Poland
Rebuilt old towns, salt mines and a Baltic coast with its own history.
Photo: Monika Towiańska (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Good to know
You can travel without a visa to the Schengen area, which includes Poland, for up to 90 days in any 180-day period…
Poland follows Schengen area rules. Your passport must have: have a ‘date of issue’ less than 10 years before the date you arrive – if you renewed your passport before 1 October 2018, it might have a date of issue that is more than 10 year…
The European Union’s (EU) new Entry/Exit System (EES) is now being implemented across the Schengen area…
There are strict rules about goods you can take into and out of Poland. You must declare anything that may be prohibited or subject to tax or duty…
Exercise normal security precautions. Latest change: Entry and exit requirements section – updated information on the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS).
Exercise normal security precautions. Latest change: Editorial change.
Poland uses the zloty, not the euro. Avoid airport exchange desks and the Euronet style booths in old towns, use a bank ATM or pay by card.
Tap water is treated to EU standards and safe in the big cities, though many Poles still prefer bottled.
PKP Intercity trains are fast and cheap. Warsaw to Krakow takes about 2 hours 20 and Warsaw to Gdansk about 3.
About 10 percent in restaurants. Saying thank you as you hand over payment can be taken as keep the change.
Book an experience
Verified operators across Poland, booked direct through KLNK.
Top destinations
Frequently asked questions
There are strict rules about goods you can take into and out of Poland. You must declare anything that may be prohibited or subject to tax or duty. Source: UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.
U.S. Department of State currently advises normal precautions (level 1 of 4). Advice differs slightly between governments, so check your own country's advisory before you travel.
Poland is in the Schengen area. Most UK, US, Canadian, Australian and EU visitors can stay 90 days in any 180 without a visa.
No. The currency is the Polish zloty (PLN). Cards are accepted almost everywhere, so you rarely need to exchange cash.
Yes by western European standards. Budget the equivalent of 70 to 110 EUR per person per day mid-range.
May to September for warm weather, late November to December for the Christmas markets in Krakow and Wroclaw.
Book a timed entry online well ahead. It is about 90 minutes from Krakow by road and needs the better part of a day.
Widely in cities and among younger people. Less so in small towns, where a few Polish phrases go a long way.
Travel information last reviewed 18 August 2026. Compiled from European Commission Newsroom, IATA Timatic, Open-Meteo and Tourpublish Travel Intelligence. Always confirm entry rules and safety guidance with official government sources before you travel.
Aggregated from official sources. Content is never rewritten — always display the publisher, publication time and original source link.
Photography: Monika Towiańska (CC BY-SA 4.0); Jorge Lascar (CC BY 2.0); C messier (CC BY-SA 4.0); Andrzej Otrębski (CC BY-SA 4.0); Adrian Grycuk (CC BY-SA 3.0 pl).