Travel Tips of Poland

GENERAL INFORMATION

Area
312,685 sq km (120,728 sq miles).

Population
38,610,000 (official estimate 2002).

Population Density
122.3 per sq km.

Capital
Warsaw.
Population: 1,609,800 (official estimate 2001).

Government
Republic since 1918.
Head of State: President Aleksander Kwasniewski since 1995.
Head of Government: Prime Minister Marek Belka since 2004.

Language
Polish is the official language. There is a small German-speaking community. English and Russian are also spoken.

Religion
More than 95 per cent Roman Catholic; other religions include Polish Autocephalous Orthodox, Russian and Greek Orthodox, Protestant, Jewish and Muslim.

Time
GMT + 1.

Electricity
220 volts AC, 50Hz; continental sockets.

Communications

Telephone
Full IDD is available. Country code: 48. Outgoing international code: 00. Cheap rate on long-distance calls is available from 1600-0600. Telephone cards can be purchased from post offices, newsagents and hotel receptions for local calls.

Mobile telephone
GSM 900 and 1800 networks cover the whole country.

Internet
ISPs include SuperMedia (website: www.supermedia.com.pl).

Telegram
Services are provided at all main post offices and by phone.

Post
Service to Western Europe takes up to four days. Poste Restante facilities are available at post offices throughout the country. Post office hours: Mon-Fri 0800-1800.

Press
Independent publications are flourishing following the changes in the political system; about 100 newspapers are now available. The principal dailies are Gazeta Wyborcza, Rzeczpospolita and Wprost. English-language publications include The Warsaw Voice (weekly).

Radio
BBC World Service (website: www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice) and Voice of America (website: www.voa.gov) can be received. From time to time the frequencies change and the most up-to-date can be found online.

Public Holidays

Jan 1 2005:   New Year’s Day.
Mar 28:   Easter Monday.
May 1:   Labor Day.
May 3:   National Day.
May 26:   Corpus Christi.
Aug 15:   Assumption.
Nov 1:   All Saint’s Day.
Nov 11:   Independence Day.
Dec 25-26:   Christmas.
Jan 1 2006:   New Year’s Day.
Apr 17:   Easter Monday.
May 1:   Labor Day.
May 3:   National Day.
Jun 15:   Corpus Christi.
Aug 15:   Assumption.
Nov 1:   All Saints’ Day.
Nov 11:   Independence Day.
Dec 25-26:   Christmas.

Special Events
For a full list, contact the Polish National Tourist Office (see General Info section). The following is a selection of special events occurring in Poland in 2005:

Jan 28-30:   Ski-Jumping World Cup, Zakopane.
Feb:   International Winter Kayaking Trip on the Brda River.
Mar 15-26:   9th Ludwig van Beethoven Easter Festival, Warsaw.
Apr 23-May 8:   12th Bydgoszcz Operatic Festival, Bydgoszcz.
May 1-3:   Podkarpacki Tourist Fair, Przemyœl.
Jun-Aug:   XIII Warsaw Summer Jazz Days.
Jul 3-Aug 28:   XI Jazz in the Old Town International Outdoor Festival, Warsaw.
Sep 28-Oct 24:   Chopin Piano Contest, Warsaw.
Nov:   Masks International Theatrical Festival, Poznañ.
Dec:   Nativity Scene Competition, Kraków.

Contact Information:

Location
Central Europe.

Country dialing code
48.

Polish Tourism Organization
4-6 Chalubinskiejo Street, 00-928 Warsaw, Poland
Tel: (22)630 1736. Fax: (22) 630 1742.
E-mail: pot@pot.gov.pl
Website: www.pot.gov.pl

Warsaw Information Center
Zamkowy Square 1/13, 00-262 Warsaw, Poland
Tel/Fax: (22) 635 1881.
E-mail: wcit@wcit.waw.pl or wcit@neostrada.pl
Website: www.wcit.waw.pl

Embassy of the Republic of Poland
47 Portland Place, London W1B 1JH, UK
Tel: (0870) 774 2700. Fax: (020) 7921 3574/5
E-mail: polishembassy@polishembassy.org.uk
Website: www.polishembassy.org.uk
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0830-1630.

Consulate General of the Republic of Poland
73 New Cavendish Street, London W1W 6LS, UK
Tel: (0870) 774 2800. Fax: (020) 7323 2320.
E-mail: konsulat@polishconsulate.co.uk
Website: www.polishconsulate.co.uk
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 1000-1300 (Wed 1000-1200; Thur 1300-1600).

Polish National Tourist Office
Level 3, Westec House, West Gate, London, W5 1YY, UK
Tel: (0870) 675 012. Fax: (0870) 675 011.
E-mail: info@visitpoland.org
Website: www.visitpoland.org

Consular Section of the British Embassy
Warsaw Corporate Center, 2nd Floor, Ul. Emilii Plater 28, 00-688 Warsaw, Poland
Tel: (22) 311 0000. Fax: (22)311 0250.
E-mail: consular@britishembassy.pl (consular section) or commercial@britishembassy.pl (commercial) or info@britishembassy.pl
Website: www.britishembassy.pl

Embassy of the Republic of Poland
2640 16th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20009, USA
Tel: (202) 234 3800-2. Fax: (202) 328 6271.
E-mail: polemb.info@earthlink.net
Website: www.polandembassy.org

Consular Division of the Embassy of the Republic of Poland
2224 Wyoming Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20008, USA
Tel: (202) 234 3800. Fax: (202) 328 2152.
E-mail: polconsul.dc@ioip.com
Consulates also in: Chicago, Los Angeles and New York.

Polish National Tourist Office
5 Marine View Plaza, Suite 208, Hoboken, New Jersey 07030, USA
Tel: (201) 420 9910. Fax: (201) 584 9153.
E-mail: pntonyc@polandtour.org
Website: www.polandtour.org
Also deals with enquiries from Canada.

Embassy of the United States of America
Aleje Ujazdowskie 29-31, 00-540 Warsaw, Poland
Tel: (22) 504 2000. Fax: (22) 504 2688.
E-mail: publicwrw@state.gov
Website: www.usinfo.pl
Consulate General in: Kraków.

Embassy of the Republic of Poland
443 Daly Avenue, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6H3, Canada
Tel: (613) 789 0468. Fax: (613) 789 1218.
E-mail: ottawa@polishembassy.ca
Website: www.polishembassy.ca
Consulates General in: Montréal, Toronto and Vancouver.

Canadian Embassy
Ul. Jana Matejki 1/5, 00-481, Warsaw, Poland
Tel: (22) 584 3100. Fax: (22) 584 3192.
E-mail: wsaw@dfait-maeci.gc.ca
Website: www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/warsaw