Poland Travel Guide

The main unit of currency is the zoty (z), which is divided into 100 groszy (gr). Bills come in denominations of 10 z, 20 z, 50 z, 100 z, and 200 z. The most useful coins are the 5 z, 2 z, and 1 z. You'll also see coins of 50 gr, 10 gr, 2 gr, and rarely 1 gr. At the time of this writing, 1 U.S. dollar was worth a little under 3 z, and 1 British pound about 5.7 z.

As a member of the European Union, Poland will someday adopt the euro, but that's not likely to happen until 2009 or 2010. In the meantime, some establishments catering to visitors, including many hotels, will quote rates in euros and accept them as payment. Some hotels quote exclusively in euros.

You can change money in nearly any bank or exchange office, identified in Polish as "kantor." You'll see them everywhere. You'll get the best rate, however, simply using your credit or debit card in an ATM. In large cities and towns you'll see an ATM on nearly every block.