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Navigating Warsaw

Currency

  • Poland’s currency is the złoty, abbreviated to zł or PLN. Visa and Mastercard debit and credit cards are widely accepted in Polish shops. American Express not so much. Contactless payment methods, including Apple Pay are very common. As such, you could theoretically have a week in Warsaw without ever needing to use cash!

  • ATMs (‘bancomat’) are available almost everywhere in central Warsaw, where we will be staying. Cash machines don’t usually carry a usage fee, especially if you stick to the main banks. If your bank charges a flat fee, we recommend you get out more cash in one go to keep the fees low. If offered, withdraw money in the local rather than your home currency as it’s cheaper. 

  • Always inform your bank before traveling and check that your cards will work internationally and whether your bank is partnered with a Polish equivalent, as these often carry a better exchange rate.

Transportation

The best way to get around Warsaw is on foot or using public transport – a fast and inexpensive way to travel. You can choose among buses, trams and the metro. You may also use a public bike, which is  cheap or even free (if you ride no longer than 20 minutes). Read more and register (free!) here: https://veturilo.waw.pl/en/ 

You will receive public transport tickets as part of your welcome pack when you arrive and register at the convening on the first day. Please ensure you do not lose them, as we will be using our tickets during our site visit day, and it’s for you to use and enjoy thereafter if you wish to venture out into Warsaw on the following evenings. 

Information about public transport timetables:
tel. +48 19 115 (from mobile phones +48 22 19 115)
www.wtp.waw.pl
Maps and diagrams of the public transport system

The Warsaw metropolitan area is divided into urban zone “1” (within the city boundary) and suburban area “2”. We will spend all of our time within zone 1 and our hotel, convening venue, restaurants and site visits are all within zone 1 as well. 

  • Ticket prices – zone 1:

    • 75 minute ticket – 4,40 PLN, discount – 2,20 PLN

    • 75-minute group ticket (entitles a group of up to 10 people to an unlimited number of rides for up to 75 minutes from the moment of validating the ticket): 22 PLN

    • One-day ticket (valid 24h from the moment of validating the ticket): standard – 15,00 PLN, discount – 7,50 PLN

    • Three-day ticket: standard – 36,00 PLN, discount – 18,00 PLN

Tickets must be validated immediately after boarding a bus or tram, or at the gates leading to metro platforms.

Validated tickets entitle the holder to an unlimited number of journeys within the time indicated on the ticket from the moment of validation or until arrival by public transport to the last stop or station on the route.

You can buy public transport tickets at newsstands, Passenger Service Centres and ticket machines, which you will find on most buses, in the new trams, at underground stations and near stops. In the ticket machines, which support five languages (Polish, English, German, Russian and Ukrainian), you can pay for your ticket with coins or a card. Tickets can also be purchased using a mobile phone.

Bus no. 180 – a regular bus line that takes you to most of the best tourist destinations in Warsaw along the Royal Route to Wilanów. The whole route takes about 60-70 minutes.

At night it is worth taking the metro, which runs until midnight on weekdays and to 3.00 am on weekends. Or take night buses marked with the letter “N”, which run from 11.15 pm to 04.45 pm.

Luggage can be taken on public transport free of charge.

Travel from Warsaw Chopin airport

Warsaw Chopin Airport is conveniently connected not far from the center of Warsaw and has major train and bus services available. The easiest way to get as close to the Motel One as possible from the airport is by taking bus number 175. It will drop you off a 4 minute walk from Hotel Motel One. The journey takes about 45 minutes, but it’s a straight line and you won’t have to worry about switching public transport modes. 

Get on at:  Chopin Airport - Arrivals 02 bus stop (located outside the airport entrance)

Get off at: Ordynacka 02 bus stop

The buses have screens announcing all upcoming stops, so it will be easy to know when yours is coming up.

You could also take train S2 to Warsaw Central Station and then switch to a bus, however this may be a bit more complicated. 

Alternatively, you can use Google maps to guide you towards alternative travel routes from the airport to Hotel Motel One. 

Whatever you choose, please remember that you need to buy a ticket first.There are ticket machines at the airport. We recommend purchasing a single ride ticket for your transfer to the hotel - it is valid for unlimited travel up to 75 minutes. There are machines inside the bus and before you hop on the train where you can validate your ticket.  

Safety recommendations

Walking around in the city

Warsaw is considered a safe city - compared to other European cities. You can feel safe on a street, even during the night. Beware of pickpockets in an airport train/bus.

Emergency contacts 

Ambulance -  tel. 112 / 999

Fire brigade - tel. 112 / 998

Police - tel. 112 / 997

Municipal Guards  - tel. 986

Please note the country code for Poland is +48. The emergency lines above are operated in both Polish and English. 

Covid protocol

If you are experiencing any COVID symptoms (cough, fever, sore throat, muscle pain, etc.), please wear a mask immediately (the PP team has some for this purpose) and get COVID tested (ask the PP team for a rapid test) to avoid spreading the virus to other participants. If your test turns out to be negative, please keep wearing the mask for the rest of the convening as a matter of precaution. If your test is positive, please quarantine in your room.

