Life / Why is Orange Poland such a crappy / expensive network? [53]

If I hadn't been Orange customer until recently (there was no competition around, fortunately there is now) and if I hadn't been forced to deal with extremely lousy Orange's DSL at work I could even believe you.

According to UKE's "raport o stanie rynku telekomunikacyjnego" PTC (T-Mobile / Heyah) has more customers. Orange is second. They are the only network that still sells simlocked phones. Very customer "friendly" of them, I guess that and lousy competition when it comes to Internet access outside big cities can explain why they are (still) second.

Life / Why is Orange Poland such a crappy / expensive network? [53]

Orange is infamous for their extremely bad services and Wołczkowo is outside city proper, so unfortunately this was to be expected.
You are using 3G/LTE, right? Get 5 zł starter cards from every single company and test them all before signing a contract.
Don't know about Skynet, never used them. Another local ISP you might check is Espol, they got wimax and LTE services and you should be in range.

Life / Anyone living in Szczecin? What's the city like? [69]

Indeed, no one besides locals uses this route. It is also a nice route for a bicycle trip - there is separated bike path from Szczecin to Kołbaskowo (and Oder-Neisse Radweg beginning in Staffelde). Than ride through Moczyły - Pargowo - Staffelde - Mescherin - Gryfino. There are some great views of Oder valley and neolithic tumulus in Staffelde.

Life / Anyone living in Szczecin? What's the city like? [69]

@Scot Girl Perhaps you have meant Laguna aquapark in Gryfino? cwlaguna.pl/en
By the way, if you got a car (or just some bicycles) there is a lot of places to take a bath in summer in Szczecin and around it. Check lakes Dąbie, Miedwie, Glinne, Wełtyń and beaches in Trzebież and Nowe Warpno. Bathing places in city proper get totally overcrowded, Arkonka included.

Life / Electric cigarette - am I allowed to smoke in restaurants, bars etc. in Poland? e-juice in Szczecin [6]

I've seen there is one called e-Smoking World at Galaxy, but I never did any shopping there.

Life / Electric cigarette - am I allowed to smoke in restaurants, bars etc. in Poland? e-juice in Szczecin [6]

Recently Szczecin's local government has forbidden to vape in public transport (and public transport stops).
You can vape at restaurants, bars etc., but its perceived as rude by many people. I go outside every time.
There are plenty physical stores (you can even buy e-liquid at every Żabka corner store these days) but it's much cheaper to buy it online. I buy mine from e-dym.pl or peleon.pl, both have great prices and shipping times. If you really need physical store there I recommend Cigger, they are at Bogusława street and at CH Ster shopping mall.

Travel / Transport in Stargard Szczecinski for wedding [4]

Are you landing in Szczecin-Goleniów (SZZ)?
As far as I know there are is no direct transport from the airport to Stargard. So you I guess the simpliest way to do it is to go from the airport to Szczecin and then to Stargard.

There are trains and buses from Goleniów to Szczecin:
interglobus.pl/rozklad-jazdy-goleniow-lotnisko.html

There are frequent trains from Szczecin to Stargard:
rozklad-pkp.pl/en

(station names: Szczecin Główny, Stargard Szczeciński)

I guess hotel in Stargard will be glad to help you with transport from the venue and back. If not, check local Taxi companies:

info.stargard.pl/motoryzacja_transport/index.php?H=1&A=18&B=419

Life / Anyone living in Szczecin? What's the city like? [69]


I'll put it simply: most of Centrum isn't nice place to live. It's noisy, many of the old tenements are full of drunks, etc., the only nice neighbourhood in Centrum I can think of is the area near Zamek, it's safe and quiet most of the time.

If you really have to live in Centrum try some new apartment block; the idea is that you want something built after 2000.

You don't want to live in any right bank neighbourhood because you'll spend a lot of time commuting.
You don't want to live in any northern neighbourhood (Gocław, Golęcino, Stołczyn, Skolwin) as they are the bad neighbourhoods with crap public transport.

Niebuszewo has great access to public transport and facilities but is infamous for being bad neighbourhood (I think it's infamy is overblown, but...)
Pomorzany has great public transport but most of it is grim commie block concrete jungle.

So if I were you I would look for apartment in Pogodno or Gumieńce. Both are quiet, safe, have many green areas and have good public transport to Centrum (15-20 min. tram ride). Especially Pogodno is nice.

Other nice neighbourhoods are Warszewo, Krzekowo, Bezrzecze, Głębokie and Osów, but they are more remote.


Try otodom.pl. Basic real property Polish: mieszkanie = apartment, dom = house, na sprzedaż = for sale, na wynajem = for rent.

News / Are the Germans taking back Świnoujście? [22]

If you would live there and puked your guts every time it got a little more windy you'd change your mind.

News / Are the Germans taking back Świnoujście? [22]

Because those two articles are nothing but shameless, insulting propaganda.

News / Are the Germans taking back Świnoujście? [22]

For a start any articles about Świnoujście.

News / Are the Germans taking back Świnoujście? [22]


Oh well, Gazeta Polska, The Loony Times of Poland. Yes, indeed, German Railways have built train station in Świnoujście and quite a few Germans have bought property in town. So what? The town lives from harbour and tourists (of whom many are Germans), so the station and direct train link to Germany is seen by locals (and any sane person) as a great investment.

German only menus?! Nur für Deutsche restaurants?! Where did they see it? I guess they invented that bull****.
Tunnel under Świna would be great and yes, central government should help build it like NOW, but that doesn't mean anyone serious in town have plans to join Germany any time soon.


We should all be concerned that someone takes articles in Gazeta Polska seriously.

Life / Where in Poland would be a good place to live for freshwater fishing? [4]

Mazuria is full of tourists. I would suggest Western Pomerania, areas around Drawsko, Czaplinek, Szczecinek, Wałcz. Plenty of lakes and very little people.

Life / Anyone living in Szczecin? What's the city like? [69]

I live in Szczecin.


Chilled out. It's not metropolis, it's medium sized and its economy was hit hard recently (but it slowly rebuilds itself). There are things to do, it's a great place for sports (well, in summer at least, especially if you are into kayaking and sailing), there is quite lively art scene, there are some gigs and some parties and it's stone throw from Berlin. It depends what are you into.


Szczecin is a port city so we are quite used to people of different skin colours here. There aren't many foreigners who live here by permanent basis because our economy is still mostly crap but from the other hand there aren't many racist ********.


You'll have hard time in your daily life if you don't speak Polish at all. Learn at least some basics so you can do stuff like shopping etc. by yourself. You'll have very hard time finding a job outside teaching English/engineering/IT (if you can code, more power to you).


They'll treat you right.


Well, let your BF show you the city and have fun.