Poland has seen its share of tragedy, but has grown into a successful country swathed with history and culture – a true testament to the people of Poland and all they’ve accomplished. Poland was a central hub for Nazi forces during World War II, but when you book a flight to Poland today, you’ll see a place moving forward as one of Europe’s more modern countries. What once was a country feared by its own residents, today’s Poland is friendly, safe and welcoming to tourists. It’s no doubt that travelers booking cheap flights to Poland will be captivated by the country’s rich history.
Its endless scenery, national parks and nature reserves keep tourists booking flights to Poland each year. Poland’s location on the Baltic Coast gives travelers a foray into the great outdoors, while other visitors choose to explore the country’s old cities and cobblestone streets. Many travelers booking Poland flights take a day of remembrance and pay their respects at nearby concentration camps before moving on to explore the cultural lifestyle including music, theater and literature that keeps Poland moving ahead. Whether your trip takes you to the old city of Krakow or present-day Warsaw, booking flights to Poland will leave travelers wanting more from this fascinating country.
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Poland has a temperate climate characterized by cold winters and warm summers. Winters become increasingly severe inland from the Baltic coast, with January temperatures in Warsaw averaging 23F. In summer it is hotter inland; with July temperatures in Warsaw averaging 66F. Rain can be expected throughout the year, particularly in the southern mountains.
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Peak season:
The climate in Poland is a tourist’s dream - warm summers, blue-skied autumns and snowy winters. May to September and July and August are the busiest travel months and when most foreign travelers book flights to Poland.
Off season:
The winter months are usually off-season, unless you are a skier. Szklarska Poreba, in the western part of the Karkonosze Mountains, Szczyrk and Zakopane, in the foothills of the Tatras, south of Krakow, are the best-known resorts. Elsewhere, the winter months can be very dreary and very cold but cheap flights to Poland and discount accommodations can be found.
Find cheap flights to Poland
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LOT, the national carrier, flies domestically to other cities in Poland (Gdansk, Bydgoszcz, Szczecin, Poznan, Zielona Gora, Wroclaw, Lodz, Katowice, Krakow and Rzeszow).
All the major car-rental companies are represented here – Avis, Budget, Hertz, Europcar – but road quality varies somewhat.
PKP, the Polish State Railways, offers service on three types of trains: intercity, eurocity and expresses. The country is well connected with good services from Warsaw.
PKS, the Polish Car Transport Company, offers intercity bus services. There are also lots of private bus companies that offer services throughout the country.
Warsaw has a good underground train system. Trams operate in several cities including Warsaw, Krakow, Lodz, Poznan, Wroclaw, Szczecin, Katowice.
The following chart gives approximate journey times from
Warsaw (in hours and minutes) to other major cities and towns in Poland.
| | Air | Road | Rail |
|---|
| Cracow | 1.40 | 4.00 | 2.35 |
|---|
| Poznan | 1.00 | 4.00 | 3.00 |
|---|
| Wroclaw | 1.15 | 6.00 | 4.35 |
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| Gdansk | 1.00 | 6.00 | 3.40 |
|---|
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- Zamosc, in southeastern Poland, is a beautiful Renaissance town dating from the late 1600s. It was built by a wealthy landowner, Jan Zamoyski, who set up, essentially a country within a country to escape paying royal taxes. Zamoyski employed an Italian architect (Bernando Morando) to design this ideal town often called Padua of the North. The Old Town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- Several of Poland’s Old Towns are on the UNESCO list including Krakow (see the Royal Castle and Cathedral on Wawel Hill as well as the medieval Old Town); Warsaw, painstakingly and beautifully reconstructed after the Second World War; Wroclaw, another Old Town that was reconstructed after 1945. Gdansk has a postcard-perfect Old Town and is also home of the Solidarity movement. The town of Torun, about 125 miles from Warsaw, is the birthplace of Nicholaus Copernicus, Poland’s most famous scientist. After Krakow, it is the city with the largest number of Gothic monuments and architecture in Northern Europe. Toruń is also famous for its gingerbread, and for its leaning tower, which has a vertical deviation of 4.5 feet.
- Sun and ski. Bathe and bask on the Baltic coast. Poland has several popular beach resorts including Sopot, which has Europe’s longest pier (1640ft). Off-season, between November and May, it is still possible to pick up amber on the beaches in the Gulf of Gdansk.
- Zakopane, in the alpine-like Tatras mountains, is Poland’s winter capital. The most popular areas are KasprowyWierch and Gubalowka. Snow lasts until May and after that, it is a popular spot for hiking.
- Natural Poland can be enjoyed in the Bialowieska Forest and Miedzyzdroje, where the bison and deer roam free. The Slowinski National Park, a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve, has moving sand dunes. The wind pushes dunes from 6 to 31 feet each year. The Masurian Lakes Plateau has more than 4,000 lakes and is one of Central Europe’s largest forested areas.
- Poland hotels are available for any budget, and easily accessible from main tourist points. Stay in Krakow hotels for inner-city travels; Warsaw hotels for travel throughout various regions of Poland, including the concentration camps, and consider Danzig hotels for remote travels or for budget travelers.
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A passport valid for at least six months after arrival is needed for those who require a visa. Visa exempt nationals must have a passport valid for period of intended stay.
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U.S. citizens do not require a visa for stays of up to 90 days. Passports must be valid for period of intended stay.
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