Basic Polish words 

A lot of Poles (especially young) speak quite fluent English. We suggest starting conversion in English and treat this little dictionary as a plan b. Polish is quite hard to pronounce, but all attempts with single words will be warmly welcomed.

  • yes – tak

  • no – nie

  • Thank you / Thank you very much – Dziękuję / Dziękuję bardzo

  • Hi – Cześć

  • I’m sorry – Przepraszam

  • Good morning – Dzień dobry

  • Good afternoon – Dzień dobry

  • Good evening – Dobry wieczór

  • Goodnight – Dobranoc

  • Goodbye – Do widzenia

  • Museum of Ethnography - Muzeum Etnograficzne

  • I’m sorry, how can I get to… - Przepraszam, jak dojść do…

  • Where is the bathroom? - Gdzie jest toaleta?

  • Where is the exit? - Gdzie jest wyjście?

  • Can I pay with (a credit) card - Czy mogę zapłacić kartą?

  • I am lost - Zgubiłem się

  • I’m looking for a pharmacy - Szukam apteki

Places to visit nearby

  • Chopin’s Museum - Chopin spent half of his life in Warsaw. His museum is located next to hotel

  • Vistula River - last big unregulated river in Europe, you may explore wildeness even in Warsaw on the right riverbank. If you prefer boulevard, stay on the left riverbank.

  • Royal Route (Krakowskie Przedmieście street and Nowy Świat street) - historical road, connecting king’s residences. 

  • Łazienki Królewskie - 18th century palace on an island with beautiful garden around

  • Palace of Culture and Science - huge soc-realistic building in the heart of Warsaw. 

  • Old Town - oldest part of Warsaw, faithfully reconstructed after WWII

  • Polin - “Polin” means Poland in Yiddish, language spoken by Polish Jews. This museum is dedicated to their history.

Food in Warsaw

Warsaw cuisine is like the city: diverse, multicultural, delectable and full of energy. Book a table at a Michelin-star restaurant or experience the atmosphere of the communist era in a so-called milk bar. Allow yourself to be seduced by local desserts like W-Z cake, zygmuntówka, or organic ice cream. Take a peek at a breakfast fair, sit on the grass, and celebrate food. Apart from the classic Polish specialities that we describe below, Warsaw restaurants have dishes from all corners of the world, as well as vegetarian and gluten-free cuisine.

You want to try typical Polish dishes? Be sure to try pierogi, dumplings stuffed with meat, tripe soup, sour rye soup or beef tartare. Modern takes on regional Polish dishes can be found in restaurants around the Old Town and on Nowy Świat Street as well as in milk bars, which are famous for their low prices and home-made food.

If you want to feel part of the city, go to places that are popular among locals: restaurants with cuisine from around the world, eateries for every budget and occasion and pubs with atmospheric interiors. The largest variety awaits you in the very centre of the city (Poznańska, Hoża, Krucza and Wilcza Streets), in Old Praga (Ząbkowska Street) and Saska Kępa (Francuska Street).

Warsaw is at the forefront of the world when it comes to the number of vegan and vegetarian eateries. Plant-based cuisine has become so popular because more and more people follow a meatless, easily digestible and healthy diet. Among vegan-friendly places in Warsaw are burger and kebab bars, as well as pizzerias, bars with modern takes on regional Polish dishes and confectioneries

More and more excellent vegan restaurants with cuisine from around the world are appearing in Warsaw. You can find Middle Eastern flavours in places such as Byblos and Tel Aviv. Sushi restaurants are also popular, for example Edamame and Youmiko Vegan Sushi, and bars specialising in Korean cuisine, such as Vegan Ramen Shop. On the right side of the Vistula, in Saska Kępa quarter, there is excellent Eden Bistro, with a real greenhouse, where you can sit down and eat a meal in the summer season.

A real sensation are vegan bistros, which offer meatless versions of Polish classics such as pierogi or pork chops (Veganda or Lokal Vegan Bistro). You will also find delicacies such as vegetable and spinach meatballs, almond pesto as well as dishes and soups from seasonal vegetables: pumpkin, broad beans, cauliflower and kale. The Krowarzywa chain of eateries is also extremely popular. Regulars praise their burgers, which have even won over hardened carnivores.

If you like sweets, be sure to visit the pastry shop Słodki Bez, which boasts pastries and desserts made exclusively from organic ingredients. Those on a gluten-free diet will also find something to suit them.

Warsaw is a paradise for those with a sweet tooth. Discover the taste of traditional local pastries: wuzetka and zygmuntówka cakes as well as plump donuts with rose jam filling you can try at Zagoździński and Blikle, both pastry shops with years of tradition. For a cup of warm chocolate, go to the cosy E. Wedel cafe at Szpitalna Street.

(source: https://warsawtour.pl/en)