Life / American TV in Poland [6]

Many UK channels can be received in Poland for free, from satellite. You need only a dish set on position 28 deg. E and an FTA tuner. Part of them is broadcasted from a special "spot beam", directed onto Brtish Islands, but many of them is avaliable in Poland with normal dish.

Look here: lyngsat.com/Eutelsat-28A-and-Astra-1N-2A-2F.html at column "Beam". In this column there are links, you can check a coverage.

Travel / Lodz to Poznan (trains?) [7]

Poznań: goo.gl/maps/fddsv
£ódź: goo.gl/maps/nv3zs

They are main stations - depending on the route (through Kalisz or through Kutno) and category of the train, they stop also on smaller stations in both cities, for example £ódź Żabieniec. Everything you can find on the website: rozklad.sitkol.pl/bin/query.exe/en? (has English version).

You can also find connections with changing trains in Kutno or £owicz - often they are faster than direct trains through Kalisz.

If you will be going by a TLK train, I recommend to buy your ticket more than 14 days before the journey, if you can - then you get a 15% discount. Buying ticket less than 14 days, but more than 7 days before - you get 7% discount.

Law / Where to register a .PL domain name? [33]

Maybe:
home.pl
nazwa.pl
They are the most popular companies selling *.pl domains. They aren't the cheapest, but should be reliable.

Travel / Mobile internet for tourists in Poland? [35]

1. Yes, you can. Orange, Play, Plus, T-Mobile...
2. No, you buy it normally, like a newspaper, in almost every newsagent's.
3. In cities centres it might work not very well due to big network traffic, but generally it's usable. Real speed depends on traffic and avaliable technology (HSDPA, UMTS, EDGE). HSDPA theoritically allows you to achieve 7,2 Mbps, but it refers to ideal conditions.

There are special SIM cards only for Internet (Orange Free, Play Online, iPlus, Blueconnect) and normal SIM cards for calling and text messaging, which you can also use for Internet, but then it is profitable to buy additional Internet package (X MB for Y PLN).

Law / E (electronic) Signatures - how do I get one in Poland? [3]

Where can I buy electronic signature and how much will it cost?

Secure electronic signature can be purchased now in one of the five companies providing services in this area ( qualified certification service providers for electronic signatures ) , listed in the register of the Ministry of Economy.

mg.gov.pl/Wspieranie+przedsiebiorczosci/Dzialalnosc+go spodarcza+i+e-przedsiebiorczosc/Podpis+elektroniczny/Lista+pytan

You can buy it in one of 5 firms (blue links on aforementioned website). What do you need e-signature for?

Language / Why when spelling Polish names abroad, Polish letters are ignored? [68]


What about Naples in Italy? For Italians it's Napoli, for Poles - Neapol. Rome? For Italians - Roma, for Poles - Rzym, e.g. for Russians - Rim (Рим). Cities, especially big ones, have different names in different languages - like countries. Usually the differences are small, but for example Polish name of Italy is Włochy, on the other hand Hungarian name of Poland is Lengyelország. Interesting is Montenegro with its Polish name - Czarnogóra. Taking cities again into consideration - popular Polish transcription of Pyongyang is Phenian (but Pyongyang is also in use), often pronounced in English style.

In Poland we say Monachium for Muenchen, Germans say Stettin for Szczecin or Danzig for Gdańsk. Ukrainians have Lviv (Львів), we say Lwów. Szczecin and Lwów can be explained by that before World War II Szczecin was a German city, Lwów was Polish.

I can understand ignoring Polish letters abroad (especially in texts typed on computers - though Polish is quite comfortable here, we don't have different keyboard like Germans, the only thing to do is to change keyboard layout in settings and to know how to use Alt key to type Polish letters), but what I sometimes meet and can't understand is ignoring them in pronunciation.

Travel / Best way to get to Krakow Business Park? [27]


Direct trains from Katowice to Kraków stops next to Business Park, but they take ab. 2 hours. I don't know if you checked it accurately, but you should look here: rozklad.sitkol.pl - or here full timetable ("tabela 140"): - but only in Polish (remember that it changes since 2nd September). As far as I can see, you have convenient trains for working from 7.30 to 16.00, but not from 9.00 to 18.30 (anyway it would be terrible to wake up at 4.00 AM) . Trains are slower than buses on this route - bus to Kraków centre takes, as the people before me mentioned, about 80 minutes - using the A4 highway. From Kraków centre to Business Park you have about 15-20 minutes by train. This is your choose, if you want to get there faster, but through Kraków centre, changing vehicle there, or slower, but directly.

