Love to hear a Scotsman enjoying my country. I live in Scotland myself and whenever I speak to people who've been to Poland, they always enjoy it. Greetings from Aberdeen, cheers for this video
Visited Poland for the first time this year. Krakow is beautiful, the Polish people are very nice people who do not mind talking English, which as a tourist is absolutely wonderful compared to the scowls you get in France\ Italy.
Yeah, the majority speak good English. Maybe a few older don't, but most do. Tbh I was pleasantly surprised how friendly people were in Italy! I was in the North tho, I've heard they are a bit more open than people in the south
The difference is that people where not allowed to speak back in the days behind the iron curtain and they didnt teach it on schools. Now kids are learning english since they can speak lol
Moving in few yrs to Poland with my polish missus..the UK is doomed with crime and immigration..been to Poland its beautiful country and very freindly..don't want mass illegal immigration 👍
You got 1.5 million Poles after PL joined the EU. Poland now got 1.5-2 mln Ukrainians as a result of the war, in addition to about 1 mln who had come to Poland before the war. But these people are a different story. It's the same culture, the same values etc. Both Poles in the UK and Ukrainians in PL are, by and large, honest and hard-working people. Naturally, the media like a scandal so they'll always focus on a foreigner committing a crime. But in general, they're there to make an honest living, which sadly can't be said of many people from farther away, who want to come to Europe to live on benefits. When Belarus started pushing immigrants from the Middle East across the border to Poland, at first a number of them were given home in a care centre, with a view to staying in Poland. Within a few days, most of them were gone - up and went to Germany, where they're more likely to get high benefits. In Poland they'd have to work, so they weren't interested in staying. In the meantime, the tax revenue from small businesses that Ukrainians have set up in Poland in the last 1.5 years is so high that it covers a large portion of the cost of the aid that Poland's giving to Ukraine.
@@ErykTV Yea, lately in Poland the difference was the money. If you paid, you was a legal migrant, if u didn't u was illegal. It's amazing how one of the parties could turn people against illegal migrants from far east, and at the same time, allow them to come to Poland, but only if they were paid... -.-
Fellow RU-vidr here. Cheers for the honest assessment. Just moved to Poland a month ago after living in the States for 26 years. What a treat it is. Born in Gdansk, raised in Detroit. So far life in the States doesn't even compare to how much better it is in Poland and probably the rest of Europe for that matter. It seems everything in America, even though I'm still proud to be an American, has become fake and inauthentic, from the food, to the water, to the air and sadly most of all, the people. Poland seems to be pretty authentic. You get what you see. No bs. Hit me up next time you're up in the tri-City, we can do a collab or get pissed or both, haha. Planning on starting my own travel vlog very soon, aside from my gaming channel. Cheers again mate!
Thanks buddy! Yeah, it's unbelievable the difference. Definitely an overall better quality of life here, and yeah 100% more 'real'. Gdansk is awesome place, we were even thinking of moving there at one point. Loads of super cheap flights from there too. Sounds good! I'll likely be up in the coming months at some point and would be cool to collab over a few beers haha
Remember, in the Siedlce Desert, there is nothing but sand there :) I recommend the Poraj Water Reservoir, beautifully developed for tourists, but don't go in "English" weather, only when it's warm and sunny. As for beer, I recommend you Holba beer, my favorite vodka I don't drink at all. Regards
Yo if you can speak polish even better but if don't start a channel just for your own audience and tell people how Poland stands up and tries to keep old conservative values Europe once had...This is the only reason Poland is so different than other countries because 92% People are Catholic and God plays huge role in their lifes. That's what keeps the moral level so high in here. Second is the hardworking class... Polish people are one of the hardest working people in the entire Europe so no wonder countries like Britain or Germany or the Netherlands want to keep polish workers from going back home now... I mean good bet for the next 10 years will be amazing for Poland. This is not even the end stage yet. It will transform just like South Korea, Singapure, Taiwan... All Asian Tigers. Ecomonically and Technologically Poland will become the European version of those countries. So yeah it will be (if not already is) the best and safest place to live in Europe. I've said this cause I've also moved back to Poland after 18 years living abroad and I can already tell this country will boom like no other European country ever! Especially when Poland is like Saudi Arabia of Europe with their not only oil reserves underground ready to be pumped up (which they are already making deals with U.S based companies). let alone , natural gases some of which contain up to 98% pure methane, black coal (3000 years + reserves), losts of REE's (rare-earth-elements), also the biggest underground field of Titaniun in THE WORLD !!!! All just waiting there for extraction.. Not mentioning they will build 3 nuclear power plants to diversify their needs along with other sources of energy like wind, water, etc. Central European communication port for flights, and high speed railway systems. I can't even name all the investments that are on the list but you get the picture. So basically the best part hasn't even started yet. The best place to invest now before the transformation. Not even the polish people realise how big this is.
I've never been either to the UK nor Poland yet, but I am East European myself (Romanian, living in Romania), and one thing I've noticed everywhere in the West is that it definitely feels less safe than back home, especially as a girl. Not that it's very overt or anything, it's more on a subtle note, but back home I don't feel unsafe even at 3 AM in the morning walking alone on a dark street, whereas in Malmo, in Paris, in Rome or Milan, I definitely did feel a bit like that.
100"%! All of my friends that are from Eastern Europe say the same. My Ukrainian friend was going on about this last week, how she never felt unsafe in Ukraine (before the war, of course) and in other parts of Europe including Poland until she went to places like Barcelona and the UK.
Congratulations you went to some of the worst citiesin Europe and you thought it was unsafe, that's because it is 😂. Malmo is a meme for how much of a shithole it is, same with Paris. Rome & Milan not so much but it's quite known that their overrated tourist traps. Go to Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, Finland & Denmark their all after than Romania, it's also just cultural, back home you know your environment/surroundings in a new country you don't, the vibe is different etc.
