Poland Travel Tips: Dos and Don’ts for First-Time Visitors

I moved to Poland from New Delhi in 2018 and have called Wrocław home ever since. After years of exploring the country and working as a private tour guide, I’ve learned the practical details that make travelling in Poland easier. It helps with getting around, understanding local customs and finding experiences beyond the usual tourist trail.

Travelling in Poland offers a unique blend of rich history, vibrant culture, and modern amenities. Whether you’re exploring bustling cities like Warsaw and Kraków or the serene countryside, understanding local customs and practical tips can enhance your experience.

With cheerful people, vibrant market squares, efficient local transport, and fairly low prices for Western Europe & Nordic countries’ standards, Poland is rapidly becoming a favourite of global tourists. And this blog is important because it provides essential dos and don’ts to help you navigate Poland confidently and respectfully.​

Planning a visit to Wrocław? Explore the city with a local guide through private walking tours, Polish food experiences and day trips across Lower Silesia. Explore private tours in Wrocław

Things to know before travelling to Poland

Generic Poland Travel Tips

1. Learn basic Polish words/phrases – it is considered a good gesture when visiting new people at the supermarket, restaurants, a cafe, or a ticket counter. Dzień Dobry, Do widzenia, Dobry Wieczor, Miłego dnia, Dobranoc, Proszę, Przepraszam, and Dziękuję are some of the most important Polish words I highly recommend learning before your trip to Poland. Polish people are warm and welcoming, and appreciate such warm gestures.

2. Check your mobile roaming before buying a SIM card. If you’re travelling from another EU/EEA country, Poland is generally covered by the EU’s “Roam Like at Home” rules, subject to fair-use limits. If you’re arriving from outside the EU/EEA, check your operator’s roaming charges or consider buying an eSIM or local prepaid SIM. Polish prepaid SIM cards must be registered before they can be used. Carry your passport or another accepted ID. Free Wi-Fi is available in many hotels, cafés and restaurants, but having mobile data is useful for navigation.

3. Don’t get loud after 10 pm. Residential areas in the city are mostly quiet, and your neighbours might call the police on you.

4. When travelling to Poland in winter, start the day’s excursions as early as possible. The sunset time in winter is around 4:00 pm. Make the best of daylight while it lasts! On the contrary, summer in Poland is the opposite, when you can take advantage of the excellent weather and prolonged daylight hours. Summer nights are the best.

5. Polish winters are harsh and require thorough preparation. City temperatures sometimes drop below -16 degrees Celsius, and the mountains are even more brutal. Come well-equipped with the right clothes to stand the Polish winter.

6. For groceries, Biedronka, Lidl, Auchan, Dino, and Carrefour are the biggest chains of supermarkets in Poland. Żabka, literally on every street corner in popular Polish cities, is your last-minute option. Remember, it is pricier than supermarkets, but comes to the rescue on Sundays when all the major shops and supermarkets are closed.

Public Transport and Discount Tickets

1. Make good use of public transport, especially in major cities in Poland.

2. Follow the traffic lights carefully while crossing the streets. Even on the busiest city roads, people drive quite fast. Wait for your light to go green. Moreover, on a bad day, you can get a ticket for jumping the pedestrian red signal.

3. Make the most of Wrocław City Bike (Wrocławski Rower Miejski) during spring, summer and early autumn. The first 20 minutes on a standard bike are free; the next 40 minutes cost 3 PLN, and each subsequent hour costs 6 PLN. There is also a 10 PLN initial deposit fee, which is credited towards rental charges. Wrocław has an excellent network of cycle routes. Check the official website for current prices, bike locations and rental rules.

4. Make the best of the 24- or 48-hour public transport ticket. Regional trains and intercity trains also offer long-term or seasonal tickets. Check at the ticket counter or on their website

5. Trains in Poland are a super-efficient, clean, and affordable means of transport for everyone. Regional trains like Koleje Dolnośląskie in Lower Silesia bring exciting ticket offers for solo travellers as well as those travelling in a group. 

If you are a Polish university student under 26, you are eligible for a 51% discount on train tickets. Moreover, weekend tickets come in handy if you plan on extensive travel, including multiple transfers on different IC trains. Optionally, group discounts apply to people travelling in Poland with family or friends. I highly recommend checking available offers at the ticket counter. The railway ticket counters are among those places where your Polish language knowledge comes in handy.

6. Most larger cities have extensive tram and bus networks, but ticket types, prices, validation rules and concession fares differ from one city to another. In Wrocław, you can buy tickets from machines at tram and bus stops, through the Jakdojade app or using the contactless ticket machines inside vehicles. Paper tickets bought before boarding must be validated immediately after you get on. A ticket purchased by tapping your bank card at an onboard machine is electronic and linked to that card, so keep the same card with you in case of a ticket inspection.

7. Jakdojade is a unified app for public transport in Poland. The app helps you locate buses/trams and navigate to stations across major Polish cities. Install this app before your trip to Poland.

8. Avoid accepting rides from drivers approaching you at airports or railway stations. Check the vehicle details and the displayed fare before hiring. If you’re unsure about the price, clarify before starting the journey. Taxi tariffs and surcharges can vary, particularly at night and outside city limits. Major Polish airports have convenient public transport to the city centre. At some airports, there are options to share a van or make use of an airport shuttle. It’s your cheapest alternative!

