When on a self-catering holiday you will need to know where to obtain essential everyday requirements although it's also nice to wander round viewing differences in prices and types of goods for sale.

The shop on the left is the nearest general store to the holiday house in Rabka Zdrój. It's just a couple of streets away, within walking distance, and stocks a good range of groceries, drinks, newspapers and magazines and fresh produce. Service is old-fashioned style where you wait behind a counter and ask or in the case of many Brits, point. We have found the staff very helpful.

The Polish for shop is sklep.

A large supermarket which also has a butcher's counter is a little further down the same road.

Partly because the park occupies the centre of town, there are several distributed shopping areas, supermarkets and specialist shops in different parts of the town.

Other shops and amenities

• several supermarkets
• chemists
• 24 hour garage
• baker
• butcher
• foto shop for processing and films
• beauty salons and hairdressers galore. A manicure costs around £3, hair cut and blow dry less than £5.
• post office with internet cafe
• a couple of small shopping centres with a variety of electrical, home decor, clothes and similar shops
• several restaurants, bars and coffee shops.

Tourist centre

There is a sports shop on the main road with the bus station. This sells maps of Rabka and the surrounding area. So if you would like to find out about waymarked trails or cycle paths you'll be able to obtain them there.

Differences in goods

It took us a while to find fresh milk in supermarkets because it comes in plastic bags and not in cartons or plastic bottles.

You generally have to self-weigh fruit and vegetables then stick a price label on in supermarkets before you go to the checkout.

Buy bread fresh on a regular basis - it does not stay fresh for as long as sliced loaves in Britain. Probably fewer chemicals used.

Things to bring with you

Bring tea - it's never the same abroad, gravy granules, porridge and marmalade if you eat them, and toilet paper if you really need the soft stuff.