Life / Brits moving to live in Poland [88]


Apart from the occasional mistake, everything he said was understandable, and he appeared quite confident reading the text.


he made a few mistakes, but I wouldn't go as far as saying it was 'awful'

I don't particularly like the guy Roman Giertych, but I think he did quite a good job reading in English.

I am a native English speaker, but also speak Polish fluently, whilst my wife is a native Polish speaker who speaks English very well.
Neither of us found listening to Mr Giertych's speech funny or comical in the slightest.

Listening to John Prescott or Gordon Brown trying to read in a foreign language .... now that probably would be funny !

Real Estate / What kind of property would you buy in Poland? [19]


is this still the case ?

I remember when I was applying for my mortgage a few years ago this was indeed true; fortunately my credit report was perfect, but the mortgage broker told me that even if there had only been one missed payment on a credit card then many banks would not touch you !

I think it may be slightly different now; all our clients will be applying for their mortgages in about 12-18months time as they tend to go for the preferential payment plan of 10/90 or 20/80, so with most developments not expected for completion till end of 2008 or sometime in 2009 they will only be applying for their mortgages around 2-3 months prior to handover. I have been running my company for just over a year, and up to now none of our clients have had to apply for mortgages on properties bought via my company.

The mortgage brokers we deal with have said things are improving, and it is possible for most people to be accepted, but the interest rate may not be that attractive :o)


Zakopane is probably the best known ski resort in Poland .... and prices are very high in my opinion, in fact on par if not exceeding Krakow prices. We see that investors are looking at other areas of Poland to purchase holiday homes.

Having said this my company will probably have some Zakopane properties available early next year, at the moment we're at the negotiations stage - other properties we have are in Wisla, and these are proving very popular indeed.

A lot of Poles are looking for holiday homes in seaside resorts as well as places like Mazury (lakes).

Like I mentioned earlier, the holiday homes my company has access to are at the luxury end of the market, but even these are selling well.

Wroclaw Boy ...I'll PM you in the next few days.

We attended the first Polish Property Show here in West London over the weekend and I can see myself quite busy following up a number of leads - having said that, in my opinion the show was badly advertised by the organisers and only Poles attended, and not British investors.

Real Estate / What kind of property would you buy in Poland? [19]

I have to agree with you there Bubba .... I work with a developer who specialises in holiday homes, which can be considered at the luxury end of the market, and these get snapped up very quickly !

Life / Brits moving to live in Poland [88]


We do see problems in Poland ...... sometimes it's hard not to ! It's just that some of us concentrate on the positives and don't dwell on the negatives !

It's been said that Poles are very negative in their outlook ..... a bit difficult to be any different when under communist rule - it's was a case of 'learned helplessness'.

But now things are starting to be different, and the Polish people believe they can make a change for the better.

The difference I see is that whereas in Poland I believe things are on the up and will improve, in UK there has been a steady decline and with the present government in power for the next year and a half, things will only get worse !

One seems to forget that not so long ago Poland was under communist rule, and the damage that this has caused will take some time to rectify; the way people think and act is not something that can be changed overnight .....

There is a sense of excitement .... a buzz about Poland ... this is a country which is going through enormous change at the moment, but a change in the right direction.

UK, Ireland / Immigrants trigger Irish rethink [71]


…cold , wet, expensive …..very true , but full of people who will despise them ….. I have found it to be quite the opposite :o)

Most ‘regular’ Brits actually admire the Poles who have come over and are working to make a better life for themselves ! They are not sponging off the system like some groups of immigrants, and some Brits who can’t be bothered to work because they say they’re better off claiming government hand-outs. If you really want to lay the blame on anyone, you should take a good look at this government and how they have systematically stripped Britain from all that was once great ! It was the government’s decision to allow mass migration, without having the proper strategies in place in order to cope.

UK is losing it’s identity, not because of the Poles and other eastern european immigrants, but because it is devaluing Christian belief’s and pandering to other minority religions. After all Britain is supposed to be first and foremost a Christian country – you’d hardly know it by the steps which certain groups take to remove any reference to Christianity or Christian celebrations, in the fear that these other minority groups may in some small way be offended ! For example, how can it be offensive to other religious groups for a newsreader on television to wear a cross on a chain around her neck ??

