Are you planning to visit Poland? We must tell you that one day trip to Poland is not enough. You need at least 10 days to fully experience the whole of Poland. Check out this ultimate Poland travel guide if you want to start your best trip to this beautiful country!
Let us Explore Poland!
Basic travel information
These are the basic information that you need to know prior to your travel to Poland.
| Currency: Polish Złoty/PLN (around USD 0.2) | Official Language: Polish | Plug Type: Type C and E |
Visa and Entry Requirements: Check whether your citizenship allows you to enter Poland without a visa. Otherwise, you need to prepare for Schengen Visa for your trip to Poland. Therefore, you need to show proof that you have USD 29,000 in medical coverage. Besides, you also need to check the border restrictions in Poland due to the coronavirus pandemic, whether you need to provide particular test results or not.
Tips and Tricks in Traveling to Poland
In this Poland travel guide, we provide you with some tips and tricks you can do to make your experience more meaningful, cheaper, and easier.
Accommodation
In general, a bed in a dorm room with 8 to 10 beds in Poland costs around PLN 55-59 per night. You can also get private rooms for PLN 95 to 175 per night. Moreover, if you want to experience a budget two-star hotel, you need to expect the cost to start from PLN 110 to 160 per night. For a three-star hotel, you will need to pay about PLN 145 to 195 per night. Remember that the closer the accommodation location to the city center, usually the higher the price.
There are a lot of Airbnb in Poland, which offer private rooms starting from PLN 75 per night. You can rent an entire house or apartment for at least PLN 100 and you can split the bill together with your friends. The last option that you can try is staying at the campgrounds. For a basic tent plot where two people can stay without electricity, the price is usually around PLN 40 per night. Keep in mind that you cannot camp in a national park in Poland.
Transportation
One of the other recommendations for your travel guide to Poland is by considering which transportation mode you want to use. Not only that you need to budget the transportation here, but it also helps you consider which transportation fulfills your needs the most.
City pass
Most of the cities in Poland have buses and trams as public transportation. It is only Warsaw, that has a subway system. If you want to travel around the city, we recommend you pay for either one, two, or three-day pass tickets. This will save a lot of your budget.
Prices range differently buying based on city zone and cities that you are about to visit. Therefore, knowing which zones some tourist attractions you want to visit is best to know.
- Warsaw: Public transportation system in Warsaw is called WTP. You will need to spend at least PLN 7.5 for one day ticket in Zone 1 per person. You can also check for the updated information on the ticket prices and routes from its official website.
- Gdansk: As a part of Tricity, Gdansk’s public transportation system is shared between Gdansk, Sopot, and Gdynia, under the operation of SKM. On its official website, the price to explore Zone 1 is PLN 18.5.
- Wroclaw: Operated by URBANCARD, public transportation in Wroclaw is considerably affordable compared to previous cities. If you want to explore all zone in the city for 24 hours, you only need to pay PLN 15.
- Krakow: When you want to use public transportation in Krakow, the public transportation system is operated by ZTP. You will need to spend PLN 17 for a one-day ticket in Zone 1 only.
Intercity transportation mode
The next thing you need to take note of is the intercity transportation mode that takes you from one city to another. Absolutely, there are a lot of options that you can choose for traveling around Poland. Therefore, we recommend these transportation options which are suitable for your trip to Poland.
Bus
Currently, the most famous operating intercity bus in Poland is Flixbus, which has partnered with Polski Bus in accommodating passengers’ mobility from one city to another. Prices range differently from one route to another as well as its schedule. Therefore, you need to check its Flixbus official website to choose the time and route you want to take. For example, you only need to pay PLN 29 for a 4-hour trip from Warsaw to Krakow. If you want to take a 7-hour ride from Warsaw to Gdansk, it will cost you PLN 50 only.
Train
A train is a good option if you want to go for a long-distance journey within Poland, which you can book easily through Omio. Some companies operating the railway system in Poland include InterCity (IC), ExpressInterCity (EIC), ExpressInterCity Premium (EIP), and InterRegio (IR). You can choose one among these options that suits your itinerary and budget. Normally, the 2.5-hour journey from Warsaw to Gdansk will cost you around PLN 245. Meanwhile, if you take a 2-hour train to Krakow from Warsaw, it is only PLN 50.
Flight
Although traveling inside Poland by using buses and trains is enough and more sustainable, you can also fly over the country by airplane. There are a lot of budget airlines operating domestic flights within Poland. You need to spend PLN 325 for a round-trip flight from Warsaw to many cities in Poland. For example, a one-hour flight from Warsaw to Krakow is around PLN 215, while Warsaw to Gdansk is only PLN 180 which takes one hour only. These options can you book easily through Skyscanner.
Food
Poland has a lot of delicious dishes which usually are pretty hearty containing meat (chicken and pork), potatoes, and seasonal vegetables like cabbage and beets. You can also find a variety of soups and stews there, like borscht soup, a beet soup that is really popular in most local restaurants. The cheapest traditional cuisine you can find in Poland usually costs approximately PLN 30 to PLN 35 only, which you can buy from bar mleczny, local restaurants in Poland.
If you want to eat something big, you can order a three-course meal with a drink for only PLN 75. In addition, if you are more into cooking by yourself, you can buy groceries and expect to spend about PLN 190 per week on pasta, rice, vegetables, and meats that are fresh from the local market.
