Money that is good to have in
Krakow.
Poland
is a member state of the European Union but the euro zone
stretches beyond its western and southern borders. So the country has its own
currency, zloty, which is the nation’s legal tender.
Nevertheless some establishments, notably hypermarkets, accept
payments in euros.
Zloty can be
abbreviated to zl though PLN, the international symbol of the
Polish currency, is widely used in Poland as well.
The Polish
currency system.
A zloty is
divided into one hundred smaller units called grosz
(abbreviation gr).
The Polish
money is available in the following denominations: one-grosz,
two-grosz, five-grosz, ten-grosz, twenty-grosz, and fifty-grosz
coins; one-zloty, two-zloty, and five-zloty coins and ten-zloty,
twenty-zloty, fifty-zloty, 100-zloty, 200-zloty, and 500-zloty bank notes.
Tip: It’s
advisable to have always some coins and small bank notes in your
pocket as Krakow’s various vendors, newsagents, even small
shops
may lack enough cash to give you the change when you pay with a
100-zloty or 200-zloty bank note. Also, hardly anybody is ready
to break a large note for a stranger.
Exchanging
money in Krakow.
Polish currency is fully convertible, its
rate of exchange depending on the money market.
In
Krakow banks you may exchange practically any of
the world’s currencies. Small currency exchange bureaus called ‘kantor’,
popular in Poland and ubiquitous in Krakow, trade in major
currencies such as euro, the American dollar, the British pound,
the Swiss franc, and the Canadian and Australian dollars as well
as the money of some Eastern European countries such as the
Czech koruna and the Hungarian forint.
Poland enjoys free money market thus individual banks as well as forex businesses may sell and buy currencies at whatever price
they wish so even as competition flattens the rates it’s good to
shop around a little for a better deal. As a rule of thumb, the
kantors buy currencies dearer and sell cheaper than banks though
a few of the former establishments evidently try to cash in on
the ignorance of tourists.
Since Poland’s
accession to the UE the exchange rates have proved fairly stable
even if zloty has appreciated over the years rather than the
opposite. One euro buys
roughly 4.7 zlotys, one British pound is an equivalent of some
5.6 zloty, and one US dollar buys about 4.2 zlotys
/November 2021/.
Krakow’s
cash machines.
Automated teller machines – ATMs are the
common feature of the public spaces in Krakow. The cash
dispensers can be found at bank branches (indoor or outdoor)
that are in plenty in the city, in
shopping centers,
on campuses, etc. People queuing before street cash machines are
a frequent sight in Krakow’s central Old Town historic
district.
Note:
It's advisable to watch out
for bank card skimmers when withdrawing cash from ATMs. At least
obstruct view of your fingers dialing PIN to protect it from a
spy camera. Cash machines inside banks and busy shopping centers are thought to be securer.
Paying
money in Krakow.
Cash still remains the king in Krakow but
plastic money rapidly catches on. The bulk of businesses, from
hotels to retailers to restaurants to gas stations to casinos to art galleries, accept major payment cards – be it
credit or debit – such as MasterCard or Visa. Save newsstands,
kebab joints, and neighborhood groceries every Krakow establishment that caters to
the general public seems equipped today with a terminal for
processing credit cards electronically, able to verify their
validity and check the balance online in real time.
Travelers
checks.
One can cash travelers checks in a Krakow bank. Otherwise they
are of little use here as almost nobody – some hotels may be the
exception – accepts them by way of payment.
Click here for more tips.
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Krakow shops sell a plethora of goodies. Wave good buy to them!
Krakow souvenirs
Make yourself and/or others happy with a gift from
Krakow.
Krakow Galleries
They have fine works of art at reasonable prices.
Tax-free Shopping in Krakow
Dining guide to Krakow's restaurants and other eateries
Krakow Foodstuffs
Krakow's bread and butter as well as other dairy
products, fruits, vegetables, meat, seafood, and the like buys.
Buying real estate
in Krakow
You can still purchase flats rather cheap in Krakow. Or
have a historic palace for a couple of million euros.
More than 25,000 welcoming beds are available in Krakow hotels,
hostels, guest rooms, and other hospitable facilities.
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