Polish Currency – a practical guide for your trip to Kraków

Poland’s national currency in the złoty. Here’s a quick guide to help you prepare for your trip to Kraków and practicalities for dealing with Polish currency.

Polish currency

While Poland joined the European Union in 2004, the country doesn’t use the Euro. Instead, Poland continues to use its own national currency, the złoty, which dates right back to the 14th century.

There’s really nothing daunting about using the złoty (or zł and PLN for short). Conversion rates are easy to follow and we have a handy currency conversion tool to help you work out a budget in advance. Also, be sure to check out our guide to How Much Money Do I Need For Kraków? for a detailed breakdown of different costs.

Even though hotels in Kraków are still very cheap, the most expensive cost on your trip is likely to be accommodation. Our Where To Stay In Kraków page gives an overview of each area with recommendations for each budget. This will help you understand how much you can expect to pay.

The note denominations are logical, they’re colour coded, and the coins are clearly marked, making by far the most difficult aspect of Poland’s currency for a foreigner, it’s pronunciation: say “zwoti”, not “zloty”!

Always try to keep an eye on your change in Poland, because the chances are every beer or plate of pierogi you buy will leave you with a few clinking coins, and the weight can build up. It’s worth remembering that 5zł actually goes quite a way in Kraków, and can buy you a beer, or two tram tickets, so try to use the coins when you can, even if to avoid giving bartenders high note denominations, and an excuse to give you that notorious tourist frown.

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In Kraków, ATM machines are everywhere and most accept all major credit and debit card types. Exchange booths are everywhere too, but it’s a good idea to avoid the ones around the train station and in the Old Town, as they have been known to scam tourists with dodgy buy and sell figures.

For people who intend to stay longer in Kraków, it’s a good idea to apply for travel orientated bank cards which don’t charge fees for ATM withdrawals or point of sale transactions. Companies like Travelex now offer very reasonable exchange rates on their travel cards, which can be topped up from UK bank accounts and then used abroad for free. What’s more they have also developed online international bank transfer accounts, to let people staying in Poland for extended periods pay directly into Polish bank accounts (particularly helpful with rent and bill payments).

We have specific advice for ATMs and changing money on our Kraków Airport page for when you first arrive in the country and on our page on the Galeria Krakowska shopping mall for when you have reached the city centre.

It’s also very easy to set up a Polish bank account, and there are loads of national and international banks to choose from. In Kraków, the most popular is Alior, but most cater for English speakers very well, and offer fully functional internet banking. If you intend to stay in Poland a while, and especially if you want to work, getting a bank account, while not totally necessary, is probably still a good idea.

For mobiles, contracts are easily available from most of the outlets in Galeria Krakowska, but pay as you go tends to be the popular option, and still very cheap. See our Where To Get A SIM Card In Kraków page for specific information.

Once you’re sorted with your Złoty, it’s time to plan what you’ll spend it on. For a complete travel guide with insider tips, discover the best things to do in Kraków, from the medieval Old Town to Auschwitz tours and salt mines.