Need advice. To Drive or not in Poland
Jul 17th, 2017, 04:07 AM
#1
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Need advice. To Drive or not in Poland
Planning a last minute holiday, first visit to Poland. We have 12 days arriving in Krakow August 25th. Debating over whether to drive to maximize our time to visit this large country. We've driven extensively in Slovenia Romania Israel Croatia etc. I am not sure if we'll be saving time by not using trains and bus. We can fly home either from Krakow or Warsaw but cannot find a reasonable one way rental. Planning to visit the usual must sees: Krakow, Auschwitz Wroclaw Poznan Warsaw. Would love to visit Gdansk but doubt if there's time. Any tips or feedback welcome. Thanks in advance.
Jul 17th, 2017, 05:36 AM
#2
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The normal answer applies:
Use a car to explore the countryside and small towns and villages.
Avoid using a car to visit cities, as cars are a liability in a European city.
www.intercity.pl is the website to use for Polish inter-city trains.
Use a car to explore the countryside and small towns and villages.
Avoid using a car to visit cities, as cars are a liability in a European city.
www.intercity.pl is the website to use for Polish inter-city trains.
Jul 17th, 2017, 05:40 AM
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Yup mainly going city-city and I agree with Man in seat 61 - cars are useless in large cities. For trains not only check Man in Seat 61's commercial site: www.seat61.com and also www.ricksteves.com and www.budgeteuropetravel.com.
Jul 17th, 2017, 06:28 AM
#4
It really pays to compare the costs involved with train tickets, in terms of time and logistics of getting from A to B for the number of persons in your travel party as well as costs.
We have driven on our four visits to Poland for various reasons (pottery shopping in Bolesławiec; sports tournament in Warsaw; overnight to Wrocław); and all but once we used our personal vehicle. On the lone occasion we had rented a car in Krakow, the cost and time savings for our family of four of renting a car made the decision easy.
And, if you have driven in Croatia and Romania (we have), Poland is a (140km/hr) breeze.
We have driven on our four visits to Poland for various reasons (pottery shopping in Bolesławiec; sports tournament in Warsaw; overnight to Wrocław); and all but once we used our personal vehicle. On the lone occasion we had rented a car in Krakow, the cost and time savings for our family of four of renting a car made the decision easy.
And, if you have driven in Croatia and Romania (we have), Poland is a (140km/hr) breeze.
Jul 17th, 2017, 08:46 AM
#6
If cost is not an issue, I would use trains.
Whenever I rent cars in Poland I book Budget cars through Rhinocarhire.com.
At pickup I buy the full insurance from Budget (last time it was about 16 Euro/day). I changed my drop-off from Gdansk to Warsaw and Budget charged me 20 Euro.
Whenever I rent cars in Poland I book Budget cars through Rhinocarhire.com.
At pickup I buy the full insurance from Budget (last time it was about 16 Euro/day). I changed my drop-off from Gdansk to Warsaw and Budget charged me 20 Euro.
Jul 17th, 2017, 11:35 AM
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We have had no problems whatsoever driving in Poland. Except, driving in Krakow was a real pain because we had selected a hotel within the old walls. With all of the one way streets we had a devil of a time trying to find our way into the old part of the city.
Cost is definitely a factor. I remember reading the excursion rates to places like the Salt mine and Auschwitz and it was extremely expensive. Much, much cheaper to just drive ourselves there.
We typically rent with either AutoEurope of Nova out of northern Ireland; check both of them out.
And, a heads up. One August we were in Krakow and it was so beastly hot that we left town and escaped to cooler weather in Zakopane and the mountains.
Cost is definitely a factor. I remember reading the excursion rates to places like the Salt mine and Auschwitz and it was extremely expensive. Much, much cheaper to just drive ourselves there.
We typically rent with either AutoEurope of Nova out of northern Ireland; check both of them out.
And, a heads up. One August we were in Krakow and it was so beastly hot that we left town and escaped to cooler weather in Zakopane and the mountains.
