Travel

Citizens of the 25 states that belongs to the Schengen area have equal rights to travel without visas and border control. However, this does not mean, that traveling within the Schengen area is the same as traveling in one state and that no personal identity document is required. Representatives of legal institutions in any Schengen state are entitled to check the identity of a person staying in their territory according to the requirements of national legal acts. The laws of each member state prescribe whether a person must have personal identity documents with him or not.

The Schengen area includes:

• 22 EU member states: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden;
• 3 non-EU states: Iceland, Norway and Switzerland. From December 12, 2008 Switzerland abolished checks on persons at internal land borders within the Schengen area and from March 29, 2009 will abolish check on persons at air borders within the Schengen area.

If you come from outside the Schengen area, do not forget about valid passport for at least 3 months from the date of arrival in Poland.

Visa requirements vary depending on the source country. Please contact the nearest Polish diplomatic mission to check if you need a visa. No vaccination is required to enter Poland

Polish language

Belongs to the group of Slavic languages and it is the official language of Poland. The most common languages in Poland besides Polish are English and German. In many hotels, restaurants and shops, the personnel speak foreign languages, especially in big cities.

Weather

In general the summers are warm, with temperatures mainly staying in the mid to high. Average temperature for Poznań is approx. 17C (63F) in July

Autumn sets in around September, and through November you can expect slightly cool temperatures, though the snow usually doesn't arrive until winter comes storming in at the end of November or beginning of December. While a white Christmas is the norm, the snow can stay on the ground all the way through March during an especially cold winter, so be sure to pack that winter coat and gloves. Spring is beautiful in Poznań.

Poland is temperate with warm summers, crisp, sunny autumns and cold winters. Snow covers especially the mountainous area (in the south) from the middle of December to April. Rain falls throughout the year.

For weather forecast please visit:

www.findlocalweather.com

http://weather.msn.com

Currency

Polish currency unit - 1 złoty = 100 groszy
Denominations: Notes: 20, 50, 100 and 200-złoty notes (PLN)
Coins: 1, 2, 5 złoty and 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 groszy.

Money can be exchanged at airport, banks (open Mon – Fri 8 am – 6 pm), hotels and exchange offices (called "kantors"). Cash can be withdrawn at banks, cash dispensers and post offices (a limited amount of money). There are plenty of cash machines (ATM) around the city which accept cards from all over the place. There is also a possibility to use credit cards (Visa, American Express, MasterCard, and Eurocard) while paying in hotels, restairants and shops. Cheque book use is virtually non-existent.

Poznań Public transport

is operated by the Public Transportation Company (MPK). Buses and trams are usually punctual and keep to the timetables situated at bus stops. Timetable of the public transportation you may find on www.poznan.pl

The bus and tram fares are the same; there is also a chance to use time tickets for 15, 30, 60 and 90 min. However, the bus and tram ticket systems differ. To learn details, if necessary, please visit www.poznan-online.net

Emergency telephones

Poland/Poznań Travel Tips

you may find on:

www.virtualtourist.com

www.tripadvisor.com

http://iguide.travel/Poznan

www.excitingpoland.com

All places mentioned for Poznań on the Conference webpage you may find on the city map:

www.poznan-map.greatpoland.eu

www.mapa-poznania.info

www.mapy.google.pl