Home Boring but Useful FAQ's

Frequently Asked Questions

General Info

• What are the average prices in Krakow/Poland?

  On average prices in Poland are three times cheaper than UK prices. For what you would spend on one night out in London you can spend three days and nights full of entertainment in Krakow. For example, a pint in a good pub costs about 1GBP, a pack of Marlboro costs 1.50GBP and a 2 course meal in high street restaurant is normally about 7GBP. Now Poland is in the EU a bonus point is that you can take as much booze and as many fags back to the UK as you want (nearly - check the customs website but was around 8 cartons and 5 litres of vodka).

• What about the safety?

  Krakow is a student city that receives a fair amount of visitors. As a result Krakow is perfectly safe, and the authorities do their best to make sure it stays that way. In general there's less trouble here on a weekend than there is in most places back home.

• What about the healthcare?

  In case of illness or injury you will receive prompt and professional medical attention for free. Since Poland is now in the EU, visitors from Europe are covered by their own national health service. Given the number of NHS staff from Poland nowadays anyway, there won't be much difference from back home.

  Travellers Health Advice

  IMPORTANT CHANGES TO THE E111 FROM 01 JANUARY 2006

  The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) replaced the E111 from 31st December 2005. Like the E111 the EHIC is free of charge and entitles UK residents to reduced-cost / free healthcare services when traveling abroad.

  It is important that each traveller hold an individual EHIC.

  You can apply for an EHIC in the following ways:

  • Online: www.dh.gov.uk/travellers
  • By phone: 0845 606 2030
  • By post: EHIC Applications, PO Box 1115 , Newcastle upon Tyne , NE99 1SW

• What are the people like in Krakow?

  There's a very large student population from all over Europe. So the atmosphere is friendly, and you will have no problems communicating - around 80% of young people speak English, as do staff in all the bars and shops in the town centre. Although popular with visitors, Krakow is not overcrowded with them. As a result Krakow has an authentic feel, and if you want you should find it easy to chat with the locals. Bearing in mind the quality of the women that's definitely a plus!

• What is the weather usually like in Krakow/Poland throughout the year?

  On the whole the weather in Krakow is not too different than the UK, though not as rainy. Spring and autumn and pretty similar to back home though there is a larger variation in temperatures, the summer is slightly hotter and the winter colder.

• What about the places?

  There are a bewildering variety of pubs, clubs and restaurants concentrated in two areas which are side by side- in the biggest market square in Europe and in the old Jewish district. In a weekend you won't cover even a fraction of the places worth visiting in either (although you can enjoy getting very drunk trying!). Normally people start to go out around 9 in the evening, and normally places shut at 4-5 in the morning (though there are after-hours clubs open till 7).

Flights & Transfers

• Are flights included in the price of packages?

  Nope, they aren't - bearing in mind the vast number of cheap carrieers offering flights to Krakow, you can get your flights arranged by yourself in a quick and cheap way

• What happens if members of our group arrive at various times in Krakow?

  We usually only organise one airport transfer in each direction. However we are very flexible and accommodating so just ask.

• What about transport to / from the airport?

  Feel free to organize your own transport, however it will probably be easier and cheaper for you to take the transport service that we offer.

Accommodation

• Will we get the accommodation standard we requested? Will this be the object which I saw on the movie/pics on your web ?
  

  Yes, of course you will get the accommodation standard you requested ! It will most likely be the object which pics and/or videos you saw on our website as we try to confirm the availability for your enquiry as it comes. However in case it was taken at the requested date, we will allocate you in the other central accommodation object of the same standard/category and equally good central location. In Krakow we cooperate with over 6 central 3 star hotels, 2 central 2 star hotels, 4 central apartments and 4 hostels. This assures we've always got a pool of accommodation available.

Booking & Payment

• How do I book with you ?

  1. After we receive your no obligation reservation we get back to you within 24h during the working week or the next working day if the enquiry/reservation comes on Sunday. Please leave a valid telephone number as we prefer to call you back- it saves a lot of finger work in terms of writing emails. And don't worry- we are not a hard sales company- in fact we hate it as much as you do so we will not keep on calling you repeatably with new sales offers.
  
  2. If you want to proceed with the reservation then we will send you the invoice and ask you to pay the initial deposit of 99 GBP within a week time since you receive our invoice. This is payable either online by a credit card or by a bank transfer.
  
  3. Once it's paid on time we will get back to you and confirm the receipt of your deposit. We will also start preparing the itinerary for your group which we will send you for your approval. 45/30 days before your arrival -depending on what you're booking- we will require a final deposit also payable either by credit card online or by a bank transfer to our UK bank account. The final balance shall be payable after your safe arrival in Krakow to our rep in cash in Pounds Sterlings (however no Scottish notes will be accepted as they are worth about 20% less in Poland) or in Euros if the invoice was issued in Euros . If we pick you up from the airport then our rep will collect the money on the bus on the way to your hotel. Otherwise the money will be collected at a designated place-preferrably your accommodation addres.

