Travelers note information about traveling to Poland in 2021: prices, how to get a visa, how to get to Poland by car, plane, train, buses, what to see and what food to try.
Despite the past ups and downs, today Poland is a country with a developed tourist infrastructure. She opens her arms wide to meet everyone who wants to get to know her better. And she has something to boast about: virgin Belovezhskaya Pushcha, sharp mountain peaks and wandering sand dunes on the Baltic Sea coast, churches, Teutonic castles and much more.
How to get to Poland
Air
The easiest way to get to Poland is by plane: from St. Petersburg and Moscow there are direct and connecting flights of LOT, Aeroflot, Austrian, Lufthansa, Easyjet, Air Baltic, etc. The travel time is 2-3 hours, and the cost varies from 8 to 11 thousand rubles there and back. Wizz Air flies cheap (with a stopover in Budapest), the air ticket price is 5-8 thousand rubles.
Where to find cheap tickets? This is most conveniently done using the search engines Aviasales and Skyscanner. To find the best price, check both and see tickets for different dates. Read also the instructions on how to search for cheap flights correctly.
A train
You can come to Poland by train: the train "Polonez" runs daily on the Moscow-Warsaw route. A round-trip ticket costs about 230 euros. This option costs about the same as the flight, but it takes much longer - 18 hours. There are also passing trains that take you to Poland.
Bus
Buses to Poland also run - the Lux Express company invites travelers to use its services. This is a fairly budgetary method (although air travel may cost even less), but it is time-consuming. The cost of a one-way ticket from Moscow and St. Petersburg is from 5 thousand rubles. You can also travel on Ecolines buses. Carriers often arrange lucrative promotions and sales, for example, Lux Express has discounts on trips up to 70% - we announce such promotions in the "Cheap tickets" section, as well as in our VKontakte group. Subscribe to keep abreast of the news.
Trip to Poland from Kaliningrad
Trips to Poland from Kaliningrad will cost residents of the city a mere penny: by bus for 500 rubles you can get to the city of Gdansk, for 750-1000 rubles - to Warsaw. From Kaliningrad you can get to Warsaw by comfortable Ecolines buses: the travel time is about 8 hours, the ticket price is about 2250 rubles in both directions. Usually there is a 20% discount when buying a round-trip.
Travel to Poland by car
If you have planned a trip to Poland by car, then you must present the following documents at the Polish border: a passport with a valid visa, an international driver's license, a technical passport and a green card - an international policy of compulsory civil liability insurance of vehicle owners. Sometimes they may require a valid insurance policy and confirmation of the purpose of the trip (hotel reservation, invitation, etc.). Also, do not forget to put up a sign that indicates the state in which the car is registered. The light devices must be in good working order in the car. Be sure to have a reflective vest, warning triangle, fire extinguisher and spare wheel / repair kit. The windshield must be free of cracks. A radar detector in a vehicle is not allowed.
Visa to travel to Poland in 2021
How to get a visa to travel to Poland in 2021? You can apply for a visa either at the Consular Section of the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Moscow, or through the Visa Application Center. In the first case, you need to fill out a visa application form on the website www.e-konsulat.gov.pl, otherwise the application will not be accepted.
Required documents for a trip to Poland:
- completed visa application form;
- passport (valid for at least 3 months from the end of the trip) and a copy of the first page;
- two color photographs 3.5 x 4.5;
- visa fee (consular fee - 35 euros, service fee at reception points - 19.5 euros);
- confirmation of accommodation reservation;
- travel document;
- medical insurance valid in the Schengen countries;
- financial means at the rate of at least PLN 100 for each day of stay and confirmation of their availability: traveler's checks, account statement, etc .;
- copy of the internal passport.
- Samples of visa application forms, a list of accredited travel agencies and the address of the Polish Embassy in Moscow can be found here: www.moskwa.msz.gov.pl. On the website www.vfsglobal.com you will find information on the addresses of the visa application centers.
Get insurance: Sravn.Ru - the service is convenient for its search for several large insurance companies at once and the ability to choose a policy for the desired parameters and the best price. Read also what medicines to take on the road.
Travel accommodation. Look for hotels on Roomguru.ru - the service finds great deals among several booking systems. An alternative to hotels is Airbnb, a popular private rental service. Try to find an apartment or house for your trip. It is much more comfortable and often cheaper (especially if you are traveling with a company or family).
Traveling to Poland for shopping
It is no secret that many people go to Poland not only for the sake of recreation - shops offer tempting discounts on clothes of famous brands during sales days, especially in Warsaw there are many shopping centers, where a wide range of world brands is presented. The most popular are Blue City, Arkadia, Galeria Mokotow and Złote Tarasy.
