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Posts by Smokeyone  

Joined: 25 Oct 2007 / Male ♂
Last Post: 5 Mar 2011
Threads: Total: 17 / In This Archive: 14
Posts: Total: 62 / In This Archive: 46

Displayed posts: 60 / page 1 of 2
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Smokeyone   
25 Oct 2007
Language / Best cd/book course to Polish [11]

I know there is lots of useful info on this web site but any thoughts on a good cd/book to purchase. Really should go to evening classes but cannot find the time. Not enough hours in the day.

Wondered if there was a course worth purchasing that I could play on the pc or in the car.
Smokeyone   
26 Oct 2007
Language / Best cd/book course to Polish [11]

Thank you both for the advice.
By the way does Pa Pa mean bye bye in Polish as per Michael Palin last Sunday night.
Thanks
Smokeyone   
26 Oct 2007
Language / Best cd/book course to Polish [11]

Thanks
Do I assume you watched the prgramme !
I thought it was the best programme yet and depicted
Poland as a very nice country to visit but I am biased as
I go there about five times a year.
Smokeyone   
23 Jan 2008
Life / Wondering about opening a savings account in Poland [8]

Hello

I nip back and forth to Poland around six times a year and with the pound zloty exchange rate getting worse (good for poland, not so much fun for me) I wondered about opening a savings account in Poland.

Any particular problems about opening an account and say put 5000 zloty in it.
I could give a polish address if needed and draw on the money as and when.
I do not mind paying tax on the interest if the bank deducts it but did not want to start receiving letters from the polish inland revenue.

Thanks
Smokeyone   
24 Jan 2008
Life / Wondering about opening a savings account in Poland [8]

Thanks for the help. Do not really need internet banking at the moment. Straightforward savings account would be okay, go into the bank and withdraw cash. Do banks have such a thing in Poland !
Smokeyone   
9 Apr 2008
Travel / Finding a bus company in Bielsko-Biala! [3]

I wonder if anyone could help me track down a bus hire/charter company in Bielsko-Biala please. Have tried Google and if I wanted Warsaw or Kracow okay, but Bielsko-Biala is a little more difficult. The tourist office says they will help but they have been saying that for months.

Cheers & many thanks

PS I am in the UK
Smokeyone   
10 Apr 2008
Travel / Finding a bus company in Bielsko-Biala! [3]

Brilliant, thanks very much indeed. No one would believe how much trouble I have had in finding a Bielsko-Biala company to hire a bus from..............

Thanks again
Smokeyone   
18 Apr 2008
Life / Paying bills in Poland [5]

Hello

Rather than do a bank transfer from england to poland at £20 a throw - can I just pay several bills at any bank in poland. I have all the polish account details and am back in poland again in a few weeks.
Smokeyone   
18 Apr 2008
Life / Paying bills in Poland [5]

Thanks for the info. You are probably right about opening a bank account but I only have a few bills to pay, maybe twice a year, if that....

Also to credit the account I would have to pay in cash, although that is not a particular problem. I do not receive polish cheques or income, I just change sterling to PLN.

I could ask at a branch of bzwbk about opening an account!
Is that John Cleese in the top right corner !
Smokeyone   
19 Apr 2008
Life / Paying bills in Poland [5]

Tell me about................................
Was it 18 months ago and an exchange rate of 5.5 to the pound............
Any guesses if it's going to get much worse and stay there or get worse
and creep back up.
I have thought about changing a few thousand pounds worth and usuing over the next few years for all my trips over to poland.
Of course if we could guess correctly we would work in the money markets on a big enough bonus not too work about £2k..............
Smokeyone   
21 Apr 2008
Life / current pound zl exchange rate [14]

Hello

By chance does anyone know the typical exchange rate at a kantor in Poland at the moment. Today (Monday) it seems the best rate I can find in England is 4.14 to the pound.

Cheers
Smokeyone   
21 Apr 2008
Life / current pound zl exchange rate [14]

I could live with 4.6 to the pound (not happy) but 4.14 is ten per cent less.
trying to decide whether to take 4.14 in england today or a generally better rate in Poland next week....
Smokeyone   
21 Apr 2008
Life / current pound zl exchange rate [14]

So going by the results I would have to be lucky to get the 4.14 in poland exchange rate that I could have had this morning in england. I take it everyone has noticed the swizel exchange rates offered at airports both here and there...
Smokeyone   
22 Apr 2008
Life / current pound zl exchange rate [14]

So it could be worth waiting until next week and then shop around a bit.
Still showing 4.14 this morning in england but the worse I found online was 3.98
Smokeyone   
22 Apr 2008
Life / current pound zl exchange rate [14]

I wish I could take a good guess on whats going to happen. Taking a small risk I am paying various bills in Poland now even though they are not due for many months, thinking that the rate will only get worse.
Smokeyone   
22 Apr 2008
Travel / Who do you use to make calls to Poland? [33]

Hello

I use a 18866 dialing code to make cheap calls abroad and have also tried the 0840 prefix system but they often give me grief. Of course BT works each time but at vast expense.

