Cheap Flight to Poland: Helpful Tips When Travelling to Poland
In the past all foreign tourists were forced to exchange certain amount of money every time they were crossing the boarder according to the official (poor) course – not anymore! People from Western Europe and the USA were also forced to pay higher rates in the hotels than people from Eastern Europe – not anymore either. In spite of the fact that Polish “zloty” (Polish currency) is interchangeable into dollars (there is not anymore “official” and “inofficial” exchange course). Poland is still a relatively cheap country for the foreigner from the Western Europe and the USA.
There are some precautions that you need to take into account before your travel to Poland:
Better use public transportation than rent a car. Car insurance is very expensive, one of the reason, many cars, especially the expensive western brands are stolen by car “Mafia’s”. Besides, the road system is poor, there is not enough highways and freeways in the country. Traffic on the streets of many towns is also high (lack of beltways) and it makes driving inconvenient and expensive (gas price is high compared to the USA). Polish police can also take advantage of naïve and “rich” foreign tourists and they are first to get tickets. Public transportation system is cheap and comfortable. It includes trains, buses, airplanes (between some cities) and city transportation system like trams, buses, metro (Warsaw) and of course taxis. Be careful with the taxi. Some taxi drivers may charge you higher rate especially if you are at the airport, Warsaw airport is the worst. I know that the police tried to solve that problem but I am not sure whether they did. For instance the best way of transportation between Krakow and Warsaw is an express train, but the best transportation system between the Warsaw and Wroclaw (Breslau) is to take an airplane.
Do not do any money transactions on the streets. There are money exchange offices (kantors) almost everywhere and they do not charge a fee for a transaction and are safe to exchange the money. Some locals want to take an advantage of the foreigner. Do not try to look too much as a wealthy foreign tourist with expensive cameras hanging from your shoulder and do not speak your language too loud because you would be exposing yourself to either a thief or someone trying to do some questionable deals.

Airports, bus and train stations, and other crowded areas where travelers are in close quarters are where pickpockets prefer to operate.  There are a number of dos and don’ts to avoid becoming victimized when you travel, most of which are common sense.  Here are some.

Don’t wear jewelry or an expensive looking watch as that is an invitation to be robbed.Wear a money belt under you shirt or blouse to help foil pickpockets as well as muggers.

It is a good idea to put your things in a Ziploc type bag and then put the bag in your money belt.  The reason for this is that the money belt and the items in it will get soaked from your perspiration, especially in hot climates, and this will help keep them dry.  Do not open your money belt in public to take out credit cards, cash, or traveler’s checks

.It might be worth it before you leave on vacation to sew a few pockets on the inside of your slacks, skirts, or underclothing where you can stash some spare cash when you are out and about for the day.  If you are carrying credit cards, cash, or traveler’s checks on your person, you should divide them up and put them in different pockets.  Then, if a pickpocket is successful, he or she won’t steal everything.  It also makes sense to use a safety pin to make each pocket opening smaller so that a pickpocket will have difficulty pulling anything out of your pockets without you being aware of it.

If a number of children gather around you in the street and cause a commotion, you are likely being targeted by pickpockets who are using the children to distract you.  If a couple of locals start a yelling and shoving match near you, they could be a distraction for pickpockets.  Another method of distraction is to have someone collapse and fall down in front of you.  When you bend over to help them, the pickpocket goes into action.  A variation involves two thieves working together, one gently dropping some ice cream, ketchup or mustard on one of your shoulders and then distracting you by pointing to the mess and helping to wipe it off.  The other pickpocket will then go into action.

Pickpockets prefer to target men with their wallets invitingly exposed in their back pockets, and  obese people because they are less likely to feel their pockets being picked.  You must be especially vigilant in airports, bus and train stations and watch your luggage, camera, and laptop like a hawk as they can disappear in an instant.  Keep in mind that pickpockets love tourists, especially when they are in crowds.

Be vigilant when you are wearing a backpack.  Thieves may slash the bottom of it, spilling all the contents onto the street where he and his accomplices grab your possessions and run away in different directions. 

Usually muggings occur at night and not in a busy, bustling part of the city.  If you are accosted by an armed robber, do not argue or resist.  Give them what they want and be thankful that you don’t get hurt.  Whatever they take from you can be replaced and is not worth risking your life over.

After reading Bob Arno’s book on how people can avoid thefts, cons, and street scams, we felt that it would be a valuable book for anyone who goes on vacation, or travels for business, to also read.  It is full of information and photos that show you how many scams work.  There is no limit as to what criminals can think of to steal and rip-off from unsuspecting tourists. 

Bob is one of the world’s foremost experts on identity theft, street crime, and scams,   If  you want to find out how to protect yourself when on holidays as well as at home, you should read his book, “Travel Advisory! How to Avoid Thefts, Cons, and Street Scams While Traveling”.  You may be able to find it at your local library.  If not, it is available through his website, BobArno.com, or Amazon.com.

He has been interviewed on CNN, MSNBC, ABC’s 20/20, The Travel Channel, The Learning Channel, Discovery Channel, and has had articles written about him in USA Today, National Geographic Traveler, Fortune Magazine, The New York Times, and Time Magazine. 

His book is full of humor, true stories, as well as many photos of pickpockets and street scam artists in action.  In our opinion, his book is worth its weight in gold, and is a must-read for anyone who wants to learn how to protect themselves and their family when traveling, and even in their own home town.