Based on what i've seen of Poles driving over here , I think the correct drill is to pack as many people in your car as you can - then feel free to weave between lanes whilst driving 10mph UNDER the limit.
I have family in Poland; driving there is exactly as in the rest of Northern Europe; signing is OK, main roads are good, country lanes less so but perfectly OK, most drivers are careful and follow the rules, there is a small proportion of boy racers, much fewer girl racers than in the UK.
It's as well to be able to recognise and understand the vocabulary used for directions/prohibitions of different kinds, though; about 20 words should be enough for most eventualities.
The script is much less daunting when you know that a number of combinations like sz and cz are just single consonants, and y is a vowel, and that the language is pronounced exactly as written, with no peculiar irregularities such as English has (through, bough, cough, though, thought, and so on)..
Thats a long ole drive there OPF, I used to be married to a polish girl so used to drive to czestochowa frequently although I have not done this for a good 8 years now.
Your basic route would be across the E30 (European route E30 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) which you can easily pickup in western europe and follow it across germany into poland which will take you to Lodz (proundounced woodch). All the motorway signposts will have a green box with E30 on it indicating the eurpean route and junctions to take.
Things can be quite a breeze in western europe as you can do rotterdam to the polish border in a shade over 9 hours going quickly (it is so depressing in germany when you see 500km signs for berlin slowly going down).
When you hit the polish border you then went onto a mixture of what we would call A & B roads - they did not really have motorways as such although they were just building some with EU funding which should be finished by now.
There used to be loads of speed traps all over the place, so make sure your documents are in order, the police used to get a percentage of the fines which as a foreigner you used to be required to pay on the spot (I can tell you a story about being stopped for speeding near katowice and not having any documents - pay this fine and dont tell your wife! I wonder why I did not get a receipt).
I would recommend flying to Warsaw or Lodz and renting a car as if the roads have not changed that much it will take you longer driving whilst in poland than from the UK to the border. There are lots of slower FSO Polonez's and Fiat 126's that you will get stuck behind and if you dont know the road can be a pain to overtake.
The normal european rules apply on the road, the road surfaces are terrible and often have huge grooves from overweight lorries (Another reason not to speed). One thing to note is that most traffic lights have a green arrow underneath indicating that you can turn freely in that direction even when the light is red (checking for traffic of course). If you drive at night a single flashing amber may be presented to you at a crossroads - this is to get you to slow down and procede with caution as they are part time lights.
Be careful as you may think you have a nice dual carraigeway but often a set of traffic lights or crossings will appear with little or no warnings.
There are lots of hookers that usually hang about on the hard shoulder as well as others pedalling their wares (pickled mushrooms is a favourite) - best to avoid unless you have a local with you who speaks polish - take plenty of bottled water as unless it is a main route services the facilities are poor (take your own loo roll too they dont do anything similar to andrex). There used to be alot of window washers at main junctions but its best to refuse them in my experience.
If you are taking your own car (and its british i.e. RHD) then you should not have much problem at the borders (presuming they are still manned) but if you have a European LHD you will need impeccable paperwork which will be checked (alot of stolen cars were illegaly imported through poland to russia) - if you are hiring a car in western europe make sure that the paperwork allows you to go to Poland as higher group cars are typically prohibited (I hired an Audi A4 in Frankfurt and got turned away at the border and just managed to change it in Gorlitz for a Mondeo before they shut).
On the whole I love poland, the people are very friendly - was very run down when I was there (lots of beggers in metropolitans) and a lot of con merchants. It is nearly 5 zloty to the pound, I always found it best to get out of an ATM there for best rates - there are alot of exchanges around all over the place but if they get a hint of you not knowing what your asking for they may try to give you old zloty's (pre 95) which are worthless (1000 old zloty became equal to 1 new).
Anything else more specific you wish to know feel free to ask. It may have changed a bit in the last 8 years for the better - a cheap flight to warsaw/Lodz will save alot of time/money - it took around 20 hours to drive from London to Czesthochowa using the tunnel. Factor in cost of tunnel/petrol/Insurance green card and you wont be far from the cost of a loco flight and car hire (it takes +- 2hr 15 on a 737 Heathrow to Warsaw).
