Driving in Warsaw (and in whole Poland in general) may be quite a big surprise especially for those coming from west.
When driving in Warsaw, be prepared for a poor road quality - the roads haven't been repaired for years. You will be using your driving wheel a lot while jinking between the many wholes (sometimes really deep ones) on the road.
Apart from the time, the heavily loaded trucks passing through the city have left significant sings on the roads too. This may become quite dangerous when it is raining and the deep rails from trucks are flooded. You may happen to loose a control over your car for few seconds in such weather.
You may think that driving slowly will prevent you from these dangers. This is probably true, but it will not be appreciated by Varsavian drivers. They like to drive quickly and not to be stucked in the traffic jams. If you don’t know the city and you are coming here for the first time, be aware that you may hear a horn quite often. Varsavians like to use it.
Not to share the negative experience only, when you talk to the Varsavian drivers, they become very much friendly and helpful. They will be happy to help you in finding your way. Also, you very rarely see so many attractive and charming women walking along the streets such as you may happen to see in Warsaw.
The quality of roads should get better with the upcoming years since the reconstructions are being funded from the EU structural funds. Also, Poland has the EURO 2012 - UEFA European Football Championship - deadline as it is co-hosting the championship with Ukraine. Hundreds of kilometers of Poland's roads and highways should be repaired and built by then.
