Warsaw Tourist Trap Tips by matcrazy1 Top 5 Page for this destination

Open from May to September only!

There is the most conveniently located for visitors post office (Urzad Pocztowy Warszawa 40) at the Old Town Market Square (Rybek Starego miasta; corner Zapiecek; map here). But it's open exclusively from May to September. Why? Why? Why? There are a lot of visitors desperately looking for the post office to buy postage stamps in other months, too.

Unique Suggestions: If you need postage stamps go to another post office. The main post office in ul. Swiêtokrzyska 31/33 (downtown, corner Jasna, map here) is open daily 24-hours. If you are in the Old Town the better choice is to buy postage stamps in a hotel kiosk in any fancy hotel. I bought them in Sofitel Victoria hotel (by the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier) on Sunday midday.

Fun Alternatives: Go to Warsaw from May to September :-).

Don't take silly pictures of that guy!

One of the most unpleasant event I ever experienced in Warsaw (except a burglary to my car) was meeting this guy in my picture. He was standing by the Warsaw barbican waiting for those crazy visitors who would like to take him pictures. Well, I was one of them. I took him a picture and wanted to take another one, silly me. But he strongly ordered me to pay for the first one. Well, I knew why he was doing that job, certainly for money but... I don't like to be remainded to pay in unpleasant way. So, I strongly refused and... I can't write here (it's a child friendly page) what I heard... bad and rude words...

Unique Suggestions: Hmm... maybe that guy (poor unemployed in rainy day of few tourists) had worse day and desperately wanted to earn some money in strange way though... Well, no forgiveness but...
The guy probably coldn't speak any foreign language. So if you don't know Polish you can't understand his bad words. I was later at least twice by the barbican and I luckily didn't see him.

Fun Alternatives: Don't take silly pictures of those guys dressed in "medieval" armours (false and ugly in fact) or costumes.

Car thefts and burglaries

I had a car burglary (the only one in my life) just in Warsaw in late 1980'. I left my lovely Fiat 126p with an alarm swithed on along the main, busy street street (Aleje Jerozolimskie) at midday. When I came back some 30 min. later the doors were not locked. I lost my sleeping bag (the item difficult to buy that time) and I immediatelly realized that all the time I could hear many loud car alarms in downtown Warsaw that time. No-one paid any attention to it. Since that time Warsaw changed for better a lot. Now, there are fewer car thefts in Poland (in proportion to cars in use and to population as well) than in some pretty Western European countries but...

Well, since that car burglary I almost never traveled by car to Warsaw. I always pay attention for prices of anti-theft car insurance in Warsaw. They are less and less expensive all over Poland due to less and less car thefts; almost 40% less since 1999; 45.292 stolen vehicles in 2005; compare: 294,726 in Italy, hmm... lovely Spain prefers not to diclose the number :-); over 20% stolen cars are found by police in Poland. But the car-theft insurance still costs much more in Warsaw than in my area of Poland ---> there are many more car thefts in Warsaw. Over 20% car thefts in Poland took place in Warsaw district in 2004 (most of them in the city).

If your car is attractive for thefts = either luxary or expensive (new or, say, up to 3 years old, especially German one) or popular in Poland... be careful and never leave your car alone unless on guarded parking lot although thousands locals park on a street. Car thefts and burgleries may happen during midday in busy places (huge parking lots in front of large supermarkets!) and a few minutes (even at a petrol station when you go to pay) is enough time for a smart theft.

Unique Suggestions: My recommendation is to buy/have car anti-theft insurance travelling anywhere in Europe including Poland and especially in Warsaw. Never leave any valuables, cell phone, car papers (or ID, passport) inside a car. Copy (xero, scan) your insurance and other papers and carry it in seperate safe place.

Fun Alternatives: Go to Warsaw by plain/train and use taxis (inexpensive) and city public transportation (trams, buses, metro).

Please, do prepare before!

There are cities, mainly the large and cosmopolitan ones, which highly require some knowledge and preparations before a visit. For example I was dissapointed about Los Angeles, USA (forgive me, my LA friends, Broadway and famous Hollywood didn't work good for me) and I know non-Polish VT-ers who were very dissapointed about Warsaw probably because they just didn't know what to choose first to visit, where to eat out, where to go in the evening, where to sleep etc. during his short stay in Warsaw.

The problem is that in contrast to, say Krakow, Vilnius or Prague, the Warsaw old town is very compact (just a few streets), so there is relatively little choice of both good (and not fancy = very expensive at least for majority of Poles) restaurants and points of tourist interest there. You can surely walk many kilometers to see various points spreaded in large area of Warsaw but it's a waste of time and mostly you will not find anything interesting on the way. Better plan what to see and where to go (watch for opening hours and sunset time) in advance and use taxis or public transportation.

Additional problem for visitors is a very limited choice of inexpensive restaurants serving good, homemade and authentic Polish food. It changes for better now (2006) but... not ready yet. You may choose some fancy restaurants (in Market Square: Dom Restauracyjny Gessler at No 21/21a or Bazyliszek at No 1/3) and you shouldn't be dissapointed but be prepared to pay even ten times more than in those few economic ones and to meet mostly foreigners, local "rich and famous" and maybe some crazies celebrating something special in these fancy restaurants.

If you decide (not my recommendation) to eat in, say Italian, French, German, Mexican restaurant hmm... don't be sure that they really serve ethnic cousine of that country :-). You maybe totally disappointed even if you pay a lot. Skip fast food restaurants if possible, they are more expensive than these few local ones.

Unique Suggestions: Read VT-tips on Warsaw here, especially those up-to-date ones, choose carefully with a map places to see, restaurants to eat, hotels to stay and what to do in the evenings before you go. Or ask fellow Warsaw VT-ers, they helped me a lot... list here.

Fun Alternatives: Do NOT skip Warsaw, please. If you don't have enough time to prepare your visit buy in Warsaw detailed and very good travel book titled Warsaw by "Wiedza i Zycie" (English version cost about 25 euros) or short leaflet "Warsaw in my pocket" (some 1.3 euros).

First get to the Old Town, take a seat in Pierogarnia (Swietojanska 13), order Polish dumplings with meat (pierogi z miesem) or sauerkraut and mushrooms (pierogi z kapusta i miesem), add in cold season hot beer with raspberry juice (piwo grzane z sokiem malinowym) or hot honey (miod pitny grzany) or a tea, open your book and do plans... Do enjoy!