Eastern Europe · Poland

Hello In some Polish cities, seniors benefit from free public transport. My question is: does this also apply to EU foreigners? On paper, yes, but I know some travelers have run into unsympathetic inspectors in the past who refused to grant this discount to non-Polish people. That said, these situations are a few years old now. Thanks for sharing your experiences!

Planning to return to Belarus in mid-August, I just realized that since last September, Poland has reopened several border crossing points, and for buses, this means connections like Białystok-Grodno.

The official Polish page: https://granica.gov.pl/index_wait.php?p=b&c=t&v=pl&k=w



Several bus company routes, like on infobus.eu, take between 3 and 4 hours. Trains from Warsaw to Białystok take about 1.5 to 2 hours. This has the advantage of allowing comfortable train journeys with minimal time spent on a bus. Also, the Terespol-Brest border might have shorter queues if you still prefer a Warsaw-Brest bus.

Note that another route to Minsk, if you have a paper Russian or Belarusian visa, is the Kaliningrad-Minsk train. It’s long—around ten or eleven hours—but you can lie down and sleep. An option if you fly into Gdańsk and then take a short bus to Kaliningrad.

There are also Belavia flights from Minsk to Kaliningrad, but they’re expensive. The route is scenic:



In any case, this adds a few more options compared to what’s been available over the last four years.

Hi, Are there still basic, traditional, and affordable authentic accommodations in Poland? I’ll be traveling in July with my husband and our 2 kids along the Warsaw-Łódź-Toruń-Gdańsk route, and all I can find online are standardized Ikea-style apartments in the cities. When I look for agrotourism, it’s all luxury farms. Can you find farms in the countryside or city lodgings for under 60 euros per night? And if so, how? Is it possible to find accommodations on the spot without internet—like from people who put up signs—even in July?

Thanks for your reply

Hi there

I’d like to know how much a meal costs on average in zloty in Poland (Warsaw, Kraków, Częstochowa, Wadowice), and also the price of souvenirs like postcards and magnets—so I don’t end up with too many zlotys left after my 5-day trip to Poland?

Hi there! Every year, we go on a cycling trip abroad with panniers, lasting about two weeks. We stay in step lodgings, guesthouses, and the like. We mostly take small roads and really enjoyed northern Montenegro and Albania last year.

We’d love to hear from anyone who’s cycled in these countries before: tips on finding quiet roads, highlights of the regions we’ll pass through, how welcoming the locals are, and so on. Thanks in advance for any replies or exchanges!

Hi there!!

This summer, we're planning to explore Poland from July 4th to 23rd. I’ve outlined our rough itinerary below—could you let me know if the number of days allocated to each destination makes sense or if there’s anything we should change? Thanks in advance!

S4 Departure, overnight in Würzburg (Germany) to break up the drive. D5 Travel day with visits: Jawor and Świdnica churches, Książ Castle (likely just the exterior), and a few other stops. Overnight in Wrocław. L6 Explore Wrocław M7 Explore Wrocław M8 Visit Kłodzko—is one day enough? Overnight near Auschwitz. J9 Visit Auschwitz, overnight in Kraków V10 Explore Kraków S11 Explore Kraków D12 Visit the Wieliczka Salt Mine, overnight near Zakopane L13 Zakopane M14 Zakopane M15 Visit Zamość, overnight in Lublin J16 Explore Lublin, overnight in Masuria (TBD) V17 Explore Masuria S18 Explore Masuria D19 Depart for Gdańsk, visit the Teutonic Castle, overnight in Gdańsk L20 Explore Gdańsk M21 Explore Gdańsk J22 Explore Gdańsk, possible day trip to Sopot? V23 Visit Toruń, then drive back to Germany. Overnight stop like on the way out. S24 Home!

Best, Christophe

Hello, Our trip is coming together nicely, and I have lots of questions about organizing this visit. We’re now looking to book our tickets for the Auschwitz-Birkenau tour. We have a hotel 5 km from the site, so we don’t need transportation. We’ll park our motorcycles there. Is the 3.5-hour tour complete, or are the others 7 hours because they include travel, as often mentioned in the booking title? Which is the most reliable site to book through? We can’t eat on-site. Can we bring water? Is there a place to eat nearby? There are so many questions, but this visit is very important to me.

Thanks in advance for your answers and advice!

Hello! We’re planning a motorcycle trip that will include a visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau in June 2026. We’re unsure (still debating) whether we should stay at a hotel on-site and get to the memorial with an Uber (leaving our bikes at the hotel) and book a guided tour, or base ourselves in Kraków and take a tour that includes transport. One thing’s for sure—we’d prefer a guide in French since we don’t speak English 😅.

Could you share your experiences or advice? I understand we need to book online rather than on-site. Thanks in advance for your replies!

hi everyone, I’d like to spend two weeks in Poland visiting the most beautiful spots: monuments, landscapes, etc. Do you think two weeks is enough? I’m planning to rent a car and book a room as I go. If anyone’s done this road trip before, I’d love to hear your thoughts and recommendations. Thanks! 🙂

Hi there, I’d love to know if you can watch French channels like France 24 or Euronews in hotels in Polish cities? Thanks...

Hi, I’d like to know if highways in Poland are toll roads for motorcycles, especially the A4 between WROCLAW and CRACOW.

If so, do you need to buy a vignette? Pay online? Are there toll booths at the entrances/exits? Thanks

Hi everyone, and thanks in advance for your help! I know this forum is really great, and I feel a bit awkward posting this request... I speak a little Polish, but not that well, especially when it comes to slang or colloquial speech... Someone said to me the other day: "kurwa ty kurwa". Of course, I know what the word "kurwa" means, but when someone is really angry, I’m not sure how to interpret this phrase. Could you please help me by giving the French equivalent? I’m really sorry for this somewhat unusual request, but it’s very important to me. Thanks!

Hi there,

When landing in Warsaw (WAW) in the middle of the day, is it possible to reach Bialowieza by public transport before nightfall? Or is it better to spend the night in Warsaw or Bialystok?

In August, is it easy to find accommodation/homestays in Bialowieza without booking in advance? What about the other parks in the area?

Thanks in advance! 🙂

Hi everyone,

With summer just around the corner, I’m looking for ideas for organized bike trips in France or Italy. I’m pretty used to traveling independently, but this time I’d like to try something more structured—either in a small group or with minimal logistics (accommodations booked, luggage transport, etc.).

I’m open to different difficulty levels, as long as the setting is pleasant (countryside, seaside, well-known routes, or even a bit more off-the-beaten-path). If you’ve already tried this kind of trip or have good recommendations for agencies or providers, I’d love to hear them!

Thanks in advance for your tips! 🚴‍♂️☀️

Hi there! This summer, we're planning a 2- to 3-week road trip in one of these countries!! But despite all the reviews we’ve read on the forum, we still can’t decide... It’s so hard to choose between the Carpathians, Budapest, and Krakow!!! Could you give us some advice based on what you know? Thanks, Karine and Christophe

Hi there,

A friend and I are heading to Poland for 9–12 days at the end of the week. We’ll be landing at Kraków Airport. After that, it’s a blank slate with backpacks.

Do you have any suggestions for an itinerary that stays fairly close to Kraków to avoid wasting time on transport? And any great tips for guesthouses/hotels that are as budget-friendly as possible (or the best value for money)? We want to sightsee, party, and maybe hit the beach (probably around Gdańsk?).

Thanks in advance!

LoveAsia89