The legal tender in Poland is the Polish złoty (zł, PLN). Poland is expected to adopt the common European currency Euro (€) in ca. 2010 but it can be used to pay in many bigger shops (”hypermarkets”) even now. Remember to always check the conversion rates though!
- 1 zł (złoty, pl. złote (2, 3, 4, then 22, 23, and so), or złotych (5-21 then 25, 26 and so)) = 100 gr (grosz, pl. grosze or groszy as above)
Private exchange offices in Poland usually offer better rates than commercial banks. They are called Kantor and are very common, especially in places like railway stations. Be cautious about those in tourist hot-spots, such as the Warsaw Old Town, since they may overcharge.
Plastic money can be used to pay almost everywhere in the big cities. Popular cards include Visa, Visa Electron, MasterCard and Maestro. AmEx and Diners’ Club can be used in a few places (notably the big, business-class hotels) but are not popular and you should not rely on them for any payments. There is an extensive network of cash machines (ATMs) - here’s an unofficial list of them.
Cheques were never particularly popular in Poland and they are hardly used nowadays. You’re likely to accumulate several hundred single grosz (1/100th of a złoty), while the grosz is legal tender many vendors and stores will refuse to accept them, but they have no problem giving you grosz as change. You’ll want to be sure to always have a larger groszy coins to satisfy the vendors that refuse the single grosz coin.
It is illegal to export goods older then 55 years that are of ANY historic value. If you intend to do so you need to obtain a permit from the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage
