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Brick castles, gingerbread towns and a salt mine with a cathedral: Poland on an Australian budget

Poland is one of the best-value countries in the European Union for an Australian, and also one of the least understood. It is a large country, bigger than Italy by area, with a long coast on the Baltic, mountains in the south, lakes in the north-east and forests where European bison still roam. Its cities were destroyed in the Second World War and rebuilt with care, its food is generous, its trains are fast and its prices are far below those of Western Europe or Australia. Yet most visitors from Australia head for Paris, Rome or London and never consider Warsaw, Kraków or Gdańsk. Those who do come back with stories of castles made of red brick, towns built on gingerbread, underground chapels carved from salt and a hospitality that is hard to forget. Before you pack, you need to know what an Australian dollar buys in the Polish currency, the zloty. This page gives you the answer. Use it to Convert AUD to PLN with the daily reference rates published by the European Central Bank, in which the Australian dollar and the Polish zloty are both quoted against the euro; the page combines them into a dollar-zloty figure and prints its date under the result. The amount you type never leaves your browser.

Using the converter

Australian dollars in, zloty out

Type your budget, Convert AUD to PLN, and write the date beside the answer, because the figure and its date belong together.

Type an amount in Australian dollars and read the result in Polish zloty and groszy, together with the date of the fixing used. An Australian dollar is worth roughly 2.5 to 2.9 zloty, so the answer is about two and three quarter times the number you typed. A fixing is published once on each working day; on weekends and public holidays the page repeats the last one and says so. A table of round sums and a graph of the past thirty days sit below the box. For the opposite direction, from zloty into Australian dollars, open Convert PLN to AUD.

Reference versus offer

At any counter, Convert AUD to PLN first and divide their offer by the result to see the margin.

The figure on the screen is the mid-market price, which banks use among themselves and which consumers almost never receive. Whoever serves you will give a little less, and the gap is the real cost of the exchange. Divide what you are offered by what is shown here: 0.99 is excellent, 0.97 is common for a good card, and anything under 0.95 invites a second quote. The examples below assume an invented, tidy rate of 2.7 zloty to the Australian dollar. It is not a forecast and not today's price, so replace it with the live figure.

Castles and old towns

Malbork, the biggest brick castle

A castle ticket and a train are small sums, so Convert AUD to PLN for the whole day and write the total.

An hour from Gdańsk stands Malbork, the largest castle in the world by land area, built of red brick by the Teutonic Knights in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. Its towers, moats and halls were badly damaged in 1945 and have been restored over decades. A ticket costs about 70 zloty, which at the invented rate is 26 Australian dollars. Allow half a day, and take the audio guide. Trains from Gdańsk take about 45 minutes and cost 15 to 25 zloty.

Toruń, birthplace of Copernicus

Toruń, on the Vistula, escaped most war damage, and its medieval old town is a UNESCO site with Gothic churches, colourful houses and a house museum for the astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus, born there in 1473. The town is also famous for gingerbread, made since the Middle Ages in hearts and figures; a box costs 15 to 40 zloty. A day trip from Warsaw or Gdańsk is easy by train.

Wrocław, Poznań and Lublin

Wrocław, on the Oder, has a market square lined with pastel houses, more than a hundred small bronze dwarf statues scattered through the streets and a vibrant student scene. Poznań is known for its renaissance town hall, where two mechanical goats butt heads at noon, and for croissants filled with white poppy seeds. Lublin, in the east, has a castle, an old town and a university. Each repays one or two days.

Nature

Masuria and its lakes

A kayak, a room and a lunch add up, so Convert AUD to PLN for a weekend by the lakes.

In the north-east, the land of a thousand lakes called Masuria is a landscape of forests, rivers and water, with sailing, kayaking and quiet villages. A kayak costs 50 to 100 zloty a day, a sailing boat from 300 to 600, and a room in a lakeside guesthouse 150 to 300. Summer is the busy season, and the evenings are long. Mosquitoes can be fierce, so bring repellent.

Białowieża and the bison

The Białowieża Forest on the border with Belarus is one of the last primeval forests in Europe, with ancient oaks and the largest wild herd of European bison. Guided walks cost 100 to 250 zloty, and a visit to the bison reserve 20 to 40. Nearby accommodation is simple and cheap. Wildlife is best seen at dawn, in cool weather.

The Tatras and the Baltic

In the south, the Tatra Mountains offer hiking and skiing from Zakopane, with trails to mountain lakes such as Morskie Oko. Trail heights are in metres, and Convert m to ft turns them into feet. In the north, the Baltic coast has wide sandy beaches, dunes at Łeba that move with the wind, and seaside towns such as Sopot with a pier 500 metres long.

What things cost

Eating

For a milk-bar lunch and a restaurant dinner, Convert AUD to PLN and compare with prices at home.

A bowl of soup in a milk bar costs 8 to 12 zloty, a plate of dumplings 15 to 25, a cutlet with potatoes 25 to 35. In a restaurant, a main course costs 40 to 80, a beer 12 to 20 and a coffee 12 to 18. At the invented rate, a 30-zloty lunch is 11 Australian dollars. Supermarkets are cheap and well stocked. Convert AUD to PLN for a day of meals, and compare with a day at home.

