hkchemsir

Hello Everybody,

My family are planing to visit Poland and out trip will start from Baltic countries.

The above mentioned cities that we intent to stay.

Can you give me some suggestions how many days should we spend in each city?

Now we want stay in
Warsaw (2 nights)
Krakow (4-5 nights)
Gdansk (4-5 nights).

Do you have any opinion ?

Hope to hear your experience.

Thanks so much.

Gavin

madamtrashheap

Krakow for 4-5 nights is a good choice - beautiful city and you can also take day trips to Auschwitz-Birkenau and Wieliszcka Salt Mines if you're looking for things in the region.

I'd probably suggest 2 full days (3 nights) in Warsaw and 3-4 nights in Gdansk.

kja

I agree with madamtrashheap -- 2 full days for Warsaw and 4 or 5 full days for Krakow. (Don't miss the Lady with an Ermine.) I haven't been to Gdansk yet.

Andrew

I did a trip from Gdansk to Torun, Wroclaw, and Krakow (skipped Warsaw, continued on to Czech Republic instead). Click on my name to read my trip report/view my pictures. I took trains everywhere (not particularly nice but cheap and efficient).

I spent 3 nights in Gdansk and 3 nights in Krakow. There is a lot to do and see in Krakow, and it is time consuming (assuming you go to Auschwitz). With 3 nights and long travel days arriving and departing, a 4th night would have been nice, to give me more time just to explore the city without haste. It is a nice town.

Three nights in Gdansk was enough for me, though. It is a nice city too (hard to compare to Krakow - very different; far less touristy than Krakow) and depending on your interests, there's a lot to see there too, but it didn't take me as long to see it. I was a bit disappointed with a couple of the side trips. Sopot, the beach resort, was kind of nice but also kind of a yawn. I could have missed it. On the other hand, I enjoyed my day trip to Malbork castle very much (fantastic castle - if you have even the slightest interest in castles I highly recommend it).

Between Gdansk and Wroclaw (which I also enjoyed), I stopped for one night in the adorable town of Torun, which I assume also makes a convenient stop between Gdansk and Warsaw by train. There isn't tons to see in the town if you're a museum buff, but it's just a cute town, great town center, really nice. (The place is known for its gingerbread which you smell everywhere plus it's the birth place of Copernicus.) I recommend a night there if you can fit it in between Gdansk and Warsaw. It makes a nice contrast to all of the other big cities on your itinerary, even though Torun is really not such a "small town" itself. (but it feels much smaller than those other cities.)

adrienne

4-5 days in Krakow and 2 days in Warsaw. I was disappointed in Warsaw. The best thing I saw there was the Uprising (Rising) Museum.

I loved Krakow - I've been there twice and would love to return. It's beautiful with lots of interesting sightseeing and friendly people.

kja - you keep recommending the Lady with an Ermine and I'm jealous you got to see it. She was not there during my two visits to Krakow. Perhaps next time she'll stay put!

kja

"you keep recommending the Lady with an Ermine and I'm jealous you got to see it. " Oh my, adrienne, she is truly special. When I saw her, she was in a small room, on an easel all by herself, with just a few chairs arrayed in front of her. I was alone with her for quite a while. It was such a treat! I do hope you get to see her some day.

hkchemsir

Thanks the above experiences. Very useful opinions because it will be the fist time I visit Poland.

Hello kja, What is the Lady with an Ermine ??
Can you tell more?

Thanks.

Gavin

adrienne

>

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lady_with_an_Ermine

It amazes me that people still are unaware of internet search engines.

bilboburgler

Warsaw for a whole day? I might drop in for a coffee but that is about it. Malbork near Gdansk is worth a day trip

irishface

hkchemsir, the Lady with the Ermine, was painted by Leonardo da Vinci. (read the wiki article link for more info) I found this painting even more fascinating than Mona Lisa. Perhaps it is the quieter setting where one can stop and study without being jostled by crowds. Perhaps it was the smaller museum which to me was not so overwhelming. At any rate it is not to be missed when you are in Krakow.

kja

As I understand it, the museum in which the Lady with an Ermine has her permanent home -- the Czartoryski Museum -- has been renovated recently; I don't believe that her setting is quite as private as it once was. Still, she is not to be missed.

Leely2

I saw the Lady with an Ermine this July and she was still housed in Wawel Castle. Is Czartoryski done now? It wasn't this summer.

Two nights Warsaw, five (or six) Krakow is what I would do. Unfortunately I've not been to Gdansk. Loved Poland, a very interesting and--to me--soulful destination. Have a great trip!

kja

It seems that she moved back from Wawel Castle to the Czartoryski upon its re-opening - but by all means, google it and be sure you know before you find yourself in charming Krakow!

Morgan909

I think that Krakow is beautiful.
I was in Good Bye Lenin Hostel for 4 days. This is a nice hostel in the city center. Everything is close . Rooms clean and nice ... like Krakow . I would recommend to stay there longer .

reny

Hi guys, from my experience I may some things about Gdansk. You should stay there min. 3 days, here's a lot of things to do and see, especially if you want to visit the whole Tricity - Gdansk, Sopot and Gdynia. What is more the district around is very interesting in historical point of view, but also wonderful landscapes you might see here. I was with my family in May and we used a service from http://www.travelgdansk.pl/tours.php they have a lot of options even for families with children. They can even take you to other city if you're planning to visit further! I hope some info you may find useful. Reny

tonfromleiden

Yes, you should try to put Torun in your schedule. It's a beauty and wonderfully situated on the river.
If it's conveniently on your route - and you've got the time - one night in Czestochowa gives you the chance to experience the pilgrimage for the Black Madonna icon at the Jasna Gora monastery.
All in my opinion a much better use of your time than Warsaw.

Pegontheroad

I spent 3 days in Warsaw, and for me, that was not enough. I'm interested in WWII and the Cold War, and there was lots to see there. In fact, I'm planning on returning to Warsaw in either June or September to see what I missed.

Torun was a great town. Pleasant old town with lots of young families enjoying the charm of the city. I thought Gdansk had a lot to offer, including a lovely old town. Nearby is Westerplatte, where WWII was started, and the Solidarity Museum is not to be missed. So important in the history of Poland and of eastern Europe.