DOs & DON'Ts

DO...

...buy a city bus/tram ticket before

An on board ticket machine (in English!)

Toruń does have a good local transport network which is covered by taxis, trams and buses. The city buses are pretty frequent and cover most areas of town. You do not pay the driver (unless it's late at night and kiosks are closed), but instead have to purchase a ticket from a kiosk (see image below) before you board the bus. Once on board, you have to get your ticket stamped in the machine. Occasionally, undercover conductors do check to make sure that a) you have a valid ticket and b) it has been stamped. Failure to comply with these rules...results in a hefty fine!

Tickets for each bus/tram journey (regardless of the distance/duration) is currently 2,70PLN.

Bus/Tram times can be found here:
http://www.torun.pl/index.php?strona=mi_slu_rozklad_km
(simply click on the number tram or bus that you want to travel on).

You can also check out this great site which shows you your next bus!
http://torun.jakdojade.pl/

***UPDATE***
On some of the more modern city buses you can find on board ticket machines which are not only in Polish...but also in English, Russian, French and German!

...buy some Toruń gingerbread!

As well as being the birthplace of Copernicus, Toruń is famous for its delicious perniki (gingerbread). Tourists flock to the city to sample the fine moreish taste and there is even a gingerbread museum, where you can make your own tasty souvenir. Delicious indeed...but the receipe is top secret...so it would be impossible to recreate it again at home. The most famous gingerbread company is Kopernik (named appropriately after Copernicus). Their large factory lies to the east of the city. However, it is very difficult to get inside and tours are out of the question! Shame, really as a Cadbury World style attraction would certainly go down well here.

There are 4 gingerbread shops in the Old Town of Toruń. Expect queues of tourists on a daily basis lining up to buy all the many varieties of gingerbread! And at almost 6PLN for a small bag...they don't come cheap!

...respect the Polish girls

Polish girls are world-renowned for being naturally very beautiful. But they do expect to be respected as well. It's still common here for men to act the gentleman and open the door for the lady. God forbid if you walked through the door first!!!

Polish girls love flowers...and respect!

A lovely Polish girl

...shop till you drop!

Most shops are open from 10am till 6pm Monday to Friday and 10am till 3pm on Saturdays. Sundays are a day of rest, though now more and more shops are starting to open their doors. The main shopping street is Ul. Szeroka, which runs from the Old Market Square towards the New Market Square.

Toruń also boasts several large out-of-town shopping galleries including Galeria Copernicus and the newly-opened Plaza. These tend to have extended opening times compared to the shops in the Old Town.

If you prefer a more traditional shopping experience then why not join the hundreds of locals and check out the market in Szosa Chelminska (behind Cinema City). There traders compete with each other flogging their wares such as fresh fruit and the latest denim jeans. Payment here though is just by cash and not credit card.

...try the Polish food!

A selection of boiled pierogis

Żurek - a typical Polish soup

Żurek, bigos, pierogis, zapiekanka... just a few of the names from the Polish kitchen. Food in Poland is very distinctive and in the fact that vegetables and fruit are used widely... also very healthy. Żurek is a type of sour soup made from soured rye flour. A typically well prepared Żurek will contain anything from boiled eggs, sausages, garlic and carrots. Bigos is a main dish containing a concoction of stewed cabbage and meat.

The English translation for pierogi is dumpling; however this is a little unfair as Polish pierogis are far more delicious than the dumplings you’re used to in the UK! Boiled, baked or fried and stuffed with anything from sauerkraut to cheese and salami; Polish pierogis are highly recommended and here in Toruń there are several excellent pierogarnia restaurants.

Sandwiches are not so popular in Poland. Gone are the deli bars and stores offering pre-packed sandwiches. At lunch time, many Poles simply devour home-made rolls. Another popular snack though is zapiekanka, a slice of French bread baked with melted cheese on top. This is then served with a healthy supply of either mayonnaise or ketchup on top. Talking of mayonnaise... the Poles love garlic mayonnaise especially on top of their pizzas!

Poles also dine out a little earlier than you Irish! The busiest time for restaurants is around 5pm. If you go later you have a better chance of getting a table (advanced reservations are not that common here). English menus are found in most restaurants.

DON'T...

...drink alcohol in public places

In Poland it is illegal for you to drink alcohol in public places such as on the street, etc. The only exception of course is in the beer gardens and restaurants. Therefore you won't be able to walk around town or sit in a park drinking beer. The police are quite strict about that...and most of them now do speak English!!