• How much deposit will I have to pay?

  Depending on what and when you're booking you will be asked to pay the following sacurity deposits:

  • 99 GBP initial deposit within 7 days after you confirm your reservation (applies for both activities only and accommodation packages)
  • 30 days before the planned date of the gig we will require 25% of the total price when booking activities only
  • 45 days before the planned date of the gig we will require 50% of the total price when booking accommodation package
  • for bookings which are placed below 30 days prior to your arrival we reserve the right to drop off the initial 99 GBP deposit and ask you for the final deposit of either 25% for activities only or 50% for accommodation packages

• What credit cards do you accept? Is it possible to pay by bank transfer?

  For credit card payments we use the Paypal system as we believe this is the safest and easiest way to transfer money nowadays. The system accepts most of the cards- Visa, Mastercard, Solo, Maestro. You should also know that all Paypay payments are a subject to some 3,7% surcharge of the balance payable online. We advise you not to send your credit card details by e-mail or fax. Our payment system means we never come into contact with your credit card.

  If you prefer to pay by a bank transfer we have an operating NatWest account. All payments via a bank transfer to our NatWest account are free from any surcharges apart from usual bank transfer costs if transferring money from a different bank.

• How do I know if it is safe to book on-line?

  We use the world trusted Paypal system to provide you the highest quality and safety of your payment .You can find out more about Paypal from their web site. Just like any other payment by credit card, you're completely insured against loss. If you don't receive what you've paid for, you just cancel the credit card payment and the charge gets reversed.

• What are the cancellation fees?

  Please refer to the 'Terms and Conditions'. Your deposits are partially refundable depending on the time of cancellation.

• Do we have to pay cancellation fee if the cancellation was beyond our control, e.g- the flight carrier cancelled the flight?

  Unfortunately our standard cancellation fees still apply as by the time you arrive we normally prepay our suppliers in full in order to guarantee the prices and get better rates. On the positive side our cancellation fees are probably the lowest in the market (please check our 'Terms and Conditions'). Should you wish to claim your cancellation costs back from the party that caused the cancellation then we will issue an additional cancellation invoice for yourself which you may present to them. Having said it we highly recommend buying a travel insurance which would cover your possible cancellation costs as flight carriers are not that willing to refund your money, even if the cancellation was their fault.

• What happens if I don't manage to pay on time?

  If you don't pay on time your booking will be considered as cancelled and our standard cancellation fees will apply to all relevant payments you have done by this time. However we DO have a human face and if you have any financial difficulties at that moment and can't make it on time then give us a ring to tell us about it at least a few days before the deadline and we will try to reasonably postpone your payment deadline so you had enough time to gather the money.

• If I'm not ready to proceed with my booking after I send my initial enquiry/no obligation reservation, then for how long will you keep it in case I wanted to get back to you later ?

  We will normally keep your no obligation reservation for 14 days before we cancel it. This doesn't apply to the situation where your booking is placed in less than 30 days before the planned date of your event- in such case we will require your confirmation A.S.A.P especially when it comes to accommodation packages.
  

Money

• What are the best options open to me in terms of getting local currency - Polish Zlotys (PLN)?

  This depends on how you like to get your money. Some people like to use the cash machines / ATM's and some by exchanging cash. If you prefer to use cash machines we can take you to them once you get here. You shouldn't have any problems in using a UK credit/debit card in the cash machines over here. Normally your bank will charge 2-4% of the amount you withdraw. If you prefer to exchange your cash, we take you to the exchange points where you change your money for a really good rate with no commision- you'll definitely get more than in any bank in UK, including Thomas Cook exchange services.

• What is a typical budget for a weekend?

  It all depends on you but Krakow is a city where a pint in a good pub costs about 1GBP, a good meal with drink about 7GBP, nightclub entrance 2GBP ,strip club entrance about 6-8GBP and public transport costs approx.50p to anywhere in the city.

Holidays

• Do I have to book a package or can we just book activities or accommodation only?

  We are flexible, so you can book activities with us even even if your accommodation is with another agency, however our accommodation packages give the best value for money. We don't provide accommodation on its own.
  

• Are activities on fixed times and dates?

  Unless specifically agreed with you we avoid "morning calls" so your activities are booked in late morning or afternoon hours which means usually from 10 to 15. You may also suggest your preferred time of activity and provided you give us a sufficient time notice (best if at least 2 weeks before) then we will try to arrange it as per your request

• Is it possible to be sent a brochure?

  Unfortunately, we do not print or send out brochures, as this cost would have to be passed onto you. We do not want that, so we operate along the same marketing strategy as the low-cost airlines, 'Good Service, at an even better price!'

Others

• Do I need a visa to enter Poland ?

  European Union citizens do not need a visa, as Poland is part of the EU. However, other nationalities should check with the local Polish Embassy about the requirements. There are also rules with reference to validity of the passport, e.g. the length of time before expiration. Visa & custom requirements can be found at http://www.msz.gov.pl