Review of Poland

Opinion on Poland

In this article, I will give you my opinion based on my own experience of this country. Everyone can have a different perspective; I am sharing mine in this article.

It cannot be representative of life in Poland in general since I only visited two cities, but this is my personal opinion. You can find my other country or city reviews in this section. There are also reviews on Dubai, Burma, and even my opinion on Lisbon.

What I think about Poland

Cities visited: Warsaw, Krakow

Length of stay: 8 days, 4 days in each city.

Safety in Poland

The police are omnipresent in the city. You feel safe and I did not encounter any major security issues; in fact, I felt very comfortable when returning late at night.

There are often police cars patrolling the city and unless you do something wrong, they won’t bother you.

It should be noted that you should not cross when the light is green and that you should preferably cross on pedestrian crossings. You should also avoid drinking in the street if you don’t want to be stopped by the police and fined.

The budget in Poland

The budget and cost of living in Poland is lower compared to France, less than 5 euros for a menu at Madco, less than 4 euros for a coffee at Starbucks. The price of a bottle of vodka or a drink in a bar or nightclub is much cheaper than in Paris. The bottle of vodka in a nightclub in Warsaw cost us 60 euros whereas in France, it is at least 150 euros or even 200 euros. A good restaurant costs less than 10 euros.

I stayed in a youth hostel in Warsaw for a little over ten euros without breakfast or for twelve euros in Krakow with breakfast and free dinner. There was even free beer in the evening. I recommend the Greg&Tom youth hostel in Krakow. If you want other accommodations in Poland in Krakow,

The price of excursions in Krakow ranges from 20 to 30 euros for a day. So I paid 25 euros to see the salt mine or just under 30 euros to visit the Auschwitz concentration camps. All that with lunch included.

However, I was a bit disappointed to rent an “old style” van for 200 euros for 5 people (40 euros each) in Warsaw for the day. I find the price a bit excessive and very expensive for what it is but the visit is worth it. As always, it’s better to do everything yourself if you don’t want to pay a high price.

I paid 30 euros to take the train from Warsaw to Krakow, which seems like a good price to me.

City	To see	Duration
Krakow	Wawel, Kazimierz, market square	3 days
Auschwitz-Birkenau	Memorial (1 hour from Krakow)	1 day
Warsaw	UNESCO Old Town, Palace of Culture	2-3 days
Gdansk	Hanseatic Old Town, beaches	2 days
Wrocław	Market square, bronze dwarfs	1-2 days
Zakopane + Tatras	Mountains, hiking	2 days
Wieliczka Salt Mines	UNESCO mines (35 km from Krakow)	Half-day

Life in Poland

The contrast is very different between Warsaw and Krakow. Warsaw, the capital, brings together people of all ages, the city itself is not very pretty and has a rather old-fashioned look, everything is old. This city reminds me of Berlin in relation to its buildings. People go to Warsaw for its museums and its history.

Krakow is very different from Warsaw, this city breathes culture, there are also many green spaces that make this city a pleasant place. The population is younger, which is noticeable as soon as we arrive in the city. Young means a more festive atmosphere although the city is quite calm at first glance. The living environment is quite nice and the standard of living is decent.

Me and Living in Poland: I see myself living more in Krakow than in Warsaw and if I earned my living as a freelancer, I would have settled in Krakow for a while.

What I liked in Poland

• The cost of living is lower than in France.

• The very different style of the Polish people.

  🗣️ My experience: Visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau in the middle of winter, -8°C, snow-covered ground. Heavy atmosphere, absolute solemnity. Guided tour mandatory (free in low season, 90 zł or 20 € in high season). The silence, the harshness of the cold, the vastness of the Birkenau camp (175 ha)… A moment that leaves a mark. Allow at least 3h30 on site and plan warm clothes all year round (unheated areas).

• Most Polish people spoke English, it’s always nice to be understood.

• Polish women are very pretty with a more feminine look than Parisian women.

What I didn’t like in Poland

• Polish food didn’t really excite me.

• The price of the day excursion to Warsaw (150 euros).

To visit in Warsaw and Krakow:

Warsaw:

• Stroll through the old town of Warsaw and the old town.

• Learn at the Palace of Culture and Science.

  🍀 Poland

  • Unbeatable prices (35-50 €/day)
  • Rich and varied heritage
  • High safety
  • Low-cost flights Wizz Air (60 €)

  🔻 Limitations

  • Harsh climate in winter (-10°C)
  • Less English spoken among seniors
  • Slow trains (prefer FlixBus buses)
  • Very meat-heavy cuisine (few vegetarian options)

• Take a tour of the city.

I cannot advise you on anything else because I did not do more.

Krakow :

• See and stroll around the old town of Krakow. There is the freewalkingtour site: http://freewalkingtour.com/ which can offer you free guided tours.

• Visit the Jewish district Kazimierz, I also took the tour by freewalkingtour.com

• Learn about the history of the Auschwitz concentration camps, it is truly a place to visit so as not to forget history. You come out changed.

• Go to the salt mine

  ⚠️ Classic trap

  Visiting Auschwitz in July-August without a reservation. Guided tours in French are fully booked 4 to 8 weeks in advance. Without a guide, you can only access after 4 p.m. in high season. Book online at least 1 month in advance on visit.auschwitz.org. For Birkenau: free access all day long.

Of course, there are other things to do but this is what I visited.

Additional note edit 2015: Zakopane

It is south of Krakow (2-3 hours), it is a very beautiful place with mountain ranges that can delight hiking lovers. I personally stayed 3 nights and could have stayed two more nights for other hikes.

There are very pretty lakes and landscapes, you can even go to the meeting point (or intersection) that separates Slovakia and Poland.

The climate is very changeable, it can rain in some places but once you climb high enough, you will not have rain. I did not pay much attention to the weather because one of the days that looked bad due to rain in the morning turned out to be my best hiking day there.

Conclusion on Poland :

My week in Poland made me want to return to this country, the week was too short to really get to know Poland but gave me a very good overview.

To extend to other Central European countries, cheap destinations in Europe lists Balkan/Central-East alternatives. Weekend ideas in Europe offers short formats including Krakow. And how to get around in Europe helps to choose between flight vs bus.

I recommend spending at least 4 days in Krakow and if you have time, going to Warsaw for two days if it’s on your way.

Many think that Poland is as westernized as its neighbor Germany, but that is not quite the case. It is an Eastern country to discover.

Books to help you:

And you? What did you think of Poland? Are you planning to go soon?