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Currency:
Officially it is the Polish New Zloty - coded as PLN. Customarily it is simply called the zloty and 1 GBP is a close equivalent to 5.5 Zl. Nowadays you can obtain PLN in the UK, but staying in cities it is easy to use your credit/debit card at ATM's, and there are also a lot of places called 'kantor' which are Polish bureaux de changes. More and more you can use a card to pay in bigger shops and supermarkets.

Food/Restaurants:
Going out to restaurants is still not very popular with the locals, so it's best not to expect too much, but there are few nice ones with traditional cuisine to be found. Most popular Polish dishes that are worth a try would be pierogi (filled dumplings) and bigos (boiled meats with cabbage cooked in herbs - tastes nicer than it sounds). While in the Tatra Mountains don't miss fried 'oscypki' (sheep's cheese) with cranberries. It is usually worth checking what is recommended by the waiter, and the maxim that lots of people in a restaurant is a good indication of quality food certainly holds true in Poland.

Time Difference:
GMT plus 1 hour

Taxis:
They can be expensive if you are not careful in places like Warsaw and Krakow, the best is to agree the fare before getting in the taxi. Sometimes they won't know exactly as that depends on the traffic, but roughly they will know how much. Next to the driver there is a display with a fare to pay.

Public transport:
In bigger cities you will find that popular trams are the ones that can be more fun to experience. Each city has a slightly different ticket system, but generally there are paper tickets for a certain line or time tickets. Sometimes the best is to ask people on a bus/tram not to miss your stop, but to find which route to take it is to best to find out from a Tourist Infortamion office as the route marking is, to put it nicely, not the best compared to say London underground. Trains are quite comfortable if you are using 1st class. The best quality will be EuroCity and InterCity trains. However, buying tickets can be problematic if you don't speak Polish as the ticket offices are not known for either their customer service or linguistic skills. Avoid travelling on trains late at night if you can, and be careful as theft on trains is quite widespread.

Climate:
As it is a more continental climate winters in South East Poland are expected to be cold quite often well below zero, but a picturesque covering of snow is usually ample compensation. Summers can be really hot, occasionally getting up to 38 degrees, but more generally just a little warmer than the UK. August is usually much the hottest month.

Tipping:
Similar to the UK, with 10% for table service the average.

Electricity:
Standard voltage is 220V and sockets require European style plugs with 2 round pins.

FCO:
For the official, detailed travel advice please visit The Foreign & Commonwealth Office website at www.fco.gov.uk


 

Currency
The Russian currency is the Ruble. The rate of exchange with the British Pound usually hovers around 50 to the pound, but exchange rates can be quite volatile. You can obtain this currency in the UK before you travel though you may well have to order it several days in advance. You will find nowadays that you can use your credit/debit cards in the cashpoints in Russia, and that major retail outlets will accept credit cards. There are also plenty of bureaux de changes. If buying from a less 'official' outlet you might find it worth your while to pay in dollars or euros, but make sure that the notes are in good condition or they won't be accepted.

Food/Restaurants
Nowadays, in Moscow & St Petersburg at least, there are plenty of good restaurants, but prices can be high especially for Western European wine. Russia, and particularly Moscow, seems to get more expensive by the day, but it is best to think 'London plus' when it comes to prices. It is always a risky business to recommend a particular restaurant, as it is so subjective and changes of chef, menu etc can make such information out of date very quickly. However, as a general rule you can't go too far wrong opting for a restaurant in one of the better hotels, though do be warned that a bottle of wine can be hugely expensive. You can easily pay L50 for something that would cost you L5 in your local Oddbins.

Time Difference
GMT plus 3 hours.

Taxis
The lines between minicabs, taxis & private cars are more than a little blurred in Russia. Most private cars can be hailed and used as you would a taxi. A safer option is to use one of the easily recognisable 'official' taxis, (usually yellow with a chequered roof). As always agree the price before getting in, and do haggle as being recognised as a foreign tourist is a sure way to get charged top dollar for your trip. You should be looking at about 50p per mile with the meter at about L1 to start off with.

Public Transport
Generally efficient and relatively cheap would about sum it up. The Moscow Metro has some fascinating murals at some stations, but, as with St Petersburg, there are no signs in English so make sure you know how your destination will appear in the cyrillic alphabet.