@@Anonymoose66G Well I also went to Sofia and Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria, to Budapest, Hungary, to Belgrade, Serbia, and felt perfectly safe there too, it was the same as back home, even though I didn't know the environment and surroundings there. @gongagong You're on to something there. @nomadscotsman That's sad, it shouldn't be the case imo...
@@Bianca268 I mean fair enough but in fairness when looking a national crime metics these aren't the safest countries in Europe, I mean look at what's happening in Serbia recently, Hungary is pretty safe, Bulgaria I'm not too sure about, it seems okay. I'll travel through Europe one day and make my own conclusions but I tend to stick with national crime statistics and global index rankings.
@@Anonymoose66G I don't know, all I can say is how it feels. In Serbia, it felt like in Bucharest, that it would be no problem if I walked back home at 3 AM on the street alone. In Malmo, for example, at some point there was a group of middle-eastern looking men who were intently staring at me which made me feel awkward even in broad daylight. Granted, they didn't do anything, but it still feels eerie. In Paris, it felt like I might be robbed at any time...
One important thing : Poland is not a cheap country for Poles, many foreigners make this mistake by converting the currency to their own currency, which has a higher value than the Polish zloty. The average Pole does not earn in euros, pounds, dollars etc. This is a common mistake made by visitors. Do you want to discourage and annoy a Polish person? Tell him that living is cheap in Poland.
Yeah, I agree 100%. Particularly recently, the cost of living has went up at an insane rate. Unfortunately, Poles wages aren't going up at the same rate as I mentioned. I'll probably make a video going into more detail about the cost of living in the next couple of weeks
Im a polish php dev, earning 15000zł netto, rent is 2000zł, i dont struggle one bit, but i understand people struggling when they earn minimal wage. Still we have the lowest poverty rate in all of europe, imo people just have to reach higher and dont settle with mediocre jobs. Nice video!
Earning in euros, pounds or dollars does not automatically make you richer than those who have their wages paid in zlotys. Poland is not a cheap country for Poles, but neither is Canada for Canadians nor Germany for Germans. A common mistake made by Poles is to believe that a foreigner's standard of living is much higher than in Poland because he is paid in euros, pounds, dollars. If you want to annoy a foreigner, tell him that he is rich because he has euros (pounds, dollars) in his wallet.
Nice video! I'm from the UK (woman) and I've lived in Poland for 5 years (time flies). I have to agree on the safety aspect. I went back to London recently with my boyfriend and I didn't feel safe even with my boyfriend with me. But I could walk home in the dark in Poznan with no worries. Obviously maybe Warsaw would feel different if we're comparing London. The cost of living cuts deep for me. When I moved here, I could afford an apartment on my own. But now? I wouldn't have a lot of money leftover if I was on my own! Don't get me wrong, it's cheaper than the UK, but I don't think the salaries have increased enough here to cope with the cost of living in 2023! On the hiking, I think I prefer Scotland but that's just my opinion. Anyway that's my take.
100%! I was so used to it in the UK, it was normal. But, I was pleasantly surprised and kind of ashamed how bad it was back home compared to places like Poland. Are there many expats in Poznan? I've not managed to visit there yet, I'll check it out at some point though. Yeah, a few of our Polish friends are feeling the bite with the higher cost of living. Everywhere is the same tbf, I was living in Prague 2 years back with a nice apartment for 400 quid and now they are renting it was like 1100 😅 wonder how people can cope! Yeah, Scotland is lovely but think I've hiked that much there I'm just used to it ha.
@@nomadscotsman I sense the expat community is small but I defo see it growing. Omg I literally don't know how they rent out apartments for like 4-5000 pln... that's a basic salary here just on rent! Saying that, I do feel slightly better off here than the prices I've seen at home eek! If you're ever in Poznan give me a shout!
It used to be dodgier back in the days. Poland has changed a lot since i was a wee lad. I lived in England and Scotland. And ill b honest I love Scotland for how chill it is on the wee Isles and the country side on the mainland. Nowadays i live in Texas but if I would need to choose between the UK and Poland then I would choose Polska. Great video mate. I appreciate the respect u gave my country.
Yeah, I've heard after the fall of the Iron Curtain it was quite dangerous due to the poverty. Western Isles are beautiful. No prob :) Thanks for watching and commenting
I'm a Polishman living in Scotland. You're right in most cases. Especially about eating out, which here in the UK is crazy expensive. On the other hand, looking at this; to make decent money in Poland is way way more difficult than here in the UK. I know the margin now is smaller than even when I left (2015), but still. No way I could manage that level in Poland, as I have here in Scotland. Obviously, there're pros and cons of everything. I used to live in States too, and left after 4 years, as many things annoyed me. Anyway, keep up good work mate!
Yeah 100%! I suppose it's relative too. As you said, there are pros and cons for everywhere. I run my biz online so I can have the cheaper cost of living with a UK salary which helps a lot of course. Yeah, I can image. Visiting the States yeah, but wouldn't really want to live there either tbh. Appreciate it mate 👍🏻
@@Saturnus666 Well, lot of things. The most important: extreme materialism/consumptionism. Someone told me that "in America you're exchanging your life for dollars" ... And well, these were wise words. Apart from that few other things too. Everything revolves around your work, job defines you (for most people, and most I mean like 95%).These were early 2000's. I believe now those things would be even more prominent. Leaving US after almost 4 years was one of best decisions I've ever made.
My wife is Polish, we go to Poland regularly from England. Poland does not have the problems that overcrowded, lawless, multicultural, multiethnic England has, nor will it ever have.
Poland is also multiculural, go east, a lot of cristians, orthodoxy, jewish, a bit of muslims but everyone live in peace and respect to each other couse they were always on the same path since centuries. Cheers.
@@kadi8297I would argue. I was born in eastern Poland and never met non catholic person. Those groups you talk about are extremely small and mostly located near Belarusian border.
Everyone's mentioning Krakow, but you should definitely visit Wroclaw! It's such an underestimated city while it offers a lot of beautiful sights, cultural events, and interesting cafés and restaurants!
