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As of tomorrow bars opened on Polish trains. Posted by on Aug 31, 2011 in Uncategorized

Those of you who travelled in Poland by train know, that along with the food you order, you are not allowed to order alcohol. But this is about to change. A communist-era law that prohibits the sale of alcohol on trains will no longer be in effect as of 1 September. From Thursday, travellers will be able to sip a beer while perusing the Polish countryside.

At present, only international services allow customers to order wine or beer on trains. However, nationwide routes on Polish State Railways (PKP) are now set to open the bar. A modification of the law was signed in March, allowing restaurants on trains to apply for licenses as of 1 July.

However, the 1980s law has not been entirely overhauled just yet. The sale of alcohol at train stations remains prohibited, although PKP is striving to change that too. “Poland is the only country in Europe where you cannot drink a glass of wine while eating dinner in a restaurant at a railway station,” said vice-chairman of PKP, Jacek Przesluga, in an interview with the Rzeczpospolita daily. “This does not apply at airports, seaside ports or riverside ones,” he added. “We have many beautiful spaces that would be ideal for wine bars or pubs, just like those that exist in Germany and the Czech Republic,” he concluded.

So from now on you are able to have a drink with your friends (or by yourself) while traveling locally in Poland!

Do następnego razu… (Till next time…)

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About the Author: Kasia

My name is Kasia Scontsas. I grew near Lublin, Poland and moved to Warsaw to study International Business. I have passion for languages: any languages! Currently I live in New Hampshire. I enjoy skiing, kayaking, biking and paddle boarding. My husband speaks a little Polish, but our daughters are fluent in it! I wanted to make sure that they can communicate with their Polish relatives in our native language. Teaching them Polish since they were born was the best thing I could have given them! I have been writing about learning Polish language and culture for Transparent Language’s Polish Blog since 2010.

Comments:

  1. Jonpgh:

    I remember when, in an effort to stop people from being drunk on the train, a rule was instituted which read that if you wanted a beer you had to buy a sandwich. Of course the drunks had no need for a sandwich when all they wanted was a beer so it was usually given to the nearest family which was a benefit to hungry passengers.

  2. Basia:

    Hopefully, this ‘remarkable’ change of regulations will not mean I will be travelling with tipsy travellers. What a mistake this change is.

  3. Mike:

    This is fine, but the staff on the train should have the right to refuse a passenger that is drinking too much. I recently travelled back from Krakow with a colleague, and after a long hot day, it would have been nice to relax with a cold beer. Just one though.

    This could be a mistake given people’s general lack of self-control.

  4. Bollywood Lounge:

    This is madness. It would effect other person . It does not sound good to drink while travellig.