Do you need a car in Poland?
 

Traveling to Poland and trying to decide if I would be best to use public transportation or just rent a car... Will be in Warsaw & Krakow area. Also thinking about going to Sopot area but that may be to much to do because it so far north. Staying in Poland 7 nights. Thanks in advance for your help!

If you'll be mostly in cities then you definitely won't need a car within cities or for traveling between cities. I'm not familiar with Sopot so have no idea how to get there.

I woudln't say you'd need a car in either Krakow or Warsaw, for getting between the two you could either fly or take the train

Sopot is on baltic sea in the northern part.

Agree, that mostly between those two cities, you don't need a car. A little information on those two cities. Richard www.inyourpocket.com

Take the choo choo train and hope it gets you where you want to be. You should be sportingly too, those steps are high and the platform isn't. Love this Russian hardware!
But then, I'm driving..

Poland is not Slovenia or Slovakia, it is about the size of New Mexico in the US, which is the 5th largest state. Going to three separate corners of the country in 7 days may be a bit much.

From Sopot to Warsaw is a 4+ hour train ride and similar drive time. From Sopot to Krakow, it's nearly double. When we went, the planes were no better -- we had a 5+ hour layover in Warsaw from a Gdansk-Krakow itinerary.

With 7 nights, you will lose a full day getting from Sopot to one of the others or vice versa, and then lose about a 1/2 day going from Warsaw to Krakow (3 hours by the fastest train).

All that said, we liked Gdansk a lot and had no real use for visiting Warsaw other than as the international entry and departure point for our flight. If you go to Sopot, you can sit on the beach one day, visit Gdansk for historical touring one day, visit Malbork Castle for about a 1/2 day, and resume partying in Sopot.

For us, Warsaw which was destroyed in WW2 is worth two days. The way the old city was rebuilt is incredible. If you happen to be there on a Sunday, a free Chopin concert in the park. To each his own. The train to Krakow from Warsaw is under three hours. Easy to spend four or five days, with two day trips outside the city. Consider flying into Warsaw and out of Krakow. No need for a car. Our last trip to Poland, we did have a car and it was easy driving. But we did have two weeks after leaving Vilinus. Just another opinion. Richard

P.S Whatever you do, don't miss Krakow, the only city in Poland that didn't have extensive damage in WW2. It's pristine and a great city to visit.

Unless you've driven in Poland before, given your itinerary I don't recommend it. It's a hearty adventure to navigate Polish roads and put up with Polish drivers. Not all are bad and there are certainly stretches of fine road, but not all the way from Sopot to Krakow. In fact, it's quite aggravating to travel cross country by car here as you must put up with frequent traffic jams, constricted roadways, aggro drivers and lots and lots of construction for Euro 2012. Trains and planes are the best, especially for visitors and that they're not much more costly than petrol and your time behind the wheel. In a few years, we expect a marked improvement, but for 2011, I really do not recommended it.

Thanks for the info. We have decided to skip Sopot area and not try to push it by seeing to much. I didn't even think about flying between cities so great tip. We will stay 3 nights in Krakow and 4 in Warsaw. What are the must do things in those 2 area's?

Stay less in Warsaw or skip if you can - and try Sopot / Gdansk - all by train - be faster - road constructions are all over - and you car be parked in major cities - maybe you can do overnight train to max out on days - and save on some hotels http://rozklad-pkp.pl/?q=en/node/143 train trip is 8hours from krakow to gdansk ( gdansk is next to Sopot ) and they have direct connections ( with 2 overnight direct )

<< What are the must do things in those 2 area's >>

Did you look at the link that iris gave you (above)? People have different ideas of what is a "must do sight".

I think you should stay 4 nights in Krakow - it's a wonderful city.

I think so too. If I had to choose where to stay longer, It would surely be Krakow. In Warsaw, there are plenty of things to see, but even more is in Krakow. The old town, castle, Kazimierz District, near the Salt Mine in Wieliczka, Auschwitz Labor Camp, Ojców, one hour is also from Krakow to Zakopane - winter capital of Poland. Oh I could on and on things that you should see. You can not forget also about local secrets as “zapiekanka” of Kazimierz District or the Kosciuszko Mound.

How’s after the trip? You finally rented that car? and you had enough time to see Sopot?