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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 border. 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, and 200-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. 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, the Slovak 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. One euro buys roughly
3.3 zloties, and one US
dollar buys about 2.2 zloties /June 2008/.
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.
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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