, as in many other European countries, traffic lights are strictly respected. Yes, as a French person, it’s annoying to wait for the little man to turn green, but in Poland, be very careful, because if the police are nearby, you risk getting fined! They don’t joke about that there.
2. If you’re a man, you should also know that if you go to the restroom, it’s good to "keep your distance," meaning it’s not polite to use the urinal next to someone if others are available.
3. It’s forbidden to drink alcohol in public, and you can easily get fined if you do (or even be arrested or sentenced). It’s better not to risk it and go to a bar instead. The prices are not high: you can find pints of beer between €2 and €3, and even vodka shots for €1.20.
4. Poland is in the same time zone as France (UTC+1 in winter and UTC+2 in summer), so you don’t have to worry about the time difference. However, since Poland is farther east, the sun rises and sets almost an hour earlier than in France. It’s good to know when planning your day!
Peut-on avoir des bouteilles de propane 13 kg en pologne y-at-l des cartes bancaires permettant de retirer du liquide à moindre frais? Merci
Bonjour Richard,
Désolé, on ne saurait vous répondre avec exactitude pour les bouteilles de Propane 13kg en Pologne, mais on imagine que oui ! Il n'y a pas de raisons.
N'hésitez pas à aller demander dans des stations essence afin que l'on vous indique où vous pouvez trouver ça.
Concernant les cartes bancaires, de notre côté nous utilisons BoursoBank et en sommes très contents. La carte Visa Ultim est gratuite et sans frais de retrait ou de paiement à l'étranger. On a fait avec pendant tout notre tour d'Europe ! Avec ça, plus qu'à trouver le distributeur qui ne prendra pas de frais !
En tout cas, si BoursoBank vous intéresse, n'hésitez pas à nous envoyer un mail, on peut vous partager un code de parrainage qui vous permettra d'avoir 150€ pour toute 1ère ouverture de compte ;)
Belle journée !
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