Local Information

Practical, local information - check this page for updates

Warsaw, the capital and the largest city of Poland, is located in the central part of the country (and hence near the geometrical centre of Europe). It is a city with a fascinating history, nowadays full of charm and activity, where the past meets the future in harmony. Take time to enjoy it as much as it deserves. Make sure to spend enough time in the Old Town (UNESCO World Heritage Site), have a look at fine palaces, historical monuments, statues and houses along the Royal Route, enjoy a Sunday open air concert in Lazienki park, take a small ride to Wilanow residence at the outskirts of the city, on a nice day go (by lift) to the top of the Palace of Culture and Science,...
Some links at the bottom of this page provide more detailed information. In particular the Warsaw Official Tourist Portal (www.warsawtour.pl) contains lot of useful information.
The 2010 is declared as International Year of Frederic Chopin, to comemmorate his 200th birthday. Warsaw is the city of Chopin so, don't miss out various events associated with the Chopin's Year. In particular, pay a visit to recently reconstructed Frederic Chopin Museum.

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Before travel - visas

To visit Poland you need a passport valid for at least 3 months after the date of your expected departure from Poland. EU Citizens may enter Poland without a passport, although we do not recommend this as some confusion may occur at the border check. For many countries there is no visa requirement.

If you need a visa, contact the appropriate Polish Consulate. The list of Consulates and visa application forms are available from the web pages of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In order to apply for Polish/EU visa an official invitation letter from Conference Organisers is required. Such letter will be issued only to registered RSCTC 2010 participants who successfully completed the payment of registration fees.

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Basic information - climate, currency, ...

Time zone

The time zone is CET=GMT+1 (so, for instance: the same as in Germany and France, 1 hour ahead of Portugal).

The international dialing number for Poland is +48, area code for Warsaw is 22.

Climate

Weather in Warsaw in the end of June is usually quite pleasant although not always predictable. Most of the time it should be sunny, dry, and warm (upper twenties Centigrade), but summer storms with heavy rains may occur. You can get a recent weather forecast at ICM or CNN.

Electricity

Poland's electricity supply is 230 volts (50Hz), and typical (continental) European outlets are in use. Plug converter can be purchased in larger electric stores.

Measurements, dates, numbers.

All measurements in Poland are based on SI (metric) sytem. We use Celsius scale for temperature, litres for volume, metres for distance, etc. Continental European clothes sizes are in use. For reference on clothes sizes you may check this site.

In Poland the standard for writing numbers is different from English/American one. Comma (,) separates the number and its decimal expansion. Dot (.) is used to mark every third order of magnitude (thousands, millions, ...). So, for instance "Populacja 132.000" means Population of one hundred thirty two thousand, while price 12,50 zł means twelve Polish złoty and fifty grosz (50/100). Also, we use "proper" names for orders of magnitiude, i.e., 10 to the power of 9 is milliard (not billion) and billion is 10 to the power of 12.

When writing dates in Polish we never put the day of month in between month number and year number. Therefore, 01/07/2010 in a Polish document is always the first of July, never the seventh of January.

Currency

Polish currency unit is called "złoty" (abbr. PLN or zl) and it is divided into 100 groszy (abbr. gr) (More information about banknotes and coins). Most shops and service points do not accept any other currency. You can change cash in banks, hotels and exchange offices marked "Kantor". The rates are always listed outside and may slightly vary between different exchange offices. Most of private exchange offices (Kantors) do not charge commission. Please do not accept exchange offers from strangers. Here you can find current exchange rates - these are average rates of National Bank of Poland - NBP. For street exchange rates (approximation) one may look at this site.

Most restaurants, hotels, travel agencies and shops accept credit and debit cards. The most popular are Visa (also Visa Electron), Master Card (also Maestro and Eurocard) but many others are accepted, e.g., American Express, Diners Club, JCB.

Cash dispensers (ATMs) accept major cards and are readily available in many places.

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Arriving at Warsaw by air, train or road.

By Air

Warsaw Frederic Chopin Airport is conveniently located 10 km from the city centre. All regular and low cost flights bound for Warsaw land at the F. Chopin airport. Regular flights are operated from international terminals 1 and 2, as well as most of low cost connections.

