Eventually Traveling to Poland (from America)

Hi. I'd like to know how easy, and more importantly, how costly it would be to visit Poland. I've always been interested in my Polish heritage, but being across the Atlantic in America means it's not a day trip to Poland for me.

How easy: Very. 90 day Visa as USA citizen

Cost: ticket prices keep decreasing with improved air flight technology and more competition. Recently more flights from the USA West Coast

Use the site: Momondo

June-August and Christmas are the most expensive seasons. The difference in price can be double. My round trip flight in mid June (return late July) was under $1200 but a few stops and average airline quality. Typical more comfortable flight will cost around 1400

Poland still uses it's own currency so prices aren't inflated. Typical beer is $2-5. Meal is $10-20. Difference is conversation rate. 1 US dollar currently equals 3.7 zloty. So you can really stretch your money.

I rented an AirBNB in Krakow with washer, fridge, wifi, cable TV and new appliances (1 room + living room + bathroom) in the center of everything worth visiting for under $40 / night . . . .

Sorry. That's

40 USD / night for AirBNB. In Krakow in great location. I found some for even 25 USD but older furniture, longer travel distance and for example no cable tv or pull out bed instead of legit nice bedroom bed

Beer is around 3 zloty. Meal out in the town 10-15 zloty. So with dollars thats the equivalent of a fast food meal in America but in a sit down restaurant in Poland

In a bar? No. In Bars it's from 7zl (somewhere cheap) to 9 or 10. Nice city centre bars charge more.


15zl wouldn't quite get you a McDonalds meal (and not supersized). A main course at my favourite (very very cheap) out of town restaurant not far from Warsaw starts at 15zl. At the cafe I go to sometimes for lunch in Warsaw (also cheap) a plate of pierogi is 18zl, Anything better (meaning plater that have veg on them too) is more than that. In Kraków, proces are similar to Warsaw unless you're out in the 'burbs. It's cheaper out in the sticks, though not that much cheaper.

It will be cheaper for OP to do shopping on his won and cook in home. You will save a lot on eating out which can be rip off in city center.

How costly?I am surprised how all posters here posted here the answer for HOW CHEAPLY?None cared to ask what his budget was.Maybe the OP is not looking to visit like backpackers or even middle class standards.Since the OP is American costly for him can be like for ultra rich in Poland.

That is why. The OP is clearly on a budget and if cost were of no importance, he wouldn't have mentioned it in the first place.

@Randal, it would be easier for people to help you if you give more information. You don't say whereabouts or for how long you will be staying in Poland. To be honest, Poland can be as cheap or expensive as you want to make it, but if you are going to be staying in e/g Warsaw or Kraków, prices will be higher than in the towns/villages.

Yeah, I probably should've given more information. I'm on the east coast, and I'd probably stay for a week or more. I'd like to go see Wrocław or Kraków.

This might help you decide between Wrocław or Kraków.

tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g274772-i961-k5999684-Krakow_or_wroclaw-Krakow_Lesser_Poland_Province_Southern_Poland.html

If you're just going for a week, I would opt for a hotel and eating out rather than self-catering. It's supposed to be a holiday after all and you don't want to be grocery shopping and cooking, well I wouldn't anyway! There's plenty of cheapish eating options. You would really need to do proper research, not rely on a forum like this.

First consideration is your flights. Decide what time of year you want to go and google for ticket prices. Then check out accommodation prices for hotels based on whether they're budget options, or three/four stars or whatever. I would allow 100zl per day for other expenses (you could spend more, you could spend less but give yourself a starting point) and another few hundred if you want to buy some souvenirs and that's it.

Try booking.com for hotels

For a first-time visit to Poland, there will be much more to see in Kraków than Wrocław, but both are lovely cities. If you are staying a bit longer than a week you could possibly combine both cities, you could do Kraków in 3-4 days depending on whether you want to visit Auschwitz and the Wieliczka Salt Mine, and Wrocław in about 2-3 days.It is about a 3.5 hour train trip between the two cities, and train travel is cheap in Poland.