Travel / Help with a travel plan to Poland [72]

Hi everyone,
Thank you so much for all your input in this thread. I am sure my trip will be even better with all the info. You're a bunch of cool people.

I have made lists of places to visit per city and things to do, but I will inquire with my hosts for assistance as I go.

If by any chance you want to meet an Afrikaner, do make contact, and we can try to connect while I am there. Afrikaners are not Africans - for the record. Afrikaners have white skins with ancestral records in Europe. Our home language is Afrikaans, but we all have a good command of English.

So dit sal lekker wees om een van julle in die rêgte lewe te kan ontmoet :-)

Renier

Travel / Help with a travel plan to Poland [72]

Good day Polish friends.
I am soooo exited ! I will arrive in Gdansk on 1 March.

Updated schedule:

Gdanks = 3 days
Warsaw = 3 days
Zakopane = 3 days
Krakow = 4 days

I seem to have one extra day. Where do you recommend I add it?
Renier

ps: Lyzko sent me a message in some Netherlands, which was really surprising. It is similar to my language. Excellent! Thank you Lyzko. I do hope we can meet up while I am there.

Travel / Help with a travel plan to Poland [72]

@Chemikiem
@kaprys

Thank you some much. I will take this advice to heart. So I am going to skip Zamosc. There is a train from Lublin to Krakow, which makes it easier. I will do no driving at all during the trip.

Gdanks = 3 days
Warsaw = 3 days
Lublin = 3 days
Krakow = 3 days
Zakopane = 3 days

That effectively allows me to see five places with three days in each.
And around 16 hours in transit (train and bus).

Renier

Travel / Help with a travel plan to Poland [72]

Thank you Kaprys,
Do you think I have choice to drive from Zamosc to Krakow by car?

Travel / Help with a travel plan to Poland [72]

Thank you. Yes I will prepare with layers clothing, so that I can change according to the weather.

Hello everyone. Thank you Kaprys. I am still working on this while I wait for my visa.

Her is what I have so far: You can see my travel plan here ibb.co/bwuSTx
1. I have decided to go East as I make my way South.
2. I have indicated the places I want to see.
3. The only thing that looks cumbersome is the trip from Zamosc to Krakow. There is no train or bus as far as I can tell. And by car is five hours.

4. My flight out will be from Krakow, so after Zakopane - I will go back to Krakow.

Please let me know what you think. I will push an extra two days in.
It looks like this at the moment:

Gdanks = 3 days
Warsaw = 3 days
Lublin = 2 days
Zamosc = 1 day
Krakow = 3 days
Zakopane = 3 days

All these implies stay-overs.

This seems okay to me after much research, and will give me good combination of travel, sightseeing and a bit of rest (from work).
I am open to ANY ideas and suggestions please. Number of days, route, anything.
Thank you as always.

Renier

Travel / Help with a travel plan to Poland [72]

Thank you very much. I will definitely take your advice.
But I will be there in March. Come hell or high water (no pun intended) :-)

Renier

Travel / Help with a travel plan to Poland [72]

Merged:

Input on my travel plan

Hello everyone,
I have posted about my trip before, but I think the threads go away after a while.
Anyway, I have done plenty of research, and if you follow the link below, you can see my plan. It is based on 14 days which is max I can do.

ibb.co/nsHSib

It's pointless in saying what I want to see or accomplish in 14 days, because it will be impossible :-)

Your input will be great
Thank you
Renier

Travel / Help with a travel plan to Poland [72]

Thank you.
I will post an updated version of my route soon and would like your opinion again.

Renier

Travel / Help with a travel plan to Poland [72]

Hello. Yes it is getting tricky :-) Everyone recommends something different and more things to see. But it is fun to plan to trip.
At the same time I don't want to spend half my time on trains and planes.

I will see if I can add a day or two.
Renier

Travel / Help with a travel plan to Poland [72]

Thank you very much Lyzko. Appreciate the help.

Travel / Help with a travel plan to Poland [72]

Thank you again for the information :-)
Much appreciated. I will build these factors into my trip..

Renier

Travel / Help with a travel plan to Poland [72]

Hi
Thank you very much. It makes sense about the travel.
For us it is the other way around. Our currency is very weak.
I have plans to stay in Krakow for three nights.

Thank you
Renier

Travel / Help with a travel plan to Poland [72]

Hello,
I have done much work on my plan based on some more input and reading on the web. This is the route and appropriate number of days per town:

ibb.co/n1P1hR

Your opinion and input will be greatly appreciated.
Thank you
Renier.

Travel / Two weeks in Poland - would like to get an idea of costs please. [5]

Thank you Jardinero - that is awesome help :-)

Travel / Help with a travel plan to Poland [72]

Okay cool (no pun intended).

I will consider all the options. It looks like my country will take anyway a month or more to issue a visa. So if this trip is going to happen, it will probably be closer to March / April.

Thanks for all the help.
Renier

Travel / Help with a travel plan to Poland [72]

Thank you Kaprys,
I was planning on going on my own. Stay at Airbnb's and Couchsurfers to get some info and guidance as I go.
Trying to avoid joining a tourist group. If I do end up going, maybe go straight from Warsaw to Krakow and move around there.