Since the influx of Poles, the churches in many parishes where these migrants have settled are again seeing full attendances …. surely this is something to be proud of and beneficial to the community :o)


Where would you go? How do you know you’d be welcome in the country of your choosing? I know that Brits who have moved over to Poland have been made to feel very welcome.

I will be another of those leaving these shores in the next year or two, and making Poland my new home :o)

This country (England) is in decline, due mainly to this atrocious government; they do not stand for family values and are happy to watch whatever was good about this island go down the pan. With the arrogant Gordon Brown as Prime Minister I can only see the acceleration in this decline process.

Life / Living in Poland without working? - Your opinion [63]


in a decent part of Krakow, prices are around 7000zł/m2 to 8500zł/m2, and that is starting from price :o)

a 70m2 apartment can therefore cost between 490000zł and 595000zł; the exchange rate today is 4.98zł to £1;

therefore the price of a 70m2 apartment can be between £98,394 and £119,478, and quite often much more than this as price per m2 can be 12000zł/m2 +.

usually, the further one goes from the centre of a city the cheaper the price/m2 will be.

Life / Brits moving to live in Poland [88]



i really wonder why you bother to stay in Poland Zeze .... there's not much about Poland you seem to like ..... apart from the women.

Polish cuisine is like a lot of things .....a matter of taste ... i absolutely love Polish food, but then again I was brought up on it :o)

dnz makes a valid point regarding the weather


I'd have to agree with you about the roads, but then again I have experienced worse .... Russia for example.

Trains could also do with some improvement, and we all know about Poland's infrastructure, or lack of it, however we have been promised that all of these things will improve ... it's just a matter of time :o)

Instead of concentrating on the negative aspects, look at all the good things Poland has to offer - like you have already mentioned the gorgeous women and then there is also cheap beer, excellent food (in my opinion), cheap standard of living, beautiful historic places to visit, a successful national football team (hopefully) etc..

Life / Brits moving to live in Poland [88]


the article is in todays Daily Express (Tuesday 4th December 2007, page 26, ); as I mentioned earlier in this thread there is an online version of the newspaper (express.co.uk), but apart from being able to see the front and back pages for free, one has to subscribe.

why would I make this up ?


the manner in which you express your disagreement leads me to believe you a) have a very limited vocabulary, or b) are a person of very low intellect or c) are an immature person who thinks it's clever using such words. In any case, try using the correct spelling :o)

In fact I think a, b & c are correct.

The quote on living comfortably on a bus driver's wage came from Paul Brannan himself , the guy who moved to Poland to work as a bus driver, and is not necessarily my opinion.

Every person is different and will have different expectations; he was stating his opinion. For him, the salary is sufficient to live very comfortably. Whether one can live comfortably on such a wage is very subjective; it is down to each individual.

Remember he is living in Zywiec, and not one of the major cities like Warsaw or Krakow.


what would you class as 'old' ?

of course nearly all of these Brits will come over to Poland with savings or loaded with cash after selling their home(s)/business in UK. From what I have seen majority of Brits coming over would be in the 25yrs-45yr range - what it is in reality, I couldn't tell you.

Some Brits will choose to live in smaller towns, but from what I have seen there are a fair number who settle in the big cities ... Warsaw, Krakow, Wroclaw, Lodz, Poznan etc..


being old = not so good, although wiser in many ways.
some cash = good,
finding some pretty girl = very good, and not hard to achieve in Poland !

Living in Poland = Life is Good ....... most of the time :o)

UK, Ireland / If I was to move to Poland from Ireland... [92]


No-one said it was easy work :o)

A good friend of mine who teaches as a native speaker makes 6500zł quite easily, and on a good month he told me he could make over 10,000zł :o)

Life / Brits moving to live in Poland [88]


Hi dnz,

Sounds as though you're enjoying Poznan :o)) ..... it would be interesting to know what , if anything, you do to earn a living ? Native speaker perhaps ?

Some people just take a few months to settle in and live off their savings or some other method of income (rental of property back in UK)


I remember when my mother-in-law was in hospital, my wife suggested straight away that we give the doctor in charge of her case a couple of bottles of cognac :o) , and there have also been stories of gifts/donationS being given to professors/lecturers so that students got better grades.