Well-done video and commentary even though I struggled a little bit with your Scottish accent while I was watching your video. Allow me to ask you for a favor:would you be willing to call Poland as part of Central Europe, or at least Central-Eastern Europe? If you keep classifying Poland as Eastern Europe , you put Poland in the same bucket where Russia, Ukraine and Belarus belong and you know well it is not the case. Poland is located in the center of Europe, Poland is part of the Latin culture through Catholicism, Latin alphabet, architecture, democratic tradition, very high level of freedoms where nobody will dare to cancel you because of your opinions. Cheers and greetings from a Polish-American.
Thank you, appreciate it. Haha! Yes, we're not the easiest to understand. This is me trying to speak clearer too 😄 Yes! It was a complete slip up by me, my Polish friends haven't let me get away with saying it! I usually correct anyone when they call Poland Eastern Europe, so it was a complete hiccup on my part! Apologies
@@nomadscotsmanI do realize it is not easy to change mental maps. The Iron Curtain that divided Europe into the West and the East fell down in 1989 but after more than 30 years, it is not uncommon to hear about Western and Eastern Europe and nothing between but luckily it is slowly changing, one step at the time.
@@ragnargrabson1287 I am Polish and I have no problem with being from "Eastern Europe". It is clear that this is more about politics than geography. Sweden is further east than Poland, but no one will say that Sweden is Eastern Europe. I think that if you have high self-esteem, you won't have a problem with it.
well, put simply : western countries welcomed/let enter people from parasitic/resentful countries with super high ratio of rape and, TADAAAAAA !!! It created a bunch of aggressive rapists/beggars in our streets. So surprising...
A great video, thank you. I agree what you have explained. Over the years, The UK is not itself at all, its all over the place, and the costs on a lot of things is plain ridiculous. I spoke to a lovely Polish girl who stated I would love Krakov. Its my next destination, cheers.
Thanks buddy, I appreciate it. Yeah, it's a complete mess. Krakow is a beautiful city and it's very close to beautiful nature. You should def make a trip when you can :)
Hi Scotsman, I understand your reasons for moving to Poland. I am in Budapest, Hungary right now but my current domicile is Bristol, UK. The contrast between the two cities is enormous. Budapest is clean and really well orgaised, Bristol is anythng but. I have in mind to move here and to be able to live in an en vironment where people look normal, not grossly distorted fat monsters would be a great relief.
Yeah, Budapest is great! That was where I was planning on staying when I left Scotland but I ended up meeting my gf in Kraków and staying here. 'distorted fat monsters' 😂 that made me lol
Hi, I'm from the Glasgow area originally and came across your videos this morning - really interesting! I first travelled to Poland exactly 30 years ago and was based in Kraków for 10 days, with day trips to Warsaw and Zakopane. I visited Prague a few months before my Polish trip and moved to the Czech capital in 2000. I go to Poland a lot, and your video is spot on and applies to the Czech Republic, too. I often find myself comparing the UK with the Czech Rep and Poland and have had lots of chats about this with UK citizens in CEE and with family and friends who come to visit. The safety aspect, food, healthy lifestyle, etc. issues come up again in our conversations.
Hey, nice to hear, thanks! Yeah, I lived in Prague for 8 months at peak Covid restrictions. I was renting a really nice flat for about 375 quid, I checked recently and the landlord is renting it for 1200 😮 prices have went crazy there. 100% all that I've said applies to CR too. I hope to live there again at some point
@@nomadscotsman Thanks for your message! Re the apartment - that's crazy. And prices were mad even before Covid. Everything here has got more expensive, as is the case in Poland. I'll follow you on Twitter - always enjoy connecting with people from the UK who have moved to CEE. BTW, I liked the reference to Paisley. Although I'm originally from EK, so I don't have a leg to stand on 🙂
Yip, huge difference. Brill, I'll be sure to follow back. Haha I'm from Renfrew, so I get a dig into Paisley when I can 😝 just banter oc. Haha EK ain't that bad!
well, put simply : western countries welcomed/let enter people from parasitic/resentful countries with super high ratio of rape and, TADAAAAAA !!! It created a bunch of aggressive rapists/beggars in our streets. So surprising... Muslims may (eventually) be causing problems but non religious northern afs also, and Sub-Saharan peoples... criminality to the point of madness. Switzerland made an inquiry 2 years after a large influx of Nigerians : 90% were in drug trafficking or prostitution🎉😅😂
As a polish dude who lives in UK over 10 years I gives 3 more much important reasons : 1. UK got's one of the crappier WEATHER in Europe when Poland got solid seasons. Some people enjoy mild climate but if you're enjoying hot summers and cold snowy winters central Europe is much better. GB isn't even so rainy as some may thing but amount of cloudy days makes you feel down 2. FOOD in UK both is in large junk. Yes you can found nice restaurants but majority of them is other countries cuisine while brits get know for they unhealthy breakfast and love for fast-food. While buying tea while eating out/work places etc you usually get the cheapest one that pretty bad and these kind of tea mostly Brits drink. 3. British GIRLS - from a guy perspective who been around many places in Europe they're on the bottom of the list - often out of shape, some are good lookers but thats minority, personality wise they often are cocky, got bad dressing style- in UK is normal for woman to walk in slipper and bathrobe to nearby shop and further, they often don't even know how to cook or just use ready frozen meals. Polish/slavic girls are famous for being beauties with nice figure, they have many other profits.... I mean UK girls can be fine but looking around Europe females in most countries offer much more as in most countries they got a better figure and are prettier, they often are better educated and are more intelligent speaking 2,3 or more languages not just english, they often look for self better are healthier. for any guy who is into europe/white girls UK is bad dating spot with so many immigrants which means high % of ladies from places like Africa, Muslims, Asia - mostly India/Pakistan, Caribbeans. Any other country I have visited I been more attracted to woman there then in UK.... I could say much more about those topics and bring more but people usually are not into reading long comments so it prolonged already to much ;)
Niestety liczba osób otyłych bardzo szybko wzrasta - to efekt przejmowania zachodniego sposobu żywienia. Jeszcze 20-30 lat temu ludzi otyłych było bardzo mało a teraz to już się robi makabra... 😏
Tak to prawda, 20-30 lat temu młodzi ludzie 1-40 lat to prawie wszyscy byli szczupli. Teraz to jest dramat - otyłe dzieci i młodzież. Beznadziejna, zatruta, żywność oraz styl życia z fast foodami zrobiła z Polaków grubasów. Aż przykro patrzeć na te piękne słowiańskie buzie kobiet które są po prostu otyłe. Inna sprawa że zachodni styl życia zrobił spustoszenie mentalne i religijne u ludzi.
