Places in Poland
The Wilanow Palace of Warsaw. Beautiful from the outside and inside!
Average costs in Poland
Stay – Cheap countries are always fun, because in Poland you can stay in a magnificent five star hotel for ‘only’ €80 per night. Four stars start at a still unbeatable price of €65, and for three stars you only pay €35. Those looking for a budget room can already book a nice room in Poland for €20.
Backpackers will be happy that hostels cost only five to ten euros.
Eat – You might not think that Poland has great cuisine, but they actually have surprisingly delicious foods. For a main course, dessert and soft drinks you normally won’t pay much more than 60 zloty (€14 to €15). For a quick bite you pay five to ten zloty (Pierogi, a sandwich, …). The bars and clubs are slightly more expensive, but still not unaffordable. For a huge beer, you’ll pay 15 zloty.
Transport – Public transport in Poland isn’t that expensive. For using public transportation, you pay between 3.50 and 4.50 zł for a single ticket. Trains or long-distance buses are also not expensive. From Krakow to Auschwitz by bus, for example, should only cost you 14 zł.
Also don’t forget that the Uber app can be used in many major cities of Poland. It’s much cheaper than a taxi and much more comfortable than public transport.
The Wieliczka salt mines are close to Krakow and are one of the most visited attractions in Poland.
Saving money in Poland
Use Uber – Uber is a smartphone application where you fix a drive with locals at very affordable prices. It’s handy to be dropped off from the airport at your hotel, or to visit slightly more remote sights. Via this link you’ll even get your first ride completely free.
Milk bars – The Polish milk bars are a kind of cozy cafeterias that offer cheap Polish specialties. Often you can eat here for less than five euros per person and you also get to know the best Polish specialties.
Free museums – Poland has an incredible number of museums. Seeing all of them is impossible during a city trip, but you should definitely see a few. Even if you already have a busy schedule. Many museums have a day in the week where you don’t have to pay any entrance fee. Look it up in advance and plan your visit accordingly. The Auschwitz museum is always free to visit.
Drink tap water – You can easily walk a lot of miles in the Polish cities. This also means that you must drink enough water. Instead of buying a new bottle each time, you can simply refill them with purified tap water. It’s perfectly safe to drink and it’s good for mother nature.
The Auschwitz-Birkenau museum in Poland shows its visitors that people are capable of terrible things.
Things to do in Poland
Auschwitz – I don’t think I have to tell you what happened in Auschwitz or Oświęcim, but still you can learn a lot at this lugubrious and at the same time very interesting landmark. The bunkers of the former concentration camps have been converted into museums so that we can never forget how horrifying the world war ended for more than two million people. If you want to know more about Auschwitz, you should also read this blog post.
Krakow – I think the cutest and perhaps most beautiful city in Poland is Krakow. The old center of this city is very quaint and cozy. You’ll find restaurants with delicious food, excellent clubs and bars and a lot of shopping opportunities. The culture lover is more than satisfied with the many museums, churches and the gorgeous Wawel castle.
Warsaw – I see Warsaw as the Berlin of Poland. During World War II, the city was completely destroyed by the Germans, which allowed the city to resurrect as a hypermodern metropolis with little ofits original buildings. Fortunately, there is plenty to do for shopaholics, museum enthusiasts and party animals to fill a few days in the capital of Poland. Moreover, the old city center has been carefully recreated, and trust me: it’s beautiful!
Wielickzka salt mines – Half an hour outside Krakow you find an underground walkway of several hundreds of miles: the Wielickzka salt mines. In the past, the salt was mined here because of its value. Now the crystallized material is no longer cut away, but the underground corridors have become a favorite attraction for many tourists. In addition to the rich history of the salt mines, you can also see some churches and cathedrals that have been carved out underground. Magnificent and definitely an item to place on your bucket list!
Bialowieza National Park – Breathe in the fresh air in the Bialowieza National Park located on the border with Belarus. It’s one of the last places where you can find the great forests that once occupied the whole of Europe. This is also the only place where you can still find wild European bison.
Visit the smaller cities – Don’t only visit the biggest and most famous cities in Poland! Perhaps the cute Wroclaw, the cozy Gdansk and the unique Lublin are some good recommendations. They’re all easily visited as a day trip from one of the bigger cities in Poland.
Climb the Tatra Mountains – For a magnificent view of Poland you have to head into the mountains! The steep peaks of the Tatra Mountains are part of the Carpathian Mountains and share a border with Slovakia. During your climb, your eyes are pampered with beautiful nature and of course divine views over Poland.
The old part of Warsaw; the Stare Miasto. It was completely destroyed during WW II, but the recreated city looks just like it did hundreds of years ago.
Things to avoid in Poland
Exchange offices – In the touristy areas, you’ll see a lot of exchange offices. Here they chante dollars, pounds and euros to Polish zlotys. Ignore them. It’s a much better idea to simply withdraw money with your bank card. The exchange bureaus demand ridiculously high commissions or use very expensive exchange rates.
Around Zakopane you find beautiful mountain landscapes.
Excursions in Poland
» All tours and excursions in Poland