Note for arriving passengers - baggage claim. When arriving at Warsaw airport by short-haul flight you will (most likely) be taken by bus from the aircraft to the terminal. In such case you will almost certainly arrive at the ground level of (older) Terminal 1. At the same time your luggage will most likely be transported to (new) Terminal 2. Therefore once you are in baggage claim area of Terminal 1 look at the information screens to find out what is the belt number for your baggage claim. If the number is between 1 and 7, your baggage shall be claimed in Terminal 2. Fortunately, both terminals are close one to another and connected by passageway. All you need to do is to follow orange "T2" marks that will show you the way to baggage claim area of Terminal 2 (around 50-70 metres walk).

You can get to the city centre by bus number 175 (see the section on public transport), but the simplest way to go is to use taxi. There is a place right in front of the arrival hall where a taxi can be ordered. Three taxi companies are licensed to operate at the airport: MPT Taxi (22)19191, Sawa Taxi (22)644 44 44, and Taxi Merc (22)677 77 77. We recommend to use these licensed taxi companies. The cost (day fare) of the taxi to the center is about 25-35zl. Do not take a taxi offered by a stranger.

By Train

There are direct train connections with many European cities. You can check your train on the Polish Railways web page. The main railway station, Warszawa Centralna (Warsaw Central Station), is located in the heart of the city. You can get fast and easily to any part of Warsaw from there either using public transport or a taxi. If you need a taxi, choose one that belongs to a licensed company (check names and phone numbers in the 'Taxi' section below) or book it by telephone.

By Coach

There are two main bus terminals Warszawa Zachodnia (Warsaw West) and Warszawa Stadion Station (Warsaw Stadium - East). Many long distance buses stop also in front of the Cental Railway Station (see above). There are regular connections with many European destinations.

By Car

Warsaw is located in the central part of Poland. You can plan your route at Expedia, Michelin, and many others. We generally do not advise to travel by car since Warsaw is quite congested. It is rather hard to move around by car in rush hours and finding parking in downtown may be a serious problem. Please, be advised that the University Campus and surrounding area is partly closed for traffic.

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Moving around - public transport, taxi, parking, car rental.

Public Transportation System

Public transport in Warsaw consists of a network of tramlines, buses and (single-line) underground. All means of transport are governed by City Transport Authority (Zarząd Transportu Miejskiego <ZTM> in Polish). It is reliable, (mostly) fast, and relatively inexpensive. Tickets are available from (few) vending machines located near major stops, newspaper agents/kiosks (they are marked with red and yellow ZTM logo), and from the bus/tram drivers. Tickets are valid for all means of municipal transport. Every ticket has to be validated in yellow machines located in the buses and trams. If you plan using Warsaw's public transport it is advisable to buy 24h, 3-day or 7-day travel pass. They are reasonably priced and give you flexibility in changing means of transport. Also, with travel pass you do not have to remember to validate ticket every time, it is enough to do it only once, during first ride.

Note: Only single fare tickets are available if purchasing from the driver and passenger is required to pay exact amount. The driver may refuse to sell the ticket if bus/tram is overcrowded or delayed. In general, this is not a recommended method to purchase tickets.

The renewed Web page of City Transport Authority contains a very reasonable step-by-step guide to Warsaw public transport system.

Tickets:

single trip (no transfer):
normal and night: 2 zl 80 gr
suburban zone: 4 zl 20 gr
travel pass, valid for consecutive:
24 hours: 9 zl
3 days: 16 zl
7 days: 32 zl

Detailed fare information is available from ZTM Web pages.

The ZTM also provides quite useful trip planning Web service.

The bus line that is of interest to participants is 175. It starts at the airport and goes to the city centre, passing by most of hotels and the University (conference venue).

Important note 1: If you want to travel from the airport by bus 175, you may need to walk few dozen metres to the stop, depending on the terminal you have arrived at.

Important note 2: The airport line 175 is a main mean of transport for many tourists and visitors to Warsaw. That, unfortunately, makes it also a favourite for various unpleasant characters such as pickpocketers and beggars. Police and transport security service are regularly scooping them, but you still should be aware of possible threat, and watch closely all your belongings while traveling on this line.

If you want to reach the conference venue by bus, you need to select a line that stops on any of the bus stops listed below. This list contains bus stops that are within 300 meter radius from where conference is held and is ordered by proximity (closest first):
* Uniwersytet
* Hotel Bristol
* Nowy Świat
* Ordynacka
* Pl. Piłsudskiego
* Pl. Małachowskiego
* Zachęta

Taxis

It is advisable to book a taxi by telephone. If you pick a taxi on the street or from a taxi stand, be sure you choose one from a city-licensed company. Licensed taxis are under watchful eye of city authorities, which means that they are treating customers with due respect and don't overcharge. The taxis with city license are easily recognisable by city logo and red and yellow ribbon with number on the front doors. Several licensed taxi companies are listed below.