A Czech here... Glad you enjoy being in Poland. I can 100% agree about the pro-dogs attitude; in fact, that's what was the primary argument for spending our holiday near Gdańsk this year and I loved it. (We've got a Labrador and it turns out to be rather problematic to travel with a large dog.) I'm more like a mountaineering kinda person, I never liked to lay by the sea much (it was always too hot for me). But the Baltic see is perfect. People were wearing jackets; I bathed for hours and was wearing my 3/4s and a T-shirt 24/7. No need to shower; the water is not that salty at all. Running in the woods and over the dunes with the dog, looking for amber on the beach, watching the seals... I was perfectly happy and so were the kids. And Poles are very nice people (I only have passive Polish, but Czech-Polish conversation wasn't a problem). From economical point of view, Poland is doing very well, lately. If I spent my holiday in Czechia, I'd spend more than in Poland---for getting much less. (If things shall continue like they're now, I think that Czechia should start to orient economically towards Poland rather than Germany...) Just one thing; for me as a typically highly liberal Czech person, Poland is a bit too conservative... Then again, the last election went well from that point of view---so who knows? I could definitely live in Poland and no mistake. Um, I'd miss the mountains, though. I'd love to visit Scotland; my wife and I planned to go on a hike in the Highlands in 2020. But COVID came... And now, there's that bloody Brexit of (sorry, almost said "yours"---of course it wasn't)... :-(
Thanks buddy! Yeah, it's amazing how dog friendly it is. I thought Czech Republic was too though? I lived there for 8 months before Poland and I never had an issue renting a flat or anything there with my dog. Yeah, I prefer the mountains too. I think my dogs would love it up there, I think we'll do a road trip next spring and take them :) Definitely, cash can go much further here . The south of Poland has some amazing mountains. Short drive away from Krakow I highly recommend hiking in Scotland, you'll love it. I don't think there will be any problems. Took my Bulgarian girlfriend last year and she didn't even go through passport control Thanks for taking the time to comment :)
@@nomadscotsman Yes, the Czech Republic is a country of dog owners (and other pets as well). But travelling abroad with a dog (especially large breed) is often problematic (flying is right out because you have to have the dog in a cage---and how will I get a 38 kilos Labrador in some sort of transport cage? :-)) And even going by car isn't that simple---it's typically required to have the dog in a separate compartment (which I don't have...) Poland (like Czechia) is one of the countries that don't have such requirements.
Wow 38kg!? I thought travelling with a 23kg dog was hard haha. Yeah, that's true. I've not had any issues here with travelling on public transport or by car, so def all good on that front :)
Yeah, I can imagine. Heading to Belgrade with my mate at the end of the month. I'll most likely make a YT vid. Any recommendations of places to visit would be appreciated :)
Ah yes, the ruthless highland midge :) I heard stories about this creature, I hope one day I will come face to face with it. Glad you're enjoying your stay in Poland. All the best.
OMG, isn't that funny we always want what we don't have 😁 I am a Polish lass and I love my country to the very last bone but I sooooo dream of Scotland and Highlands 😍 We humans are really weird 😂 P.S. Love your accent. P.S.2. Biedronka is actually Portuguese 😁 Midges & people from Paisley 😂😂😂 Scottish sense of humor. Love it.
Haha very true! I think when you are used to something you prefer different. Haha so many people ask why I left Scotland and ended up in Poland! Never knew that about Biedronka, Poland was the first place I saw it 😂 Thank you :)
I'm a Polish living in London. I need to go back to Poland cause my nervous system can't take the noise, huge distance to spend time in the nature, rubbish everywhere - people are leaving rubbish behind, due to genuinely crazy prices for organic food I wasn't able to save money at all😢
No need to waste money on organic products. In England the regulations ensure that the safety and quality of non-organics is very high, unlike say, in the USA. The rubbish has got extremely bad in London - it wasn’t nearly so littered just ten years ago. I will give you just one guess why.
I'm a born and raised Bulgarian, moved to the UK at the age of 24, travelled to the US as well on a couple of occasions. I think every country has it's pros and cons. But speaking from my personal experience, lifestyle-wise it was always Bulgaria. Money-wise The US and the UK being a healthy mix. My biggest problem in the UK & US was the drug use...in 2012 in the US almost everyone in the area I lived and worked for a summer as a student was doing drugs of one type or another, despite the town being small there were instances of shootings in a public space twice in the 6 months in total I spent there. I was surprised, knowing how Eastern Europeans tend to have that bad reputation for alcohol use - youths can freely access it - I myself have been drinking since the age of 13, but don't think I've ever seen a scene this bad in the years spent living in Bulgaria. The UK is a very similar story - especially recent events with knife crime in big cities. Cost of living wise - prices have started creeping up in Bulgaria, so much so that in some instances I ended up paying as much if not more for a dinner out (yes, it was a very nice restaurant but still). Income still has a long way to go, but homeownership in the east is much higher than in western europe. Especially in small towns it is fairly easy to get a 1 or 2 bedroom apartment for £30,000 - £40,000 , however looking at the capital , prices are comparable with the UK , where some properties cost well in the £200,000s. Skilled jobs pay very well, especially in IT which Eastern Europe (especially Romania) is becoming a hub for, however minimum monthly pay is still around £400/monthly - but funnily enough, if you have no mortgage to worry about in a small town, is just enough to get by as the tax burden is very low. It definitely feels safer in Eastern Europe, especially in smaller towns, there are some areas that aren't safe, but generally there's never a good reason to be there anyways. As a teen I was out and about all night long, without ever having concerns about my safety, even in Sofia (Capital and biggest city). Can't imagine this happening in the UK, unless it is a nice quiet rural area.
