Travel / First visit to Poland in 20 years - bus/traintravel around the country [11]

I am visiting Poland next month for the first time since I was 12 years old. I am bringing my wife, who has never been to Poland before, and we are hoping to visit several cities, check out some family history, and watch birds!

Since I have no idea what Poland is like nowadays, I'm looking for opinions on bus and train travel around the country, on the quality and price of hotels and inns, and on general tourist safety (I know that theft used to be a big problem). I am able to converse in Polish, though my vocabulary is limited, so I'm hoping we're going to have an awesome visit to an awesome country!

Another thing - my wife and I enjoy visiting national parks and similar areas - if anybody has advice about this, especially as it relates to bird watching, I am very much interested. I have already begun contacting Polish birding organizations and asking about visiting and volunteering...

Thanks for your thoughts!

Jason