9. BlaBlaCar is another cheap option to travel in Poland, hassle-free. It comes as a saviour when you have to travel during odd hours when buses/trains aren’t available or are way too expensive.

Wrocław Travel Tips From Your City Guide

1. Plan your journey from Wrocław Airport. The airport is outside the city centre, but public buses connect it with the city. Bus 106 runs to the Main Railway Station, while 129 serves other parts of Wrocław. At night, bus 206 connects the airport with the city. Always check the current timetables on the Jakdojade app before travelling.

2. Explore the Old Town on foot, but use trams and buses for longer distances. The Market Square, University of Wrocław, Ostrów Tumski and several other attractions can be explored on foot. However, places like Centennial Hall, the Zoo, Szczytnicki Park, Hydropolis, and Skytower are further away. Wrocław has a good tram and bus network, so check your route before setting out. You can buy tickets from machines inside trams and buses using a contactless bank card or via the Jakdojade app.

3. Watch out for tram tracks when walking around the city. Trams run through several streets in and around the historic centre, including pedestrian areas. Don’t assume a street is free from traffic just because cars are absent. Look both ways before crossing the tracks and follow the traffic signals.

4. Use the local tourist information points when you need help. You can find tourist information at the Market Square, the airport and the Main Railway Station. These are useful places to ask about attractions, local events, maps and transport. For locations and further details, visit the official Wrocław tourist information website.

5. Travelling in Wrocław and aged 65 or above? You can use the city’s trams and buses for free. Carry a photo ID that confirms your age. This is a local concession, not a universal rule across Poland. Other cities have their own age limits and eligibility requirements, so check the local transport operator. Don’t assume the same benefit applies elsewhere.

Money Matters!

1. Be careful about the places where you can pay in cash and where you can pay by card. Carry sufficient cash while travelling, but always try paying by card first. Paying by card always saves the money you can lose at the exchange office. Also, it keeps you safe from collecting annoying coins.

2. Avoid currency exchange counters at the airport. Try carrying some Euros/Zloty from your home country and look for options with a good Kantor exchange rate. The shops labelled as Kantor Cent are reputed for the best money conversion rate; always look for this shop in the major cities in Poland. If you already live as an expat in Poland, the ING bank app gives you a good exchange rate. 

3. Compare the price online before exchanging to find out which Kantor offers the best money exchange rate in Poland. Also, check different sources to know the best available rate. Moreover, you can also use your debit card, which is mostly international. While withdrawing money at the ATM, they display the additional charges to pay. In some cases, this charge is nominal, and you won’t lose much money.

Food, Water, and Alcohol

1. Tap water is mostly drinkable across Poland. While buying a water bottle from a store, check if it’s labelled ‘Niegazowana’, which means ‘No Gas’. If you like sparkling water, it is marked ‘Gazowana‘

2. Try the morning coffee with one of the many sweetbreads at Piekarnia. They come with different fillings like chocolate, peach, berry, apple, and cheese, and taste divine, especially when fresh out of the oven in the morning.

3. Pierogi, Bigos, żurek, and Oscypek are traditional Polish foods worth a try on your trip to Poland.

4. Zapiekanka is the Polish answer to Italian pizza. It is a baguette cut in half, topped with mushrooms/salami, cheese and much more, with a variety of sauces and other toppings to choose from.

5. Alcohol in Poland is cheap! Sometimes you can find a can of beer for 2 pln or 45 cents. Don’t come back without trying Zubrowka & Soplica.

6. Drinking alcohol in public places is prohibited and can get you a ticket. Shops and petrol stations in the city are prohibited from selling alcohol between 22:00 and 06:00. Licensed bars and restaurants can still serve alcohol for consumption on their premises. Check the city’s current guidance before your visit.

7. Food and drink prices vary from one season to another. Don’t rely on old prices quoted in travel articles. Check the menu and the bill, and ask whether a service charge is included if this is unclear. Tipping in Poland is customary for good service(not mandatory), but the amount is up to you.

Events, Gigs, and Live Music in Poland

1. Watch out for live gigs at bars and restaurants in the city centre region of popular tourist cities in Poland like Warsaw, Krakow, Zakopane, Wroclaw, and Gdansk

2. Try walking around the Old Towns and City Centres, and you might stumble upon a few amazing performances from the local artists.

3. You can find plenty of local Polish things like chocolates, cheese, a scarf from the mountains, magnets, and Polish vodka that you can gift to someone or treasure for a long time.

4. Travelling to the Polish Mountains in winter? Don’t forget to layer yourself well. Carry a hiking pole and an extra pair of shoes with spikes. It snows abundantly in the Polish mountains, and the right gear is essential to walk comfortably.

No Freebies While Travelling in Poland; Don’t Get Scammed

1. Don’t trust people giving you something for free; you can get conned by people you don’t know.

2. Look beyond the city centre to find cheap stay options. Always check reviews of hostels, homestays, and apartments. They are cheaper than hotels in the city centre.

Poland warmly welcomes travellers who show respect and curiosity. By following these dos and don’ts, you’ll not only have a smoother journey but also connect more deeply with the local culture. Ready to embark on your Polish adventure? Explore my curated tours and travel resources to plan your unforgettable trip.​

Further read: Poland Guide: Uncover the Best Local Adventures & Attractions in Central Europe