Bribery seems to happen everywhere ...... not just Poland ; take a look at the present British government and the scandal regarding donations to the party :o))

Yet another article in the press about the reverse trend of Brits going to find work and a 'better life' in Poland !

This time it's about a bus driver (Paul Brannan) who quit the UK, and moved from Newcastle upon Tyne to the mountain town of Zywiec. He reckoned that as there were so many Poles in Britain their must be loads of jobs in their country :o)

He decided on his move after a skiing holiday in Poland 3 years ago and says he has never looked back. The local bus service snapped him up without even giving him an interview. Paul says that even though he earns less in Poland, because everything costs a fraction of what it does in UK, he is no worse off. ( A bus driver can earn between £240-£340 per month depending on experience).

Paul said "the pay is more than enough and now that I have married I don't see why I should ever go back. I'd urge other British drivers to copy me. In England they earn more but they have to spend a lot more too. Life in Britain is very expensive, whereas here you can settle down very comfortably on a bus driver's wage. Anyone whio sells a shoebox flat in UK can afford a big house with a garden here."

Paul who married a local girl , Kamila, and also says "the women here (Poland) are fantastic - even my mother-in-law."

Life is so good for Paul Brannan in Poland, that he says he is not coming back to UK. Paul is not alone - since 2004, when Poland entered the EU, the number of Britons emigrating to Poland has increased by nearly 55%, according to Poland's Central Statistics Office. It said 1,592 British citizens became permanent residents in Poland in 2006.

This is still a drop in the ocean compared to the several hundred thousand Poles who have made the journey to the UK :o))))))))))

Life / Brits moving to live in Poland [88]


Very true .....Poles still have a lot to learn in the art of customer services !

UK, Ireland / If I was to move to Poland from Ireland... [92]


I know of several people teaching English as native speakers, and they do very well out of it.

Based on lessons at a rate of 50zł per hour, 6 hourly lessons per day, for a 5 day week, then the monthly income would be ........approx 6500zł.

Using an exchange rate 0f 5.2zł to £1, this gives them a monthly income of £1250

In addition to conversation with native speaker, they also provide listening sessions whereby the student will come and listen to text on a computer for anything between 1-2 hours - the rate for this is less.

I was a bit sceptical about students wanting to pay for such a service......ie. pay just to come and listen to someone speaking English via computer - but I have seen it with my own eyes. A friend of mine has set up about 5 computers in a room and while he gives a conversation lesson to one student, he has 5 other students listening to English via headphones on computer.

I know that pay for native speakers in schools is usually not enough to live, which is why most give private lessons.

UK, Ireland / Drunken Poles on the streets of London!! [103]


I think you are exaggerating ......


couldn't agree with you more ....

I remember when the influx of Poles started, there used to be loads of drunks and lowlife Poles hanging around the Polish Centre in Hammersmith and also Ravenscourt Park which is next door. They pestered young mums with their kids and settled in enclosed childrens' play areas to drink their vodka.

The local council and Met Police had to put up signs in Polish and English to warn the offenders of their behaviour.

Being of Polish descent it was embarrassing to see a certain breed of Poles behaving this way - fortunately I haven't seen these drunks and low life's for some time now, and the signs have been taken down.

Remember when Poland entered the EU , thousands of Poles came over to England believeing the streets were paved with gold .... the reality was somewhat different, and within 6 months many Poles who couldn't make it ... went back to Poland.

I can see a more widespread problem when the Romanians start coming over .... and here I am talking about the Gypsies.

The government should really address the problem - there was a suggestion of placing an annual cap on migrants entering the UK every year , but the government has decided not to adopt this policy ......

There should have also been some sort of selection as to what type of Poles or other Eastern european folk were allowed into the UK - this could have been on criteria such as language ability, skills, education etc.... but I have been told because of European Union rules this was not possible ... not sure how true this is ?


unfortunately this is very true ..... these type of Brits are doing themselves no favours and are giving Brits in general a bad reputation abroad. The drunken yob culture of young Brits is now well known in Poland.


I agree wildrover, much less aggressive than over here in London ......

Life / Brits moving to live in Poland [88]


i think you have to subscribe to the online version of Daily Express .... i read the article this morning ...paper version :o)

UK, Ireland / If I was to move to Poland from Ireland... [92]

Wroclaw Boy, whereas we all have our opinions, it is the way we express these opinions which tells others a lot about us.

