Getting Polish Zloty for Your Trip

Poland is a fantastic destination with rich history, stunning architecture, delicious food, and incredible value for money. Cities like Warsaw, Krakow, Gdansk, and Wroclaw offer world-class experiences at a fraction of Western European prices.

The Polish Zloty (PLN, symbol zł) is Poland's currency. Despite being in the EU, Poland does not use the Euro. Notes come in 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, and 500 zloty denominations. Coins include 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, and 50 groszy (100 groszy = 1 zloty), plus 1, 2, and 5 zloty coins.

Critical warning for 2026: Poland has a notorious problem with predatory ATMs, particularly the Euronet brand (yellow and blue machines). These are strategically placed in tourist areas and use aggressive tactics to charge 10%+ in hidden fees through "dynamic currency conversion". Avoid them at all costs — use Polish bank ATMs instead.

Best Ways to Get PLN Before You Travel

Here are your options ranked from best to worst:

1. Fee-free travel card (Wise, Revolut) — Absolutely the best option for Poland. Use your card everywhere (contactless works perfectly) and withdraw from bank ATMs if you need cash. Real exchange rate, no fees.
2. Order PLN online before you go — Get competitive rates from services like TravelFX, Moneycorp, or Currency Online.
3. Withdraw from Polish bank ATMs — PKO BP, mBank, ING, Santander, Millennium. Always decline conversion to your home currency.
4. Exchange at Kantors in Poland — Local exchange offices offer decent rates. Shop around and avoid those in airports or train stations.
5. High street bureaux (UK) — Post Office, Travelex. Convenient but rates typically 4-6% worse.
6. Airport exchange — Poor rates. Avoid.
7. Euronet/tourist ATMs — The worst option. Never use these.

⚠️ Warning: Avoid Euronet ATMs

Euronet ATMs (yellow and blue branding) are everywhere in Polish tourist areas — airports, train stations, Old Towns, near attractions. They look convenient but are designed to extract maximum fees from tourists.

How the scam works:

1. The ATM offers to do the conversion for you, showing an amount in GBP
2. This "convenience" uses a terrible exchange rate — often 10-15% worse than mid-market
3. They make it confusing, with misleading button labels like "Continue without conversion" being the correct choice
4. Some machines don't clearly show the exchange rate they're using

What to do instead:

• Use Polish bank ATMs: PKO BP (blue), mBank (orange), ING (orange), Santander (red), Bank Millennium
• Always select PLN (Polish Zloty) when asked about currency
• If the machine insists on showing GBP amounts, cancel and find a different ATM
• Better yet, use a Wise or Revolut card and minimise cash withdrawals entirely

Using Cards in Poland

Poland is extremely card-friendly. Contactless payments (płatność zbliżeniowa) are the norm, and you can use cards for even tiny purchases.

Where Cards Work Perfectly

Restaurants, cafes, and bars everywhere; supermarkets (Biedronka, Lidl, Żabka, Carrefour); shops and boutiques; public transport (in major cities); hotels and hostels; petrol stations; museums and attractions; taxis and ride-sharing (Bolt, Uber, FreeNow).

Where You Might Need Cash

Some market stalls, small kiosks, very rural areas, some older trams or buses (though most now accept contactless), and occasional small family-run restaurants or cafes off the tourist trail.

Payment Tips

When paying by card, always choose to pay in PLN (Polish Zloty), not your home currency. If a terminal offers "pay in GBP" or "pay in your currency" — decline it. This is Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC) and adds 3-6% to your costs. Visa and Mastercard are universally accepted. American Express is less common.

Withdrawing Cash from ATMs

If you need cash, use these Polish bank ATMs:

Recommended ATMs

• PKO Bank Polski — Blue branding. Poland's largest bank. Everywhere.
• mBank — Orange branding. Modern bank with good ATM network.
• ING Bank Śląski — Orange lion logo.
• Santander Bank Polska — Red branding.
• Bank Millennium — Purple branding.

ATMs to Avoid

• Euronet — Yellow and blue. The worst offender.
• Planet Cash — Another tourist-trap operator.
• Any ATM that doesn't display a Polish bank name.

Always: Decline currency conversion. Choose to be charged in PLN. If the ATM doesn't give you this option or seems confusing, cancel and find a bank ATM.

Kantors (Exchange Offices) in Poland

Kantors are currency exchange offices found throughout Poland. They can offer reasonable rates but vary significantly.

Good Kantors

City centre kantors (away from main tourist spots), those showing rates close to the mid-market rate, and offices where locals seem to be queuing.

Bad Kantors

Airport kantors (terrible rates), train station kantors, those in the very heart of tourist zones, and any that don't clearly display their rates.

Tips for Using Kantors

• Compare rates on your phone first — check XE or your travel card app
• Look at the rate for buying PLN (you're selling GBP/EUR)
• No commission should be charged on top
• If the rate seems too good to be true, check carefully — some display rates for amounts over 1000 PLN only