Travel / How can I get from Wrocław, Dworzec POLBUS-PKS to airport? And to the PKP Main train station. [6]

Just ask for directions to the 406 bus stop - destination sign will show the airport. Ticket is I think 3.50 or 4zl, from 01/05 the fares rise . wroclaw.pl/nowe_ceny_biletow_mpk,1.dhtml

Journey time is about 45 mins to 1 hour.

Nearest stop to you might be outside Renoma, by a lake or whatever it is. I think the buses go twice an hour to Wroclaw airport.

A taxi is about 40-50zl last time I enquired. Get a price quote before you book perhaps.

406 bus
um.wroc.pl/rozklady/linie/406.html

Not sure if Dworcowa is the nearest, you will need to ask someone there if nobody else answers here on PF. Also check with the driver on the ticket you need, then validate it in the machine with the time on it. If you are just meeting someone at the airport, get a 24 hour ticket as that's cheaper

Real Estate / Poland's apartment prices continue to fall [1844]

In my book, dropping from 7500 to 5500 is certainly a symptom of a bubble, I don't know what else you'd call it. If a fall to 4800 is not the aftermath of a bubble, perhaps you should've had a browse round Dublin and heard the "no bubble" suits talking there in '07

If genuinely a "market value" reduction, 7500 to 4800 would be something like a 35% deflation

Now, I am not sure what discounts Polish developers give when you offer to buy their apartments - so it could be that the drop is not really as much as 35% if they would have agreed to 7000 m2 or less anyway - but it is still quite a reduction, question only being how much further will prices correct if they do continue downwards

By the old fashioned measure, in some locales prices seem about double what they should be as this UK market housing charity video suggests
youtube.com/watch?v=9rfmKYSgsH8&feature=player_embedded

Real Estate / Poland's apartment prices continue to fall [1844]


If you told someone that a house for sale in NJ US$70,000 had fallen to an asking price of US$48,000 but that it was not a crash, just a levelling out, they would assume you were doing stand-up in Atlantic City

Real Estate / Poland's apartment prices continue to fall [1844]


Go back and read the figures you posted, that's why

edited to add that I don't know whether that's it now for the decline, and if it's going to be stagnation or what have you... :)

Food / Comparison of supermarkets in Poland. Which one is the cheapest? [30]

Depends what you buy - you will find each supermarket is cheap for something, none of them are cheap for everything on my list.

Just a few examples for March (prices may now have changed) :

quality coffee - cheapest at Tesco
soya milk - cheapest at Biedronka
digestive biscuits - cheapest at Auchan
vegetarian (animal fat free) croquettes - cheapest at Carrefour
from concentrate grapefruit juice - cheapest at Lidl

These were not special offers, but usual prices, which of course do tend to go up from time to time anyway.

Of course, few of us have the time to go everywhere and shop around like this!

Food / Comparison of supermarkets in Poland. Which one is the cheapest? [30]


Is there not a version of mysupermarket.co.uk in Poland?

Problem is, to get the best prices on everything you buy, you have to travel, spend time and fuel if driving. Most people can't. In the UK, all the main supermarkets deliver although they charge extra for that, usually. Online, you select your groceries and choose a delivery slot. Delivery is from GBP3 to GBP10, from what I recall.

Life / Catholic "Telewizja Trwam" from Poland - your thoughts? [98]


It means that in the UK too.

In Poland a multiplex is I think the term for digital television, rather than the old analogue (analog) broadcasting system

Food / Comparison of supermarkets in Poland. Which one is the cheapest? [30]

I do too, despite the fact I hardly speak a word of Polish I still manage to buy at the market stalls, all very honest even when I get confused with the money (I have in the past confused a 10 for a 100 and handed it over thinking it was a 10 !!). Whenever I can I prefer to buy the fresh produce there, eggs etc. Even when I was in my large town in the UK, my neighbour used to give me free eggs from her hens - supermarket eggs are rarely on my list.

But you do have to shop around at the supermarkets here, just as in Britain, for example a bag of frozen same brand of bób (broad beans) are 7.99 in one well-known supermarket here in Poland but 6.49 at Auchan. If you use ingredients a lot, such savings are important over a year

Real Estate / Poland's apartment prices continue to fall [1844]


I think that's a silly remark about Indian call centres, and anyway the thread's about residential property - apartments in particular.

Real Estate / Poland's apartment prices continue to fall [1844]

Is a new law coming in shortly adding greater security to the deposits potential buyers have when purchasing off-plan apartments? What security is there for deposits currently?

If I see prices continue to fall I will dip my toe in, want to be prepared

Real Estate / Poland's apartment prices continue to fall [1844]


Thank you Midas, that's what I thought too.
So what does the new law say, in basic terms? I am not sure.

Real Estate / Poland's apartment prices continue to fall [1844]

Thank you Midas.

Real Estate / Real Estate Agencies in Poland (they are greedy for money) [18]

Unfortunately, in the UK letting agents (agents that act as middleman between a landlord and a tenant) have for many years been charging fees to the tenant when the contract is commenced and sometimes at renewal and at the end. These fees range from GBP100 to the more usual GBP200 and in some agencies GBP500. They also charge a fee to the landlord.

The cost of checking a tenant with a credit checking agency is usually GBP25 or less (it can be as low as GBP10) so the agents make a lot of profit.

The UK government allows this fee, despite many complaints.

______________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________


You really do have an unfortunate way of communicating your points. Are you about 15 years old?

