Explore Poland: Flights & Hotel Deals

May to September is the best time to visit Poland, with warm days, open-air festivals and long evenings in the old-town squares. July and August are busiest and pricier in Kraków and Gdańsk.

December is popular for Christmas markets in Kraków, Wrocław and Gdańsk, and the Tatra Mountains around Zakopane draw skiers from January to March.

Poland has a temperate climate: summers are warm (often 20–28°C) with occasional thunderstorms, while winters are cold and grey, regularly below freezing in January and February. Spring and autumn are mild and pleasant for city breaks.

Poland uses the Polish złoty (PLN), not the euro. Cards and contactless payments are accepted almost everywhere, including trams and small cafés. Use bank ATMs rather than independent cash machines, and always choose to be charged in złoty.

Poland is one of the best-value countries in the EU. Budget travellers can manage on roughly €40–60 per day with hostels, milk-bar meals and public transport; a comfortable mid-range trip runs about €80–130 per day. Kraków budget hotels and guesthouses are easy to find outside July and August.

Polish is the official language. English is widely spoken by younger people and in hotels, restaurants and tourist areas of Kraków, Warsaw and Gdańsk. A simple 'dzień dobry' (good day) and 'dziękuję' (thank you) are appreciated.

Poland is part of the Schengen Area: EU citizens travel freely, one Schengen visa covers all Schengen countries, and many other nationalities (including UK, US, Canadian and Australian citizens) can visit visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. Visitors from visa-exempt countries will also need an online ETIAS travel authorisation once that system starts. Rules depend on your passport, so always confirm with the official government website or embassy before you book.

Fast PKP Intercity and Pendolino trains link Warsaw with Kraków (about 2.5 hours) and Gdańsk (about 3 hours), and tickets are cheap when booked ahead. Warsaw, Kraków, Gdańsk and Wrocław all have international airports.

Inside cities, trams and buses are frequent and inexpensive, and ride-hailing apps are widely used.

Polish food is filling and full of flavour: try pierogi (dumplings), żurek (sour rye soup), bigos (hunter's stew) and pączki (doughnuts). Traditional milk bars (bar mleczny) serve home-style dishes at very low prices, and Kraków's Kazimierz district is great for street food.

Poland's history is everywhere, from royal Kraków to the sobering memorials of the Second World War, including Auschwitz-Birkenau. Poles are proud of their traditions and Catholic heritage; dress modestly in churches and book Auschwitz guided tours in advance.

Mobile coverage and 4G/5G are excellent, and free Wi-Fi is standard in hotels and cafés. EU roaming rules mean most European SIMs work at no extra cost; visitors from outside the EU can buy a cheap prepaid SIM or eSIM on arrival.