Customs
Travelers are not required to pay duty on an appropriate amount of items for their personal use during their visit. In addition, the following duty-free allowances apply: no more than .5 liter of alcohol or 2 liters of wine; and 250 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250 grams of tobacco.
Currency Exchange
Dollars can be converted in unlimited amounts at banks, major hotels and major border crossings or transport terminals. Banks in larger cities usually open at 8 or 9 a.m. and close at 4 p.m. weekdays and 1 p.m. Saturdays. Private currency-exchange offices, called kantors, are found throughout Poland. Their usual hours are 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays and until 2 p.m. Saturdays. (They do not accept travelers checks.) Round-the-clock service at major frontier crossings or transport terminals is common.
Tipping
Tip 10 to 15 percent in restaurants and cafes with table service. Tips for luggage service in hotels and transport terminals are expected, but the amount is at your discretion. If you run out of zlotys, your waiter, taxi driver or porter will likely accept $1- $2 US dollars.
General Business Hours
Museums: Typical hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Post offices: Usual hours are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Provincial capitals have designated post offices open 24 hours. Restaurants: Although this is changing, many restaurants open for the day at 2 p.m., since most Poles eat lunch -- the day's most substantial meal -- around 4. Restaurants tend to close around 10 p.m. in the major cities and 9 in the provinces. Shopping: Grocery stores run from 6 a.m. to 6 or 7 p.m. (shorter hours on weekends and outside major cities). 'Night stores' operate from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. Supermarkets and department stores are open 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
Value Added Tax
22%