I love Poland, I am a Dutch national but Poland is my favorite destination, I will be going to Kraków for the third time this year and 10th time overall, also been to Wroclaw and Gdańsk twice. I would love to move to Poland, it’s safe, clean, beautiful and coherent. I live near Amsterdam in Holland and it’s a filthy overcrowded unsafe place nowadays dominated by people that came from other countries with different cultures and values. In Poland I feel more at home than in my own country now…
Yeah, it's such a shame about your home country. It was always classed as a safe and beautiful place. 100% feel the same about Poland, I couldn't imagine moving back home now
An interesting video, thanks. I've lived in the UK for 18 years, but I was born in Poland and had lived there for 21 years before moving to the UK. I also visit Poland at least once a year, mostly to see my friends/family members and for hiking. I agree with most of what you said in your video. Keep in mind though that Poland has changed massively in the last 20-25 years. The infrastructure like roads, railways and public services have been modernised and made more efficient. Many Polish cities have undergone (or are still undergoing) widespread revitalisation projects, some of them have completely re-built their city centres from scratch - something that UK cities and towns wouldn't afford doing nowadays. As someone else pointed out in their comments, cost of living is very subjective, for many Poles, life is still very expensive, but generally I see younger Poles have greater purchasing power than their British counterparts i.e. it's easier for a young Polish couple with a child to find good-quality accommodation, buy a car or go on holidays. But there are some other issues like women's rights, religious freedoms, LGBTQ+ rights that are still lagging behind the UK. So, my 5 reasons why Poland MIGHT BE better than UK are: 1. Cleanliness - Polish cities and towns are way much cleaner and tidier than British ones. In many Polish cities rubbish is collected daily, there are also visible public recycling points on most residential roads. Rubbish management in the UK is absolutely terrible, it reminds me more of a 3rd world country than a leading, developed nation. 2. Nature and green spaces - It's much easier in Poland to access and enjoy green spaces. Even post-communist housing estates are surrounded by nicely maintained grassy public gardens with many smaller or bigger parks scattered around. Most large cities in Poland are very green, with trees growing along the main avenues and residential roads. Compare this to places like Birmingham or Manchester and you will certainly see a difference. Also, about 30% of Poland's land is covered by diverse forests, whereas only 13% of UK has some kind of (usually quite poor, fast growing and human-planted) forest. Finally, natural bio-diversity of Polish flora and fauna is much richer compared to the UK. 3. Urban aesthetics - This might be a bit subjective and controversial, but Polish cities seem to be better planned, they are much friendlier for pedestrians and are more aesthetically pleasing. As mentioned earlier, they are cleaner and greener than British cities, and their architectural styles are better coordinated. UK also has a number of beautiful cities like Edinburgh, York, Bath, Cambridge, and London, but then there are city centres which look like have been designed completely at random or post-industrial cities which have never been modernised. 4. Education and health services - I spent my entire primary and secondary/high school education in Poland, whereas in the UK I studied for BSc, MSc and PhD. I still remember some lessons and classes from the times when I was a child or teenager in Poland. The level of education is definitely much higher in Poland, especially in more scientific fields like maths, physics, chemistry, biology etc. Polish teachers are quite demanding and it's expected from students to complete homework tasks and perform well on frequent school tests. Perhaps, this pressure to study and learn is pushed to the extreme in Poland and many people argue that Polish children are overworked, tired and lack passion due to too many school responsibilities, but I have very positive memories from the times I was a pupil in Poland and I have a sense that I learnt skills and general knowledge that helped me in my later professional life. UK seems to be on a completely opposite side of this scale. I honestly have no idea how kids in the UK can learn anything in a school if a large percentage of their classmates doesn't even speak English. Also, the health system seems to be much more efficient in Poland. I get that the NHS is an amazing organisation and the biggest public employer in the UK, but let's face it, it hasn't been very dependable for many years now. It's much easier to find a specialist consultant in Poland. Also, available hospital treatments are often more technologically advanced than in the UK. 5. Road/transport network quality - One of the greatest achievements of Poland in the last 20-25 years has been a massive modernisation of road/rail/transport infrastructure, mostly thanks to the European Union grants and large capital investments after Poland joined the EU. The highways connecting major cities are spanking brand new, the railways are smooth and fast, and the new trains are quiet, comfortable and much much cheaper than the ones in the UK. Most major Polish cities have improved their own road networks while revitalising whole districts and public spaces.
@@deflandre8286 on chciałby być prześladowany ale szwędając się nocą po polskiej ulicy nie ma szans by go ta przyjemność spotkała. Co innego w Paisley - tam panuje tolerancja
I would disagree with your point about the countryside. I think there’s much better accessibility to the countryside in the UK than in Poland, and that’s despite Britain being far more crowded. The network of public footpaths in the UK is very extensive, and takes you over many areas of private land. Sure, if you live in a big city like London or Birmingham it won’t be so good, but in compensation you have wonderful parks like Hyde Park, Hampstead Heath, and Richmond. And one thing I’ve always missed in Poland is the British country pub. There’s nothing like a few pints of real ale while sitting by a real log fire in a remote pub after walking 10 miles in the British countryside.
