We wil be going to Poland for 11 days in August. We have reservations at the Bristol in Warsaw for the first two nights--do you have any suggestions for hotels in Krakow, Gdansk and Torun?? We like to stay at historic hotels--not chains--I tried to reserve the Copernicus in Krakow but it was full. Also the last night should we stay downtown and taxi to the airport--or stay nearer the airport--our flight doesnt leave till 11 so we could keep the car unless traffic is really a problem? Thanks in advance. jan

Do a search on Poland and/or Krakow on this site - many wonderful recommendations posted in the past.

The Krakow airport is very small and in fact, we used the bus to journey into town. Since our flight was early, we simply arranged with the hotel (Eurojpski -sp?) for a taxi.

We stayed at the Saski Hotel in Krakow last Oct. I highly recommend it. Excellent location! It is located in Old Town, about 1/2 block from the Main Square (Rynek Glowny). We had a triple, which was very spacious. Cost was $93.00 for the triple with private bath, including breakfast. Staff were friendly and polite.

Thanks for your suggestions--do you have any suggestions for restaurants???

Maybe you could check the Mozart Hotel, its in the same price range as the Copernicous, and it has a great location.........sowhere I read that the wife of the Rusian President likes to stay there.

Torun... Stay in Heban Hotel which also has great restaurant

http://www.hotel-heban.com.pl/heban_eng.htm

Location: Take Waly Gen. Sikorkiego to Dominikanska to Male Garbary - Hotel is near Krolowej Jadwigi (which splits from Szeroka Going to Nowy Rynek) double 300zl. double higher standard 350zl. also has restaurant historical "Kominkowa" guarded parking down the street 300m.

Room #2 has 2 rooms bedroom with queen size bad and living large living room - this apt. is noisy from restaurant from 7am to 11:30pm(room#1 maybe more quite but has 2single bads). Room#9 on top (3rd floor) is very large and very nice one room apt. with large attic wooden beams and couple of skylights make this apt. very stylish and sunny, has one large bed. All rooms have stylish oldfshion furnishing, refrigiator, phone, radio and 19'inch multichannel TV's

or second choice:
PetiteFleur Hotel - http://www.hotel.torun.com.pl/index_en.htm

Which also has good restaurant.

For food in Torun... next to Clock Tower - "Sphinx" Restaurant or down the street for some really regional food "U Soltysa"

and if you are on some serious budget and looking for some really cheap but still good food then Bar Malgoska on 12 Szczytna Street. - self serv but all fresh and good - huge hit with local students.

Gdansk: I like Holiday Inn Hotel - which is not a historic building but very nice and comfortable - with great location (short walk from train/bus station) as well as short walk to old center. http://www.gdansk.globalhotels.pl/
if you are looking for something with a charm then Grand Hotel in Sopot http://www.orbis.pl/indexH.php4?h=31&j=2
ask for rooms in center of hotel (they are bit larger with double balcony) with beach view... location of this hotel is just great... with good prices and many promotians...

Both have great restaurants (Grand-Sopot even won some prizes for their food) - there is also a ton of restaurants in old city of Gdansk as well as in Sopot.

Stayed at the Hotel Polski in Krakow two or 3 years ago. It's just inside the wall of the old town, close to the town square and an easy walk from the train station. It's an old building that has been redone very nicely. It's on the main pedestrian street. I asked for a quiet room on the courtyard (the back). It was about $100 and included a good breakfast buffet. http://www.podorlem.com.pl/

Whether you are leaving Poland from Warsaw, Gdansk or Krakow, don't worry about where you stay the night before. Regardless of time of day, it won't take you more than 30 minutes to get to the airport in either Gdansk or Krakow. In Warsaw, you may want to allow an up to an hour if you are traveling during rush hour, otherwise 30 minutes is plenty. All the airports are small by US standards. Warsaw's airport only has 10 or so operable gates and the other airports are much smaller.

While in Gdansk you may consider the following hotels:
Podewils - 18th century decor/5 Star rating
Hanza - modern, just 7 or 8 years old/4 Stars
If you want a authentic Polish experience, just pick any 3 star locale.

FYI - If you are looking for historic hotels, the Bristol is not it. While the building is 100 + years old, the hotel is owned by the up-scale chain, Le Meridien. However, this is a very fine hotel in a good location from which to explore Warsaw.