Life / A move to Poland - where to live? What city would you recommend? [32]

Thanks so much for your contibutions people it's very much appreciated.

DominicB you kind of hit the nail on the head. I know the major cities in Poland & they are easier to research & find stats online but smaller towns are practically unkown to me but are most definitely still on the cards.

I think Szklarska Poręba is a little too small really with a population of 10k. Cieszyn is looking interesting still being smallish towards 40k.

Couple of questions - would the price differencial between for example Krakow & Cieszyn be really demonstrable? I mean could i for example rent a 2 bedroom flat there instead of shared accomodation within my budget & what sort of price could i expect to pay for a 2 bed place in Cieszyn?

Are meals out for example going to much cheaper than krakow? How much could i expect to pay for a hearty traditional polish meal? I do intend to eat out regularly. I understand its close to the czech border & i have found czech to be more expensive than poland does that element factor at all?

I do enjoy beer too - i'm not too concerned about clubs per say but nice pubs, even very traditional polish style appeal. Would i find enough of these in Cieszyn & how much would the cost of a beer be?

It's unlikely i will have a car with me. Will public transport suffice there if i lived pretty centrally? Quality of life is important to me & i do enjoy hiking & skiing too whilst not something i would be doing everyday. Would there be sufficient transport links to access these areas & does anyone know the distance to these areas & have an idea of the cost of a ski pass locally?

I would go & stay in a b&b for a week before committing to anything to get a feel for the place but having these answers prior would be really helpful.

Thanks,

Life / A move to Poland - where to live? What city would you recommend? [32]

Great thanks people & thanks particularly DominicB.

Cieszyn looks like a lovely town & Czesky Tesin too. I like the idea of a border town with what looks like a fascinating history where it's possible to experience both Czech & Polish culutures & cuisines. Also its a reasonable distance from Krakow which is good particularly for flights home & Prague is very accessable too.

I agree Czech beer is great & being able to pop across the border for one (or more) is very cool.

I love Austria particularly Vienna & that the square in Cieszyn is sometimes referred to as little Vienna is encouraging. Also that there is a Habsburg former shooting lodge again is a nice attraction. Putting the two towns together will a population of 70k probably makes it quite a busy little place.

I shall be sure to check the place out in the next few months.

2 final questions - i speak only a few words of polish & czech, how would i get along with just english there?

Also - if i found a flat to rent including bills for 2,000 zloty would 4,000 after rents & bills be enough to have a reasonably good standard of living there?

I like the way this thread turned into a beer debate!

Many thanks,

Life / A move to Poland - where to live? What city would you recommend? [32]

Wulkan - agreed!

DominicB incredibly grateful for your suggestions as love both Poland & Czech sending you a PM.

Many thanks,