Poland
Poland18 guides across 3 destinations — where to go, when, what it costs and what to eat.
Destinations in Poland
Practical essentials for Poland
Polish zloty (PLN) — Poland has not adopted the euro and has set no target date
Polish; English is widely spoken by younger people and throughout Krakow, Warsaw and Gdansk.
Type C/E, 230V 50Hz
Trams, buses and metro are cheap and frequent in every city; buy tickets from machines at stops or on board, which take cards, or through apps like jakdojade. Warsaw is the only city with a metro.
About 10% is the usual restaurant tip; say the amount before the card is processed or leave it in cash, as Polish terminals often have no tip prompt.
Tap water is safe to drink and meets EU standards.
Right-hand side; EU and EEA licences are valid as they are, and most other visitors should carry an International Driving Permit alongside their home licence.
112 (police 997, ambulance 999, fire 998)
Country-level guidance, checked against official sources. Currency, fares and entry rules change — confirm anything time-critical before you travel.
Recent stories from Poland
The Best Day Trips from Gdansk, Ranked
The largest brick castle on earth, a seaside resort with Europe's longest wooden pier, and the beach where the Second World War began — all within an easy ride of Gdansk's old town.
Gdansk in 24 Hours: A Plan for the Time-Poor
Gdansk is small, flat and almost entirely walkable, which makes twenty-four hours here unusually productive — provided you pick one great museum and let the other go.
Gdansk Gets Better to Eat Two Stops Up the Line
The Motlawa waterfront feeds the crowds, but Gdansk's cooks have moved to a restored brewery in Wrzeszcz, a park district in Oliwa and a plain bistro in Dolne Miasto, and this is what to order in each.
Is Krakow Worth the Trip? A Straight Answer for First-Timers
Poland's royal capital survived the war intact, and still costs a fraction of Western Europe — here is how long to give it, what to book before you fly, and what to skip.
Krakow Beyond the Crowds
Cross the river, climb a mound, ride out to a socialist-realist time capsule — the Krakow that begins where the Main Square tour groups end.
Sleeping Well in Gdansk, Whatever You Are Spending
In Gdansk you are not only choosing a hotel, you are choosing which of three linked coastal towns you wake up in - and a commuter train every ten minutes makes all of them workable.
Cheap Eats in Krakow That Punch Above Their Price
The zloty still stretches further here than almost anywhere in Europe — but the value has moved, and Krakow's most famous cheap meal is no longer its cheapest.
Krakow Through the Seasons: When to Go and What Changes
Snow on the Main Square or midsummer wreaths on the Vistula? How Poland's royal city transforms four times a year — and how to pick your moment.
Warsaw Takes Four Days, and the Closing Days Decide the Order
The two museums that explain Warsaw both shut on Tuesday and the four that make it look modern all shut on Monday, so the weekday you land on quietly writes the shape of your whole trip.
Is Warsaw Worth the Trip? A First-Timer's Briefing
Poland’s capital rarely tops a first European wish list — which is exactly why it rewards the people who go. An honest briefing on what Warsaw delivers, what it does not, and who should book.
The Neighborhoods Most Visitors Skip in Krakow
Cross the Vistula or ride a tram twenty minutes east and Krakow doubles in size: four districts beyond the Old Town triangle, and how to give each the day it actually deserves.
Warsaw Cheap Eats That Punch Far Above Their Price
Subsidised canteens, market halls and one of Europe’s biggest Vietnamese communities. The Warsaw dishes that cost almost nothing and taste like the city.