I agree that best would be to live in the middle between Kraków and Katowice. To go from Katowice to Kraków by car... for my calculations, it would be about 1500 PLN a month.

Ticket from Katowice to Kraków for a bus is 14 PLN, so for month it would be 560 PLN. From Kraków centre to Business Park 4 PLN, or you can buy one cheaper ticket for a month for 100 PLN. Together - 660 PLN.

By direct train from Katowice to Business Park - 15,60 PLN for one ticket, 290 PLN for one ticket for a month. So much cheaper.

What is more - it is also possible to buy cheaper train ticket for a week - but less cheaper than buying one for a month. From Katowice to Kraków Business Park - 110 PLN for a week.

Life / What do I need to do when I arrive in Poland ? [13]


No, currently NIP is only for firms. Normal people don't have NIP numbers since 1st January 2012.

m.onet.pl/biznes/analizy,4sneg

Travel / Pre-paid cell phone from Poland for local and international calls? [12]

Initially they used only Plus stations (and own ones), but since 2011 national roaming in Orange is also avaliable. And now they are going to make customers able to use T-Mobile coverage: gsmonline.pl/artykuly/play-ma-roaming-krajowy-z-t-mobile

Only some Internet packages work only on Play network. But it doesn't consist to all of them.

Travel / Pre-paid cell phone from Poland for local and international calls? [12]

You can buy it practically in every kiosk with newspapers etc.

I would recommend Play Fresh. The best coverage (own transmitters and the ones of Plus and Orange) and best prices. The only drawback - calls from other networks to Play are quite expensive.

Travel / How to get from Krakow ( KRK ) Airport to the town of Swidnik (Slovakia)? [6]


There is also a version with changing a bus in Miejsce Piastowe instead of Krosno - look at E-podroznik.pl.

I don't know if the buses to Barwinek reach the border. If not, you must walk about 2 km.

There are Slovakian buses from the border in Barwinek/Vysny Komarnik ("Vyšný Komárnik,,št.hr." stop; "št.hr." means the border) to Svidnik - look here:

cp.atlas.sk/vlakbus/spojenie/?f=Vy%c5%a1n%c3%bd+Kom%c3%a1rnik%2c%2c%c5%a1t.hr.&t=Svidn%c3%adk&fc=200003&tc=1&direct=false&byarr=false&submit=true&af=false&lng=S

Life / TVP axes Dobranocka [21]


In DVB-T you have eg. Puls 2. And there will be one more channel for children.

Travel / Whats the cheapest way to get around Poland... train or bus? [25]


Except local train companies like Koleje Mazowieckie or Koleje Śląskie.

Language / jeśli OR jeżeli [13]

Both are rarely used in everyday language. But if I talk to somebody, I rather use "jeśli" than "jeżeli". "Jeżeli" is good for some letters, documents or official speeches.

Sometimes in everyday speech we say "jak" instead of "jeśli" or "jeżeli", but it's meaning is closer to "gdy".

For example:
Zrobię to, jak wyjdziesz z pokoju. [the least formal]
or - with the same meaning:
Zrobię to, gdy wyjdziesz z pokoju. [more formal]
Zrobię to, jeśli wyjdziesz z pokoju.
Zrobię to, jeżeli wyjdziesz z pokoju.

Everyone means the same, but two first I would translate using "when", two following using "if".

With "gdy" I point out that I will do it just when the room will be free of the other person. With "jeśli" or "jeżeli" - that the other person will have walked out of the room. In effect - the same, but sounds a bit differently.


And the EU :)

Travel / Poland travel with baby (car seat?) [18]

In my neighbourhood (£ódź) yesterday it was snowing, today that snow melted. So it's around 0"C.

twojapogoda.pl

Language / Does Polish have a plural of "You"? [51]


Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej. "Rzecz pospolita" from "Res publica". Or Rzeczpospolitej, but I would use it rather for the newspaper called "Rzeczpospolita":

Rzeczpospolita newspaper

Travel / Fastest way to get from Warsaw Airport to Lodz central on Monday at noon. [42]

From Modlin to Warsaw - generally there are 2 options - ModlinBus (a bus to Warsaw) or Koleje Mazowieckie (a bus to the station in Modlin and train from station in Modlin to Warsaw - with one ticket).

modlinbus.com

Koleje Mazowieckie:
buses Modlin Airport - Modlin Station: mazowieckie.com.pl/g2/oryginal/2012_12/3762067aa44052142bc911af0eef8488.pdf

all trains in Poland: rozklad.sitkol.pl/bin/query.exe/en?

