4-5 Nights in Poland....advice sought
 

A friend and I will be in Poland in August for 4 or 5 nights. Business takes us near and we thought we'd go somewhere that neither of us have been. Understanding the brevity of the trip, how would you recommend dividing the time? We thought 2 nights in Warsaw, and two nights in Krakow, and if we could add a night, we would follow the advice of the forum as to which city would warrant the extra night. Many thanks for any advice and itineraries. Cost is not an issue as we want to maximize our time...

I haven't been to Warsaw so I can't offer advice on Warsaw, but I have been to Krakow & absolutely love this very pretty city. If it were me, I would add the extra night on to Krakow. We spent a day wandering around the main square, visiting the Wawel castle & cathedral, St. Mary's church & the Cloth Hall. We also had a guided tour of Auschwitz & the salt mines. Saw one of the art museums in the Cloth Hall. Also visited Kazmierz. We didn't have time for other typical day trips from Krakow, such as Zakopane, Black Madonna.

In Krakow we stayed at the Hotel Saski, very close to the main square. Price includes breakfast, one of the best we have had, hot & cold foods including eggs cooked to order.

August will be very crowded (we went in October) so I think you need 3 nights to have time for sightseeing, waiting in lines, etc.

Hi; Agree with Kwoo. We have been to both cities and I would suggest Krakow for another day. Many sights outside the city. Plus it will take a bit of time on the train to get there. Good information on this site to download. Richard www.inyourpocket.com

One day is not enough for Krakow. If I were you I'd spend the entire time there.

I also agree - add the time to Krakow!

Um, what's "near"? Poland is a large country and there's a lot more to see than Krakow (and certainly better places to visit than Warsaw).

Near as in you're going to be near the southern part of the country -- go to Krakow (you can skip Warsaw) and maybe a night in Wroclaw (pronounced Vrotswav).

Near as in east of Poland (hopefully not Kaliningrad or Belarus) like Lithuania? Then Warsaw may be good and if you have to do Warsaw, then definitely hop on the train to Krakow.

Near as in Berlin or eastern Germany? Go to Gdansk -- where WWII began and Solidarity helped start the long ponderous fall of the USSR -- for a few nights, see the Shipyards, Post Office, Crane, Malbork Castle and hang out in Sopot or maybe go to Poznan, which is supposed to be a great college town and swing through Wroclaw on the way back.

If you go to Krakow, go to the Arka Pana, which was helped in its creation by a gent named Karol Wojtyla, the Archbishop of Krakow. Since 1978, the world has known him as Pope John Paul II.

Thanks for all this. Excellent and helpful. We will certainly make Krakow a focal point and perhaps just a night in Warsaw. Near is Bratislava; nearer than Hawaii where I live, but not "near" as in around the corner.

Warsaw is definately worth a night, if only to see how a destroyed old city was rebuilt in its old image. Richard

I was in Krakow for 3.5 days and it wasn't enough. Of course, I could have done more if it hadn't been pouring rain for part of the time. I loved Krakow and want to go back.