Useful Information
Emergency numbers
Police 997, 112 from mobile phone
Police for foreign tourists 0 800 200 300
Ambulance 999
Fire Brigade 998
Municipal police 986
Information on casualties (24h) 9790
Cars assistance (24h) 981, 96 33
Central information on medical services 22 843 47 21
Tourist information 94 31
Using phone in Warsaw
You might consider it strange, but for some reasons all dialled numbers (except emergency ones) should now include area code
022, even if you are calling within Warsaw.
There are three mayor mobile phone operators: Orange (former Idea), GSM and Era.
A phone card can be bought at newspapers-stands (kiosks) or in post-offices.
Hotspots
Wi-fi connections can be found in "usual places" like shopping malls, hotels, office buildings, squares (for instance at Plac Zamkowy, for free), libraries, coffee houses, McDonald's etc.
Using water in Warsaw
Drinking water directly from crane is not recommended, most inhabitants boil it before use, many buys the water bottled or fetch it from artesian wells. The water has still a poor quality and sometimes tastes bad too, but since 1989 its quality already improved enormously.
Buying bottled water you will be asked if you want it carbonated (
gazowana) or
niegazowana (without "bubbles"). Choose wisely.
Health care
Seek preferably private clinics or hospitals for the care you need, since the service of the public ones is considered unsatisfactory. However Polish health specialists have generally good opinion.
24-hour service
Several pharmacies (
apteka), food and liquor shops stay open 24:7. Some of them you will find on Central Station.
Post office
Main Post Office (
Poczta Główna) is located on 31/33 Swietokrzyska.
Business hours
For banks and services:
Banks are open from 9 a.m. until 5 or 6. p.m., some banks close earlier on Fridays.
Openings hours for shops are usually between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. Monday - Friday; Saturdays at 2 p.m.
On Sundays closed. Most of the shopping centres have open until 8 or 9 p.m., even on Sundays.
Tourist Information Centre
you will find at Central Station, the airport and on 39, Krakowskie Przedmieście.
The Tourist Card
As in many other big cities, tourists in order to make their stay easier and cheaper can buy Warsaw Tourist Card. They can then travel free by all public transportation an do not pay at number of museums. Holders of a Tourist Card obtain also a number of discounts to various art galleries, accommodations, recreation facilities (squash, swimming, skiing, tennis etc), sightseeing tours within Warsaw and its outskirts. The discount is valid in a number of restaurants, shops and car rentals. 24-hours and 3-days cards are available and to be purchase at the airport, central station, many hotels and at Tourist Information Centres.
Visa
Visitors from EU and USA enter Poland without visa and tourist can stay 90 days. Other countries: check with The Polish Embassy for details.
Currency
Polish currency is called zloty (pln, zł), 1 zloty= 100 groszy (gr). Banknotes have denomination of 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 zloty and there are 1, 2 and 5 zloty, and 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 groszy coins in circulation.
You can change money at any bank or exchange office (called
kantor), or withdraw it directly from a ATM.
Many places - larger shops, petrol stations and of course hotels and restaurants - accept credit cards.
Stolen/lost credit cards
Call 22 625 40 30 to report loss of an American Express card, for other types of cards the number is: 301 41 55/ 346 30 11 (PolCard) or 24-hours-service 22 827 45 13 alt. 22 827 30 40.
