Traveling is so much fun! Traveling to and around Poland is easy, thanks to well-served airports in a number of cities, plus systems of trains, buses, taxis and ferries. You’ll have no problem reaching the major cities, and once there, you can get around relatively inexpensively.

Taxis in most cities are easily available and not too expensive. Reliable companies in Warsaw include MPT Radio Taxi, which has English-speaking dispatchers, Super Taxi, and Halo Taxi. All are recognisable by signs on the taxi’s roof with the company name and phone number. Beware of ‘pirate’ or ‘mafia’ taxis, which do not display a phone number or company logo – the drivers may try to overcharge you and turn rude and aggressive if you question the fare. They are becoming less common, but still occasionally haunt tourist spots looking for likely victims.

All official taxis in Warsaw have their meters adjusted to the appropriate tariff, so you just pay what the meter says. When you board a taxi, make sure the meter is turned on in your presence, which ensures you don’t have the previous passenger’s fare added to yours. Taxis can be waved down on the street, but it’s easier to order a taxi by phone; there’s no extra charge for this service.

Here are few phrases that you may find useful:

do you know where I can get a taxi? – wiesz gdzie mogę złapać taksówkę?

do you have a taxi number?  – czy masz numer telefonu, żeby zamówić taksówkę?

I’d like a taxi, please – chciałbym/chciałabym zamówić taksówkę

sorry, there are none available at the moment  – przepraszam, ale nie mamy w tej chwili żadnych wolnych taksówek

how long will I have to wait? – jak długo będę czekać?

where would you like to go? – gdzie chce pan/pani jechać?

I’d like to go to …-  poproszę na …

could you take me to …? – czy może mnie pan zawieźć do …?

is the meter switched on? – czy taksometr jest włączony?

how long will the journey take? – jak długo zajmie dojazd?

do you mind if I open the window? – nie przeszkadzałoby panu gdybym otworzył/otworzyła okno?

do you mind if I close the window? – nie przeszkadzałoby panu gdybym zamknął/zamknęła okno?

are we almost there? – czy jesteśmy już niedaleko?

how much is it? – ile płacę?

that’s fine, keep the change – dziękuję, reszty nie trzeba

would you like a receipt? – chciałby pan/chciałaby pani rachunek?

could I have a receipt, please? – czy mogę prosić o rachunek?

could you pick me up here at 5? – czy może mnie pan odebrać stąd o piątej?

could you wait for me here? – czy może pan na mnie tutaj poczekać?