Life / What is the worst bank in Poland that I should avoid at all costs? [21]

There's a new bank out there (Nest Bank - looks to be British held) that offers what is advertised as a completely free account with a card, including free use of any ATM in Poland - and apparently no minimums to spend and without any strings attached:

nestbank.pl/indywidualny/konta/nest-konto.html?utm_source=2&utm_campaign=in&utm_content=main_nestkonto&utm_medium=www

Life / Cheapest Marlboro White and Lambert&Butler cigarettes in Poland [17]


Believe it or not, there exist limits on transporting legal drugs (tobacco and alcohol) within the EU.
ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/individuals/travelling/within-eu_en

Not sure how this works in practice, but with a 100 cartons, I would imagine if you ever get stopped and checked by the Customs Police you will no doubt be questioned and will have to convince them that it's all for personal use (good luck with a 100 cartons in your boot), otherwise probably a (hefty?!) fine will be imposed.

Life / What is the worst bank in Poland that I should avoid at all costs? [21]


Agreed in avoiding them, although strictly speaking SKOKs are not banks but member-owned financial cooperatives (credit unions), so they are not obliged to abide by the same banking regulations - which obviously many people fail to realise...

Life / What is the worst bank in Poland that I should avoid at all costs? [21]

Well, you've the one who has asked for opinions and you're claiming my experience is false just because it's different to yours!?

edited

Life / What is the worst bank in Poland that I should avoid at all costs? [21]


Not sure which ones to avoid. The selection is decent...
But Alior is one that I personally do not like for some odd reason - probably their hopeless adverts...

ING is great for that actually - they offer free accounts in foreign currencies and free transfers between ING accounts. Combine that with a free service like walutomat.pl and you'll be getting the best exchange rates and transfers between your accounts.


PKO BP charge for everything, but omnipresent and has a good app. Getin Bank was also OK some time ago offering some money back each month, high rates, and with a nice app - probably the most Polish (in terms of capital) of all banks in Poland.

But all depends what you will need the account for - no one size fits all, I am afraid.

Travel / Driving from UK to Poland in Christmas Time - winter tyres? [46]

The current requirement to drive on winter tyres (or all-season tyres bearing the correct marking) in conditions where they represent a safer option than summer tyres, regardless of season, will remain the rule.

Law / Buying a USED CAR in Poland, my personal experiences and TRAPS to avoid !! [133]

Gniezno does not have a good reputation - a lot of revived post-accident/major repair sales... I would rather look for a private seller.

News / Petru wants Tadeusz Mazowiecki monument in Warsaw [25]

The problem with Mazowiecki is that he kissed the RC church's arse too much... and allowed religion back in schools.

UK, Ireland / POLISH MAN 25 MURDERED IN LEEDS UK [19]


I don't think Leeds is bad at all - it is up and coming and has its good and bad parts. I doubt Liverpool or Belfast are any 'nicer' - especially Liverpool was a scary ----hole last time I was there...

UK, Ireland / Polish man beaten to death in London! [99]

That qualifies for the electric chair in some countries - no excuses.
Another point regarding the beating: tragic, yes - but so much media hype... Poles also commit crimes abroad. Other times they are the victims. Would you expect in any other way from nearly a 1m strong population living in the UK?

UK, Ireland / Polish man beaten to death in London! [99]

dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3774733/Polish-immigrant-broke-woman-s-home-brutally-raped-filmed-attacks-mobile-phone-jailed-13-years.html

no comment, no link

Po polsku / Krótkie tłumaczenia z polskiego na angielski i z angielskiego na polski [32]

Lekcja angielskiego - Kabaret Łowcy.B

Hehe, tych dwóch nawet by uszło za Brytoli (z wyglądu), nie?

youtu.be/ZIjMXl-vC60

Travel / What is your opinion of Gorzów Wielkopolski? [11]


Yes, same as Poles having to leave cities and villages in today's Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania... wars... ;-(

Travel / What is your opinion of Gorzów Wielkopolski? [11]

No intention to be harsh - aside from being close to the German border, it is a town with a population of 120k (ranked 31st), and so naturally what it has to offer in terms of jobs and prospects for the young is proportional to and limited by it's size. What I meant is if you take the largest cities beside Warsaw: Wrocław, Kraków, Tri City, Poznań would be in the 1st league; then you have places such as Łódź, Szczecin, Katowice, Lublin, Bydgoszcz in the 2nd; then Rzeszów, Kielce, Toruń, Częstochowa, Białystok, Olsztyn, Radom in the 3rd... so really it is more like the 4th tier.