Maximum rates per kilometre vary from 3.2 zl (weekday, city area, between 6:00-22:00) to 9-10 zl (Saturday night far from the centre). Additional start fee is always charged which is no more than 7 zl and includes the charge for first kilometre. These are maximum fares allowed by city regulations and in practice most companies charge up to 2.8 zl per 1 km in the city during workdays.

A ride from the airport to the city centre on a weekday should not cost much more than 35-40 zl. The driver should give you a receipt on demand. Some taxi companies accept credit cards, but reluctantly, as additional paperwork is involved. You may be charged additional fee of up to 4% of your bill if you want to pay with card. To reach the conference venue you need to tell taxi driver to go to: "Uniwersytet, Krakowskie Przedmieście".

Parking

In the centre of Warsaw in most areas a parking fee is charged. Parking is payable Mon.-Fri. from 8:00 to 18:00. It costs 40 gr for 15 minutes, 2.40 zl for 30 minutes, 3 zl for first hour, 3zł 60 gr for second hour, 4 zł 20 gr for third hour, and every next hour costs 3 zl. You have to buy the parking ticket from a brown or blue vending machine and place it behind the front widshield, so that it is fully visible from the outside. Please be advised that fines for improper parking are rather high and that your car may be towed away if parked with violation of road regulations.

Car rental

Several major rental companies have their offices in Warsaw. Most of them have their booths at the airport.
Avis, 0-801-1-200-10
Europcar
Hertz
Prices range from 200 to 1000 zl per day. In general , car rental is not the most convenient way to move around central Warsaw. Renting a car makes more sense only if you plan to travel outside the city.

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Accommodation

Over 20000 beds in about 100 various hotels in central Warsaw await visitors. Everyone will find something suitable. But Warsaw is a busy city, and the hotels can get crowded, so book early. See our hotel page for more hints.

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Communication - posts, telephony, Internet.

Postal service

You can easily buy and send postcards almost everwhere in Warsaw. If you want to send the postcard you should put it into one of the post office red boxes. The name of the post office is Poczta Polska (page is only in Polish).
The stamp for an "economical" postcard or letter (i.e. up to 6 days for Europe) costs 2.40 zl and it does not depend on the destination.
The costs mentioned above apply only for postcards and letters up to 50g - for larger letters or parcels the cost will depend on destination and weight.

Postal stamps may be purchased in Postal Offices ('Urząd Pocztowy' in Polish) and some (few) newsagents. Some of the souvenir shops can sell you stamp together with a postcard.

Public payphones

Public payphones are widely avaliable throughout the city. In most cases to use a payphone one has to purchase a calling card from newsagent (kiosk). Majority of payphones accept only calling cards with a chip. When calling from stationary or mobile phone you have to dial the area code (for Warsaw it is 22) and number. In case of mobile phones the trailing country code may be needed. For numbers in Poland use +48 as country code.

Mobile phones

There are three major mobile operators in Poland that provide roaming. All of them offer full range of GSM 900/1800 services as well as 3G-UMTS services. It is advisable to check with your mobile operator which Polish network is recommended for roaming services. For more information please follow the links to mobile operators' pages:

* Era GSM - associated with T-Mobile
* Plus GSM - associated with Vodafone
* Orange

Note: As of beginning of summer 2007 EU Directive aimed at bringing down mobile phone roaming charges came into power. Please, make sure that your local operator complies to new regulations.

Internet access

Conference organisers will make every effort to provide network access at the conference venue. Access to Internet in hotels should also be possible, although many hotels still charge for that. There are several free hotspots in central Warsaw, mostly located in cafes and large stores.
You can use a dial-up connection from stationary line, for instance 202122 (Telekomunikacja Polska). The login name is ppp and the password is ppp. The cost is the same as that of a local call.
All three major Polish mobile phone operators offer Internet access with GPRS and HSDPA/HSUPA. Please, be advised that while roaming charges in Polish mobile networks are regulated by strict EU directives, the same is not the case for data transfer charges. Hence, the cost of using your mobile phone or computer for Internet access over mobile (broadband) lines may be quite high.

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Spending your money - shops, restaurants, taxes, tipping, ...