Jul 17th, 2017, 12:07 PM
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julies: <i>Cost is definitely a factor. I remember reading the excursion rates to places like the Salt mine and Auschwitz and it was extremely expensive. Much, much cheaper to just drive ourselves there.</i>
But it's quite easy to get to those places by public transportation, which is cheap in Poland.
I took trains from Gdansk to Torun, to Wroclaw, and to Krakow, then on to Czech Republic. The trains weren't particularly nice, but they were cheap, and they worked. In fact, Poland is the only country where I've ever booked in first class everywhere - because it wasn't much more than second class and definitely worth it! I think Poland's train system has been upgraded since I last visited in 2012, too. Some routes (e.g. between Wroclaw and Krakow) are faster now.
I didn't drive in Poland, but I wouldn't see much need to unless you want to stop between the cities in smaller towns or something. Getting from city to city, trains work fine.
But it's quite easy to get to those places by public transportation, which is cheap in Poland.
I took trains from Gdansk to Torun, to Wroclaw, and to Krakow, then on to Czech Republic. The trains weren't particularly nice, but they were cheap, and they worked. In fact, Poland is the only country where I've ever booked in first class everywhere - because it wasn't much more than second class and definitely worth it! I think Poland's train system has been upgraded since I last visited in 2012, too. Some routes (e.g. between Wroclaw and Krakow) are faster now.
I didn't drive in Poland, but I wouldn't see much need to unless you want to stop between the cities in smaller towns or something. Getting from city to city, trains work fine.
Jul 17th, 2017, 11:09 PM
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Even if you have a car, I, personally, would not use it for Auschwitz / Birkenau, which I found FAR too moving to want to drive afterwards. The cost of visiting Auschwitz / Birkenau is <B>NOT</B> something that I would worry about. YMMV. I would DEFINITELY encourage you to go by tour. Here's a recent thread that discusses the options.
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...t-175531-2.cfm
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...t-175531-2.cfm
Jul 20th, 2017, 01:21 AM
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I had given up idea of driving until I read these posts. My husband is an excellent driver and we love the freedom of a car. One thought would be to fly into Krakow, spend 3 or 4 nights there, pick up car late afternoon drive to Auschwitz area, spend a night there for our 8am reservation the next day. We've seen the salt mine and amazing salt Cathedral in Colombia https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt...Zipaquirá and been to salt flats in Uyuni, Bolivia, so I am inclined to skip the Polish one. Then onwards to Wroclaw one night, Poznan one night, Torun one night, then to Warsaw dropping off the car. Fly home from Warsaw.
Or from Torun drive north passing Malbork castle, ending up in Gdansk drop off car. Fly from Gdansk to Warsaw before heading home. I may have to try harder to extend our vacation time.
Thanks again for most helpful feedback. Any advice on driving time, tips and road conditions will be appreciated.
Or from Torun drive north passing Malbork castle, ending up in Gdansk drop off car. Fly from Gdansk to Warsaw before heading home. I may have to try harder to extend our vacation time.
Thanks again for most helpful feedback. Any advice on driving time, tips and road conditions will be appreciated.
Jul 20th, 2017, 01:30 AM
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Having a car can offer a freedom not otherwise available and a chance to see places that are not readily visited via public transportation, and certainly, there are times when I choose to rent a car, too! But there are disadvantages to having a car, too.
- For one thing, some of those “oh, doesn’t that look charming!” places aren’t actually that charming, and by the time you get back on the road, you can end up with less time than might be ideal for visiting the places that were your priorities.
- For another thing, driving can be stressful – and I say that as someone who loves driving! But some roads are challenging, unexpected detours or GPS failures can be a bit daunting, and driving into cities (and finding parking) can make the last part of a long trip less than pleasant.
- Driving – or at least responsible driving – poses constraints on the driver. For example, the driver may be unable to truly enjoy spectacular scenery, as s/he needs to pay attention to the road -- sometimes, very careful attention! And depending on how much one eats and one’s size and and how long one relaxes over a meal, even a glass of wine with lunch may carry risks.
