Law / Is there a difference between karta pobytu and Europa card? [15]

And very good they do this.
In my view they should come without telling in advance.

Travel / Best way to get from Metro Mlociny to Chopin Airport? [22]


Jon, from this year, only one ticket is necessary. It is valid for 70 minutes, with unlimited stops. 70 minutes should be enough from Metro Młociny to the airport.

ztm.waw.pl/?c=516&l=1

Unfortunately this link is in Polish, but it states clearly that you can buy a 70-minute ticket (City) or a 90-minute ticket (city and suburban). Should be enough to get from Młociny to the airport.

P.S. Crow, maybe you could enlighten us about the sarmatian influence on Warsaw ticket tariffs? After all you seem to be very informed about everything Polish?

Travel / Visiting Warsaw In April - museums / galleries? [14]


I have been there once. Looked like something out of "Dynasty". Dreadfully new-rich and show-off...Like Paparazzi (don't know if it still exists) and that show-off place in the Sheraton.

Give me the viewing terrace on St. Anna's anytime, and a stroll to my expat-free pub.

Law / Is there a difference between karta pobytu and Europa card? [15]

I think she means the "European Card", which is issued to non-EU citizens who reside in Poland for 5 (?) years or more, who have a job etc....

I think it gives you the right to work here without problems, e.g. not needing a work permit (and residence permit) for every new job.

It entitles them to stay in Poland. A Canadian friend of mine use to have it.

Travel / Visiting Warsaw In April - museums / galleries? [14]


Though a bit far-off if you don't have a car...That said and done we often go there in Summer...
The University Botanical Gardens on Ujazdowski are much closer by and also worth going to.


I never liked Zachęta...they always want - as in my opinion all modern art museums try - to show how brave they can be with showing empty air and proclaiming to be art.


John, let's be honest...The museum is good for 45 minutes max...and then...? Though the park is really nice...I never thought it to be a winner...

Love / I am in a serious relationship with a girl i met on-line from Poland - advice needed [19]


Gives you to think about how the OP was serious...3 days ago he planned to live in Poland, sell all his possessions in Down Under etc.. for somebody he never ever met in real life, who barely is 20 yrs old...And now the whole show migrated to the US....??? And still for the same internet babe?

Anyway, I would advise everybody who head over heels wants to move to Poland for his/her partner...to come and stay here for some considerable time (as f stop wrote), including winter....and then make a decision...

Life / Are there any Muslim areas in Poland? [173]


So why did you come to Poland in the first place?

Love / Do I need to be Confirmed in order to get married in the Catholic church in Poland? [41]


I do not get this one...If you marry let's say at the pałac slubny in Warszawa Stare Miasto...you are legally married, wherever you go later on...If you decide to do a repeat in church that's your business, isn't it?

Main thing is to have the legal paperwork done?

Travel / Pub Quiz in Warsaw? [19]


But then, I very much prefer gastronauci.pl, which gives a local intake. Lots of places mentioned there are not even known on the expat fora

Love / Do I need to be Confirmed in order to get married in the Catholic church in Poland? [41]

I do not agree with you on that point. There is no state religion in Poland. If you marry your beloved one in your local pałac ślubny, you are married and that is it.

Travel / Pub Quiz in Warsaw? [19]

This confirms me what I since ages think about InYourPocket and other expat product placement publications. They pretend that bar is the best ever happened to Warsaw...Suddenly Bradley's is not the place to be anymore....I suppose it has to do with the editors not getting any freebies anymore...

Love / Do I need to be Confirmed in order to get married in the Catholic church in Poland? [41]


So people who got married in the Lutheran, Calvinist, Anglican...church are not married at all?

Law / How to get a private NIP number in Poland (for a foreigner) ? [28]


From my own experience, I would say...all communication with ZUS for example...
And if you want to apply for a Karta Warszawiaka as a foreigner (I know this does not concern you) your NIP is also necessary.

Law / I was fined for not having a tram ticket in Poland. How does this affect me? [68]

Still, if you don't have a valid ticket, pay up. For me it is simple.
Btw, when I see them on the bus/tram/metro they always work in pairs.Maybe I missed out the third one during all these years?

Speaking of having to pay up...a few years ago on a 15th August on the intersection of Leśmiana and Kasprowicza here in Bielana, I crossed the street when the pedestrian light was red. Absolutely deserted streets, empty dzielnica...Just I did not see the police car approaching. Got fined 100 PLN, which I had to pay by bank transfer within a few days. It was clearly a situation where they were waiting for me. But I thought "stuff them", and did not pay.

But unlike our friend with the invalid ticket, they found me out. One year later I got a nice letter from my bank, that on order of the Urząd Miasta they would have to block my bank account if I did not regulate the fine asap.

So I grudgingly had to pay...in the end...

Law / I was fined for not having a tram ticket in Poland. How does this affect me? [68]


And where does that leave us, law-abiding citizens who faithfully pay for their karta miejska every month?
Looking like fools? If yes, I prefer to look like a fool.

