What Gifts to Bring to Poland

Today there is very little that can't be bought locally. Hershey chocolate products are not available. If your hosts imbibe, Jack Daniel's is always welcome. Teen agers? Get Levi sizes and bring a requested pair. Can they read English...the latest paperbacks are in demand. Or, simply ask directly as to wants.

Are Levi's - currently made in Hungary - really cheaper in the US than in Poland?

What would residents of the US really enjoy receiving from Poland? It's a silly question, isn't it? Some Americans might like a coffee table book of Poland: others might like Polish chocolates.

But the overwhelming majority of human beings would rather get a present that had been chosen for them personally, rather than on the basis of absurd assumptions of what their fellow citizens might like (though I've yet to encounter a modern European who can stomach Hershey's, no doubt some like them)

Now Egypt2008 knows far, far more about the people Egypt2008 is visiting than anyone else on this board. Foreign visitors are no longer exotic anywhere (though many foreign visitors delude themselves they are). Few foreign visitors to any affluent country (a category that now includes Poland) have access to anything that's not in every local branch of Carrefour, Real or Tesco.

If a visitee is known to have a taste for something ethnic like maple syrup, then by all means take some (but realise it might not be quite as exciting to your average Pole as you might think). But otherwise, take precisely what you'd take to an equivalent visitee in your own country.

We brought t-shirts & baseball caps from New York City, an Ipod for a teenage girl, American music CD's (classical & country, rock), Hershey's candy. While some of these things are available in Poland they are very expensive. The young people in particular seemed to like anything American. Jeans are expensive but you would have to know their size. We also handed out copies of family photos to relatives & maps to show where we live. Young children like Legos.

thank you for all your suggestions. We live in CA and brought lots of candy; not only Hershey but See's. The Levi jeans were such a hit; we guessed at sizes and all were welcomed and worn. Their bottoms were no where as BIG as our American bottoms have grown.

I am not from Egypt; had just made inquiries about Egypt last year before we visited Cairo and set up an account on Fodors. Guess I should change the name now to something more generic since we just returned from eastern europe, headed for south America next month and taking a dalmation cruise in April.

Everyone is always so helpful and like wise I like giving my opinion too...for what it's worth.

Happy Travels...in this tough economy! Stay safe everyone! We're in for a long hard ride in this economy.

Sorry, but most Europeans don't like Hershey's....I remember the first time I went to the US and thought it was dire!

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Foreign visitors are no longer exotic anywhere (though many foreign visitors delude themselves they are). Few foreign visitors to any affluent country (a category that now includes Poland) have access to anything that's not in every local branch of Carrefour, Real or Tesco.
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since when do people only buy gifts that are not accessible to the receiver? i always find it strange when people give suggestions and others fall all over themselves to state 'well you can get levis in poland, you know' or 'the american store on babcha street has hersheys, so why would you bring it as a gift'. this is always an interesting type of fodors conversation. people often feel that the rationale behind all gift suggestions for foreigners is that 'you can't get it there' and there is usually a tinge of accusation that people are wrongly thinking somewhere is third world because one would dare suggest bringing jeans, foreign chocolate etc there. just plain bizarre.


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Are Levi's - currently made in Hungary - really cheaper in the US than in Poland?
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again, i don't see why where it is cheaper would be criteria for gift giving?!?! but indeed i would be surprised if levis were cheaper in poland than in america....both in absolute terms but most definitely when adjusted to ppp. but if you want to give levis as a gift, then why the heck would you worry about the price of it in poland...unless you thought that the gift was so cheap that it was ubiquitous and a commodity there (certainly not the case with levis in poland!!!). very bizarre.


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Sorry, but most Europeans don't like Hershey's.
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in many countries like britain, you are not british unless you go around saying that hersheys is crap and cadburys (also crap) is supreme.

most europeans on this board are from old europe. the attitudes toward america and all things american are vastly different in places like poland than in britain, france or germany. so don't be ashamed of yourself there...just bring what you think they will like and have fun.

I live in Poland. When I know someone is to visit I check my 'wants'. Yes, weight restriction rule out many of them but some are possible. We now have a KitchenAid mixer and a Cuckoo clock. Neither were available in Lodz. Please ask!

in many countries like britain, you are not british unless you go around saying that hersheys is crap and cadburys (also crap) is supreme.

er no...went to the States a lot in my late teens and early 20s and really didn't like it.....didn't know it was me making myself British....Cadburys isn't supreme....it's OK (and that's all...certainly wouldn't bring it as a gift) but I like it better than Hersheys...

This is also our question. We will be in Poland before Christmas. We have decided to take some small perfumes for the women. My husband chose his favorite "American made" Kentucky bourbon to share. I like the legos idea...and someone told me they were sending a barbie with wings. It was a request.
Past trips I took cowboy hats and glow in the dark necklaces for fun. They were a big summer hit. Other than that, I may make some necklaces and earrings to take. We will stop for flowers or treats to take from a local store in Poland too.

Taking a tee shirt or sweat shirt of your local university, football team,soccer team or local might also be a nice gift since it represents your area of the world.

well, for me any gift connected with my guest's country is nice. It's quite important that it's something typical for your place - i think that things like t-shirts, sweets, alko, maybe a CD (but not available in Poland) or, if the person speaks English, good book sound great!

Agree that I can;t imagine anyone wanting Hershey's - it 's absolutely awful - esp in comparison to european chocolates. (IMHO, Belgium, not Switzerland has the best chocolate in the world.)

And I have some neighbors who are from Poland. When they go back to visit family they bring gifts for the kids - but things that have been specifically asked for. They said then they go in Feb they;re going to be bringing lots of Yankees gear for the tweens. I would never bring presents without knowing what people want - since you can get whatever you want there (or shopping on the Internet - they routinely bay stuff on ebay.

I have a friend in Lithuania, which I know is different than Poland, who I've sent a Christmas package for the last 20 years. I have never meet her but do my best to pick out things she would like. I've asked her many times, if there is anything she needs or didn't like from my packages, but she never answers these questions. I think she's afraid if she tells me she doesn't like the stuff, I'll never send another package. She also is a single mother with a young son.

I like to think they enjoy what I send. Last year, I sent her a sweater dress. She finally said something fit and I've always sent the same size that I would wear because she looks to be about my size. For her son I got a red dragon zip up hoodie. He wrote me a letter saying thanks which he doesn't do all the time. He has asked for legos in the past and I know he likes basketball but not sure if he still does. I also put in different kinds of candy but never chocolate. This year, I am also sending a Philadelphia treat, Tastykakes.

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since you can get whatever you want there (or shopping on the Internet - they routinely bay stuff on ebay.
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i'm still left scratching my head with the idea that gift giving is about giving something that the receiver cannot get themselves. very few things are elusive now...everyone travels, everyone has access to the internet, people just about everywhere have more disposable income to buy ever cheaper goods. why don't we give up on this silly idea and just give what we want to give?