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Money in Krakow

On May 1^st, 2004 Poland became a member of the EU, and made plans to introduce the Euro currency to replace Poland's own Zloty. As for the exact date, it seems that 2012 is on the optimistic side, so it is likely that the Krakow money exchange bureaus won't go out of business for a few more years and keep trading the Polish zlotys for pounds, euros and dollars.

Zloty – the Polish Currency

The Polish currency – the Zloty – equals 100 grosz, the names are abbreviated to “PLN” (the official) or “zl” (the traditional and somehow more intuitive) and “gr” respectively. Although the Zloty has gained and lost and gained in value over the recent year, it is safe to say that the exchange rates are about 4 Zloty for 1 Euro, 3 Zloty for 1 American Dollar and 4,5 zloty for 1 British Pound. The smaller amounts (1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 grosz and 1, 2 and 5 zloty) come in the form of coins, and there are banknotes valued 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 zloty.

Getting Money in Krakow

Zlotys can be obtained either at the currency exchange bureaus (“Kantor” in Polish) or in ATMs, that are virtually on every street. The currency exchange offices have different rates – usually shown on their windows – but the general rule is – the farther from the Rynek the cheaper. Anyhow it's best to check the current Zloty exchange rate before the trip to ensure no surprises. Money can also be exchanged in most of the Krakow banks, but the wait is rarely worth it.

Spending Money in Krakow

Generally it's best to always have some small change with you, as some smaller shops may have trouble changing the biggest notes. On the other hand, an increasing amount of vendors in Krakow – usually the biggest chains – start to accept Euro, although the exchange rate may be slightly different from what you might expect.

Krakow and Credit Cards

It is usually possible to use plastic money in most shops and institutions, except for news stands, smaller gift shops, taxis and most public transport ticket selling machines. The Krakow Restaurants accept the credit cards as a rule, although it's always better to double-check the stickers on the doors and ask the waiter if your credit card is ok. Even then it's always better to agree on the type of payment before the transaction, especially when buying tickets on the Krakow Train Station – the procedures used there seem to be dreadful.