Shopping trips to Poland are popular with residents of neighboring countries. Christmas sales in Poland begin on December 20 - discounts reach 20-50%, and after Christmas they reach 80%. However, shopping in Poland is best done in mid-January and mid-June, when most stores arrange total sales of old collections.
However, if you did not manage to visit Poland during the discount season, do not worry, because outlets and night sales are held throughout the year. And in Bialystok, home to such giants as Auchan, Alfa and Galeria Biala, you can find anything you want. Plus you can save up to 22% VAT thanks to Tax Free.
Food in Poland: what to try
In Polish cuisine, as in German, much attention is paid to cabbage and meat, which is reflected in such a famous dish as bigos - stewed cabbage with meat. Also popular are red and white borscht, zurek, pickle, feathers - a dish similar to dumplings, sorcerers, dumplings. They also love desserts in Poland: sairnik, poppy seed pie, charlotte, mazurka.
Poles consume beer no less than their German neighbors (and maybe more). Poland, like Germany, is famous for its ancient beer traditions - the foamy drink was known in the country already in the tenth century. Poland's variety of beers is impressive. To taste Polish beer, we recommend visiting one of the many beer festivals held in Poland, for example, Chmielaki Krasnostawskie.
In addition to beer, other alcoholic beverages are also widespread in Poland: vodka, various tinctures (zubrovka, starka) and fruit liqueurs, honey, gzhanets.
Food prices in Poland are reasonable, but they naturally fluctuate depending on the status of the restaurant. Very budgetary you can eat in the so-called dairy bars, where prices are often three or even four times lower than restaurant prices. These bars are popular with the locals as they serve traditional food.
By the way, two whole Polish cities - Warsaw and Krakow - are among the ten cheapest cities in Europe according to the Price of Travel portal. In turn, Poland is one of the five cheapest countries in Europe.
A trip to Poland: what to see
No matter how trite it may sound, Poland is rich in historical and architectural monuments, and because of the glacier, which either advanced or retreated again, the country has a bizarre relief. What should you pay attention to when traveling to Poland?
Warsaw
In Warsaw, the historical center that was rebuilt after the Second World War, you should visit the cozy Old Town: Palace Square with the Royal Castle, St. John and the Church of the Jesuit Fathers, Market Square, from where the smallest street in the capital - Kamenny Skhodka begins. Do not forget about the Krakowskie Przedmiescie, Lazienki, the Royal Route and the Palace on the Water.
Outside the Old City, alas, you will be disappointed: being the center of the country, the city is moving forward with leaps and bounds, so skyscrapers rise here and there, and because of the Soviet influence in the city you will find many dull high-rise buildings.
Krakow
Krakow is by far the most visited city in Poland by tourists. And no wonder: so many churches, monasteries and chapels are concentrated here! And the Soviet building hardly touched the city, so nothing will darken your eyes. Must-see Kazimierz, the Wawel architectural complex and, of course, the Old Town, where you will find a lot of interesting things, as well as the Market Square with the Sukiennice shopping arcade.
Lodz
Lodz, an industrial city, now attracts tourists with beautiful facades of merchant and factory houses adjacent to industrial buildings. The city is rightfully considered a cultural center: the world famous School of Cinematography is located here.
Lublin
Lublin, which is not as popular as Krakow and Warsaw, nevertheless has something to see: the authentic Old Town is not inferior to Krakow. Many people like this city also due to the lack of crowds of tourists. Speaking about Lublin, it is difficult to forget about the sad glory of Majdanek - the death camp, which was located on the outskirts of the city. Now it houses a memorial.
Other cities in Poland
Wroclaw, this Polish Venice, boasts over 200 bridges. With its mixture of Gothic, Baroque and Art Nouveau architecture, the city has no shortage of tourists.
In cities such as Malbork, Pachkov, Frombork, Ujazd, structures that belonged to the knights of the Teutonic Order have survived, and there was a whole defensive complex around Krakow.
In addition to architectural delights, Poland also shines with natural attractions: the famous Belovezhskaya Pushcha, Narviansky and Biebrza national parks, the purest Masurian lakes ... And on the coast of the Baltic Sea, travelers will find the resorts of Sopot, Busko-Zdroj, Rebal, Leba, Ustka, etc.
For those who love outdoor activities, Poland has also prepared a surprise: Poland is surrounded by such tracts as the Sudetes, Beskids, Tatras, Pohlala, Gorce, Penniny and Bieszczady - there is where to ride! In short, you don't need to limit yourself to Zakopane - you need to explore other resorts in Poland.
