UK, Ireland / From Hertfordshire, UK to Śląskie, Poland - Are we crazy? [35]


Hi Atch, no i dont mind i've been called worse :-) thanks for such a considered response. much appreciated.


You have a better view of it than me but i guess its all relative. From my perspective it has to be slower than the rat race of London. Perhaps Warsaw is just as any other city is. i'm not looking for city living and we would be moving to a much smaller town with access to a bigger city (Katowice).


Good question. Being able to let your kids wander off a bit just as i did when i was a kid. I wasnt accompanied everywhere. Have a decent size plot of land to be able to mess around in/climb trees make a fort. Knowing your neighbours who will know our kids and look out for them, and report back when they see something !. Basically everything you would expect in a small town.

Also let's face it alot of Poland is more conservative than western Europe, at least the places i have been are. Some of those traditional values I admire and see value in now i have a family. It's more the sense of tradition and family rather than anything religious.


My wife raves about the education system in Poland. She says it's very good. Although this maybe as you say because of the changes POL have introduced. I've ofter heard about gymnasium and my wife thinks the Polish system is better than the UK?. At least that was her experience.

Im up to date on the border issues, i actually visited Michalowo in the Summer near Bialystok, close to where it's all kicking off. To be honest i dont see this as an issue. The UK has been having similar problems with illegal immigration across the english channell for years.


Do you have kids or know of kids in the education system at the minute i'd be eager to hear anymore insight you have around the school system


i'm not sure what the difference in rights an EU citizen has in Poland vs a Polish citizen. In the UK there are differences albeit minor. I just want the full rights as a citizen but if i get that with a EU passport and residence permit then great !?


Yes my eyes are open to this, but i have no doubt i can do it if i perserve. i've done some lessons over the years, formal classes, tutors, Rosetta Stone. My last trip to Poland i was starting to speak more and more everyday i was there. But it quickly fades when your'e back in the UK surrounded by English. I've been told by many natives that my accent is very good. I put this down to years and years and years of listenting to Polish conversation, radio and music.

Do you have any tips ?. You seem to have been successful which gives me hope !


I know what you mean but you also have a lot of insular people who would never leave their county let alone their country. My dad, god rest his soul, never left Ireland and he never had a holiday because he would never leave the farm !.

I find the conservatism in Poland is actually very similar to Ireland and that is one of the draws for me. But i do get the feeling that an outsider is always an outsider. Having said that, i feel it also a common thread with the Irish, at least where i'm from it is.


I'm a Commercial Director of an Engineering & construction business. I'm not so concerned with finding a job as there is work all around Europe and as i've said i'm willing to do the travelling thing. My concern is will i be stuck for life doing this. Have you or anyone you know given up a successful and well paying career to move to Poland and maybe work for a lot less with a lot less future opportunity ?. I hope that doesn't sound too derogative of the Polish job market, it's not meant to be.

My wife doesnt want to move to Ireland because......................................you guessed it the weather !. Seriously she has a big issue with it and i dont blame her. I think the real reason is that she wants to return home and ireland would not ever be that for her.

Thank you for the links to the articles. Very interesting. Regards to the driving i'm aware of situation and have driven up and down the country in big cities and on country roads. However i think i've been lucky generally. i get the feeling the more frequently you drive the more you increase the chance of one of these unpleasant altercations!.

THanks once again for the response. It's so nice that you've given up your time to help a stranger.

UK, Ireland / From Hertfordshire, UK to Śląskie, Poland - Are we crazy? [35]

Atch, I hear your point on the roads and it's something I'll have to factor in. I have to say it's not something which would concern me moving to Ireland even though my memory of Irish roads is lots of needless young lives being lost and families ruined.

Wincig, your exactly right regards citizenship. If brexit shows anything then it's that unless you are a citizen you are always at the mercy of the state. My wife is going through the process of getting UK citizenship right now even though she had previously been granted indefinite leave to remain, which is bow worthless.

UK, Ireland / From Hertfordshire, UK to Śląskie, Poland - Are we crazy? [35]


Hi Miloslow, thanks for the positive words. Regarding the peace and quiet I didn't mean it too literally. My mother in law lives in a small town not far from a main road but you tend to hear birds and cockerels in the morning rather than trucks which is the case in the nice suburban town I live in now.

UK, Ireland / From Hertfordshire, UK to Śląskie, Poland - Are we crazy? [35]

Hi Alien, there is big changes happening in Katowice and it's an up and coming city attracting a lot of foreign investment. It's had to adapt due to the decline in the coal industry over the last 20 years.

Silesia is an interesting one. Apparently my wife is not Silesian, they speak differently I'm told!. It's interesting the history of the people who identify as Silesian who can be found not just in southern Poland but also Germany and other parts of Europe. More and more Poles are starting to identify first as Silesian and Polish second. Perhaps a bit like Catalonia?.

UK, Ireland / From Hertfordshire, UK to Śląskie, Poland - Are we crazy? [35]


I have my views on the EU project but don't see what they would gain by weakening national cohesion especially in member states. During the Scottish independence push they never really got involved, nor with Northern Ireland (except to back the Republic which they had to do) and I think they back Spain in the Catalonia issue. NGOs, maybe, and possibly even backed by states secretly. Russia would benefit from a disunited Poland and Europe, athoughl there's no evidence for it I'm sure it's crossed the minds of those making decisions in the Kremlin.