I'm a Scot living in Ireland and can tell you it is extremely safe, has wonderful countryside, the people in general aren't obese and the economy is booming. I used to live in Netherlands and then Belgium and could say the same about those places too. Scotland is no longer a good country in my opinion. I wouldn't mind living in Poland or Hungary as I've heard good things about those countries. I like that they've retained their traditional Christian and family values and don't need to worry about getting mugged by strangers late at night. Some horrible crimes take place in the UK in a regular basis which frightens me for future generations. The biggest issue I would have with Poland is learning the language.
I do like Ireland. Dublin prices have gone absolutely insane though, not sure about the rest of the country? Yeah, 100%. I drive by churches and you see loads of young families coming out. In the UK, it's generally older people, and a lot of churches are closing. Definitely much safer overall. Yip, the language isn't the easiest but most people speak English, and if they see you are making an effort they are usually grateful and patient
Funny thing. I lived in Krakow so many years , now living in UK and loves it 😅 First, in UK people are focused on theirs own life, don't looking into your garden. Always smiling and positive. Life is easier for example taxes or getting a job. Weather during winter bettr as no snow in my area and higher temp than in Poland. Government bette as not affecting normal people's life so much. There is few things I don't like in UK but they not major for example in Poland during summer time there is thousends of free concerts for many ocassions in UK most of events are ticketed another is New Year's eve again in Poland in big cities you can join public party with celebs singing on stage, all free last is Sunday in Poland you can see difference between worday and Sunday on UK not really
Awesome. Yeah, don't get me wrong, the UK has many benefits over Poland too but I think a lot Is down to personal preference. I think am expat's experience of a country and view is very different from a local of any country tbf.
I can think of several more reasons. I’m British, leave very close to the Polish border. I visit and ski in Poland. Tour Poland on my motorbike. Way better, particularly from the social behavior standpoint.
When you compare prices between UK and PL, you should take into account the minimum and median pay in both countries. It's easy to say that you paying £450 in Poland for rent is cheap compared to the UK, but in the UK minimum pay is +£1,000, whereas in Poland it would be closer to £600 :P PS: I live in Paisley, and most people are so nice here ^^
Of course, but I'm talking as an expat and personal circumstances. I know it's all relative in comparison to median pay, etc. Haha I've nothing against Paisley really! I used to live there at one point. I'm from Renfrew, so I can't help but get a dig in when I can 😄
t's good to hear the opinion of someone from outside. Your observations are interesting. There are certainly pros and cons to living in Great Britain or Poland. There's still a lot to see, you don't even have to go far from Krakow. I live in the Katowice agglomeration next door. Not far away is the upland of the Kraków-Częstochowa Jura, full of castles and limestone rocks, as well as hiking and cycling trails. There are plenty of castles in the Jura, in Ogrodzieniec, Mirów Bobolice, Olsztyn, Pieskowa Skała and so on. Many bicycle routes in the Jura. Also near Krakow there is one of the largest deserts in Europe, the Błędowska Desert, and there in this desert there are wooden structures for relaxation, they are called the "Rose of the Winds". I wish you a pleasant stay and sightseeing. Due to the autumn weather, I recommend starting in late spring next year. Regards
Yes, everywhere has it's pros and cons. Of course there are some things I miss about the UK, well Scotland in particular. Ah, I was at the lakes in Katowice during the summer, really nice! Yeah, I've been to a few of those places. I was planning on doing the Trail of the Eagle's Nest during the summer but I didn't have time. But, I've been to a few castles on the route. I really appreciate the recommendations and I'll be sure to make more vids of these areas when I visit :)
Poland does look safe compared to the U.K. as I hold an duel Irish and uk 🇬🇧 passport I love to live in Poland 🇵🇱 in 10 years time I want a safe country to live the uk don’t feel safe anymore I can live anywhere in Europe still the uk is terrible for crime. How much is a flat or apartment to buy out there and how do you go about buying a property or have you rented or brought in Poland 🇵🇱 as I may move around as well as more people are moving out of the U.K as I can live anywhere in Europe as I never wanted to live in France or Italy as I also like Finland 🇫🇮 or Norway 🇳🇴.
Yeah 100% the contrast is unbelievable. Price of a flat or house is dependent on where you buy - Warsaw, Wroclaw, Krakow, etc. are quite expensive now. Prices have risen the past few years with inflation, Poland's booming economy, and the war in Ukraine has brought a lot of people in so prices have risen. You can definitely get more value though than in the UK I think Italy is perfect for a holiday but to live in is a whole different ball game. I've heard from people who live there. Yeah, Scandinavia is definitely a top place to live for me too - only downside is the cost of living
Thanks mate, appreciate it :) No prob! Haha nah, it's bad but not that bad. I'm from Renfrew, a town just next to Paisley so I can't help myself! Just a joke though, I have friends from Paisley and I even lived there at one point :)
Nice video and great typical Scottish sense of Humor. Poland has changed a lot and still changing. Back in the days it was not that..."nice". One thing I miss from Scotland (lived there for 12 years) is the friendly people with amazing sense of Humor. Also, the smiles on their faces - you don't get that in eastern Europe. People just don't smile to each other and also not greeting each other.
Thanks buddy, appreciate it! Yeah, I've heard it's a whole lot different from 20 years ago. Awesome u lived in Scotland for that long :) haha yeah, I do miss the banter back home
Poland is located in Central Europe not in Eastern. Poland has better health system than Great Britain. I know it sounds strange but I right now NHS is colapsing ( know it from inside)
Yes, UK is more expensive for vets. They addapted US copy of healthcare and insurance scam. I could not take my dog back to Poland for threatment, because no vet would stamp on consent to travel while They wanted almost 10k for cancer treatment he needed. In Poland my friend said it would costs me 600 pounds. Same for medication, my friend would send them for my dog from Poland because prices here were so inflated, sometimes x20 for the same drug produced by the same company in Germany.
