Traveling! What to do in Warsaw and Krakow?

Hello Polish people and people who have traveled there..!

I'm planning to go to Europe next year, and one of my stops would definitelly be on Poland...
I actually found a nice hostel in Warsaw, called Helvetia, it looks nice and comfortable. But i haven't decided yet about what hostel in Krakow; I found one, called Nathan's Villa... it looks good too... But I would like to read your opinions and also, what do you recommend me to do there? What places to visit? I really want to go to the Old City, and to the Museum of History. but what else?

Oh... and... is there a train in Warsaw or Krakow that takes me to Budapest? Because I couldn't found it on internet.

Thank You All.

(I have met two nice persons from Poland, one is my "aunt", yeah, she got married with my uncle, and the other one is my english teacher, he's so cute and fun.. and both are polite and nice person. Easy to talk with...) =)

inyourpocket.com/poland

This is a good place to start to find out what to do and see in Warsaw and Krakow (and pretty much any city in Poland). You can also find write-ups on hostels, which might help you make a decision in Krakow.

Thank u so much.

my friends run a hostel called balloon hostel, its just recently reopeneed i highly recomend it, its very intimiate, run by artists and is not the usual krakow drunken pom dive. Yes there is a overnight train from budapest to krakow.

Ty..! I will check it..! =) Do you know any hostel in Warsaw as well?.

Don't get me wrong... I really want to go to Poland... But also I am a little bit worried, bcoz all the pics I have seen in the hostel's webpages, are from people that seem to be from Europe, even Poland... and I'm Mexican and I totally look like a latin girl, so will they treat me well? I'm very polite, and friendly, and I also respect people. I'm not racist at all. so... i dont know. I'm traveling alone, that's why is something I'm worried about. I would love to make friends everywhere I'm planning to go.

I'm kind of like smiling anyone... and saying "Hi" if they look at me... even if i dont know them.... and it happened to me once, here in Mexico, that i found my polish friend on a club, he was kind with me, but his friend (also polish), who doesn't know me, was kind of rude, becoz I said hello to him too... and he was like: do i know u?. I was just being polite... I dont know if he took that rude or something.... or like overfamiliar...

I know i decided where to sleep in Warsaw but definetely i have to recommend Oki Doki hostel. Its in the center, near to metro, near to Old Town. And the design of the room is amazing!

Check this website Warsaw City Guide. You will find hotels, restaurants, attractions, galleries, clubs and blog about Warsaw.

Are you into climbing?? Then in Warsaw you can climb the Palace of Culture and Science. In Krakow you can climb the statue of the Wawel Dragon. Be careful - every 3 minutes it breathes fire!

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Personally, I'd rather use the lift than actually climb. Easier on the legs.

Poles seem to like observation towers, viewing platforms, etc. I've seen them obviously here in Wawa (PKiN, pl. Zamkowy, plus the Marriott Skybar), Wrocław, Gdańsk and the best of them at the university in Poznań.

But harder on body fat. hahaha


In Krakow it is different. They use their prehistoric Mounds as viewing towers.

There's a mound not far from Metro Ursynów. Probably not prehistoric but still worth a climb.

Have you seen that natural structure in Kielce, the one with the old quarry around? Full of visitors when we were there a few weeks ago, some climbing to the top..

Warsaw Rising mound or Jewish resistance mound?

No, I have been to Kielce only once - during a Military Fair in early 1990s.

As far as I know it's neither. It's called the Kopa Czwila.

I just looked up the place we saw in Kielce; it's the Kadzielnia.