Convert CAD to PLN Canadian dollar ↔ Polish zloty Free Online Secure
Type an amount in Canadian dollar and read it in Polish zloty at once. The page uses the European Central Bank's reference rate, and tells you which day that rate is from.
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Common amounts — Convert CAD to PLN (Canadian dollar ↔ Polish zloty)
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The last thirty days
Where these codes and rates come from
The three letters in EUR, USD or JPY are not an abbreviation someone invented for a website: they are ISO 4217, a standard in which the first two letters are the country's own code and the third is usually the initial of the currency. The figures on this page come from the European Central Bank, which publishes one set of reference rates each working day, around 16:00 Central European time, agreed between the central banks of the Eurosystem. They are a daily snapshot meant for statistics and accounting, not a live trading feed — which is exactly why they are the same number for everyone, rather than whatever one bank happened to quote at one moment.
Where you meet an exchange rate
You meet an exchange rate four or five times a year without thinking about it: booking a trip, paying an invoice issued abroad, buying from a foreign shop, reading a salary offer in another currency, or checking what a card charge really cost. In all of these the reference rate is the honest middle, and the price you actually pay sits a little to one side of it. Knowing the middle is what lets you see how wide that margin is.
Questions people ask
Is this the rate my bank will give me?
No, and no page can promise one. This is the European Central Bank's reference rate: the midpoint published once a day for statistics. A bank, a card scheme or an exchange office adds its own margin on top — usually between half a percent and three percent, sometimes more at an airport counter. Use this figure to judge the offer you are given, not to predict it.
How often does the figure change, and what happens at weekends?
The European Central Bank publishes once each working day, in the afternoon, Central European time. There is no publication on Saturdays, Sundays or TARGET holidays, so on those days the page shows the last working day's rate and says which day it belongs to. The chart alongside is one year of the same daily series.
Is the answer exact?
Where both units are defined in terms of one another by whole numbers, yes — the page says so above the figure, and the only rounding is in how many digits are shown. Where the ratio has no finite decimal, the page shows twelve significant digits and says the relation is approximate rather than pretending otherwise.
Does anything I type leave my device?
No. The arithmetic runs in your browser; nothing is uploaded and there is no server to upload it to. Load the page once and it keeps working with the network switched off.
Polish Canada and Poland itself: roots, cities, mountains and what a Canadian dollar buys in zloty
Roughly one million Canadians claim Polish ancestry, which makes it one of the largest ethnic communities in the country. The first Poles came to the prairies in the late nineteenth century to farm, more arrived between the wars, and further waves followed after 1945 and in the 1980s. Today Toronto and Mississauga have neighbourhoods with Polish delis and churches, Winnipeg has one of the oldest communities, and Edmonton, Calgary and Montreal have their own. Many descendants make the trip to Poland at least once, to see a village, a church or a street named in a family story. What awaits them is a country that has transformed itself in thirty years, with a modern capital, a restored medieval old town in Kraków and some of the cheapest travel in the European Union. The first practical question is how many zloty a Canadian dollar buys. This page answers it. Use it to Convert CAD to PLN with the daily reference rates published by the European Central Bank, in which the Canadian 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
Canadian dollars in, zloty out
Type your budget, Convert CAD to PLN, and keep the date next to the answer, because the figure and its date belong together.
Type an amount in Canadian dollars and the page shows the equivalent in Polish zloty and groszy, together with the date of the fixing used. A Canadian dollar is worth around 2.7 to 3.1 zloty, so the answer is about three 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 dollars, open Convert PLN to CAD.
The yardstick for an offer
When a counter offers a rate, Convert CAD to PLN first and divide their offer by the result to see the margin.
The figure on the screen is the mid-market reference, with no provider's margin included. Banks, bureaus and apps give you slightly less, and the difference is the real price of the service. Divide what you are offered by what this page shows: 0.99 is excellent, 0.97 is common for a card, and anything under 0.95 invites a second quote. The sums below use an invented, tidy rate of 3 zloty to the Canadian dollar. It is not a forecast and not today's price, so replace it with the live figure.
The Polish diaspora in Canada
Waves of settlers
Polish farmers came to Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta in the 1890s and 1900s, drawn by free land and the chance to escape poverty and foreign rule at home. After the Second World War, thousands of veterans, displaced persons and refugees settled in Canadian cities, and in the 1980s, during martial law and the Solidarity years, a new generation arrived. Churches, credit unions, newspapers, folk dance groups and weekend schools kept the language alive. The Polish community has produced hockey players, scientists, artists and politicians, and its food has entered Canadian kitchens: pierogi, kielbasa and cabbage rolls are now ordinary supermarket items.
Festivals and traditions
Presents, food and flights add up for Christmas, so Convert CAD to PLN for the whole list.
Every summer, Polish festivals in Toronto, Winnipeg and Edmonton offer music, dancing and food. At Christmas, families gather for Wigilia, the meal on 24 December with twelve meatless dishes and an opening ritual of sharing a wafer. At Easter, baskets of food are blessed at church on the Saturday before. These customs cost money to keep, and many families buy ingredients, gifts and flights in zloty. A Convert CAD to PLN for the whole shopping list tells you whether to buy at home or bring things back from Poland.
