ISIC Card in Poland (ENGLISH)

Dobranoc!

Finally I have a lil break to add some posts on my blog. I wrote my last post before I started the 7th semester, now I’m back and just finished the 7th semester! Last time I opened my blog, there were four hundred something readers, and now I got six hundred! a massive progress for me LOL

By the way, I decided to write this post in english, since I got many requests by next winter exchangers in various countries who saw my exchange video, to share some stories (if you missed my video, just simply search my name on Youtube)

So, now I’d like to start with the most common question : ISIC Card. I made my card in the Flixbus Office, near Szczecin Glowny in Szczecin, Poland. To get an ISIC you need a student ID card (i gave my highschool ID card and they said its okay), one photo, and PLN 20 (price in 2016). Since I didnt bring any photo of myself, I made one in a photobox inside Szczecin Glowny with my local buddy, Klaudia (FYI, Sczcecin Glowny is train station centre in Szczecin), and it cost PLN 10.

You’ll get 2 copies of your photo for PLN 10 (this isnt written in the machine, thats why I took my photo twice LOL)

Why did I make an ISIC Card?

My only intention when I decided to make an ISIC Card was to get cheaper transportation along the project. I didnt really pay attention to another things it offered. So ISIC Card is one of the requirements to get one month train pass card. You have to go to another office (I forget the name), and make transportation card that valid for a month. It cost PLN 50, and you don’t have to buy train ticket if you travel inside Szczecin. FYI in Szczecin, they didnt check the train ticket all the time. Sometimes they will seat as a passenger with unsuspicious  look, and 5 minutes before the next stop they will start checking ticket. If you dont have your ticket, you’ll have to pay with extremely unreasonable price. Luckily, I never met any of this staff since I forgot to bring my card like most of the time LOL

Here's how an ISIC Card looks like

And this one is my one month train pass card

Is it worth to make an ISIC Card?

In my case, i’d say NO. I lived in Szczecin less than 4 weeks, and I only use this card for transportation purpose, without paying attention to another stuffs it offered. But what dissapointed me was the fact that this card only helped me to create my one month train pass card which cost another PLN 50 inside Szczecin only, and when I tried to use it to travel outside Szczecin, it wasn’t valid. 

I once travelled to Poznan, and I got discounted price for the ticket in the locket. BUT, when I already in the train, the guard checked my ticket and my Student ID, and he said that the discounted price was valid only if you have national student card (which means only for Polish student). But then I negotiated to him, and I had another people supported me with my statement, until finally he said its okay.

The next week, I travelled to Krakow, and again I got discounted price when I paid in the locket. When I already in the train, I was awakened around 11 pm by the guard who’d like to see my ticket and student ID. I gave him what he asked. BUT the worst part was he couldnt speak english, and he seemed so mad at the same time. Fortunately, there was a man who sat in the same room with me, and the tried to connect me with the guard. So finally I understand why, he said the same thing as the guard in the previous train to Poznan. He told me to pay normal price, because the discounted price only valid for national student card. I tried to negotiate again but this time was quite harder because I had to speak through a 'third party', waited him to translate it, and backward. This time, the guard seemed deeply mad, which I could see from the facial expression and his voice! 

And finally, the man said this: 

"He said you have to pay it, or you’ll have to get off in the next stop."

Since I was alone at that time and it was almost midnight, I could do nothing but do as he wished.

To sum up, I'll recommend you to make ISIC Card if you stay at least for a month, and you don't have a host family who will pick you up from your work. But if you only use train like once a day, you can try to calculate whether it's worthy or not to made an ISIC Card (single ticket costs PLN 2 or 3). For further information, you can visit the official page : https://www.isic.org to get deeper information.

Next post, I think I'll share about survival tips on my solo trip? Oh and if you have request about what I should write on my next post, please don't hesitate to tell me ;)