Yeah, it's absolutely insane. My dog had an infection and I would have had to fork out 4k if I wasn't insured and in the end all he needed was tablets! Insurance prices were jumping up to almost double monthly premium. In Poland I don't even bother with insurance because it's so much more affordable
well, put simply : western countries welcomed/let enter people from parasitic/resentful countries with super high ratio of rape and, TADAAAAAA !!! It created a bunch of aggressive rapists/beggars in our streets. So surprising...
I was born in Poland although I spent all my life in UK and I’m ripped apart honestly. I’m coming to a point where I want to start a family and there is no discussion that Poland will be better in terms of safety, weather and feeling free instead of being cramped in a chicken cage. Biggest problem for me are salaries, we could afford building a house for cash in Poland or buying an apartment although my salary wouldn’t be best back home most likely. I make 35k yearly in Hull and it’s very comfortable living currently. Also my education CertHE won’t be recognised..
Yeah I would 100% prefer to raise a family here. When I was a kid we used to play late into the evenings all summer until 11pm without any worries. No chance u get that now in the UK, Poland is more like that. 100% safer and more family oriented. Yeah, that's the battle! Not sure what you do for a living but you could maybe save for quite a bit then start a business or something here. I can run my biz online which is good as it gives me flexibility in where I want to live
Hull is famous for once being voted the least attractive city in the UK. It’s also probably the cheapest in terms of housing costs. Other cities in the UK might be a shock to you.
@@sirrathersplendid4825 we did live in different parts of West Midlands too. West Bromwich, Walsall, Birmingham, Solihull - to be honest job opportunities in my sector are best in Hull (food industry) and we can really live comfortably on these wages. Together we make 60k yearly after taxes. I really like how close to sea Hull is, people seem to be way nicer here too + its just feels way much safer and cleaner. Lots of buildings are run-down but its mostly in few areas, there are still places where its really beautiful. It is much cheaper indeed and its the best part of it. I understand that some people might find this place unfavourable but for me its best to live in from all places I’v been to considering all these factors above. I did travel a lot around UK too and south is just way too expensive and I have absolutely 0 reasons to live anywhere near it..
Yeh I left the U.K. to move to Eastern Europe. I was lucky enough to grow up in the nice parts, Surrey, Bath, Oxford, and even those areas are more dangerous than most places I have been in Eastern Europe (Russia, Ukraine, Poland, the Baltic’s)
Yeah, it's unbelievable the difference in safety from back home. I feel I need to be on my guard if I'm out late in a city in the UK, never felt like that here. You will get drunk idiots in any country, of course, but completely different vibe in all these countries
I just realized how unusual it is to see a dog at a store in London nowadays. The only exceptions may be areas like Kensington with a higher ratio of "native" population. I used to see a lot of posters of missing dogs on poles in the area where I live, but I never realized how dog-unfriendly London becomes. The majority of landlords don't allow dogs, and many store owners are Muslim and may not appreciate seeing your dog roaming through their store. Unless you live next to a big park, people rather choose a cat as their companion ....
Yeah, it's a shame. As a dog lover that's one of the first things I take into consideration. I lived in Prague for a while before Poland and there it was the same. People with dogs casually walking through a shopping centre haha
It was a sad day when I had to admit it, but the uk and the western Europe as a whole has been used as some sort of experiment... and it's been a disaster. Eastern Europe is the only place that seems to have kept their heads, remained proud of their culture and still have a beautiful country to show for it... we had that once.
Good content mate, new subscriber here. Nice to see a blogger walking my streets - at the end of your film. I'm from Fife, been living on Osiedle Łokietka, Zielonki since 2007. If i see you around i'll say hello.
I totally agree with you. I live in Krakow, and it is a great place to live. No HSE B/S, I live near a railway, and there is no fence between the path and the lines; likewise with some of the of roads, there are no barriers between the path and the main road. They are proud to fly the Polish flag where you can not even fly the Union Jack in the UK without some PC Hitler asking you to remove it because you might offend some people.
My friend from Poland was nearly and properly beaten up over 10 times by groups of people in the countryside over a few years because he merely visited England. From what he and many other Polish people say in England it sounds like absolute hell
@@nomadscotsman no fajnie ..... w krakowie .. same semici.... tak jak uk ... semici moja doma :) rozumiesz cieciecu... krakof ... to niema hes boli czynsz to piennkna kraina jak london.. rosumisz cieciu :)
Interesting to watch, as a Pole who's been in Wales close to 20 years and considering going back, not sure how much more of living in the UK I can take.
Yeah, I definitely recommend it! I know quite a lot of Poles that have moved back. And with the economy here doing as well as it is, it's def a good time to do so
I have been to Poland many times and you are 100% correct. I do think that the creeps are not going to mess with you. For some reason the Poles like the English too.
I know mate! I've been getting shit from my Polish friends for saying that haha 🙃 I even correct people from back home when they call Poland E. Europe. My bad!
@@nomadscotsman We hate being associated to East Europe, because we were part of the Soviet Union, which we hated and finally broke free. Since then, Poland became very Westernized, but still retained many Slavic culture traits. So geographically and culturally, we are very in the middle. In the same way, mistaking us for Russians feels like a heavy offense ;). Poles were massively traveling west during soviet times (although it was hard then, because borders were mostly closed, but we were always finding ways...), so we were aware that all that Russian propaganda was bullshit, and we wanted it to be better. It took a while and it did. Now, Poland is a modern country, not worse from western ones, and in many ways more convenient and safer. I believe that bigger change became from the attitude that we believed it can be better and that we can do it. If you travel east of Poland, people too often just don't believe they can make a difference.
Another good thing about Poland and Lithuania, eastern Europe in general, the towns and cities are all clean, no mess and rubbish laying about everywhere like you woukd see in Glasgow and Edinburgh. People respect there towns.
Thanks mate! Yeah, it was a complete slip up by me! I even correct my friends back home when they call it Eastern Europe! Not sure what I was thinking haha! My bad
@@nomadscotsman 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻 You should visit the city of Łódź when you can as well if you have not already done it. But I recommend doing some research about the city and where to go beforehand.