Your comment of “utter crap”, leads me to think you are somewhat challenged in the cognitive area and lack the skills required to hold a decent conversation /discussion or argument; it is a response I would expect from an uneducated, uncouth, Neanderthal Brit :o)

A simple ‘I have to disagree’ or ‘I think you’re wrong’ would have sufficed, followed up with some sort of statement to support your comment :o)))

I was making the point about the difference in rain patterns between England and Poland (sad I know, but there it is ) because my wife who had lived in Poland (Wroclaw in fact) for 30 years had mentioned on numerous occasions that she was amazed how changeable the weather was in England (she has lived in London for 8 years now) – whereas in England you can expect the weather to change several times within the day, in Poland once it started raining, you knew not to expect anything better that day, and it was more likely to continue raining :o)

WroclawBoy, I would respect your opinion a lot more if you expressed it in a less abusive manner.
Your type of response is likely to fuel more abuse from the recipient in return, if he/she was of the same mentality as yourself.

I do not have to lower myself to your level.

UK, Ireland / If I was to move to Poland from Ireland... [92]



the difference is that when it rains in Poland it will keep pouring it down all day long ..... whereas in England (at least in South-East) it will rain for half an hour ... then there'll be bright sunshine for the next hour .. before it starts with another heavy downpour ... and so it goes on.....

in North of England I believe it rains a lot more than in the South .... and overall it's a lot more miserable weatherwise ....

Travel / Have you ever been in Poland? [111]


It depends which club you want to watch. If it's Arsenal then it will be difficult and expensive to get tickets .... but if you'd be happy watching a team like Fulham then you'd have more chance of getting a ticket.

UK, Ireland / If I was to move to Poland from Ireland... [92]



In Poland you get real winters which is what everyone in UK dreams of ..... how many times do you hear "i hope we get snow this Christmas" in England ?

I admit the winters are harsh in Poland, but every season has a beauty all of its own .... and I disagree with your comments that weather in Poland is crap / foul.

The summers in Poland are great .... high temperatures, and I find the summers more bearable in Poland than in UK - having said that England didn't really have a summer this year !

I agree with ukpolska when he says :


.....although when it rains in Poland .... it really rains !



these may be your opinions Michal, but I have met numerous Brits and other nationalities (with no Polish connections) who have made a permanent move to Poland to start a new life - they state they have a better quality of life, and have started businesses as they see Poland being a country with a bright future. Many have commented Poland is similar to what England used to be in the 50's & 60's.


if, like the original poster (lonely) stated he would be coming over to Poland with a substantial amount of money, i am sure he would not need to live in a concrete block in Katowice ..... he could buy himself a luxury apartment or a detached property on a nice piece of land in a nice part of Poland.


If I lived in Wapping .... i'd definitely swap for Gdansk, Krakow, Warsaw, Wroclaw ..... the list goes on .....:o))))

UK, Ireland / If I was to move to Poland from Ireland... [92]


Hi Lonely .... it depends really on how much you would be bringing over to Poland, and what your expectations are.

I know of a number of people who have sold up in UK and moved over to Poland for good - every one of them has said that their lifestyle is much better in Poland than it was in England. This is what I am planning to do within the next 2 years :o)) ...... I am looking forward to a new life in Poland with my family.

For one, they are usually mortgage free once they settle in Poland and have quite a bit left over which makes the greatest difference - they don't have the financial worries that they had in England. Many have started their own businesses, most started off by teaching as native speakers whilst finding their feet.

For sure there will be things you will miss about Ireland, as I will about England (such as my football team Fulham FC, M&S food), but overall I believe there would be more advantages than disadvantages in moving. Poland is a rapidly developing country with a big future ahead of it ... there are business opportunities and it's just a question of finding what works best for you.

Knowing how to speak Polish would be a great advantage ..... so I'd start taking some lessons asap :o)

I have a few Irish friends, and have noticed that in many respects there is a close similarity between the two countries, so hopefully the move from Ireland to Poland would not be too traumatic ! :o))

If you have the time .... try to spend a couple of months living in Poland ..... a sort of trial run, and see how it feels, and don't just go during the summer months, but try and experience the winters ...... if you can put up with the Polish winters you're virtually home and dry :o)

It'll be interesting to see which one of us makes the move first ! :o)

ps.


