Travel Tips Poland – To save you from reading a detailed introduction, I’ll just cut to the chase. Today I will share all the things I wish I knew before traveling to Poland. From things I wish I had researched better to things I wish people had told me and things I hope will help anyone visiting this beautiful country. Because if you love to travel, but can do without too many European destinations, Poland will surprise you.
I should have known that despite being in the European Union, Poland does not use the euro. It is the national currency of Poland
Travel Tips Poland
(pronounced zwoty) and a quick google search told me. Instead, I didn’t find out until the night before we left for Poland, which I admit was a rookie mistake.
Day Itinerary For Kraków In Poland
Accept euros or dollars, but ATMs and exchange counters can be found all over the country so you won’t have a problem getting local currency.
After their mother tongue, English is the second most spoken language in Poland. It is taught in schools and almost everyone who works in tourism in a big city speaks some English. You may not hear it in small towns and among the older locals, but you’ll get it well in the country’s top tourist spots. And while I can confirm that many people speak English, I have also witnessed that if asked, many people pretend they don’t understand when they are shy or reveal their accent. I heard “Sorry for my bad language” many times, even though my English is much better than my Polish.
After visiting this country, Wes and I learned a few words and phrases to help us. Knowing some basic greetings goes a long way when visiting a new country, and it came in handy when traveling off the beaten path to towns like Tarnow and Łódź. However, I cannot say that Polish is easy to learn. I’ve stopped trying to sound off too many of them
‘s in the language and instead focus on how Polish words are pronounced. It was easier for me to ask a local how to say “excuse me” in Polish than to try and figure out how to pronounce the word.
Top Tips For Visiting Krakow, Poland
. You can see us explaining some Polish greetings and phrases in one of our YouTube videos.
In Poland) are affordable fine dining restaurants that you’ll find all over Poland. In the past, dairy bars were subsidized by the government for workers, but today you can visit one and find full homemade meals for less than $2-3 CAD. Our visits to milk bars involved a lot of guesswork and some miming, but it’s an experience we’d recommend to anyone visiting Poland.
, I could not answer you. Today I can tell you not to leave Poland without (at least) trying
Another stereotype we’ve all heard is that Polish people only drink vodka. And, while we’ve had our fair share of Poland, there’s so much more to enjoy. Like beer. Often ranked among the top ten best beer drinkers in the world, beer in Poland is no joke. Žywiec and Tyskie aside, an impressive craft beer scene is growing in all the country’s cities. I’m surprised to almost always find a local IPA in bars, restaurants, and grocery stores. It is worth noting that, unlike the neighboring countries of Germany and the Czech Republic, in Poland it is forbidden to drink alcohol in public places. This is where Wes and I got our first taste
Travel To Poland: A Brief History, Tour Guide And Travel Tips You Should Know Before Visiting Poland
Unfortunately, there are many people in this world who still think of Poland as a dark country full of dark cities and dilapidated buildings, when this is not true. Even in the incredible city of Katowice. Instead, what you’ll find are beautiful urban boulevards with colorful buildings, cobbled roads and an undeniable European charm. If I had to choose, Poznań and Wrocław are my favorite old towns. But the main square of Krakow is also beautiful. And then Torun, Gdansk… You saw that they all have their own characteristics.
The other day, our friend Marta (from the Marticore YouTube channel) asked Wes to participate in the next “Twitter About Polish People” video. It’s a funny video series about exactly that, and we were asked to tweet: “I’m thinking of moving to Poland. I wonder if Polish people are welcoming.” In short, the Polish people have the same
The level of hospitality we have found in countries all over the world. You may inevitably cross paths with a grumpy shop owner, but in our case, we met some of the nicest people in Poland. Maybe even too hospitable…
If Poland is on your travel bucket list, you’re probably planning a visit to Warsaw. Maybe even Krakow. I really encourage you to make time for some of the other well-preserved towns. In my opinion, Wrocław, Poznań and Gdańsk deserve to be on the first-time itinerary. If it weren’t for the dozens of recommendations we receive from visitors, we might not have had the chance to discover so many beautiful Polish cities.
Travel Tips For Warsaw
We observed an undeniable sense of pride among the Polish people. They value their traditions and can be sensitive to criticism. This all came to our attention after various bold comments on our YouTube channel, but it definitely helped us understand Polish culture more. They mean well, but are not shy about correcting you when you’re wrong. Which brings me to my next point…
I can’t tell you how many times we were corrected and/or reminded that Poland is in Central Europe, not Eastern Europe. There is no solid line on the continent to help you define this, but I can’t blame Polish people for not wanting to be labeled as Eastern European. There doesn’t seem to be a clear consensus on the internet that differentiates between Western, Central, and Eastern Europe, but if you know of a reliable source, please share it in the comments!
One of the first things we saw when we left the Warsaw railway station was the spacious Palace of Culture and Science. At first, we thought it looked like a beautiful building, but it turns out that the skyscraper in Poland is actually quite controversial. Construction began in the 1950s amid the post-war ruins of Warsaw and was intended as a “gift” by Stalin himself. Some say you actually get the best view of Warsaw from its observation deck because you can’t see the palace if you’re up there.
I wasn’t sure if I should include this in the list, but here it is. Wes’s blue eyes and white skin allow him to blend in well when traveling in Europe, which he doesn’t for me. Racism in Poland is something I’ve read a lot about online, but after weeks of traveling around the country on two occasions, I can say that I haven’t experienced any hostility or racist behavior myself.
Tips For Low Budget Travel Around Poland
I didn’t know that the largest castle in the world (when measured by land area) was found in Poland. Malbork Castle was built by the Teutonic Knights and we visited the impressive castle grounds as a fun day trip from Gdansk. Despite its size, Poland has a long list of castles that are even more beautiful than Malbork!
Wes and I have traveled to over 20 countries, but nowhere have we made more lasting friendships than in Poland. Due to our travels and filming, we were able to meet Arek in Warsaw, Marta in Łódź, Adam, Sonja and Ines in Wrocław, Michal in Torun, Ola and Antonina in Poznań and Charek and Eva in Northern Ireland. They kindly showed us their hometowns, gave us delicious food and even hosted us on their sofas. No words can express how grateful we are for their generosity and support. We are in regular contact and look forward to returning the favor at a moment’s notice!
There is something to be said about visiting a country that blows any and all of your expectations out of the water. We landed in Warsaw for the first time, our only cheap ticket to Europe, and after 5 weeks we didn’t want to leave. And while I wish I knew how much I love Poland, I appreciate the element of surprise. Thank you Polska. Thank you very much.
One last thing I wish I knew before going to Poland is that our YouTube channel will be GONE when we post our first video in Poland. When we landed in Warsaw, we wanted to update our audience (currently less than 1,000 subscribers) and post a random video about our flight, our first days and our Workaway experience. If I watched it now, I’d probably be upset, but this video is our most watched video on the channel with almost 230,000+ views. As we