- Driving is generally not a particularly green choice – and for some of us, that is a worthy consideration.
- And IMO, one of the best things about taking public transportation: It can sometimes give you wonderful opportunities to interact with people from the area, or gain insights into local norms and traditions.
I hope these comments prove helpful!
- For one thing, some of those “oh, doesn’t that look charming!” places aren’t actually that charming, and by the time you get back on the road, you can end up with less time than might be ideal for visiting the places that were your priorities.
- For another thing, driving can be stressful – and I say that as someone who loves driving! But some roads are challenging, unexpected detours or GPS failures can be a bit daunting, and driving into cities (and finding parking) can make the last part of a long trip less than pleasant.
- Driving – or at least responsible driving – poses constraints on the driver. For example, the driver may be unable to truly enjoy spectacular scenery, as s/he needs to pay attention to the road -- sometimes, very careful attention! And depending on how much one eats and one’s size and and how long one relaxes over a meal, even a glass of wine with lunch may carry risks.
- Driving is generally not a particularly green choice – and for some of us, that is a worthy consideration.
- And IMO, one of the best things about taking public transportation: It can sometimes give you wonderful opportunities to interact with people from the area, or gain insights into local norms and traditions.
I hope these comments prove helpful!
Jul 20th, 2017, 02:05 AM
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Thanks kja for your helpful thoughts.
I will warn my husband that it's zero tolerance for alcohol driving in Poland. We've driven often in foreign countries, most recently in Bulgaria in April and have experienced first hand the trial and tribulations of driving on less developed roads with poor street signs. And being disappointed by the "must see" detours. And stopping car from being towed away for parking inadvertently on a temporary "having a festival tonight no parking zone" in Polignano a Mare in Puglia. But mostly they all add up to fond memories and funny stories to dine on. I plan not to book any accommodations in advance and so we can wing it on the road. This choice has made driving on trips less stressful for me. Thank goodness for booking.com which allows one to make really last minute reservations. We have free roaming data with T-Mobile which has been godsend in many countries even Bulgaria where we had 3G or less in most parts of the country.
I will warn my husband that it's zero tolerance for alcohol driving in Poland. We've driven often in foreign countries, most recently in Bulgaria in April and have experienced first hand the trial and tribulations of driving on less developed roads with poor street signs. And being disappointed by the "must see" detours. And stopping car from being towed away for parking inadvertently on a temporary "having a festival tonight no parking zone" in Polignano a Mare in Puglia. But mostly they all add up to fond memories and funny stories to dine on. I plan not to book any accommodations in advance and so we can wing it on the road. This choice has made driving on trips less stressful for me. Thank goodness for booking.com which allows one to make really last minute reservations. We have free roaming data with T-Mobile which has been godsend in many countries even Bulgaria where we had 3G or less in most parts of the country.
Jul 20th, 2017, 04:18 AM
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Funny story about Puglia. We paid off the tow truck guy 50 euros to unhitch our car, and received a ticket with sincere apologies from the meter maid. The next day, we found the police station to pay the fine and received more sincere apologies for the ticket. Love Pogliano a Mare cops and that was a good albeit expensive interaction with the locals ��
Jul 20th, 2017, 04:33 AM
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Nice story (and thank you for it), but Polignano a Mare is in Italy, about 2,000 kilometers from Poland. I must admit that I don't see the relevance....
So you are thinking of renting a car to drive from Italy to Poland? No no no no no no NO!
Why are you trying to rent a car? Take public transportation (train, plane, bus --see rome2rio.com for your options) to Poland, and then IF you must (and I still don't see the rationale) rent a car once there.
Good luck!
So you are thinking of renting a car to drive from Italy to Poland? No no no no no no NO!
Why are you trying to rent a car? Take public transportation (train, plane, bus --see rome2rio.com for your options) to Poland, and then IF you must (and I still don't see the rationale) rent a car once there.
Good luck!