I am surprised at what seems to be a reluctance to travel far for the Poles. I live in the capital of my country and the other two biggest cities from me are 700km and 1400km respectively. From what I can see on Google, it looks like Krakow is about 270km from Warsaw.

Trips like 300km for me to get to a place and stay there for two or three days would be quite acceptable.
Renier

Travel / Help with a travel plan to Poland [72]

@kaprys
@DominicB

Thank you :-)

I have not often felt zero temperatures, but I have. I was fortunate to go to Ireland (my brother paid). In Ireland it was zero most of the time, and we would do some walking and driving outside and then run for a coffee shop or bar :-)

But the bleak, grey, rainy weather moved my soul.

Our currency is weak, and I can only travel maybe once a year. My country is hot almost all year round. Very few places go to zero degrees. Visitors obviously like the sun and beaches, but I want to do it the other way around.

Anyways - long story short: If I must choose between Poland and a place like Thailand, I would really like to come to Poland. Everyone tells me to go to Thailand rather....

Open to ideas still.
Thank you.

Travel / Help with a travel plan to Poland [72]

Thank you Dominic,
I suppose you are right. I can survive without the snow :-)
But I still want near zero temperatures.
I like the cold. And there is not much of it in my country. I prefer a cold and wet holiday /trip over a warm and sweaty one.

So which month would you then recommend?

Renier

Travel / Help with a travel plan to Poland [72]

Hi Dominic- thank you for all your input so far.
I see what you are saying. I can adjust the travel route and total trip days and limit the visits and travel time. I think I will be on trains mostly, from what I can tell.

But I really want to see snow :-(

What do you suggest?
Renier

Travel / Help with a travel plan to Poland [72]

Good day all, and wishing you all a great 2018. More fun and less work!

I am in the process of looking at my documents. I think my last map is good enough for me for a start.
I have one more thing that I need some input please. The time that I spent in each city /town. Can you please see this link and let me know:

ibb.co/hfBd2G

You will see two nights in Warsaw when I land and one when I leave, just to make sure I am on top of flight schedules.

I appreciate your help.
Renier

Travel / Help with a travel plan to Poland [72]

@kaprys
Thank you for the input.
I just read somewhere that the forests there are worth seeing. But it is a bit out of the way.
I might give that a miss.

Updated map:
ibb.co/gZzqXG

Updated with Białowieża,
ibb.co/et2New

Okay so that Bialowieza is not the same one :-)
Either way - I don't think I will be able to do that kind of detour for the forests.

ibb.co/gyDW6b

Further input would be greatly appreciated.

Travel / Help with a travel plan to Poland [72]

Thank you all. Getting there.
Considering inputs and some more research online, please have a look at my new map and plan. I think this is version 11 already :-)

ibb.co/eKHimb

Travel / Help with a travel plan to Poland [72]


Thank you. So this previous plan is still viable: ibb.co/dAfjPw

What would you change? I am staying within those parameters to limit travel and spend more time in the towns.

Travel / Help with a travel plan to Poland [72]

@Chemikiem and others.
Thank you very much.
I do realize like any country it is impossible to experience everything. I just want a "taste" of Poland for two weeks.
So here is another travel route option: ibb.co/iNy6pw
I don't mind spending time in Warsaw and Krakow, but ideally more time away from the big towns.

What do you think about that route? It is just a rough idea.
Renier

Travel / Help with a travel plan to Poland [72]

I have another question.
I really, really don't want to do this trip through a group / tourist holiday.
I don't see it as a holiday, but rather an adventure.

Do you think this is a bit ambitious?
I mean I will stick to the beaten path. I am not going into the woods where there are ghosts. Not alone anyway :-)
Renier

Travel / Two weeks in Poland - would like to get an idea of costs please. [5]

Thank you very much. I am still working on my plan.
Renier

Travel / Help with a travel plan to Poland [72]

Hello everyone,
Again - thank you for the input.
I will keep you updated as the plan unfolds.

Renier

Travel / Help with a travel plan to Poland [72]

@gumishu
@Chemikiem
@DominicB
@Lyzko

Thank you everyone. This is helping a lot. I am updating and altering plans as I go, with your help.
For starters - here is the updated idea and new map: ibb.co/dAfjPw

Just some stuff that I can say, that might help you to help me.

I am happy to stick to three or four towns as per your recommendation.
I prefer local / cultural / old towns, and authentic experiences as opposed to "westernized" cities.
I heard there are forests to the east. Would love to see that and any other recommended sceneray (withou

I don't really worry about monuments and stuff, unless it is really significant or impressive. I don't want to go where tourists go and stay in hotels and eat McDonalds :-) ha ha ha.

I would rather find my own way with some local advice. Local people. Local accommodation. Local food.

And finally - believe it or not - but I have never seen snow (besides in movies). So I want show - and lots of it :-)

But having said that - I guess it would be pointless to get there and be stuck with roads closed etc. So I don't know how to approach that.

Your continued help and input will be greatly appreciated.
Renier