I could easily talk Dutch to a policeman and show him my Belgian ID card...but I prefer not to.

I hope they put a mark behind your name in every possible EU database.

Law / I was fined for not having a tram ticket in Poland. How does this affect me? [68]

You "forgot" your karta miejska expired. if we local people do this we have to pay up. Why should you be different?

Love / Partner wants me to come to Poland? [21]

But as we all know, Iron is the definitive authority on everything concerning contemporary Poland.

Life / How do the Polish feel about air pollution in their cities? [35]

Maybe Crow, Iron or Kondzior could shed a light on this one? After all they all consider themselves experts on Polish society?

Law / I was fined for not having a tram ticket in Poland. How does this affect me? [68]

You shouldn't have trespassed in the first place. And now it is pay-up time. Why do you judge yourself better as people who live here, and have to pay?

Life / How do the Polish feel about air pollution in their cities? [35]


It is a bit of a surprise that Bielany is doing so well..Arcelor Mittal (Huta Warszawa) being so close by. But maybe it has something to do with the fact they installed some years ago very strong filters on their chimneys...And the abundance of green spaces nearby (Las Młociński, Park Młociński, Las Bielański and Kampinos) for sure helps as well.

Law / I was fined for not having a tram ticket in Poland. How does this affect me? [68]


And why wouldn't ypu pay your fine?

Law / Does anyone know the process to get long-term residency (stała karta pobytu)? [9]


In practice it is for ever as well. But yes the card is only valid for 10 years, automatically to be renewed. The interesting bit here is that is NOT a karta pobytu. Mine is a salmon-red piece of paper looking as a passport page printed on 4 sides, stating 'Dokument potwierdzający prawo stałego pobytu".

It is my understanding they are only issued to EU citizens, but I might be mistaken.
And you cannot get one of these if you do not have a "meldunek stały".

News / Y Shaped high speed rail line Poland [78]


The money spent on this 30 minutes (billions of PLN) should be spent on everyday commuters.

News / Y Shaped high speed rail line Poland [78]

I do not know where you live...but part of the Warsaw ring road is finished (southern half).
As for high-speed railways... It would be much better if they invest these billions in upgrading the existing network, repairing all these ruined stations. Pendolino & co are PR-wise maybe cute..l.but it does not help the everyday commuters. Yes, they are not the capitalist expat big shots travelling first class Warsaw-Kraków, but they are the mainstay of PKP.

But then, upgrading the local train network around Warsaw does not make sexy headlines. Personally speaking, I do not give a fig about these high-speed lines. Travelling to Kraków 3 hours or 2 hours 30 min...what's the problem? What I do care about is that there is a decent.clean and plentiful local train network.

Food / Where to buy British mature Cheddar Cheese and salted butter in Poland? [289]

Valley Spire is in my local Lidl in Warszawa Młociny now stocked on the regular cheese shelves with the "nowość" sign on it. So it looks like it will be permanently on sale.

News / Y Shaped high speed rail line Poland [78]

There is no dedicated high-speed line in Poland. The only line designed for high-speed trains is the CMK (Centralna Magistrala Kolejowa) Central Railway line.
This is suitable for speeds up to 250 km/h and runs between Silesia and Warsaw, and has a length of 224 km.
But this is used not only by IC and EC trains, but also by the slower IR.
During speed tests in December 2013 the new Pendolino did 293 km/h on the CMK.

Life / Up-to-date prices for Driving Lessons in English in Warsaw? [5]

Hi, if you have a valid driving license from another EU country, there is no need for that.

Food / What's your favorite Polish beer? [870]

I tasted for the first time the beers from the Koreb brewery, at the Christmas Fair here in Warsaw. Really good stuff. We talked a lot with the co-owner. They are mainly a local £ódż area brewery.

pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Browar_Koreb
koreb.pl
He explained that they brew their beer in a traditional way (not like the chemical soup called Żywiec), and so the bottled ones only stay drinkable one month at the most.

They produce foremost for the £ódż area.
I am looking for a place in Warsaw where they have it on tap.

News / Car theft in Warsaw (the most popular cars among car thieves in Poland) [54]

From what I read in various articles, that's one possibility. Second one, they steal them for spare parts. Given the price of spare parts for Japanese cars...

Still the drop in numbers of cars stolen is remarkable.

News / Car theft in Warsaw (the most popular cars among car thieves in Poland) [54]

Merged: Top-4 of most-stolen cars in Warsaw 2013


warszawa.gazeta

According to police statistics the top-4 of most stolen cars in Warsaw during last year is as follows:

1. Toyota - 388
2. Honda - 386
3. Mazda - 184
4. Volkswagen - 117

In Warsaw during 2013 (until 26 December) 2108 cars were stolen (plus 896 in the 10 districts around the city).
For 2012 the number respectively was 2102/729

And a whole lot better if you look at the statistics for 2001: 11500/3500...

For Poland as a whole the most-stolen car is Volkswagen.