Using Dollars In Poland
The country of Poland is a member of the European Union whose members for the most part use the Euro. But Poland has not yet adopted the Euro and still uses the Zloty.
In spite of the Zloty being the basic currency, Polish businesses that cater to the tourist trade generally will accept US Dollars and Euro.
There are some things that you should consider, however, before you bring US Dollars into Poland.
One of the safest things that you can do is to rely heavily on the Automatic Teller Machines, (ATM) In Poland they are called Bankomats and can be found everywhere but in small towns and villages. Polish people are prolific users of the Bankomats so you can expect to find them outside the normal foreign tourist areas, also.
If you have dollars, you can convert them to Zloty at your hotel, at a Kantor or at a bank.
A Kantor is a licensed money exchange. Kantors can be found at the airports, train stations and in high population areas.
The exchange rate for you currency to dollars will vary with the entity that is making the exchange for you. The National Bank Of Poland determines its exchange rate each business day and posts it at National Bank Exchange Rates. Individual businesses then determine their own exchange rates based on the National Bank of Poland rate.
Generally, you will get the best exchange rates at the Kantors. It is a competitive business and the market keeps their rates in line.
The hotels, though not in all cases, generally give you the least competitive exchange rates. If you can avoid exchanging money at a hotel, do so.
The banks also exchange money. They give good exchange rates. They can be a bother, however, because they often operate at a bureaucratic speed that can be frustrating. And you may find it difficult to find someone who speaks your language.
If you would like to know how much you would get on any given exchange of currency, there is an online currency converter that you can use. You can find it at this link that is call Currency Converter.
If you are in Warsaw, there is a good Kantor that gives particularly good exchange rates on Chmielna Street. It is next to the well known 3 Cats Gallery. You can see a map on the 3 Cats site that you can use to find the Kantor.
One final note. Do not exchange money with anyone on the street. The people there know how to make a money switch on you so fast that you will not see it. Do not try to think that you can outsmart them. They are professionals and are not to be fooled with. Many times they have muscle somewhere behind them that will be used to correct any mistakes.
So first use a Bankomat, then a Kantor and finally a Bank.
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