...expect a wheelchair-friendly country

Although it's now part of the EU, Poland still has a long-way to go to become a completely disabled-friendly country (such as Germany or the UK). There are only a few of the Intercity trains that cater for wheel-chair users. For further information please see: http://intercity.pl/en/site/travelers-essentials/for-disabled.html. Polskibus.com offers low-cost disabled friendly coaches between Warsaw-Toruń-Szczecin. Veolia PKS buses are not disabled-friendly at all!

Once in Toruń, wheel-chair users will face daily obstacles such as the cobbled-streets of the old town and the fact that most bars are down in the basement (reached only be stairs). Of course in summer there will be many street-level beer gardens in the old market square...but the closest disabled-friendly toilets are a good 5 mins away (in the New Market Square or at the west end of Ul. Kopernika).

...expect queues

The art of queuing in Poland is something which really is pretty non-existent. Sure during Communism, people would queue for hours simply to get a loaf of bread, a new washing machine or even a banana! However, these days there seems to be some distaste towards queueing...probably due to a backlash against the past. Now...waiting your turn in a queue...doesn't mean that you will get served when it's your turn. If you're not careful some 'mohair beret' (elderly woman) will turn up and shove you out of your way!!! Sure takes some getting used to!

...jaywalk

It always makes me laugh here in Poland. Poles love to the beat the system with tax evasion, bribery, etc...but most of them do obey the simple art of waiting for the green man! Jaywalking is most certainly not on the cards here in Poland. Even if there are no cars coming...pedestrians wait patiently for that red light to turn green! DO NOT BOTHER TRYING TO GET A FINE! It's not worth the hassle!

...mix beer with vodka!

OK back home on a typical binge-drinking night out you may pile back the beers, followed by a few shots of the strongest spirit you can find...all washed down with a wide array of alco-pops. Here in Poland...one stern warning. DO NOT MIX your drinks! The beer is that little bit stronger here...and the vodka can be lethal. Trust me you will have one raging hangover the next day if you do!

And if you do happen to drink to your liver's content and have a stinking hangover the next day...then TORUŃ TIPS has the perfect remedy. It may look disgusting and smell even worse, but the juice of fermented cucumbers (ogórki kiszone) will help instantly erase your hangover! Simply fill a glass with the juice and knock it back! Your stomach should stop churning in no time!

A jar of orgorki kiszone (see right) can be found in all Polish supermarkets!!! Failing that then there's always Alka-Seltzer or 2KC to help combat your woes!

...say thank you when paying for a meal!

Be careful when you're about to pay for a meal in a restaurant. Don't say thank you...until you have your change...as in Poland 'thank you' may mean, in some places, keep the change (even if the change is over half the cost of the meal!!!!).

The Polish currency is the Złoty (pronounced zwot-ee). The currency is also often written as PLN (Polish New Złoty). All major credit cards are accepted throughout Poland. Cash machines (bankomats) can be found dotted around Toruń. Money can be changed in the numerous bureaux de change (kantor) situated in the Old Town.

Try not to pay for things with big notes. Often shop assistants will not accept 100PLN notes.

...smoke in public places

Smoking is now banned in Poland in public places (e.g. pubs, restaurants and at bus stops, on train platforms etc). Having said that some Polish pubs do allow smoking as long as if it's in a special room (in certain dimensions) separate to the main room. Bars in Toruń which have this include Togun and Kuranty.

...take the wrong taxi!

For those of you planning on visiting Toruń or even for those who already live here...please be cautious when getting into a parked taxi. There are rogue taxis which look rather similar to the normal ones (such as Copernicus). However, these ones charge much more. One of my students had to pay 60PLN for a 10 minute journey which would have usually cost her 15PLN. So be aware...and do not use taxis with the 'Corporacja' logos (which have been made to resemble the Copernicus logos). They are usually found outside the main train station or the theatre (as in these photos).

Always check if the driver has turned on the meter and check it when you go to pay. As they may try to overcharge foreigners.

It's always best to call for your taxi in advance...they are very efficient here and will usually arrive within just a few minutes! You can call Copernicus Taxis on (0048) 5619192. Other recommended taxi companies include PULS on (0048) 5619195, GRA on (0048) 566572525 or Radio Taxis on (0048) 5619194 .