I agree with Telefonitika ..... i would take Zeze's advice with a pinch of salt, as he always appears to be pissed off with Poland.

Life / What type and brand of cars do Polish people like? [51]


I have found quite the opposite ..... large numbers of 4x4's around Warsaw and Krakow - these are the cities where I spend most of my time when in Poland.

when I bring clients over to Poland for a viewing trip they often comment on how many expensive cars there are on the roads .... something they had not expected to see on Polish roads.

Life / Wheres a good spot to play tennis in Warsaw? [8]


I don't live in Poland .... yet :o) Planning to make the move within the next two years, but still undecided between Warsaw and Krakow.

I have an apartment in Wilanow which is let at present.

I am in Poland , usually once a month, for anything between 1-3 days and 2 weeks :o), and either stay in hotels or with friends.

I've played in covered courts in Konstancin when a friend was based in Warsaw, but now he's returned to London I don't have anyone to have a game of tennis with. To tell you the truth I haven't played for over a year and would be quite rusty !

The courts I played on were clay ...and had a plastic bubble covering them.

Life / What type and brand of cars do Polish people like? [51]

I have also noticed quite a lot of 4x4's being driven , particularly Toyota RAV4 and Land Cruisers and also Grand Cherokee Jeeps; I have also seen quite a few Hummers and other oversize American off-roaders !

I suppose these are quite popular due to the harsh driving conditions in winter - i expect most drivers in South Poland will be changing to snow tyres ?

As a status symbol, I think German cars and in particular Merc's & BMW's have been the most popular; VW's are seen as a reliable option.

I am sure it's probably the same in Poland , but in my time working in Russia (1997) it was the BMW that was the mafia's preferred make of motor car.

Life / Wheres a good spot to play tennis in Warsaw? [8]

I found the following article in Warsaw Voice ....from April 2003, so no doubt the prices would have gone up by now.


warsawvoice.pl/view/2045/

UK, Ireland / British Airways cancels Heathrow to Warsaw flights ! [23]


absolutely nothing wrong with LOT...... and I fly with them regularly also :o)

I was in no way making a derisive comment about LOT ....

When making my travel arrangements to Poland I always check both BA and LOT , and in some cases there is a considerable difference in the prices quoted for same day flights.

It's always nice to have a choice ..... and I was stating that after 27th March I will only have the LOT option from Heathrow :o)

If the price is the same, I will choose BA as they give me points/miles and I am registered as an executive member.

UK, Ireland / British Airways cancels Heathrow to Warsaw flights ! [23]


Convenience ..... living in west London, it only takes me 15-20 minutes to get to the terminal.

UK, Ireland / British Airways cancels Heathrow to Warsaw flights ! [23]

Just found this .........


news.ebookers.com/european-airlines/bmibaby/

No sign of Heathrow to Warsaw though :o((

Travel / Health Tourism in Poland [17]

I have had dental work done in a very good practice in Krakow ..... it is not the cheapest in Poland, but about one third of the costs I would incur in UK. Very modern practice with all the latest technology - located just across Most Grunwaldzki (opposite side of Wawel Castle). My relatives , who are both doctors told me about this practice .... I wouldn't go anywhere else now to have my teeth seen to :o)

Also know of a very good dental practice in Saska Kepa, Warsaw; especially good with children.

Life / English Girl Marrying Polish guy in Poland [8]

.... i also believe you have to have proof that you have attended pre-marriage classes with a priest, in order to prepare the couple for married life.

When my wife and I got married , we had the civil wedding (registry office) carried out in UK, and then had the church ceremony in Wroclaw Cathedral.

In order to have the wedding ceremony in Wroclaw Cathedral we had to provide the priest with various documentation - it's best to have a meeting with the priest at the parish where you wish to be married and ask for 'precise' documentation that is required.

The parish priest will also ask for a monetary donation for use of the church/cathedral to cover certain costs like lighting, heating etc...

I tried to break the ice with the quite severe-looking priest by joking we could save some money by not having the heating as we were getting married in September ...... he didn't have a sense of humour and only frowned when I mentioned it !!