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Hi, everyone,<BR><BR>Two of us (a married couple) are planning a six day trip to Poland in August as part of a larger trip. We are staring our trip from Gdansk and are planning on spending time as follows:<BR><BR>Day 1: After arriving by ferry in Gdansk, take train to Krakow (traveling most/all day); stay in Krakow overnight <BR><BR>Day 2: sightsee in Krakow and stay the night<BR><BR>[2 nights total in Krakow]<BR><BR>Day 3: take 3 hour train from Krakow to Warsaw; stay in Warsaw<BR><BR>Days 4-5: sightsee and spend both nights in Warsaw<BR><BR>[3 nights total in Warsaw]<BR><BR>A few questions:<BR><BR>1) Does it make sense to train or fly from Gdansk to Warsaw? I assume that flying is more expensive; is it worth the extra cost? [or where could I get this information myself?]<BR><BR>2) Does it make sense to buy a 1-week rail pass or separate tickets if we do both trips by train? [or where can I get train prices]<BR><BR>3) Can you recommend "charming" hotels in Krakow and Warsaw at a "reasonable" cost (say, $65-$125/night)?<BR><BR>4) What would be the "must sees" in these cities, and is there anything in Gdansk of note to see?<BR><BR>Thank you for your help.<BR><BR>Ann<BR><BR>

notsure

I can't give you any information on trains or planes but be glad you aren't driving!! The roads will take you forever! As for accomodation, if you don't mind taking a tram into the main city (it's just a short ride)I know of a great inexpensive guest house and the couple that operates it are SOOO friendly and helpful and multi-lingual. They will assist you with just about anything and they really made our trip to the city memorable. Their web address escapes me right now but the name of the place is Dom Pod Tujami.... the cost was only around 40 USD per night including a nice breakfast. I highly recommend them as opposed to a hotel right downtown simply because they were SO nice and helpful.

Art

The old town in Gdansk is very charming. Also see the Solidarity memorial.<BR>I would take one night away from Warsaw and add one to Krakow. There is much to see in Krakow. You can search under Poland to see my trip report for Poland and Romania in Sept 2001.<BR>It is very easy driving in Poland. The roads are good although very little 4 lane and the drivers are very good and courteous.<BR>Poland is still quite inexpensive and you should be able to get good lodging for your budget.<BR>

Ben Haines

I agree that you might do well to take a day from Warsaw and give it to Krakow.<BR><BR>With time so short I think you should enjoy a day in beautiful Gdansk, and t<BR>ake a 2-berth sleeping car compartment from Gdansk at 1955 to Krakow Plaszow at 0650. Not Krakow Glowny, as you reach there at 0623, too early. Then a taxi, with a phone number written on it, to your hotel. Two that I like and that match your criteria are the Hotel Pollera (www.pollera.com.pl/ )and the Hotel Fortuna Bis (www.inyourpocket.com/reservation_poland.shtml, which will also book you for either hotel).<BR><BR>It is pointless to fly from Gdansk to Warsaw. Restaurant car trains leave hourly at 50 minutes past the hour and take four hours to Warsaw Central station. <BR><BR>Rail fares are so low in Poland that a rail pass makes no sense for your simple journeys. You can find fares at http://www.infokolej.pkp.pl/vade/ceny/index.htm&lt;­­br and prices for rail sleepers at ?Wars",<BR>http://www.wars.com.pl/ceny/ceny2_eng.htm/. Air fares are at http://www.lot.com/english/.<BR><BR>Please write if I can help further. Welcome to Europe.<BR><BR>Ben Haines, London<BR><BR>

notsure

Apologies...the accomodations I recommended are in Krakow... by the way, Art, with all due respect you are out of your mind about the roads in Poland!!! They are snail tracks and aside from the newly constructed parts (which are few and far between) pot hole ridden. Sorry to be off the subject!

Ann

Thanks to all of you for your responses. Thanks for the web site information, Ben -- very much appreciated.<BR><BR>

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A few follow-up questions:<BR><BR>1) I am in the US. Should I buy train seat or sleeper tickets ahead of time or wait until I arrive in Poland?<BR><BR>2) Ben, I saw on the sleeper train web site that it appears that sleepers on the Gdansk to Krakow train are 140PLN. (The web site is a bit strange in that it indicates "international" but this appears to be the price for domestic sleeper seats). Is this correct? Is the cost indicated here the total cost, or do I need to buy a ticket and/or reservation for each person?<BR><BR>3) Based on recommendations here, I think I will stay at the Pollera in Krakow and the Europejski Warsaw. Any additional feedback on these or other hotels is always appreciated.<BR><BR>Thank you.<BR><BR>Ann

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One other question: Is air conditioning required in late August in these cities? Do these hotels have a/c?<BR><BR>Thank you.