UK, Ireland / From Hertfordshire, UK to Śląskie, Poland - Are we crazy? [35]

Fair enough mafketis I take some of these points on the EU, their ultimate goal is to have a federal European state so breaking down national identity is one of the first steps to that goal.

So I've got some good advice on this thread and I feel more informed now than I did, but to summarise, taking all the negatives into account I'm guessing the positives probably outweigh all the negatives for all of you as you ?

Travel / Hotel Europejski - Krakow [6]

I've stayed in Hotel Europejski a few times and we held our wedding reception there. The decor is a bit old fashioned (that's the style), it's clean, good food, rooms are nice and the service is very good. It is also walking distance to renek so that's ideal.

That was 8 years ago so things may have changed. Based on experience I would recommend.

I would also recommend the Sheraton

News / New Polish tax system hits the ground stumbling... [14]


I'm not sure I ever said it was better. I said that I thought we could have a better quality of life. There are not many places I would rank as better countries than the UK but it depends on what criteria you use to rate better. It has many things going for it, but in England at least many people don't recognise their country any more from where it was in the 90's. As you rightly pointed out Atch it's all relative to personal circumstances.

The energy inflation is a global issue. We are facing similar hikes here and our government has refused to cut VAT. If you think Poland has the only corrupt or inept government in Europe, turn on the BBC once and a while I'm sure we can give Poland a run for its money.

BTW here is a vid I found when I was doing some research. Puts a positive spin on Warsaw right now

youtu.be/6tFTqHFF8HU

UK, Ireland / Racist who hurled abuse at Eastern Europeans shouting 'This is England' [17]

This is the stereotypical English racist thug/ football hooligan. That's why it's made the paper. Can't blame an entire country for one idiot and it's unreasonable to extrapolate this one incident to support the racist Brexit Britain argument.

It's easy to claim a country is a bastion of racial tolerance when 95% plus of the population is the same ethnicity.

UK, Ireland / From Hertfordshire, UK to Śląskie, Poland - Are we crazy? [35]

Update to thread. Move is going ahead this August. Moving in with the mother in law. Kids starting public school yr 1 in sept. My wife finished her UK citizenship application today so will need to wait up to 6 months to get results but fingers crossed don't see it being a problem. I'm commuting back and forth between London/Katowice 3/4 split. Welcome any comments from anyone who has a similar commuting arrangement. Wizz air from Luton to Pryzowice is the best option for me for now. Booked my first 6 weeks and flights averaged £70 but I think I can get them for £50 once I get the hang of it.

UK, Ireland / From Hertfordshire, UK to Śląskie, Poland - Are we crazy? [35]

Hi @HAL9009. Thanks for sharing your experience. Lots of similarities actually. Can you elaborate on the 183 nights in UK, not sure I understand the benefit of it.

UK, Ireland / From Hertfordshire, UK to Śląskie, Poland - Are we crazy? [35]

Is it preferable to keep the UK tax status?. I haven't done the maths but the tax rates look more favourable in Poland especially in the upper bands. The UKs tax year runs differently to Poland adding another layer of confusion. Will have to get some tax advice I think.

Law / Why is Poland importing so much coal? [76]

Moved to southern Poland 2 weeks ago. Trying to secure coal for winter. Suppliers we've spoken to do not have any supply. Friends we've spoke to from Bialystok say the same. I understand there is an energy crisis worldwide but not aware of that many European countries that have energy supply issues. Most can supply at an extremely high price but none aware of simply ran out. Anyone else experiencing this?

Law / Why is Poland importing so much coal? [76]

The Russians are not the only ones mining coal. Anyone know what the Govt plan is to secure alternative imports?

Law / Why is Poland importing so much coal? [76]


I think there was probably popular support for that decision but people would assume that the Government would source alternatives before the winter. They've had enough time. Even if they had to pay over the odds and subsidise it for 1 winter.

Law / Why is Poland importing so much coal? [76]

I'm new to this country but can't imagine a Govt staying in power long if people can't heat their homes in the winter. People will be on the streets marching, if only just to keep warm :-)

Law / Why is Poland importing so much coal? [76]


The logic therefore is the Govt is weak.

I've no skin in the game here and no allegiance with any party but a system of government which allows this sort of situation is broken.

Law / Why is Poland importing so much coal? [76]

I can buy Polish coal in Ireland !. Expensive but I can still buy it !!!!

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Real Estate / Poland: the building boom goes on [28]

Yes I've heard a lot anecdotally about the property market cooling off. Looking to buy a property in the next 18 months so this creates the age old dilemma buy or wait .....

UK, Ireland / Commuting from Kraków to London? [9]

Anyone regularly flying between Poland and Uk these days?. I'm flying with Wizzair twice a week. Only on time 30% of the time with delays on average 1.5 hours. Other alternative is Ryanair but not sure if any better....

Law / Why is Poland importing so much coal? [76]

Anyway it turns out situation with coal is similar to toilet paper during Covid. News media reports and panic buying and hoarding the biggest cause of shortage. Managed to secure 5T of coal fairly easily from local mine distributor in the end.