Climate
It does vary a bit throughout this vast country, but if we concentrate on Moscow & St Petersburg, then winter stretches from late November to late March with temperatures averaging around -10°C. St Petersburg is usually a little milder than Moscow. Things start to properly warm up in May, and temperatures in both cities tend to be a little higher than London on average during the summer.

Tipping
It isn't expected where there is no waiter service, but so long as the service is decent then 10 - 15% is about average in a restaurant. Guides & drivers will also hope to receive tips, preferrably in euros or dollars, but rubles will do.

Electricity
Standard voltage is 220V and sockets require European style plugs with 2 round pins.

FCO
For the official, detailed travel advice please visit The Foreign & Commonwealth Office website at www.fco.gov.uk
If you have any suggestions regarding any useful information we should add to this travel advice your comments will be gratefully received.


 

Currency
The currency is the Litas. Although they have been part of the EU for a few years now, and do wish to join the euro, the euro is not yet legal tender. The rate of exchange with the British Pound usually hovers around 4.5. You can obtain this currency in the UK before you travel, but you will find nowadays that you can use your credit/debit cards in the cashpoints in Lithuania, and that major retail outlets will accept credit cards. There are also plenty of bureaux de changes. However, if you are heading away from the bigger towns then it's best to stock up on cash first.

Food/Restaurants
It should be no prblem to find good food at a a good price, but finding decent service could prove far more challenging. There are a lot of good bars and resaurants in Vilnius, though expect them to thinner on the ground elsewhere in the country.

Time Difference:
UK plus 2 hours.

Taxis:
Do not use any unmarked taxis as these are illegal and very likely to be a rip-off too . It is best to call for a taxi in advance or, if you do hail one on the street, agree the fare before getting in. This won't guarantee you don't get overcharged, but it gives you a fighting chance.

Public Transport:
Tallinn is quite small, so if you are staying the centre you may not need to use it, but the network of trolleys, trams and buses is quite cheap and straightforward to use. For travelling around Estonia trains are quite cheap, but it is best to go first class if you want a comfy ride for a longer journey. The network may seem a bit odd as it was constructed for the convenience of the USSR rather than Estonia, so coach can often be a far quicker way of getting around.

Climate:
Basically around 5-10°C colder than the UK from November through to April, and perhaps a degree or two colder in summer too.

Tipping:
Around 10% in restaurants where you have had waiter service, buit only if the service was good.

Electricity:
Standard voltage is 220V and sockets require European style plugs with 2 round pins.

FCO:
For the official, detailed travel advice please visit The Foreign & Commonwealth Office website at www.fco.gov.uk


 

Currency
The Ukrainian currency is the Hryvnia. The rate of exchange with the British Pound is usually around 10 to the pound, but exchange rates can be quite volatile. You can obtain this currency in the UK before you travel though you may well have to order it several days in advance. You will find nowadays that you can use your credit/debit cards in the cashpoints in Ukraine, and that major retail outlets will accept credit cards. There are also plenty of bureaux de changes in the larger cities, but if you are heading out to smaller towns then it may be wise to ensure you have some US Dollars with you, (making sure the notes are in very good condition).

Food/Restaurants
Nowadays there is quite a wide choice of international cuisine in Kiev, with the other bigger, more cosmopolitan cities slowly catching up. When eating out it is probably easier to get a good international meal than it is one based on typical Ukrainian fare, as the top end eateries tend to focus on European cuisine.

Time Difference:
GMT plus 2 hours.

Taxis:
As in Russia most private cars can be hailed and used as you would a taxi. A safer option is to use one of the easily recognisable 'official' taxis, but you will have trouble phoning one yourself as few, if any, speak English. If taking one from your hotel, just get them to order it for you. As always agree the price before gettng in, and do haggle as being recognised as a foreign tourist is a sure way to get charged top dollar for you trip.

Public Transport
Generally efficient, relatively cheap, but very crowded at rush hour is a fair summary of the situation in the larger cities. There is quite an extensive train network which can offer an interesting if not necessarily cheap method of getting around this big country. (These days internal flights are usually very good value for money). Travelling between the bigger cities will often involve an overnight journey - if you are lucky enough to have the luxury of a working TV or radio in your compartment this will usually be helpfully turned off and on by the guard so as you know when you ought to be sleeping and waking.

Climate:
December through March will be cold and snowy, and July & August can be seriously hot. Spring/early summer, and early autumn are really the best times to visit as temperaures should be comfortable then.

Tipping:
These days it is expected in restaurants, and so long as the service is decent then 10 - 15% is about right.

