POLAND

[marchie]

Oh and if you use campsites or park up anywhere and go into a town, take the address written down so if you have to ask directions or use a taxi they know where to take you. We didn't when we were in Krakow. We got the tram/bus in to the centre and then a taxi back...but we couldn't communicate with the taxi driver so it took rather longer than we planned to get to our campsite!

That Polish...it's like a foreign language to me!

Graham, I worked with a Swiss/Polish colleague before moving to Scotland. He said anyone could speak Polish if they could speed read an Optician's Eye Chart ...

Steve

 

[El radge]

Thoroughly enjoying Poland.
Any anxieties I had eradicated
Virtually everywhere dog friendly.
Roads excellent apart from one or two country roads . Drove from Dresden to Wroclaw (A4?) now a good road .
Not stayed in any free Aires yet but good spots in cities and villages about £10 .
Food and drink cheap and much better than expected. Though wine and coffee lovers will probably be disappointed outside the cities .
Weather changed dramatically on Saturday. Gone from hot to overcast and cool (cold) .
Thanks to all for advice on here

 

[ken sowerby]

I drove on my tod in my camper around Poland a while ago, and enjoyed myself.

The main thing to remember is that it used to be a part of the communist block and pretty centres are often surrounded by humongous blocks of ugly flats, but it's their homes and where they live.

Don't go without buying an Eyewitness Travel Guide or you'll miss far too much. I didn't bother with campsite guides and relied on my wits.

If you approach from the Baltic Coast, you are diverted south to the Swinoujscie free ferry (only locals take the more direct route.)

Every town and village has something lovely to offer.

Kolobrzeg - Nice old centre, ugly flats beyond.

Malbork - A Teutonic Knight's fortress on the River Nogat that I had wanted to visit since my youth.

Krakow - Stay for peanuts at Elcamp Stellplatz (motorhome repairs) so much to see in the old town, also Oscar Schindler's factory, Jewish Quarter restaurants, Wawel (don't take your bike or they won't let you inside), etc, etc.

Zakopane - Tourist trap in the lovely Tatra Mountains, but surrounding villages are lovely.

Oswiecim - If you really must.

Gora Swietej Anny - Interesting religious site.

Zloty Stok - Lovely rolling hills. (I stayed at Sportowa 7 camping.)

Czermna - Chapel of skulls (No photography for obvious reasons.)

Karlow Parc Norodowy - Viewpoint at the top of lovely hills and rock formations. (I parked free in the forest rather than the "Official Carpark".

Klodzco - Fascinating old town and baroque bridge.

Karpacz - A relocated must see Wooden Stave Church in lovely surroundings.

A Polish friend suggested bypassing Warsaw because of WW11 damage, so I did.

That misses off so much that I saw and visited, and I'd love to return..... But I'm 77 shortly........

It was interesting to photograph a road sign telling me that I was only about 60 miles from the Russian border.

Best wishes for your journey and your adventures.

What's with 77??, my last trip was up to the top of the artic circle in Norway and I was 83, I look at it that I have limited time left so if I want to do something I do it and sod old age

 

[HurricaneSmith]

I completely agree with your view on life as it mirrors my own. I have always had a deep rooted need to travel and in addition to all the usual stuff we have crossed Central Asia and China.

But I was less than fully open about both our ages and health. So you are right, in that 77 is still young. Life is a shared experience and Yvonne has been super fit until this year when she turned 80 and became rather poorly. Her operation is now behind her, and as she returns to better health I have to learn to accept what horizons are possible for both of us in the future.

 

[Barge1914]

I completely agree with your view on life as it mirrors my own. I have always had a deep rooted need to travel and in addition to all the usual stuff we have crossed Central Asia and China.

But I was less than fully open about both our ages and health. So you are right, in that 77 is still young. Life is a shared experience and Yvonne has been super fit until this year when she turned 80 and became rather poorly. Her operation is now behind her, and as she returns to better health I have to learn to accept what horizons are possible for both of us in the future.

77 is young! There’s hope for me yet!