Any suggestions for a reliable service to call landlines in Poland please.
Smokeyone   
22 Apr 2008
Travel / Who do you use to make calls to Poland? [33]

So far this morning I have tried
18866
18185
0844 200 9595
0844 838 4840

All my calls are to firms in Poland, would that make a difference....
Just tried 0844 200 9898 - I did dial 0048 - and the message said I would like to call the UK...........
Smokeyone   
22 Apr 2008
Travel / Who do you use to make calls to Poland? [33]

Just tried 18185 again, message half a pence per minute then high pitched whine...
18185 0048 33 49xx xxx

Am I missing something because I have just telephoned via BT and got through straight away....0048 33 49xx xxx
Smokeyone   
22 Apr 2008
Travel / Who do you use to make calls to Poland? [33]

Ordinary BT landline....just used 18866 to call a mobile in Poland and it worked fine but still no luck with several different landlines...

Just an update, still cannot get the cheap numbers to work to office direct numbers in Poland but strange I managed to get through okay to office fax machines and private numbers. Makes me think it is something to do with office telephone systems....
Smokeyone   
23 Apr 2008
Travel / Who do you use to make calls to Poland? [33]

I'll put the kettle on !!

So far two tourist offices & two travel agencies & a bus company....no luck
However, one hotel, one travel agency fax, one bus company fax & mobiles okay

For any telephone experts..is there a Polish telephone system that does not like
re-direct calls/0844 etc
Smokeyone   
23 Apr 2008
Travel / Who do you use to make calls to Poland? [33]

Just tried to make a call.....
welcome to telesavers....
info and finish by pressing the hash button
dialed the number
0048 33 49 xxxxx
one moment please

still just the sound of static after minutes

Am I unlucky..........
Smokeyone   
24 Apr 2008
Travel / Who do you use to make calls to Poland? [33]

I did after I posted on the forum but still did not get through.
With other cheap numbers I sometimes received a message saying
that I had dialed an incorrect number - please check and try again
Smokeyone   
24 Apr 2008
Travel / Who do you use to make calls to Poland? [33]

I am beginning to think it might be something to do with telecomm systems in offices but still find it odd that when I tried to fax to the same office it worked first time. Do office telecomm systems in buildings have a different set up for faxes rather than voice phone chat.....

I am now at the stage where I am trying to mobile numbers because that would still be cheaper on a 0844 type number than BT's overpriced landline.....
Smokeyone   
25 Apr 2008
Travel / Who do you use to make calls to Poland? [33]

I am calling from home....
Just checked my BT bill online and "oh blimey"..........
Must solve the mystery...

How did you get through in the end....
Smokeyone   
9 May 2008
UK, Ireland / Taking a UK-registered car to Poland [35]

Maybe someone could give me a spot of advice on taking my uk reg car to poland.
I do not mean the driving - but can I just keep it there - uk plate and all - is there
a tax disc system in poland or can I let my uk tax disc run out..would it be okay to keep uk insurance and renew in poland with a polish mot. Perhaps someone has done this and knows the pitfalls....it is better to try and get a polish number plate.

Thanks

PS I have given up with my phone problems.....
Smokeyone   
9 May 2008
UK, Ireland / Taking a UK-registered car to Poland [35]

Hi

It is very helpful because I was actually wondering if I could take the right hand drive car to Poland as the tax disc ran out and then close to a year later fly out with a new tax disc for the journey home but from what you have said that's a no no. Unless of course I just take a chance as you do not need a tax disc in Poland. As you say converting it to left hand drive would not make financial sense.

My idea was to leave the car at my flat for almost a year and then drive it back to the UK for mot etc etc....
Smokeyone   
9 May 2008
UK, Ireland / Taking a UK-registered car to Poland [35]

I was not suggesting not paying road tax on a uk reg car in the uk - I was thinking was a uk road tax needed on a uk reg car in Poland. If you drove out to Poland with a tax disc about to expire (the car has a valid uk mot for a year) and then flew out almost a year later after having bought a new tax disc in the uk to drive the car back for it's mot.
Smokeyone   
11 May 2008
UK, Ireland / Taking a UK-registered car to Poland [35]

How I understand the train of thought so far is -
take the rhd uk reg car to Poland but unable to reg car as rhd and too expensive
to change over to lhd...
uk insurance might be okay but only third party...
still supposed to purchase uk tax disc - could let tax expire and fly out with new one for journey home and new uk mot...however if you prang the car in poland could be big insurance problem if no tax disc - sorn etc - with ins co asking to see

dics etc...

New idea..get you uk rhd car reg & ins some where else in europe/ no disc needed- France or Germany !....and then drive to Poland....

Would this plan work...........................
No need for tax disc