From Warsaw to £ódź and Kraków, there are many trains.

Travel / Poland Bus (Travel) Companies [6]

There are buses from £ódź to Warsaw after midnight.

See here:

For example 00:50 "PKS w Suwałkach"/"POLBUS PKS WROC£AW" or PolskiBus 2:25.

I don't know how did you check it if you couldn't find that links.

Language / i don't understand this, "rozmawianO" and "pitO"? [18]

It WAS believed/made etc. This construction is proper only for the past. And used in formal language.

Wszystkie groby zostały umyte na Wszystkich Świętych. => Na Wszystkich Świętych umyto wszystkie groby.

But you cannot change:
Ten grób jest teraz myty.
in similar way.

You can say:
Umyto ten grób.
But it would mean:
This grave WAS cleaned.

Language / Polish Conditional - if you would.. [24]


In Polish we usually say "Na twoim miejscu" instead of "Gdybym był tobą". "Gdybym był tobą" is correct, but sounds strange a bit.

Travel / Fastest way to get from Warsaw Airport to Lodz central on Monday at noon. [42]


My mistake - I thought about going from £ódź to Warsaw.

With ModlinBus, Warszawa Centralna is rather the only option, but with a train to Modlin, Warszawa Zachodnia is better. Some of trains from Modlin doesn't stop at Warszawa Centralna. Every train from/to £ódź stops at Warszawa Zachodnia.


From Modlin to £ódź it's simple, but from £ódź to Modlin it's just not so simple. Or it's simple too, but provided there is no problem with being at the airport 1,5 hour before the flight departure. But in this situation nobody can guarantee that he or she won't miss the flight.

I'm not trying to mislead anyone, I only want to help.

Travel / Fastest way to get from Warsaw Airport to Lodz central on Monday at noon. [42]

If you go from Warsaw to £ódź, first station is Warszawa Zachodnia (Warsaw West), second Warszawa Centralna (Warsaw Central), the last one is Warszawa Wschodnia (Warsaw East). Warszawa Centralna is in the centre of Warsaw.

If you take ModlinBus at 7:20, you are at the airport at 8:25. As far I know, if you want to be sure that you won't miss the flight, you should be on the airport 2 hours before a departue.

A train from £ódź goes from £ódź Kaliska through £ódź Chojny and £ódź Widzew. You can see it if you open details in the Sitkol timetable.

Remember that 1st November is a holiday in Poland ("Wszystkich Świętych" - people visit graves of their relatives on the cementaries). In addidion if at 2nd November they take a day free at work, it makes a "long weekend". Trains and other means of transport might be busy that time.

Travel / Fastest way to get from Warsaw Airport to Lodz central on Monday at noon. [42]

rozklad.sitkol.pl

Switch into English version and type from Modlin to £ódź.

Here is a timetable of buses from the airport to station in Modlin (and trains from Modlin to Warsaw, but they are also on the website mentioned above).

Concerning the return...
If you want to be at the airport at 8 AM, you have to catch the train 6:33 from Warszawa Zachodnia. The first train from £ódź is on Warszawa Zachodnia at 6:25. You have 8 minutes for changing a train. If you miss a 6:33 from Warszawa Zachodnia to Modlin, you have the next one at 7:14. But it is quite risky - you will be at the airport at 8:35. A safer option might be this bus which goes through Warsaw and £ódź (6:05 - Warszawa Zachodnia, 6:10 - Warszawa Centralna).

Edit...
When I was writing this post I hadn't read the previous ones, but with ModlinBus you have similiar problem. Going by the first train from £ódź you will be late for the bus to the airport. With the next one you will be a bit too late on the airport. The only difference is that with ModlinBus you have direct connection from Warsaw to the airport, you don't have to change a mean of transport in Modlin.

Travel / Train to Modlin airport in Poland - S9 an KM9 how frequently they go? [7]

Maybe cause it's quite expensive...

A train company which goes from Modlin to Warsaw is Koleje Mazowieckie. From Modlin Airport to the station by buses too.

It's hard to find the buses schedule on their English website. But on the Polish one it's no problem.