Sleeping and moving

A hostel and a train ticket are cheap, but Convert AUD to PLN for a week of them to see the total.

A hostel bed costs 50 to 100 zloty, a double room in a three-star hotel 250 to 450, an apartment 200 to 400. Intercity trains cost 50 to 150 zloty for a long trip if booked in advance, and a day ticket in a city 15 to 25. Buses and low-cost coaches are cheaper still. A rental car costs 150 to 250 a day and fuel about 6.5 zloty a litre.

An imagined week

Suppose two travellers spend a week in Poland: two nights in Warsaw, two in Kraków, one in Toruń and two in Gdańsk. Seven nights at 300 zloty are 2,100. Trains cost 600 for two, meals at 200 a day for two 1,400, castles and museums 500, and local transport 200. The total is 4,800 zloty, which at the invented rate is 1,778 Australian dollars, not counting flights.

Money in Poland

Cards, cash and machines

Take only a small cash reserve, and Convert AUD to PLN to know how much that is in dollars.

Cards and contactless payment are widely accepted, even in markets. Cash machines of Polish banks give a better rate than exchange booths. An independent machine may offer to convert the withdrawal into Australian dollars at a poor rate; refuse and take zloty. Australian cards add a foreign-transaction fee of about 3 per cent, so a travel card may save money.

Tipping and tax

A tip of 10 per cent is usual in restaurants if the service was good. Taxi drivers appreciate rounding up. Value-added tax is included in prices. Visitors from outside the European Union can claim it back on purchases above a minimum amount in participating shops.

Time, units and weather

Poland is eight to ten hours behind eastern Australia. Convert CET to UTC gives the first step. Distances are in kilometres, and Convert km to mi turns them into miles. Convert °C to °F helps with the forecast.

Cities worth the detour

Warsaw

Warsaw was almost entirely destroyed in the Second World War, and its old town was rebuilt from paintings and photographs, brick by brick, and is listed by UNESCO. The city today has a modern skyline, a good metro, wide parks such as Łazienki with its palace on the water and free piano concerts on summer Sundays, and museums of exceptional power, including the Warsaw Rising Museum and the Museum of the History of Polish Jews. Tickets cost 25 to 40 zloty. A day in Warsaw can cover the old town, a museum, a park and a milk bar lunch for about 100 zloty, or 37 Australian dollars.

Kraków

Kraków, the old royal capital, survived the war largely intact. Its main square, one of the biggest in Europe, has the Cloth Hall and two church towers, from one of which a trumpet call sounds every hour and breaks off midway in memory of a medieval watchman. Wawel Hill has the royal castle and the cathedral. The Kazimierz district has old synagogues and cafes. The Wieliczka salt mine, a short ride away, has chambers and a chapel carved out of rock salt, with chandeliers made of salt crystals; the tour costs 120 to 140 zloty.

Gdańsk and the coast

Gdańsk, an old Hanseatic port, has a rebuilt old town with tall gabled houses along the Long Market, and the shipyard where the Solidarity trade union began in 1980. A museum about the Second World War and a centre about Solidarity tell the history in depth. Amber, the fossilised resin of the Baltic, is sold in shops along Mariacka Street, and you should check for a certificate. A day trip to the beach resort of Sopot is easy by city train.

Eating the Polish way

Soups, dumplings and cutlets

Polish cooking is hearty. Barszcz is a clear beetroot soup, żurek a sour rye soup sometimes served in a bread bowl, and rosół a chicken broth. Pierogi are dumplings with fillings of cheese and potato, meat, cabbage and mushrooms, or fruit. Bigos is a hunter's stew of cabbage and meats, and schabowy a breaded pork cutlet. Desserts include sernik, a baked cheesecake, and makowiec, a poppy-seed roll. A full meal in a decent restaurant costs 60 to 110 zloty.

Vodka, beer and mead

Poland is the home of vodka, which comes in dozens of varieties, plain, flavoured with herbs, honey or fruit. A shot in a bar costs 8 to 15 zloty, and a bottle in a shop 40 to 100. Beer is cheap, from 8 to 12 zloty a bottle in a shop and 12 to 20 in a pub. Mead, an ancient drink made from honey, is served warm in winter. Craft breweries have multiplied in every city. Alcohol is sold in ordinary shops, and the minimum age is 18.

Markets and bakeries

Weekend markets sell vegetables, mushrooms, smoked cheese and flowers at low prices. Bakeries make fresh bread, rolls and doughnuts called pączki, eaten on Fat Thursday in huge quantities. A bag of pastries for breakfast costs 6 to 12 zloty.

Practical details

Getting there from Australia

There are no direct flights between Australia and Poland. Most travellers connect through Dubai, Doha, Singapore, Istanbul or Frankfurt to Warsaw or Kraków. The journey takes 24 to 30 hours, and a return ticket costs 1,800 to 3,300 Australian dollars. Prices are lowest in spring and autumn. Low-cost airlines link Polish cities to many European capitals for 20 to 100 euros.