Prices, taxes

Prices in most shops and restaurants are fixed (no bargaining) and inclusive of all taxes and service charges, so you pay the listed price. The standard Value Added Tax (VAT) is added to most goods and services. The VAT tax is 22% (basic rate) and 7% (reduced rate). Some shops offer the option of tax refund for larger purchases. See "Global Refund" website for details.

Shops

Most shops in Poland are open from 9.00 to 19.00, Monday-Friday, and from 9.00 to 14.00 on Saturdays. Many shoping malls and supermarkets are also open on Sundays.

Credit and debit cards are widely accepted, but sometimes you may have problem in smaller shops. Also, the shop may be reluctant to accept a card if the amount is small. Some shops accept currencies other than Polish złoty, but the exchange ratio that they apply to such operations is not favorable. Checks are generally not accepted.

Restaurants

There are all kinds of places to have meal in Warsaw. Rough classification is as follows:

Restaurants: you can get a meal for no less than 30 zl for one. Expect to pay from 80-100 zl for a "normal dinner". Most of them accept credit cards. There are also quite many posh restaurants where a dinner will bring you into neigbourhood of 200-250 zl.
Small restaurants, ethnic bars: for 30 zl you can have a decent meal in small Vietnamese or Mediterranean bars, but you can get an edible meal spending only 10-15 zl.
Fast foods: in most cases you will pay something between 10-15 zl.

A cake in a Warsaw cafe will cost you 3-8 zl, a cup of coffe 4-10 zl. A beer in a pub 5-10 zl (drinking alcohol in public places is prohibited in Poland). In general, food is more expensive in the city centre.

Many restaurants in central Warsaw offer "Business Lunch Menu" between noon and 15:00. For a price ranging between 15 and 40 zl you can get very reasonable meal, although choice of dishes may be restricted. This is quite a viable option for quick lunch in downtown Warsaw.

Tipping

Tipping is acustomed in Poland, although not obligatory. You only give a tip when you are particularly satisfied with the service received. There is no rule stating the amount/percentage of the tip. Usually you just round-up the amount a little, using your own judgement. Tips are mostly given in restaurants and taxis.

Customer protection

Customer is protected by Polish and EU regulations regarding product safety, return policy, guarantee, and consumer rights. You may consult the webpage of European Consumer Centre (ECC) in Poland for details.

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A few useful words

Personal data: Imie - First name; Nazwisko - Last name; Data urodzenia - Birthdate; Miejsce urodzenia - Birthplace; Kraj - Country; Obywatelstwo - Citizenship.
Week days: Poniedzialek - Monday, Wtorek - Tuesday, Sroda - Wednesday, Czwartek - Thursday, Piatek - Friday, Sobota - Saturday, Niedziela - Sunday.

Months: Styczen - January, Luty - February, Marzec - March, Kwiecien - April, Maj - May, Czerwiec - June, Lipiec - July, Sierpien - August, Wrzesien - September, Pazdziernik - October, Listopad - November, Grudzien - December.

Greetings and others: Czesc - Hello, Dzien dobry - Good morning, Dobry wieczor - Good evening, Dziekuje - Thank you, Do widzenia - Goodbye, Przepraszam - Excuse me.

Miscellaneous: Tak - Yes, Nie - No, Otwarty - Open, Zamkniety - Closed, Haslo - Password, Bilet - Ticket, Cena - Price, Minuta - Minute, Godzina - Hour, Dzien - Day, Dworzec autobusowy - Bus station, Przystanek autobusowy - Bus stop, Dworzec kolejowy - Train station, Lotnisko - Airport, Pociag - Train, Autobus - Bus, Samochod - Car, Tramwaj - Tram, Restauracja - Restaurant, Sklep - Shop, Adres - Address, Ulica - Street, Uniwersytet - University, Centrum - Centre, Kino - Cinema, Teatr - Theatre, Poczta - post office, Kartka pocztowa - Postcard, Znaczek pocztowy - Stamp, Telefon - Phone, Toaleta - Toilet.

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A few useful links

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In case of emergency

General emergency number (works with all mobile phones) - 112

Specific emergency services - free calls from stationary phones:

997 - Police
998 - Firefighters
999 - Paramedics
986 - Municipal guards

Medical assistance and ambulance service (FALCK) - (22) 196 75

The clinic with English speaking personnel, closest to Conference venue:

Centrum Medyczne Damiana - Przychodnia Foksal
Foksal 3/5
00-366 Warszawa
phone: (22) 566 22 22

The clinic offers medical and dental assistance Monday to Friday 7:30-20:00. On Saturday 8:00 - 18:00

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