Travel Rules Same for Eastern Bloc

Despite the dramatic changes taking place in some Eastern European countries, their travel regulations still apply in 1990.

For example, take Poland, the first country in Eastern Europe to gain a non-communist government.

If you visit Poland by yourself, you have to buy $15 worth of coupons for each day of your stay. If you go on a package tour, it isn’t necessary, as you’ve probably prepaid for basic services.

Orbis, the state-run travel company, offers some attractively priced packages. Competition for Orbis is getting strong, with more 1990 tours being developed by other Polish outfits. Many U.S. tour operators are also offering packages that include Poland.

And the coupons travelers must buy at $15 per day aren’t going to cover expenses, and dollars will have to be converted to zlotys, the Polish currency. However, there are two exchange rates.

The official exchange rate during my visit was a little more than 2,000 zlotys to the dollar, but the unofficial or premium exchange (which is legal and omnipresent) was 7,000 to 8,000 zlotys.

The catch with the unofficial exchange is that zlotys can’t be exchanged at this rate back into dollars. So don’t exchange more dollars than you think you’ll need.

You can find the premium exchange rate at airports and some hotels. “Be careful when exchanging with people on the street, as you can be cheated in any quick transaction, especially when you’re not familiar with the currency,” said Waclaw Wojciechowski, a guide.

The rate of exchange is so favorable that you can obtain a sizable amount of currency for a relatively small amount of dollars. Moreover, most items are inexpensive.

“Travelers should be careful how they express and display the fact that the rate of exchange is so favorable to the dollar, as it can create resentment,” said Wojciechowski.

Take cash, with traveler’s checks held in reserve. You’ll get the official rate of exchange with traveler’s checks (which can only be used basically at hotels and special hard currency stores such as Pewex) and credit cards. Hold on to all receipts.

There isn’t a great amount of items to buy, and if you find something you like, gobble it up. You may not find it again, and the price may be higher the next day.

Many stores, even when specializing in one kind of product, may sell a variety of other merchandise. For example, I saw clothing being sold in an art gallery and food and souvenirs in a TV emporium.

Although the special Pewex stores, which are found primarily in hotels, only accept dollars, you can use zlotys at the Cepelia chain and other stores. However, certain items (including crystal, amber and leather merchandise) bought with Polish currency may be subject to high taxes before you leave.

Don’t be surprised at seeing lines of 20 to 40 people waiting to enter food stores. Shortages exist. “Visitors shouldn’t expect to find a great deal of gourmet food,” Wojciechowski said. “There aren’t many good restaurants.”

One pointer at restaurants: The menus may list dishes that aren’t really available, and the tip-off to this is when a price isn’t listed by an item.

Taxis are inexpensive and have meters, but it’s a good idea to have a notion of the price. Negotiation may be necessary when getting a cab from a hotel.

Look for stickers by the meter indicating how much the base price should be multiplied. The sticker on taxis I took indicated that the base price should be multiplied by 40 to calculate the full fare.

When walking around cities, be careful, because cars park on sidewalks and drivers can make quick turns from the pavement onto streets. Wear comfortable walking shoes.

When roaming around the country consider a rail pass that provides unlimited travel. The eight-day pass costs $50 first-class and $35 second-class; a 15-day version costs $60 first-class and $40 second-class. Payment is in dollars, but the pass can be bought in Poland.

However, Orbis representatives counseled travelers to use the express train on a point-to-point basis rather than the non-express trains on a pass basis.

“The trains used on the passes are more crowded, not as clean, and you have to arrive early to make sure that you get a seat, as there is free seating,” Wojciechowski said.

Locals also caution against drinking tap water. “It may be polluted,” Wojciechowski warned.

Be prepared, also, for youngsters to spot foreigners and come over with crudely scrawled notes asking for money.

While some people speak English, especially at hotels, the services of guides while visiting cities and special attractions is worth the relatively small expense. One linguistic aid to travelers trying to cope with Polish is to pronounce a “w” as a “v.”

Two signs of the changing order in Poland can be observed in one corner of Warsaw. The Warsaw Marriott (replete with a casino to go with a few others in Poland) opened last October. Across one of the streets from the massive complex is another example of a free-enterprise system: the Romeo & Juliet Bed and Breakfast place.

As part of this transitional period in Poland and other parts of Eastern Europe, travelers can expect more candor on how residents describe their country and travel-related services.

“One of the misconceptions some travelers have is that we’re still a communist country and, conversely, that we’ve become more democratic than we really are.”

Poland is served by Pan Am and LOT Polish Airlines from the United States. For more information, contact travel agents, or Orbis Polish Travel Bureau, 500 Fifth Ave., New York 10110, or call toll-free (800) 223-6037), or the Polish National Tourist Office, 333 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, Ill. 60601, (312) 236-9013.

A spot check of other Eastern European countries also undergoing upheavals indicated that travel rules for American visitors in 1990 remain the same at this point.

Travelers to Hungary need a visa. However, there isn’t any requirement to exchange a certain amount of dollars into forints, the Hungarian currency.

You also can exchange traveler’s checks and use major credit cards. When you leave Hungary you can convert forints exchanged at the official rate back into dollars.

Two conditions, however, to keep in mind: You can only convert up to 50% of this amount up to a total of $100, and you need the original exchange receipt.

For more information, contact the Ibusz Hungarian Travel Bureau at One Parker Plaza, Ft. Lee, N.J. 07024, (201) 592-8585. There is also a Hungarian Hotels Sales Office at 1888 Century Park East, Los Angeles 90067, (213) 448-4321.

A visa is also required for Bulgaria unless you prepay for tourist services, such as accommodations and meals, for at least three days.

If you travel independently, you don’t need to convert a certain amount of dollars into the Bulgarian currency. You can use traveler’s checks and major credit cards. Contact Balkan Holidays, the U.S. representative for the Bulgarian Tourist Office, 161 East 86th St., New York 10028, (212) 722-1110.

No changes have been made in the rules of travel to East Germany, according to Pecum Tours, one of the official representatives of that nation’s tourist office in the United States.

American travelers need to get a visa and to prepay hotel accommodations for each night of their stay. Traveler’s checks can be exchanged and credit cards used at hotels and hotel shops.

You can also go into East Berlin from West Berlin on the same basis as in the past. Contact Pecum Tours, 2002 Colfax Ave. South, Minneapolis, Minn. 55405, (612) 871-8171.

Cedok, the Czechoslovak tourist office, reported that no changes in travel planning have been made. U.S. travelers still need a visa, and, unless they’re on a package tour, individual visitors need to prepay for vouchers worth $16 a day per person. Credit cards can be used and traveler’s checks exchanged. Contact Cedok, 10 East 40th St., New York 10016, (212) 689-9720.