DaWoodster

Hi,
I'm British guy who will be spending a lot of time in Warsaw this year.
My first visit will be next Sunday for a week and I will be staying in the center of Warsaw.

I don't speak a single word of Polish.

Any advice for a new visitor to Warsaw?

Woody

Welcome to the Forum.

I spent three years in Wawa and there are members on this Forum who live there.

You may need to narrow down the areas that you need advice on

Just general hints for a working tourist really.
I'll be living at the Sheraton, but i prefer to eat out in local restaurants not the tourist places.
Suggestions for decent places to eat, drink, have fun would be appreciated.
Safety suggestions, cabs from airports, walking in the city at night.

Just the usual advice you'd give to a visitor in Warsaw really!

OK here goes.

Firstly, if you haven’t done so already, check out inyourpocket.com for information on Warsaw. It’s kept up to date and is a useful source for you.

Taxis from the airport

Ignore the guys milling around arrivals offering taxis. You will be ripped off. Go outside to the taxi rank. Expect to pay around ZL30-35 to get to the Sheraton. When in Warsaw ignore the urge to get taxis hanging around on the street. Many of them are controlled by THAT organisation. Instead, call a taxi. I used MPT 22 91 91. They had dispatchers that spoke OK English. There is also Super Taxis which were slightly cheaper. Their number is on the inyourpocket site.

Safety

It’s a very safe city. Just follow the usual advice – leave the Rolex and latest camcorder behind and try not to look too conspicuously wealthy. Have plenty of small denomination notes to avoid those “I have no change” moments. One big scam that I found was the guy coming up to you with a map looking for help with directions. Just walk away otherwise you’ll get his two mates coming up pretending to be policemen and asking to see your ID and wallet. You can guess what happens next. I never felt threatened walking around the centre (Centrum) even in the early hours of the morning.

Entertainment

Many and varied. Depends what you are looking forward. The bar in the Sheraton (Someplace Else) is actually on of the better hotel bar. It’s a big expat haunt and often has halfway decent live music on. Other good expat places are Bar Below and Bradleys. My favourite bar in Warsaw was Organza. My favourire restaurants were Grand Kredens, Fret@Porter and (when someone else was paying) Dom Polski. I hear what you are saying about eating away from the Tourist places but this is the capital city so most restaurants cater for the tourist/business community. I often wondered how Varsowians managed to afford to eat out.

No doubt the local residents on the forum will give you much better information than I have, and if you are interested in clubbing they definitively can !

Enjoy your stay.

Szarlotka,

Wow, thanks for taking the time to type all that out, you make me feel welcome to this forum.

I hope everyone here is as friendly.

oh, yes, clubbing, although i will only be clubbing on days ending in Y.

Woody.

No problem

Come on you Warsaw residents - help the man out here

Missed that party animal.

The club scene changes every day as I recall. Most of my favourite ones have closed/ reformed now.

Foksal 19 is good if you can get pass face control.

I don't think that there are any Warsaw residents among regular posters here. Maybe there will be some among the guests though.

PS: Welcome to the forum DaWoodster.

I heard about Foksal 19, who can help me get on the guest list?
I have no chance if they use "face control"!

So that will be every day then yes seeing as they all end in a Y happy clubbing though if you can carry the pace 7 days a week

oh and welcome to the site

i guess you checked out warsaw-life.com already...

oh... and welcome...

I have now...thanks.

Some tips about non-tourist restaurants in Warsaw.
For example Karaluch (Cockroach) - sound great don't it? It's cheap, it is full of students and would be just something for you It's located a couple of meters from the main university gate.

I have to admit that most popular way-of-eating among students is to eat kebabs. It's cheap (6-7 zl) and hot - nothing more is needed for true happiness.

If you would like to try something polish try at Polskie Jadło (Peasant's cooking ), Czerwona Świnia (Red Pig) oraz Pierogarnia (?) - they shouldnt be very expensive for foreigners

I have visited Warsaw and I know that to get in to town you should not need a taxi at all. If you come out of the exit from the airport you can pick up a 175 bus that takes you right through Warsaw to the Old Town. You can even buy a one day ticket that is valid on the underground too. It used to be 7 zl 25 for a day pass or something very similar.

True but watch your wallet, especially if you arrive late at nigth and look like a tourist. This route had a bit of a reputation for pick pockets on the bus. One of the few places where this was a problem I hasten to add before anyone accuses me of scaremongering

I imagine that this is true of anywhere. I have heard worse stories. A Pole was working as an au pair in Denmark. He was going home to Denmark with presents on the train after visiting his parents and someone spiked his drink on the train. He woke up and was naked except for his underpants! It sounds funny but this is serious. They stole everything. Warning NEVER have a drink on a train and then leave it unguarded as in his case. You never know who may have tampared with it. Let this be a warning.

As a p.s. to the story, the police arrested him for thinking that he was drunk untill they realized that he had been drugged.