Travel / What is your opinion of Gorzów Wielkopolski? [11]

In terms of architecture - it's a post-German city. In terms of population, opportunities, etc, it's in the 3rd league of Polish cities.

Real Estate / Buying a house in Poland. How realistic is the seller's pricing? Discount negotiation. [6]

All depends.
On properties which are popular and in demand, such as small to medium sized flats in major cities, the seller may insist on full list price if he feels that's what he could get and is not desperate to sell.

On the other hand, I've seen houses advertised for say 500k that eventually sold for 250k, so it all depends on the circumstances, the market, and how desperate the seller is.

Work / Salary for an architect with 3years experience in warsaw [37]


That's the problem with job adverts in Poland in general - will very rarely state the salary range, so until you know people who work in that industry, it is difficult to get a clearer picture, as "averages" can be tricky. I suspect it is similar to engineers - until you've got sufficient relevant, i.e. local experience, and get your professional license (equivalent to UK Chartership - except this is something that is actually regulated by Law in Poland), they will typically pay you as little as they can get away with and work you hard.

News / Poland's economic future? [294]


Better than one would expect.

Food / Polish Drink Vs Irish People [20]


As are all the beers sold in clear bottles - beer is sensitive to light and cannot stay good without having tons of chemical additives in it to stop that process. But the choice is yours.

History / Poland and Britain started WW2 [307]

Perhaps, but let's not forget the effect of huge propaganda in Poland before the war, where people were made to believe that the Reich was really not as strong as they seem, and Poland stronger than in reality. I remember reading S. Lem's recollections of that period. Either case, I personally believe there was a serious case of wishful thinking versus betting on reality, i.e. everyone's out for themselves when the **** hits the fan...

Travel / Fishing in Poland - where to go, what to catch? [74]

You are a foreigner and are asking legitimate and very important questions. Well, almost any Pole will tell you that actually there is no good reason for this state of affairs... other than lack of common sense. That's one of the major problems with Poland today. Lack of common sense and no faith in human decency - hence everything needs to be regulated by law to the nth degree. The bureaucrats will no doubt argue that's needed to protect the rights of the citizens, bla bla bla... does anyone actually believe it? I doubt it.

Study / Any information about Kujawy and Pomorze University in Bydgoszcz [11]


A kilo of hashish will do ;-)

Life / Cheapest car spares in Poland? [23]

One of the cheapest on-line stores:
e-autoparts.pl

Food / Polish Drink Vs Irish People [20]


Must be - last time I was there I couldn't believe how popular American Bud was amongst the young and hip... with all the great Guinness, Murphy's, ciders, etc. on tap why would anyone drink Bud is beyond me... must be marketing winning and/or the desire to appear different.

Food / Polish Drink Vs Irish People [20]


So how do they drink their whiskeys - still 40%?


Old ladies drink ;-)


It definitely has the most character out of most popular ones.


That honour would go to Tyskie for my taste... absolutely bland.

Food / Where to find a good bottle of wine in Poland? [18]


Pure nonsense - you must not be looking close enough for some reason then as Tesco for sure have got a wide selection of Pinot Grigio, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, etc. Just look or ask for 'Wino Wytrawne' under country and colour of choice.

Food / Where to find a good bottle of wine in Poland? [18]

Any market chain will do: from Żabka to Tesco....

Language / Need some help on Polish girl's names (naming our daughter) [17]

Many old fashioned names out there:
Wiesława
Władysława
Zdzisława
Mieczysława
Miłosława
Mirosława
...

Language / Learn Polish or Russian [86]


Hehe, nice try, but no cigar: Pусский язык, конечно! ;-)

Language / Learn Polish or Russian [86]


With the greatest respect, let me turn this around for you: tell me what is good about your hatred of a language? Absolutely nothing (not to mention that it doesn't even make sense to hate a language).


It is very difficult to 'eradicate' a language that is the speakers' both native and official tongue (Belarus), and at least 30% ethnic Russians in Ukraine (probably 95% of Ukranian nationals know it), not to mention the Baltic states.