Linda

I am envious of your being in Gdansk and agree with poster who said to spend a little time there. Krakow is worth several days--including a trip to Zakopane in the Tatras Mountains (two hours south by bus not train) as it is a resort village and very nice, and Auschwitz/Birkenau concentration camps (one hour west) and they have Krakow city tours to take you. Wawel Castle and grounds, salt mines and just strolling the inner city are fun things. I stayed at Hotel Polonia because it was 2 minutes from the train station and 5 minutes to the middle of old town, the staff was nice and the room ok.

kathy pompe

We stayed four nights (not long enough) at the Hotel Polonia in Krakow and thought it was great. Would definitely recommend it as a very nice three star choice. Large rooms, clean modern baths, courteous staff, old world charm complete with tapestries in the lobby and hallways. One was a reproduction of one of the unicorn tapestries from the Cluny in Paris. Excellent location if you're traveling by train. Kathy

Art

Notsure, We drove from Germany to Turon, to Marlbork, to Gdansk, to Warsaw, to Krakow last Sept. and did not find a single pothole and were able to maintain speeds of 80 - 100 kph most of the time in the countryside. We did find a little roadwork just below Gdansk. Took us about 20 min to get by it.<BR>

topper

topping

Ben Haines

<BR>You can buy you seat or sleeper tickets on arrival in Gdansk. The easiest place to buy them at the Orbis office: your ship?s pursar and the city tourist office can tell you where that is. Buying at the station is perfectly possible, but you have to stand in line a little.<BR><BR>You are right: the 140 zloties is for a berth in a 2-berth compartment on an international train. I cannot find a figure online for a berth on a domestic train: I recall it as about 100 zloties or 26 euros. This is only a supplement. You have to add the basic first class fare, which the Thomas Cook European timetable for January says was then 66 zloties or 18 euros. All in all, no great burden. I forgot to say that some overnight trains run late in Poland. If yours does, you can leave it at Krakow Glowny station, take the lift from the platform straight up to the car park and taxi stand, and take a taxi with a phone number painted on its side to the Hotel Pollera. It is true that it is only five minutes? walk, but that touch of elegance and speed is worth the fare, and you avoid the pickpockets who work the station.<BR><BR>What discriminating people Fodors readers are. They appreciate the Pollera. I ought to have mentioned that there is no lift, but there are helpful staff to take your bags to your room, and the hotel is not tall. I am pretty sure it has no air conditioning, and am sure that in late August you need none. You just open windows in the evening and early morning (and perhaps all night) to take in cool air, and seal, shutter and curtain them by day to keep light and warmth out.<BR>

Ben Haines

I am having second thoughts. Perhaps you should rserve your berths from Gdansk. If you will be in Sweden or somewhere in Scandinavia or west Europe a few days to a month ahead of landing in Gdansk you can do it it the international desk of any big railway station. If not, there are agencies that use European prices. Please avoid RailEurope, who take a large mark-up.<BR><BR><BR>Euraide, offices in Florida and Germany: http://www.euraide.de/. Telephone in USA 1 941-480-1555. Fax 1 941-480-1522. E-mail [email protected]<BR>Trainseurope Ltd, of Cambridgeshire and London, take credit card bookings by phone and mail tickets to any address. Have the widest access in Britain to rail systems and tickets. http://www.trainseurope.co.uk/ - E-mail [email protected]. Phone 00 44 900 195 0101 - calls from Britain cost 60p per minute, maximum &pound;5, but if the enquiry results in a booking, the cost of the call is deducted from the final invoice.<BR>German Rail UK: www.deutsche-bahn.co.uk/ Phone : 00 44 870 243 53 63 Fax : 00 44 20 8339 4700. E-mail : [email protected] <BR>Ben Haines, London<BR>

Peter

Just adding to all good responses... In Gdansk you may want to consider staying in Gdansk Holiday Inn (very nice with very helpfull staff) which is right across from Main Train station (with underground crossing). This hotel is also located on the side where Old City is - (right on the edge) so You are about 10min of a very nice walk to the old square. Also Hotel will probably assist you in getting tickets etc. (but as Ben mentioned you can do it yourself in international counter (where they do speak English) at the train station.<BR>Also as others suggest It would be wise to shorten you trip in Warsaw (or even skip Warsaw) and add some days to Gdansk and/or Krakow.

GSteed

Good luck! Try busses, a bit confining but much safer. Skip Warszawa..Better visit Wroclaw..Use Tram..Find Olimpia Hotel, near the 1936 Olympic venue is still intact..Spis Restaurant best Mexican style food in Europe (?).