What are Your Best Poland Travel Tips?

Thank you natalka, Iskra and Zgubiony!
I think I'll just bring a few rolls of toilet paper with me - it won't be the first time, believe it or not! :-)

Regarding:


I found this information in various places:

"No immunizations are required for entry. The following medical vaccinations are desirable or helpful for travel to Poland to prevent contagious diseases in Poland: hepatitis A & B, rabies, typhoid and tetanus.

A common disease is the tick-borne encephalitis. Travelers are at risk who visit or work in forested areas during the summer months and who consume unpasteurized dairy products. Vaccine for this disease is not available in the United States at this time. To prevent tick-borne infections travelers should take precautions to prevent tick bites."

Because we hope to do some hiking in the hills around Wysowa, the tick information caught my attention. We have plenty of ticks here (northeast USA) as well, and because I spend so much time in the woods collecting mushrooms I am accustomed to wearing plenty of protective clothing, even when it's hot out. But I'm wondering if anyone has had experience with ticks in that area?

And what's the story about consuming unpasteurized dairy products???

you dont half talk a load of crap, been here for 2 years, the water is fine:)

hehehe...you don't glow in the dark yet? lol

no michal that has only happened to you, thats why your contorted views on poland are taken with a pinch of salt


no but my third arms is smaller than the other 2;)

With respect, you do not know Poland as well as I do.

But, you were there 20 years ago Mike.

Speaking of dangers - what effect has the radiation plume from Chernobyl had on Polish crops and livestock? For example - can you safely eat mushrooms that you pick in the southeastern portion of the country? Can you safely drink the water? Are there any limitations or quarantines in effect?

Not that I know of.

without respect, but with the nonsense you come out with i think i do

Anybody can just go to modern day Poland and see things around them but I knew Poland of old and know the people very well indeed. There are good things about Poland in just the same way that there are good and bad things about everyone and everything, but Poland is not a safe country in which to live and my family will not be returning to Poland to live. In Poland, in a railway carriage, they will steal all your thing and then just throw your body out through a window on to the tracks below. Human life has almost no meaning whatsoever to the Poles.

i close my case your honour

That's strange. I've travelled across Poland several times during all hours and I've never had any problems. You can be robbed anywhere in the world. I live in NY and I'm sure there are more muggings/theft here than in Poland. I for one feel safer there :)

Since we'll be flying in to Krakow, and hope to spend a couple of days in and around Krakow (seeing the city itself, visiting Auschwitz, visiting the salt mine), we were thinking of just starting our time there instead of coming back to it later. Are there any good hotels in Krakow that will meet you at the airport and take you to the hotel? How long would the trip be from Krakow to Auschwitz? How much time should we budget for touring Auschwitz? How much time for the salt mine?

Europejski Hotel
Novotel Centrum

You can also check HotelsPoland.com. Just try to get ratings :)


1.5 - 2 hrs


I wouldn't try both in the same day. I'd also get to Auschwitz early :)

the salt mines, you can go there by train (little train ^_^)
and it doesn't take much time to get there.
if you go to the train station, you can buy a ticket there, and check the times it will run.
the salt mines tour was somthing like....hour to hour and half ^_^

You guys are awesome!
Has anyone ever visited a shop in Krakow called Perfekt, which designs and sews folk costumes from many different regions of Poland? I am very interested in obtaining some clothing that reflects my Carpatho-Rusyn heritage - both from the "old days" and some that I could wear today (such as a nice vest or coat). This is the only business I've found by searching on the Web. Do you know of it, or of others?

~1,5h by a train. That's Kraków-Oświęcim. Next you can walk or take a taxi to the camp.


You don't have to pay to enter the camp but you have to pay If you want to take a guide. Train tickets are rather cheap.


I was there last time many years ago and then It was something like 2h but before I had to wait over 1h. There's a lot of fast walking, so don't take your father there. They probably wouldn't even let him in.

And a crap load of stairs :)

10zl to take photos.

Looks like they have something from Krosno area but I'm not sure If that's £emko costume.


Yes...

over three hundred i counted them then nearly fell down as the stairs to the first main level in the salt mine are spiral and descending .....

dizzyness ensues ... the lift at the end is fab :)

I recommend sightseeing in Warsaw.

Hello again, everyone!
It's almost January, and I need to make solid plans for our trip to Poland in July. You've all been most helpful already, so I hope you don't mind if I keep asking more questions and looking for more assistance with this.

If you live in or around Krakow, or are knowledgable about that area, or also the area from Gorlice south to Wysowa (very near the border), east to Nowy Zmigrod and southeast to Zyndranova (please click on map below to see the area) and would be willing to help me out with planning this trip, I sure would appreciate it. Feel free to PM or e-mail me or to add postings here - I'll gladly take all input and suggestions.

I'll add more posts with specific questions, but wanted to put this out there right away so that you can feel free to post whatever you like on the subject.

Thank you very much for all your help!

• 
  Rakky Travel Map
  

water sux in Pl, but PLS! No hepitatis ot other deseaes... unless one Polak will bite U and give U Rabies...LOL
Be ware of Polish Folk!!!! They R ferral!

Our trip in July will include some time to do a bit of hiking and mushroom-hunting in Magurski National Park. Is anyone familiar with this park? Is it also referred to as Magura, or is that another park? Does anyone hunt mushrooms successfully in mid-July? If so, what species do you find?

Rakky, i find the best place to check for hotels is tripadvisor. They have reviews, a forum and can do a best price check.

I can't argue much with an expert, but July does seem early to me. Let's say, for some species.

True, but not all of the edible species grow in the fall, when most people hunt for mushrooms. For example, I find nice chanterelles in the summer, as well as some early boletes. Do you have chanterelles there?

Sorry, I have no idea about mushrooms. I was just answering your last question.

YET!
It's never too late to start learning!

Very common. In Polish it's Kurka (pieprznik jadalny) - (summer-fall ) June-September in hardwood and coniferous forests. There are forms which differ somewhat in color. Chanterelle is very characteristic specie and difficult to be mistaken. However it looks very similar to False Chanterelle ( which is slightly toxic). If you look under the cap you can see vivid orange and it has no smell. Also very similar to Hedgehog (Edible) in Polish kolczak, it has tooth-like surface under cap. Sometimes they even grow close together. If you know your mushrooms you should be safe, but if it's your first time mushroom hunting in any region it's always a good idea to go with someone local or at least ask someone local.

Some links u may find useful.

Gorlice miasto.gorlicki.iap.pl/gm_usciegor.htm
Wysowa
Mushrooms