Finding the village
A good starting point is the baptism, marriage and death records of the parish, many of which have been digitised. Polish archives hold civil registers for over a century. Websites of genealogical societies offer guidance in English. Write to the parish office or the local archive in Polish if you can, or ask a relative to help, and allow weeks for a reply. A donation of 20 to 50 zloty to the parish is customary.
Warsaw, Kraków and Gdańsk
Warsaw, the capital reborn
Museum tickets are cheap, but Convert CAD to PLN for the whole day, with transport and lunch.
Warsaw was almost completely destroyed in the Second World War, and its old town was rebuilt from paintings and photographs, brick by brick, becoming a UNESCO site. The city also has a modern skyline, a good metro, parks, the Royal Castle and a museum on the 1944 uprising that moves nearly every visitor. Tickets to museums cost 15 to 35 zloty, and many are free one day a week. A lunch in a milk bar, a cafeteria with cheap traditional food, costs 20 to 35 zloty, or 7 to 12 Canadian dollars at the invented rate.
Kraków, the old capital
Before you book a hotel, Convert CAD to PLN for the nightly rate and compare two districts.
Kraków was spared most war damage, and its main square, one of the largest in Europe, is surrounded by Gothic and Renaissance buildings. The royal castle on Wawel Hill, the Jewish quarter of Kazimierz and the Wieliczka salt mine outside the city are the main sights. A day trip to the salt mine costs 120 to 140 zloty. A double room in a good hotel costs 300 to 600 zloty, or 100 to 200 dollars. Convert CAD to PLN for your list of tickets and the plan will take shape.
Gdańsk and the coast
On the Baltic, Gdańsk has a rebuilt Hanseatic old town, a shipyard where the Solidarity movement began in 1980 and excellent museums about the history of the twentieth century. Amber jewellery is the local speciality. Beaches at Sopot and on the Hel Peninsula draw summer crowds. A train from Warsaw to Gdańsk takes about three hours and costs 80 to 160 zloty.
The Tatra mountains
Zakopane and the high peaks
Ski passes and guesthouses are inexpensive, but Convert CAD to PLN for a week of them to see the total.
The Tatras on the border with Slovakia are the highest mountains in the Carpathians, with peaks above 2,400 metres. Zakopane, the winter capital of Poland, is a resort town of wooden chalets, folk music and cheese smoked in the shape of small spindles, called oscypek. Trails lead to mountain lakes such as Morskie Oko, a walk of three hours from the road. Ski passes cost 120 to 200 zloty a day, and a night in a guesthouse 150 to 400. Heights are given in metres, and Convert m to ft turns them into feet.
Staying safe in the mountains
Weather turns fast. Check the forecast, carry waterproof clothing and a map, and start early. Mountain rescue in the Tatras is a volunteer service, and a call to 985 or 601 100 300 will reach it. Travel insurance that covers rescue is essential. In winter, avalanches are a danger on the higher slopes.
Money in Poland
Cards and cash
Take a small reserve in cash, and Convert CAD to PLN to know how much that is in dollars.
Cards and contactless payment are widely accepted, even at market stalls. Cash machines owned by independent companies sometimes offer to convert the withdrawal into Canadian dollars at a poor rate; refuse and take zloty. Canadian cards add a foreign-transaction fee of about 2.5 per cent, so a travel card may save money. Small cash is useful for public toilets and church donations.
Tipping and prices
A tip of ten per cent is usual in restaurants if the service was good, and it is normally added when you pay. Taxi drivers appreciate rounding up. A coffee costs 12 to 18 zloty, a beer 12 to 20, a main course 40 to 80. Value-added tax is included in prices. A visitor from outside the European Union can claim it back on purchases above a minimum amount in participating shops.
Time and distance
Poland is six hours ahead of Toronto and nine ahead of Vancouver. Convert CET to EST gives the step to the Canadian east coast. Distances are in kilometres, and Convert km to mi turns them into miles. Convert °C to °F helps with the forecast.
Food, markets and the milk bar
What Polish people eat
Polish food is generous and seasonal. Soups are central: barszcz, a clear beetroot soup, żurek, a sour rye soup sometimes served in a bread bowl, and rosół, chicken broth with noodles for Sundays. Main dishes include schabowy, a breaded pork cutlet, bigos, a stew of cabbage and meats, pierogi in many varieties, and gołąbki, cabbage rolls in tomato sauce. Desserts include sernik, a baked cheesecake, makowiec, a poppy-seed roll, and pączki, doughnuts eaten in great numbers on Fat Thursday. A full meal in a decent restaurant costs 60 to 110 zloty, or 20 to 37 Canadian dollars at the invented rate.
The milk bar, a survivor
The bar mleczny, or milk bar, began in the communist era as a cheap canteen with subsidised food and has survived as one of the best bargains in Europe. A bowl of soup costs 8 to 12 zloty, a plate of pierogi 15 to 25 and a cutlet with potatoes 25 to 35. You order and pay at the counter, take a tray and bring your dishes back. The menu is in Polish, but pointing is understood. Go at lunchtime, when the food is freshest, and expect queues at popular places.