Electricity:
Standard voltage is 220V and sockets require European style plugs with 2 round pins.

FCO:
For the official, detailed travel advice please visit The Foreign & Commonwealth Office website at www.fco.gov.uk


 

Currency
The Romanian currency is the New Lei, so called because the 'Old' Lei meant carrying around notes of several million if you wanted to buy anything more pricey than a pack of chewing gum. The rate of exchange with the British Pound usually hovers around 4.5. You can obtain this currency in the UK before you travel, but you will find nowadays that you can use your credit/debit cards in the cashpoints in Romania, and that major retail outlets will accept credit cards. There are also plenty of bureaux de change.

Food/Restaurants
It is fair to say the Romanians love their food, and usually you can get a good meal at a good price without having to search too hard. It is always a risky business to recommend a particular restaurant, as it is so subjective and changes of chef, menu etc can make such information out of date very quickly. However, as a general rule you can't go too far wrong opting for either a traditional Romanian restaurant or, perhaps surprisingly, one of the many Italian restaurants. There is quite a strong latin influence in Romania, and one way or another this seems to have led to the locals doing a generally good job with Italian cuisine.

Time Difference:
GMT plus 2 hours.

Taxis:
These are fairly inexpensive at about 50p a mile, but there are many 'opportunists' who may try to charge you considerably more than that. It is best to call for a taxi in advance or, if you do hail one on the street, agree the fare before getting in.

Public Transport:
Generally crowded, but cheap in the city, and, given how cheap taxis are it is probably something you would only use for the experience. For cross country journeys the quality of trains varies quite widely, with the modern intercity trains much like their UK equivalents, but many of the older trains falling well below even the UK's lamentable standards. However, the good news is that train travel is cheap, and so on the older trains first class travel gives a decent level of comfort while still providing good value.

Climate:
In short, summer is hotter than the UK, winter is colder and spring and autumn are similar if a a little drier. Temperatures in summer can reach 40°C, and drop to well below freezing in winter. Generally, the Bucharest and Black Sea areas are warmer and the mountains are always a few degrees colder.

Tipping:
Much the same attitude as the UK really. In a restaurant or café it is very rare to tip more than 10% and even then only if it is deserved.

Electricity:
Standard voltage is 220V and sockets require European style plugs with 2 round pins.

FCO:
For the official, detailed travel advice please visit The Foreign & Commonwealth Office website at www.fco.gov.uk


 

Currency
The currency is the Estonian Kroon. Although they have been part of the EU for a few years now the euro is not legal tender. The rate of exchange with the British Pound usually hovers around 22. You can obtain this currency in the UK before you travel, but you will find nowadays that you can use your credit/debit cards in the cashpoints in Estonia, and that major retail outlets will accept credit cards. There are also plenty of bureaux de changes.

Food/Restaurants
To simplify, meat, potatoes and cabbage are really the staples, but, nowadays there is a good variety restaurants and food in the larger towns and cities that would be familiar to most western Europeans. It is always a risky business to recommend particular restaurants, as it is so subjective and changes of chef, menu etc can make such information out of date very quickly. However, generally speaking, you will find restaurants very good value for money compared to the UK, with a 3 course meal including a couple of drinks easily found for less than L10.

Time Difference:
UK plus 2 hours.

Taxis:
Do not use any unmarked taxis as these are illegal and very likely to be a rip-off too . It is best to call for a taxi in advance or, if you do hail one on the street, agree the fare before getting in. This won't guarantee you don't get overcharged, but it gives you a fighting chance.

Public Transport:
Tallinn is quite small, so if you are staying the centre you may not need to use it, but the network of trolleys, trams and buses is quite cheap and straightforward to use. For travelling around Estonia trains are quite cheap, but it is best to go first class if you want a comfy ride for a longer journey. The network may seem a bit odd as it was constructed for the convenience of the USSR rather than Estonia, so coach can often be a far quicker way of getting around.

Climate:
Basically around 5-10°C colder than the UK from November through to April, and perhaps a degree or two colder in summer too.

Tipping:
A recent phenomenon in Estonia really, and general practice nowadays is to leave around 10% in restaurants where you have had waiter service.

Electricity:
Standard voltage is 220V and sockets require European style plugs with 2 round pins.

FCO:
For the official, detailed travel advice please visit The Foreign & Commonwealth Office website at www.fco.gov.uk