you might like to take the ferry from hel to sopot (stopping of for a swift half at the language pub or enjoying the atmosphere of monte cassino) before getting the train back to gdansk
train journey one direction to hel is probably ample
Don't think I want to carry recharger with me, I'll buy Polish batteries and throw them away (need to travel light as no man to carry my suitcase this time!)
K and A= Been there, done that!
Bubba
I had no idea there were any ferries from Hel! That is very useful to know.
Found this: ztm.gda.pl/ferry.html
I love water! Any more ferries I don't know about?
Regarding Warsaw and things to do, a friend of mine called Martyna made this answer on yahoo answers
There you go a quick tour round Poland...you don't need to go now and you can go and sit in cherry's bar on Marina road in Hastings, that's if it's still there lol
By the way, there's no Cherry's bar and no Marina Road here.
Well there used to be on the seafront, but I spelt it wrong and it was cherries bar. If you go along the seafront Grand Parade, into Marina where cherries bar was, and then the road leads into Grosvenor Crescent, but this was in 1997, so it may not be there any more. Read about cherries bar here it was a right den of iniquity :)
The ferry seems to take a very long time. It looks such a short distance on the map.
Depends on the map scale. The ferries motor along at about 10 knots which is why it takes that long. You'll land in Gdansk along the river near the gate to Dlugi Targ (Long Street on most maps in English( and it's a short walk to your hotel. I live here so if you need help finding your way around just email me.
Sorry about the punctuation. It's a Romanian keyboard.
Hey Scottie! Thanks for your offer to pick your brains about Gdansk. I'm hoping to stay at the hostel by the station. It looks great. I'd rather stay there than at the Holiday Inn, even if it cost the same. As I'm arriving by train I want to dump my suitcase ASAP and get myself off to Hel. Those ferries look wonderful to me ~ I'll definitely go one way by ferry and one way by train. I love all forms of transport and as I cannot walk very far it's an ideal way for me to sightsee. I'll no doubt be using trams and naturally want to see the Old Town. If there's any place that I should not miss do let me know. My pleasures are simple: architecture, music, meeting people, just looking at scenery/landscape/towns in general.
I'd happily treat you to lunch if you're free on Sept 21 or 22 and you can tell me about life for the Brits in Polska.
The hostel by the train station has a good reputation. There's also a boat on the river that's really nice and rooms are 60 zl a night. My friend's family stayed there three weeks ago and really liked it. I don't know if it will be there in September but I'll go tomorrow and get their web site for you.
Don't miss the Old Town here. The architecture has a strong Hanseatic influence and is different from other Polish Old Towns. Plenty of music and people here.
I should be free on 21 September. I start my new contract on 22 September and don't know yet when I'll have to be at the school.
I can't tell you about life in Poland, just in Gdansk, and I'm an American!
The hostel is in an old railway building. I worked on the UK railways for 20 years and still feel a great love for it (three years ago I published a book about railway workers).
Would love to be sleeping within earshot of the trains. But sleeping in a boat sounds good too. Hmmm....
Well if you are around on 21st it would still be nice to have someone to meet up with even if just for an hour.
Everyone has some good suggestions. Disposable batteries are the best bet. We took over 1,000 photos. We stayed in Sopot at Hotel Irena, and rented an apt. in Gdansk for a weekend. You should try to squeeze in the castle at Malbork if you can. That is sort of between Ostrada and Gdansk. You can stay there, as well. If you don't want to go to the Concentration Camp at Auschwitz you can go to the one at Stutthof. It's about an hour or two from Gdansk. Best by car . I heard the bus is long. Ostrada is very nice. If you need any other tips on that area specifically, feel free to ask. Good luck. you will love it.
I've had my fill of concentration camps on previous visits, thanks!
I grew up not ever meeting anyone with my surname (except my parents, or course). THen I saw the roll of names at Auscwitz and there were loads of Wojtczaks. I took a photo of it.
Helena
Oh well the first part of the itinerary is down the drain: no Eurostar! Have to go Dover-Calais-Lille-Brussels! A spot of bad luck, there.
not a bad crossing i did it last week and will do again in a weeks time when i head back to krakow takes about an hour hour and half dependant on sea conditions ... :)