Itinerary and Places
Okay, now we know you are so interested in starting your trip to Poland. Here are the itinerary and places we have compiled for your Poland travel guide.
Day 1: Get started in the capital, Warsaw
Why is Warsaw the first place to visit during this 10-day of your travel guide to Poland? The capital city has an airport, Warsaw Chopin Airport, which departs and welcomes many flights internationally. So, let us just assume you come outside of Europe, and then Warsaw is definitely your first destination in Poland.
What to do:
Whenever you follow the streets, you will find many hip restaurants around the corner of the city, where you can cheap taste mouthwatering delicacies. If you are more into history and arts, Warsaw has numerous world-class museums and medieval squares that look so aesthetics. Even more, Warsaw’s Old Town Market Place is even one among many UNESCO World Heritage Sites, meaning that it is a must to visit this place.
Where to visit:
Although there are a lot of places to visit in Warsaw, you actually just need one day to explore them all. Some of the famous places that you must visit in Warsaw include but are not limited to Old Town (Stare Miasto), Old Town Market Place in Warsaw, Warsaw Rising Museum, Palace of Culture & Science, Praga, and Bazar Rozychkiego in Praga District.
Day 2-4: Enjoy the charming Gdansk
Gdansk is so beautiful so you must not miss this city in your Poland travel guide. Gdansk is quite distinctive compared to other cities in Poland because it has more resemblance to Hamburg or Copenhagen.
What to do:
Do you wonder why we put Gdansk for 3 days trip? This is because the city has even more to offer than Warsaw. From its stunning architectural decoration to the seaside vibes of a harbor city facing the Baltic coast, you will need three days to explore this city. The highlights of this city are spending time exploring medieval castles and enjoying yourself at seaside resorts with scenic views.
Where to visit:
Some of them are Gdansk’s Main Town & Old Town, Old Town Gdansk, Dlugi Targ, Town Hall Tower, Zuraw, and Gdansk Shipyards. Also, you may need to spare one day for visiting Malbork Castle because this place is wonderful, so you will lose track of time once you visit this place.
Day 5-6: Get lost in the amazing Wroclaw
The next city to visit for your Poland travel guide is Wroclaw. If you love medieval architecture buildings, then this city is for you. The Centennial Hall, which has the most impressive concrete structures in the world, is one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. In fact, Wroclaw was once the European Capital of Culture in 2016, so you should visit this city and experience it by yourself.
What to do:
Prepare your camera and make sure you have a lot of storage spaces because you will find a lot of aesthetic buildings that you must capture detail by detail. We are pretty sure that you want to get the best angle of the city, so spending one day trip to this city is not enough. Especially, there are numerous activities you can do here, such as visiting museums, trying local foods, or befriending the locals.
Where to visit:
Besides The Centennial Hall, some other places you must visit during your two-day trip to Wroclaw are Market Square in Wroclaw, the Old Town, Wroclaw Town Hall, Cathedral Island (Ostrów Tumski), Cathedral of St. John the Baptist at the end of Ulica Katedralna.
Day 7-9: Explore the magical Krakow
We believe that once you get your foot set into the streets of this city, you will get love at first sight. You can immerse yourself in the fun nightlife, magnificent museums, and even amazing outdoor adventures, all in one city. With its adorable street and historical places, sightseeing around Krakow feels like you are standing in a fairyland.
What to do:
Spending one day only to explore Krakow is definitely not enough. Therefore, we recommend you take three days to experience Krakow to the fullest. Probably, the highlight of visiting Krakow is when you want to learn about the dark history of Poland. There are Nazi concentration camps in the museum at Auschwitz-Birkenau, where you can roam to learn about Holocaust history in Poland. Besides, you can also get to do outdoor activities in the very same city.
Where to visit:
From museums to nature, you name it. Krakow has it all. Some of the most famous travel destinations in Krakow are Rynek Glowny, Krakow’s Old Town, Cloth Hall Krakow, St. Mary’s Basilica, Rynek Underground, Wawel Cathedral, Wawel Castle, Wieliczka Salt Mine, Chapel of St. Kinga, and Auschwitz-Birkenau.
Day 10: Discover the beauty of Zakopane
Save the best for the last, that is what we recommend to you in this Poland travel guide. This is the time for you to enjoy the beauty of Zakopane before ending your trip. When it comes to natureZakopane is one of the best places to visit in Poland, even in Europe. This resort town looks incredibly beautiful during the winter, covering the whole grounds.
What to do:
Zakopane has been very famous for its outdoor activities, especially during the winter. Zakopane hosts Poland’s top ski resorts and beautiful views of Tatras mountains covered in snow. During the summer, there are a lot of hiking trails that people always seek to escape from the hustle and bustle of the city. This is really perfect for you who are not only interested in outdoor activities but also love capturing nature’s beauty.
Where to visit:
So, if you are into hiking trails, you can definitely find mountain trails there such as Strazyska Valley, Gubalowka, and Kasprowy Wierch. We highly recommend you to enjoy the beauty of Zakopane in Morskie Oko, Lysa Polana, and Tatra National Park. Otherwise, if you are fond of winter sports, you can just sign up to experience skiing or snowboarding there. Fun fact, doing winter activities in Zakopane is much cheaper than in many other countries in Europe.
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