How important is it to have a car in Poland?

nauczyciel

2 Oct 2008 / #31

i'm more than happy to pay 4.31zl/ litre for gas, 5623zl for insurance for the pleasure of not having to smell the stench of the busses and trams.

only drawback... I can't scope out all the prospective girlfriends.

LondonChick 31 | 1,133

2 Oct 2008 / #32

I guess its a city / not city thing, rather than a Poland / not Poland thing.

I have to say that at the age of 33, I never got around to passing my driving test, and it's not done me any harm.

Switezianka - | 463

2 Oct 2008 / #33

I don't think a car is a necessity anywhere in Poland because a lot of people don't have cars and they can survive. Even in the country.

But if you hate smelly passengeres, dresiarze (Polish chavs) playing some awful music loud on their mobile phones, babcias almost putting their bags on your lap to suggest you should give up your sit for them (as if they couldn't ask you to) and other elements of 'local colour', get a car.

beenerschnitzel - | 11

4 Oct 2008 / #34

My cousin has a hybrid - the hydrogen is way cheaper than gas-o-line. Double roundabouts - or suicide roundabouts where they allow 2 lanes to turn in 1 direction is enuf to make me use public transport over there. that was pretty crazy! My Polish cousins complained about them.

Misiek_

5 Oct 2008 / #35

Anyway, I think for at least 80% of the people that use them in Poland, a car is more a luxury than a necessity. They're a powerful status symbol for many Polish people (much more than in the US) but they're a lot more trouble keeping than in the US too. Gas is more expensive, roads are usually in poor shape, Polish people are mostly awful, reckless drivers with no basic understanding of basic road courtesy, car theft is a real fact of life (not as much as it used to be, but it's still something you have to think about) and trying to park in cities is an exercise in frustration/rage management.

A car is a luxury in Poland ? Don't be silly. We are not poor as we were 10 years ago ! Symbol of the status ?! Maybe in 1990... The car theft is NOT a problem ! The danger that your car can be stolen is the SAME as in Western Europe ! You must be mad really... I can partly agree with you when considering road fatalities. But the situation's improving promptly.

dnz 17 | 710

5 Oct 2008 / #36

You would be fine without a car and the public transport is great, I managed for nearly a month without a car when the drunken moron drove into the back of mine writing it off. If you do decide you need a car you would probably be best shipping yours from the states and keeping it on US plates until you take it home again as you can't get anything decent in poland for a good price. Petrol here is expensive (compared to the US). There is no risk of car theft whatsoever but make sure you have a good alarm and immobiliser fitted. I've had parts of my car stolen, headlights, indicators door handles etc but never the whole car. Driving in Poland on the other hand requires concentration of the highest level as people here have no idea how to drive and the roads aren't great.

OP terrabull 4 | 32

6 Oct 2008 / #37

Thank you for the responses. We are still going back and forth about the car. We think it's going to be more of an expense and a hassle than what it's worth. We'll do without for as long as possible.