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Draft data. Times, fares and step counts are desk estimates awaiting field checks. Unknown times stay unknown. How we verify

country

PolandPolska

First trip: Kraków for 3–4 nights (with Auschwitz-Birkenau and Wieliczka as booked day trips), then Warsaw or Gdańsk for 2–3 by fast train; one base per city, no car.

Not field-verified

Poland's main cities are far apart but joined by fast intercity trains, so a line of two or three cities works and a loop of five does not. What breaks trips is arriving at Auschwitz-Birkenau without a timed entry, the Sunday shop closures, and paying in euros. Book the memorial and salt mine ahead, keep one bed per city, and pay in złoty.

All regions, cities and parks in Poland (Atlas) →

Regions

Lesser Polandplanned

Kraków base; Auschwitz-Birkenau, Wieliczka and Zakopane

3–5 nights

Masoviaplanned

Warsaw

2–3 nights

Pomeraniaplanned

Gdańsk, Sopot, Gdynia and Malbork Castle

2–3 nights

Lower Silesiaplanned

Wrocław and the mountains to the south

2 nights

Arrive

WAW

Warsaw Chopin

Train or bus to central Warsaw

KRK

Kraków John Paul II

Train to Kraków Główny station

GDN

Gdańsk Lech Wałęsa

Train or bus to Gdańsk centre

Time math

4 days
Kraków 4 (Old Town, Wawel, Kazimierz, Auschwitz-Birkenau day)
7 days
Kraków 4 + Warsaw 3 (fast train)
10 days
Kraków 4 + Warsaw 3 + Gdańsk 3

Country rules

Inherited by every page below
  • Poland is in the EU and the Schengen area: check entry rules, the EU Entry/Exit System and any travel authorisation requirement for your passport on official sources.
  • The currency is the Polish złoty (PLN), not the euro: decline dynamic currency conversion.
  • Most shops close on most Sundays under the trading law; small convenience stores and station shops are the exception.
  • The border areas with Belarus and Russia's Kaliningrad region have restricted zones; follow your own government's advice before travelling near them.

Etiquette

  • Auschwitz-Birkenau is a memorial: dress respectfully, keep quiet and do not pose for photos.
  • Take shoes off when you enter a home.
  • Greet with Dzień dobry when entering shops.
  • Cover shoulders in churches and keep quiet during services.
Nov 1 (All Saints' Day)
Nationwide travel to cemeteries; roads and trains are packed and shops close.
Christmas Eve to Dec 26
Shops, restaurants and museums close; reduced transport.
Easter weekend
Shops close on Easter Sunday and Monday; limited services.

Money & passes

Cash necessity: 2/5

  • Currency is the Polish złoty (PLN, zł). Cards and contactless payment are accepted almost everywhere.
  • Use bank ATMs and avoid standalone machines that push dynamic conversion.
  • Tipping: about 10% in restaurants; saying thank you when handing over cash can mean keep the change.

Before you fly: eSIM before you fly · Visas and entry

Safety

  • Emergency: 112 (the EU number) works everywhere.
  • Pickpockets work Kraków's Old Town, trains and Warsaw's central station.
  • Use ride-hailing apps or official taxi ranks; avoid unmarked taxis at stations.
  • Mountains: Tatra weather changes fast; check conditions and do not hike high routes alone in bad weather.
  • Some governments advise caution near the Belarus border; check your own government's advice.

Poland connects by train to Berlin, Prague and Vienna; Kraków pairs with a Czech or Slovak line.

Open Europe

Sources