Phones and safety

Roaming from an Australian plan costs 5 to 10 dollars a day. A prepaid SIM with generous data costs 20 to 40 zloty. Poland is safe, though pickpockets operate in crowded tourist areas. Tap water is safe, and the emergency number is 112. Australian Medicare does not cover care in Poland, so buy travel insurance with medical cover.

Holidays

Shops are closed on Sundays in most of the country and on public holidays, which include New Year, Easter Monday, 1 and 3 May, 15 August, 1 and 11 November and Christmas. Plan your shopping and meals accordingly. On All Saints' Day, 1 November, families light candles in cemeteries, a sight many visitors find moving.

Language, manners and humour

A phrasebook is cheap, but Convert AUD to PLN for a coffee and a train ticket first, and you will see why Poland rewards a longer stay.

Polish in a nutshell

Polish is a Slavic language with seven cases and consonant clusters that daunt visitors. Fortunately, many younger Poles speak English, and tourist areas are well served. A few words are worth learning: dzień dobry for good day, dziękuję for thank you, proszę for please or here you are, przepraszam for excuse me and na zdrowie for cheers. Pronunciation takes practice, and Poles are patient and pleased by the effort.

Hospitality

Poles are hospitable, and a guest in a home is offered tea, cake and often something stronger. Refusing food politely is possible but declining everything may disappoint. Bring flowers, an odd number of stems, or a box of chocolates for the host, and take off your shoes at the door, where slippers will be offered. Toasts are common, and eye contact is expected.

Names and titles

Poles use first names among friends but titles and surnames in formal settings. Addressing someone as pan or pani, Mr or Mrs, with the first name is polite and common. At work, English is widely used in international companies, and teams are informal.

A fortnight, with figures

An example

Imagine two travellers spending fourteen days in Poland: Warsaw, Kraków, Zakopane, Wrocław, Toruń and Gdańsk. Thirteen nights at 300 zloty are 3,900. Trains between cities cost 1,000 for two, a rental car for three days 600 with fuel 300, meals at 220 a day for two 3,080, museums and castles 800, a mountain excursion 300, local transport 300 and gifts 1,000. The total is 11,280 zloty, which at the invented rate is 4,178 Australian dollars, not counting the long-haul flights. Convert AUD to PLN for each line and see where you can save.

Where to save

Milk-bar lunches, supermarket picnics, hostels and guesthouses, regional trains and free attractions cut the bill. Many museums have a free day each week, and a city pass can bundle entries. Cheap flights within Europe are available to those with flexible dates. Avoid the busiest week of August and the Christmas period, when prices rise.

A word on winter

Poland in winter is cold, with temperatures of minus five to minus fifteen at night, but it is also beautiful and cheaper. Christmas markets in Kraków and Wrocław sell gingerbread, mulled wine and smoked cheese. Skiing in Zakopane costs 120 to 200 zloty a day for a pass. Dress in layers, with a warm hat and gloves, and boots with good grip.

Insurance, health and legal notes

Insurance

Cover for mountain walks is a small cost, so Convert AUD to PLN for the premium and add it to your plan.

Take out travel insurance with medical and repatriation cover, especially if you plan mountain walking or skiing. A policy for two weeks costs 80 to 200 Australian dollars, depending on age. Carry the policy number and the emergency number in your phone.

Entry rules

Australian citizens can visit the Schengen area for up to ninety days in any hundred-and-eighty without a visa. Poland is part of that area, so days there count together with days in other member countries. Europe has been preparing a travel authorisation for visa-exempt visitors, with a start date that has shifted, so check the official pages before you book. Your passport should be valid for three months after you leave.

Customs

Visitors may bring in personal goods, and limits apply to alcohol, tobacco and cash above 10,000 euros, which must be declared. On return to Australia, declare food, plants and wood products. Amber jewellery is permitted, though check for certificates to avoid fakes.

Other conversions

If the trip goes on

Travellers who continue to Czechia can use Convert AUD to CZK, those who head to Hungary Convert AUD to HUF, and those who return through Germany Convert AUD to EUR. For the zloty against the euro, see Convert EUR to PLN.

A small routine

Write down the rate and the date each time you change money, and compare the note with the statement later.

Mistakes to avoid

Overlooking Poland

A week in Poland costs half of one in Paris, so Convert AUD to PLN for both and compare.

Poland costs half of Western Europe for similar quality. Convert AUD to PLN for a week there, and compare with a week in Paris.

Paying in dollars

A terminal that offers to charge you in Australian dollars uses its own rate. Pay in zloty.

Using an old rate

A rate from last month can be several per cent out. The date beside the result protects you whenever you Convert AUD to PLN.

In short

The only thing fetched from the network is the table of daily rates; your amount stays in the browser and no account is needed. From a brick castle at Malbork to a box of gingerbread in Toruń, one habit pays: Convert AUD to PLN, read the date and weigh every offer against the figure on this page.