Top 5 Things you wish you’d have known before relocating to Warsaw

1. Television:

If you want to receive Sky, it’s better to bring the decoder with you, as in Poland it’s very expensive to purchase one. You can also get some local English channels by buying a Polish decoder. With some of them it’s possible to convert Polish to English or other languages. Try:

2. Shopping Online:

Daily shopping can be done online as well. .

3. Etiquette:

When you visit a Pole at home, never ever shake their hand through the door. You should come in first, close the door and then greet everybody.
If you give someone flowers, count them well! Only an uneven number of flowers can be given to a woman. Even numbers are brought to a funeral.
Women should never put their handbag on the floor.
If a black cat crosses your path, spit behind you immediately – only this way can you undo the bad luck.
Don’t ever break a mirror. There’s nothing you can do to take it back – bad luck will last for 7 years!

4. Public Toilets:

Just one comment re visiting a restaurant. Once you get a bill and pay the money, never ever say ‘thank you’. In Poland this means ‘keep the change’. I ended up giving a tip of 150 percent.
In many restaurants in Warsaw, service is already included in the bill – it’s better to ask before leaving a tip. Unwritten rules say 10 percent is a fair tip.