Hoard your small bills!
Egypt has a perpetual shortage of small bills and change: even banks are reluctant to break too many bills. Vendors will also perpetually say they do not have change. Hoard your small bills as much as you can, be prepared to make bank runs for change, and break your bills in the easiest situations such as large...
By train
The state-owned company Egyptian National Railways runs almost all trains in Egypt. The Cairo-Alexandria route is heavily traveled by train, with frequent service daily. Overnight trains are available for travel from Cairo to Luxor and Aswan, in Upper Egypt; these are run by a separate private company called Abela Egypt. On ENR trains, a First Class ticket costs only...
Poland is on the border of European "vodka" and "beer culture". Poles enjoy alcoholic drinks but they drink less than the European average. You can buy beer, vodka and wine. Although Poland is known as the birthplace of vodka, local beer seems to have much more appeal to many Poles. Another traditional alcoholic beverage is mead. Polish liqueurs and nalewka...
See also Stay healthy: Fluids section for hygiene and related info.
Water
Bottled water is available everywhere. The local brands (most common being Baraka, Hayat,Siwa) are of the same price as foreign brand options which are also available: Nestle Pure Life, Dasani (bottled by Coca-Cola), and Aquafina(bottled by Pepsi). Evianis less available and is expensive. A note on the local brand Baraka:...
The European unified emergency number 112 is being deployed in Poland. By now, it certainly works for all mobile-phone calls and most land-line calls. There are also three "old" emergency numbers that are still in use. These are:
Ambulance: 999 (Pogotowie,dziewięć-dziewięć-dziewięć)
Firefighters: 998 (Straż Pożarna,dziewięć-dziewięć-osiem)
Police: 997 (Policja,dziewięć-dziewięć-siedem)
Municipal Guards: 986 (Straż Miejska,dziewięć-osiem-sześć) it is a kind of auxiliary Police force found only in...
Poles take their meals following the standard continental schedule: a light breakfast in the morning (usually some sandwiches with tea/coffee), then a larger lunch (or traditionally a "dinner") at around 13:00-14:00, then a supper at around 19:00.
Tipping
For the most part, Polish restaurants and bars do not include gratuity in the total of the check, so your server will be pleased...
Fluids
Ensure that you drink plenty of water: Egypt has an extremely dry climate most of the year – a fact aggravated by high temperatures in the summer end of the year – and countless travellers each year experience the discomforts and dangers of dehydration. A sense of thirst is not enough to indicate danger – carry a water bottle and...
Unique in so many ways, Croatia has roots extending from ancient times and a great cultural wealth telling of its turbulent history extending from the Roman era, through the Renaissance, the Baroque period and the Ottoman conquests right up to the present day which are exceptionally appealing to all who visit the country. If we then add to this rich...
The official language of Poland is Polish.
Foreign visitors should be aware that virtually all official information will usually be in Polish only. Street signs, directions, information signs, etc. are routinely only in Polish, as are schedules and announcements at train and bus stations (airports and a few major train stations seem to be an exception to this). When it comes...
Italy is largely a peninsula situated on the Mediterranean Sea, bordering France, Switzerland, Austria, and Slovenia in the north. The country, which is boot-shaped, is surrounded by the Ligurian Sea, the Sardinian Sea, and the Tyrrhenian Sea in the west, the Sicilian and Ionian Sea in the South, and Adriatic Sea in the East. Italian is the official language spoken...