Life / Moving to Poland Part-Time (probably Katowice) [56]


I'd prefer normal sized, the thought of the housework in a 1m zl job fills me with dread, I hate the Hoover as it is

Language / How hard is it to learn Polish? [178]

As an Englishman, I find Polish exceptionally difficult. The way sentences are constructed and the way words change are completely different to what I am used to and I am 99.9% sure I will not ever be even remotely fluent. However, some lucky people have a knack with language learning, and can gain any number of them easily. I think it's probably the case that if you have experience of learning other languages, particularly of the same family, you'll be fine. (The last hope for me is Polish For Dummies which I will pick up when I'm back in London soon. he said naively...)

Travel / Any Anglican churches in Poland? [35]

When I was in the UK, I was working with dozens of native Brits of all backgrounds, from what I gathered they were all the same as me - not the slightest bit interested in religion. Now, whether that's a good or bad thing is beyond my knowledge, but I have no interest in religious activity whatsoever although I wouldn't go so far as to say I'm an atheist because everything in the world and beyond didn't get here on its own - but organised religion is of no appeal at all

Travel / Any Anglican churches in Poland? [35]


You are right, I acknowledge that. Although I've no beliefs, I respect others' traditions and views and wish them well

Love / Do Irish / British guys like Polish girls? [138]

My impression of the UK was that in some age groups, there's a shortage of single females or a surplus of single males. I think in the big cities, it's quite easy for women to meet men whether in the usual places or at dating activities such as speed dating or internet dating. My female friends tell me there are a lot of players and creeps in the UK and it's not so easy - but I think a lot of them are just very fussy or only want the Brad Pitt level of attractiveness in their partner. I think for realistic women, there are plenty of decent British men still available if you choose carefully and take your time

Language / How hard is it to learn Polish? [178]

Lyzko, thanks, I do try my best to speak a few words but it's unfair on the Poles I speak to as they try to fight off their laughter when I'm heard pronouncing words hilariously badly, like the Englishman pretending to be the French policeman in the BBC sitcom (situation comedy show) " 'Allo 'Allo! "

I could tell you anecdotes which would I hope reassure you that thinking/intelligent Brits have the utmost respect and gratitude to Poland and Poles, but it would probably be off topic :o)

Real Estate / Real Estate Agencies in Poland (they are greedy for money) [18]

Someone who works in the finance industry recently advised me against buying in Poland for the time being so I am thinking of renting somewhere if the 4700 zł /m2 apartment I was thinking of buying is now sold. So, anybody here on PF who could help me assess a tenancy/rental contract or translate it into English, please PM me. I prefer not to go through rental agents as they charge fees to tenants but if you're an agent whose fee is very low (by that I mean under 200zł) or who doesn't charge then I would be interested in hearing from you if you have a good value 2-rooom in Wrocław or Bielany.

Law / ARE POLISH PUBLIC SECTOR WORKERS INEFFICIENT? [6]


- Sounds like the person is saying there are long queues at their local post office.

Same in England - long queues as so many smaller post offices were closed. Can anyone recall which British politician once said people enjoy being in post office queues as it is a social thing for them ...!

UK postage prices up 30% in a few weeks time, and the queues are long. In my UK home-town, you can take a number and come back later, it's that bad.

Language / How hard is it to learn Polish? [178]


Probably because English has the most words of any language, as far as I know. Polish has far fewer words than English - I can't remember the figures but something like 250K words in the Polish language, versus about 750K in the English language

oxforddictionaries.com/words/how-many-words-are-there-in-the-english-language

This site says there are over a million English words!

languagemonitor.com/no-of-words/

Life / Catholic "Telewizja Trwam" from Poland - your thoughts? [98]

Funnily enough, I like the music they repeatedly use when they list the next 24 hours' programming. The fact they repeatedly use it in short bursts suggests it's a sampling from another composition. I guess they could have composed their own jingle but I'd expect that to have been tailored and longer in length, so I reckon it's from another commercially available track.

I think in the past it was Richard Clayderman's (Ballad pour Adeline.

Anyone know what the current melody they use is called - or if it's somewhere to be downloaded?

(I'm talking about the music they play over the scrolling "Program Dnia" segments.)

Thanks.

Travel / Driving in Poland, are there any rules at all? [149]


Yes, it's amazing!

Someone even stopped to let me use a pedestrian crossing yesterday, I think it's only about the third time in 6 months.

Life / Catholic "Telewizja Trwam" from Poland - your thoughts? [98]


Yes, a lot of their output graphics etc are in good taste. I've been unable to find out so far where the music's from, but will keep trying. It is a really nice bit of music, hard to grow tired of. If anyone who can write Polish properly wants to email them and ask...?

Love / help needed to warn off troublesome pole [25]

If you're not trolling, it is a police matter now - speak with them a.s.a.p. for advice.

Love / Beauty and physical apperance - Is it so important to Polish boys? [26]


Poetically put - and they say romance is dead.

Travel / Watch out for airport personnel stealing stuff on regional Polish airports. [64]

I was always told locks mean nothing to baggage handler thieves - and thieving goes on in airports all over the world. Thankfully never happened to me - yet. In the UK, your luggage goes through a sophisticated automated system of conveyors and channels at high speed, with barcodes on the label reading your destination. There is CCTV covering the areas. It is highly automated for the most part, your luggage whizzes past at considerable speeds. Where the thefts occur I don't know, but having been in and out of Poland and the UK dozens of times I have not as yet been a victim. Airlines do advise people to not put any valuables or breakables into checked-in bags anyway!

Travel / Watch out for airport personnel stealing stuff on regional Polish airports. [64]


I can't stand LHR, thankfully only use it on average once every 5 years!

Life / Catholic "Telewizja Trwam" from Poland - your thoughts? [98]

Wasn't there some letter from The Vatican or Pope congratulating either Trwam or Radio Maria on their anniversary, on some website in Polish and English if my memory serves me correctly. I might've been dreaming of course, but I think I saw it somewhere. I hope I'm not going senile already.