How to Go from Szczecin to Krakow? Drive?, Train?, Bus? Fly?

We will be visiting my family in Szczecin for a few days, but after that we want to see Krakow, then Lublin (Bilgoraj) and return to Warsaw.

I have driven in Mexico and Spain and have an international drivers license (AAA), but I'm concerned.... don't want to get lost or drive at night either. (There will be two of us sharing the driving.)

Any suggestions? Clues? Opinions?

What about jogging?

Seriously, driving is a good option, it'll be an adventure.

Flying via Warsaw is the best option. Flying form Goleniow (Szczecin aiport) to Warsaw and then connecting to Krakow and Lublin -although the latter I am not familiar with. Check with the nearest LOT airline for the domestic connections.

Driving is fun, if you like a bit of a challange but I would not reccomend it to somebody who has been away from Poland if that is the case.

Last year we drove from Krakow to Wolin which is above Szczecin on the map. The whole journey took us 9 hours. We set off at 4 am when the traffic was little. We took the highway from Krakow to Legnica near Wrocław, then headed straight to the north to Szczecin. There were a few breaks to fill in auto gas and straighten the legs.

We need to subtract some time from my 9 hour ride because we went farther than Szczecin destination. But taking into consideration that you are not a driver accustomed to Polish style of driving (which is seen as aggressive by foreign drivers), I estimate you will cover the route Szczecin - Krakow from 10 to 12 hours if it is in the morning with low traffic.

PS. The route is very simple, you can`t get lost, just driving straight ahead on international roads, that`s all. I was also concerned but later didn`t regret.

PS2. We were going on holiday to the Polish seaside last year.

PS3. The highway Krakow- Wrocław is a fast connection but beyond it you will lose a lot of time driving through towns and villages which don`t have by-passes.

Hire a decent Mercedes or Jaguar and drive, It is quite fun!

Thank you all for your great and imaginative suggestions - especially Pawian.

Your post has given me courage to try the drive. Maybe we'll stop in Wroclaw for the night and break it into a two day trip. And, Pawian, thank you also for the photo of the highway.

No its not. So they fly from Sczcecin to Warsaw and then virtually cover the same distance from there to Krakow? and just fly everywhere? transfers! public transport! Dodgy trains. What planet are you living on? getting wripped off by taxi drivers left right and centre and all the rest! I dont think so.

TerekaUSA, hire a car and do yourself a favour, visit the fantastic restaurants on the roads "be free" fuel is cheap, after 200 KM's you will have a decent understanding of the road system here, its different but its functional.

All the best.

Do stay in Wroclaw, go to Rynek. You'll be amazed.

I don't have enough of courage to drive in Poland. I don't like the road signs and don't recognize some of them. Luckily, when I visit Poland, I never have to, so i don't.

It's nice to be driven or take a comfortable bus or a train... :)