Markets and bakeries
Markets sell vegetables, mushrooms, cheese, cold meats and flowers at prices lower than in supermarkets. Bakeries sell fresh bread, rolls and cakes for a few zloty. Smoked cheese from the mountains, pickled cucumbers and honey are popular souvenirs. Check Canadian import rules on food before you pack.
Roots trip, practical advice
Planning a family visit
A visit to the family's village is easier with a plan. Write to relatives or to the parish before you go, agree dates, and arrive with small gifts. Hotels in the nearest town are cheap, 150 to 300 zloty a night, and a rental car costs 120 to 250 zloty a day. Roads are good on main routes and narrow in the countryside. Fuel costs about 6.5 zloty a litre. Many families will insist on hosting you; accept graciously and leave a thank-you gift.
Language help
Polish is difficult for English speakers, but a few phrases are enough to be polite: dzień dobry for good day, dziękuję for thank you, proszę for please and na zdrowie for cheers. Young people in cities speak English, and elderly relatives may speak Russian or German as a second language. A phrasebook or a translation app helps in villages.
Legal matters
Descendants of Polish citizens may be eligible for Polish citizenship by descent, a process that requires proof of ancestry such as birth and marriage records, and can take a year or more. A Polish passport would give the right to live and work in all EU countries. Contact the nearest consulate for the current requirements, and be prepared for translations and legalisations at your own cost.
A fortnight, with figures
An example
Suppose two travellers spend fourteen days in Poland: Warsaw, Kraków, Zakopane, Gdańsk and a family village. Thirteen nights at 280 zloty make 3,640. Trains between cities cost 600 for two, a rental car for four days 800 with fuel 400, meals at 200 a day for two 2,800, museums and tickets 600, a mountain excursion 300 and gifts 1,000. The total is 10,140 zloty, which at the invented rate is 3,380 Canadian dollars, not counting the flights. Convert CAD to PLN for each line and see where your budget goes.
Where the money goes
Lodging and meals are the largest items but remain modest. Flights are the biggest cost: a return ticket from Toronto to Warsaw costs 1,000 to 1,800 Canadian dollars, depending on the season. Booking four to five months ahead and avoiding Christmas and August saves hundreds.
Weather and the calendar
Four seasons
Poland has a continental climate, with cold winters, warm summers and mild springs and autumns. January temperatures often fall below minus five degrees, with snow in the mountains and across the north-east, while July highs reach twenty-five to thirty degrees. Spring and early autumn are the most pleasant seasons for city visits. Summer is best for the lakes of Masuria and the Baltic coast, and winter for skiing and Christmas markets. Pack layers and a waterproof jacket in any season.
Public holidays
Shops are closed on Sundays in most of the country and on public holidays, including 1 and 3 May, 15 August, 1 November, 11 November and Christmas. On All Saints' Day, 1 November, families visit cemeteries and light candles on graves, and the sight of thousands of flames in the dark is unforgettable. Trains and buses run on reduced timetables on holidays. Plan shopping and food in advance if you travel on one.
Christmas markets
From late November, the main squares of Kraków, Warsaw, Wrocław and Gdańsk host markets with gingerbread, hand-painted baubles, mulled wine and smoked cheese. A cup of mulled wine costs 15 to 20 zloty. Prices are lower than in German or Austrian markets, and the atmosphere is friendly. Convert CAD to PLN for your shopping list before you go.
Practical details
Getting around
Poland has an excellent network of intercity trains, with fast services between the main cities and cheaper regional trains. Tickets can be bought online or at stations, and prices rise closer to the date. Buses and low-cost coaches link smaller towns. Cities have trams and buses, with day tickets at 15 to 25 zloty. Taxis are cheapest when booked through an app.
Safety and health
Poland is generally safe for visitors. Petty theft occurs in crowded areas, so keep valuables close. Tap water is safe to drink. Pharmacies are well stocked, and emergency number 112 works across the country. A European Health Insurance Card does not apply to Canadians, so buy travel insurance with medical coverage.
Phone and internet
Mobile data in Poland is cheap. A prepaid SIM with a generous data plan costs 20 to 40 zloty. Roaming from Canada can cost 10 to 15 dollars a day, so check your plan. Wireless networks are available in hotels, cafes and stations.
Other conversions
If the trip goes on
Travellers who continue to Hungary can use Convert CAD to HUF, those who go to Czechia Convert CAD to CZK, and those who return through the euro area Convert CAD to EUR. For the zloty against the euro, see Convert EUR to PLN.
A short routine
Write down the rate and date each time you change money, and compare the note with the statement later.
Mistakes to avoid
Paying in dollars
A Polish terminal that offers to charge you in Canadian dollars uses its own rate. Pay in zloty.
Exchanging at the airport
If you must change cash, Convert CAD to PLN first and ask for the final sum before you hand over money.
The airport booth usually has the worst rate. If you need cash on arrival, use a bank machine, and Convert CAD to PLN first for the amount you need.
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 CAD 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 parish register to a market square in Kraków, one habit pays: Convert CAD to PLN, read the date and weigh every offer against the figure on this page.