Timetable up to 15th October: mazowieckie.com.pl/g2/oryginal/2012_09/8d302a066055b4ecdf7ca749c197b648.pdf
Since 16th October: mazowieckie.com.pl/g2/oryginal/2012_10/2200a914fcc8015e59e680c2643024d9.pdf

There are also direct buses to Warsaw: modlinbus.com/

Travel / What is the cheapest way to get from Modlin airport to Warsaw? [106]

They say that they are cheaper than taxi - Poland Modlin Transportation.

There are also service buses from airport to Modlin train station. From the station you have direct trains to Warsaw. But you may wait for a train because trains schedule isn't synchronised with flights. There is one price for train and service bus together - 12 PLN.

Trains schedule - rozklad.sitkol.pl

"Stacja PKP" - train station
"Port Lotniczy" - airport

Travel / Warsaw airport to Bus Station Wilanowska stand number 14 [22]

Both train and bus has advantages and drawbacks. For example, in a bus (like the one from Warsaw to Białystok), the driver won't take more people than seats in the bus. Not to mention that all seats in this bus must be booked. Corridors in trains are sometimes full of standing people. However I doubt that there will be much people in a train from Warsaw to Białystok at 1 p.m. On the other hand, 3h 20min (in the bus) is not so long to make a big discomfort.

The decision is up to the author of thread. Who haven't answered yet.

Travel / Warsaw airport to Bus Station Wilanowska stand number 14 [22]

I wouldn't be so sure that PolskiBus buses are less comfortable than TLK trains. PB buses have air conditioning, electric sockets, Wi-Fi. TLK trains - not.

Travel / Warsaw airport to Bus Station Wilanowska stand number 14 [22]

Not as cheap as PolskiBus. PolskiBus ticket from Warsaw to Białystok for 12.09.2012 costs now 5 PLN. TLK 2nd class ticket - 40 PLN.

JakDojadę.pl shows following connection:
1/ train to Warszawa Służewiec station
2/ tram from Służewiec:
2a/ line 31 to Metro Wilanowska
2b/ line 74 to Metro Wierzbno and Metro from Wierzbno to Wilanowska
taking about 30 minutes.

Travel / Fastest way to get from Warsaw Airport to Lodz central on Monday at noon. [42]

The last train from Warsaw to £ódź is at 21:41 on Warszawa Centralna station, 21:46 on Warszawa Zachodnia (Warsaw West) station:
rozklad.sitkol.pl/bin/traininfo.exe/pn/729960/428479/47686/219477/51?l d=c&seqnr=14&ident=h2.029207190.1345380057&date=20.08.12&station_evaId =5100067&station_type=dep&journeyStartIdx=2&journeyEndIdx=6&backLink=t p&

If your flight arrives to Okęcie (Chopin) airport - you would have to catch a train from airport at 21:20:
rozklad.sitkol.pl/bin/traininfo.exe/pn/993315/516834/185160/238525/51? ld=c&seqnr=4&ident=jx.02266190.1345380470&date=20.08.12&station_evaId= 5103819&station_type=dep&journeyStartIdx=0&journeyEndIdx=7&backLink=tp &

and change it on Warszawa Zachodnia. Rather not possible. Maybe if you take a taxi (about 20 minutes). But I am not sure that you will be on time.

From Modlin airport - not possible to catch this train. It's too far away.

So the next connection to £ódź is PolskiBus.com bus at 23:00. To Poznań through £ódź. You have to book tickets on the net. PolskiBus goes from Metro Wilanowska (Wilanowska underground station). You will find city public transport connections at jakdojade.pl website (avaliable in English). But, according to JakDojade, from Modlin airport you won't be on time too.

The next bus - from Białystok to Zielona Góra. Timetable:
pks.lodz.pl/r_2006/krajowy_35d.php?kurs=111690204&skad=Warszawa&cel=%A 3%F3d%BC
WARSZAWA DW.CENTRALNY - Warszawa Centralna train station
WARSZAWA DW.ZACH.PKS - Warszawa Zachodnia train/bus station
WARSZAWA PORT LOT.OKĘCIE - Okęcie airport
You can buy a ticket in the bus.

All buses from Warsaw to £ódź:
pks.lodz.pl/r_2006/krajowy_25d.php?skad=Warszawa&cel=%A3%F3d%BC
But during a day train is better. It's faster and goes often.