Yeah, I literally watched a vid at the weekend about Lodz! Looks nice, I'll definitely get there at some point. Great thing about Poland there are so many places to visit.
Great tourist selfie! Actually a very long one here Just don t mind the views of Krakow in the background here, actually not so important. Better than UK? Hard to say....Ever been to Skye? I guess you have.
you talked about mountaing but did you visit our sea or district lakes - Mazury? how many kilometres did you make on this walk? I dont know this area at the end
I've not been to the lakes yet but I'll get there at one point. Yeah I've been to the sea, beautiful but cold water ha. I'm not too sure how many total kms that day but it was hot! That's what I remember haha.
I'm glad my country is becoming something more than "the worse western europe", where everyone just moves to Germany and UK to earn more money. I visited Germany last year, and I was surprised by the number of homeless people, the amount of trash on the streets, the lack of certain amenities... It's really surprising that the place most people described as a shithole 20 years ago is now becoming an inspiration and a tourist hot spot. Greetings from rural Poland :)
It`s quite paradox -probably around million polish people live in uk said Poland is mental and bad place to live and its you lad -saing Poland its great country . I used to live in Aberdeen and shire for16 years and after I returned to Poland I really felt the difference - somethings changed but not much ,ufortunately mentality of polish people doesn`t. After a year in Poland I fcuked off to Belgium for work because in my personal view Poland its a eastern country with western look . Now I`m in progress to move back to Scotland probably West Lothian because I think it`s great place to enjoy your life. I wish you the best buddy and you enjoi yor life in Poland .Take care
Yeah, I mean it's easy for me to say as an outsider. Down to oersonal preferences I suppose. Don't get me wrong, I won't be staying here forever most likely as I want to stay a few other countries before I settle. Thanks buddy! Appreciate you taking the time to comment 👍🏻
Yeah, I just found that out recently from comments here actually. About the streets and areas in Gdańsk named after the Scottish who emigrated. I'll need to go up and check it out at some point
Irrelevant of where you live, it's going to be the same nightmare everyday, everywhere. With the new influx of Economic Illigal, Migrants, your lives will be a total nightmare. UK, Sweden, France, Denmark, Britain, already had a share of TLC from the illigals. Germans are working to replace Europe with illigal migrants. Just by looking at all the people arriving in Italy, the country that those folks come from is expecting for all of you to take them in, care for them like your own. Anyone that has their eyes open can see that I'm telling the truth. Msloni talked the talked, but can't walk. Sitting their with her finger up her arr, is not going to solve a problem. WHERE IS HUMANITARIAN SUPPORT FOR EUROPEANS, OUR PEOPLE. Who came to save us from WWII slaughter? Prosze, please, all of you STAND UP AGANST GERMANY/RUSSIANS. say no to illigal migrants, tell them you need to be saved from NAZISM and COMMUNISM.
it was a wild frontier town, and a lot of fun. it was a place where european cars going to russia were exchanged, which caused every other shop to be a money exchange and they would have little wars. there was a famous football rivalry between kielce and radom. i think they were a little suspicious of outsiders. i would love to know how the place is doing nowdays. @@nomadscotsman
As someone from eastern Europe who lived abroad for a decade and is back. Safety improved soooo much and I think that's probably works for most of post communist eastern Europe. This countries are definitely not perfect, but it's getting there. I remember in late 90s and 2000s it wasn't a massive surprise to get your phone or snickers stolen and a point of the knife.... But that was the times when countries were recovering from whole USSR and there very poor. Recently had similar thought about how much I'm not worried in the streets now in LT 🇱🇹 and I imagine it's similar in 🇵🇱 and other eastern Europe countries.
Yeah, my girlfriend is from Bulgaria and her Dad was saying the exact same a few weeks back. How dangerous it was for robbing after the fall of the USSR. I've not made it to Lithuania yet but definitely on the cards. Thanks for taking the time to comment 👍🏻
Cracking video. I’m wanting to move from UK > east (likely Serbia) at some point. Was wondering how you found the language barrier? I’m quite aware that it takes time to learn a new language, and is likely harder to find work without it. Cheers!
Thanks mate! Yeah, I was planning on going to Serbia at some point but met my Mrs and ended up here. Who knows for the future tho. The language isn't a problem, all young people speak English especially in the big cities. A lot of the big corpos are all English speaking roles. Especially here there are companies like Shell, Revolut, etc. Depends what kind of job you look for, of course
poland is just polish and thats a good thing, no mass migration anymore. the economy is improving and soon it will be a destination to move to from the rest of europe which is on a very fast downward spiral due to mass migration.
My friends ask me why I don't want to go back to Australia and have lived in Poland for the last 22 years? I like this country, it's weird sometimes but I like it.
@nomad Scotsman How did you get citizenship? I married a Polish girl 8 years ago and plan to move there when our son finishes school in Sheffield. Although my family will have no problem I am still British and out of the EU. How have you gained citizenship? And how easy was it?
I think if you're married to a Polish girl it would be quite easy. I set up my business here through a business incubator and they got my work permit. I then applied for temp residency permit and that lasts up to 3 years
You missed one, white Christian people everywhere. That's why Poland's cleaner, more respectful and there's less crime. Sorry if you don't like that. Oh and no terror attacks, just a tiny one.
I used to live in UK for 8 years so. Few points: 1. we are gaining fat, unfortunately. We were much more slimer like 10-20 years ago. 2. Poland is much cleaner / plenty of bins available everywhere. On the other hand, I love the driving experience in UK, roundabouts etc. Driving is just more friendly/safer than on polish roads. You also play better football ;) ( maybe except the wales ;) ).
Yeah I think as the Western diet is more introduced it will cause more fat, unfortunately. Def much cleaner, and not just the tourist areas. Impressed overall with the cleanliness. Yeah, I probably agree about the driving haha. Haha I think you can add Scotland to that too 😝