Note: If your planning to use GPS make sure your GPS covers Poland as my BMW GPS back then for Europe covered none of eastern Europe and the map would disappear along with directions as soon as I crossed the broder at gortlitz)
Last edited by Jofm5; 22nd Jul 2009 at 11:08.
Reason: GPS check
That's good advice from Capot and Jofm5. Just a couple of things:
You should keep your headlights, or at least your parking lights on during daylight hours.
Poland isn't in the Eurozone yet; the national currency is still the Zloty. Service stations on, or just off the motorway will probably accept Euro's, but you'll need Zloty's for most things.
The motorways are good quality but there aren't enough of them! The non-motorway roads are very variable in quality - some have been modernised, others are equivalent to our B roads. Very few dual carriageways outside the main cities - you may need the patience of a saint.
I didn't have any problems with the quality of the driving. That may change when they can afford new Audi's and BMW's.
Driven in Poland a fair bit. My advice would be the following:
- Keep your headlights on regardless of weather conditions, or be prepared to bribe the cops - especially if you've a foreign licence plate.
- Keep a decent distance from the vehicle in front. I've seen cars attempt to overtake other cars, which are ALREADY overtaking a third car, on a blind bend. You don't want to be anywhere near it.
- Take a map, road signs can be sparse, usually in the areas where they're needed most.
- Be familiar with a few basic words: 'Wypadki' means 'Accidents', and features frequently on hazard signs.
My only experience of Polish drivers are the ones who come over to the East of Scotland to work on the fruit picking farms. If their standard of driving is indicative of the Poles as a whole I would say, forget it, get a bus or train.
Thanks to everyone for the Advice. Very helpful about Roads etc.
I learnt to drive in Military driving school in Germany 1961.
I drive on the continent much more than in the UK.
Last year did over 5,000 Miles in Europe, including driving to Kecskemet in Hungary.
I will be driving my own car to Radom Poland, Mondeo Estate, TDCI Turbo Diesel Automatic Ghia X. So I have comfort and easy driving being Automatic. No way at my age could I do it in a Manual car,
I am well known by friends to take absolutely everything needed on such a journey and then some!!!!especially as I will be Camping at Radom. All adds to the fun and adventure. I will be on my own, with what I take there's only room for the Driver!!!!!
Again many thanks, notes taken and "Filed".
I plan to go at the end of next month, will let you know how it all went on my return. The only proviso being the weather, as its for a big Airshow I will only go if its at least a reasonable forcast.
Last year I drove the 30-odd miles to the Sunderland (International) Airshow (a free event performed along the seafront). The weather was hot and sunny - at least it was half a mile inland, but both days the seafret never lifted long enough for any of the aircraft to be seen from the ground. Those aircraft that did overfly could be heard (a ground-attack by a Tornado in association with a Marine-assault on the beach with pyrotechnics). There was also a Royal Navy assault craft anchored half a mile offshore - which was equally 'invisible'. For those who really want to see (or not):-
We drive annually to a village 50km east of Warsaw, and have done since the mid-80s.
The motorway from the border at Frankfurt/Slubice is slowly growing in length. Be prepared for delays where it finishes at Strykow at the Lodz end. Motorways are fine, with frequent toll booths...
Other roads - I'd agree with what others have said. Be very careful of overtaking habits - as already said Poles, though lovely people, can be lethal in charge of a car. Be prepared to pull back to make space, anticipate that you'll be overtaken or something coming the other way will be overtaken, when it's patently madness to do so. On the whole, Polish truck drivers are excellent. Many ordinary roads have a shoulder. It's common practice to drive half on it to allow some overtaking room in the middle. Look out for bikes and slow Fiat 126s on the shoulder(!) and indicate early if you need to pull out. Be patient and tolerant and you should arrive in one piece. There are lots of large BMWs, Mercs etc on the transit routes and they don't hang about. Just let them go by and stay cool...
I would advise that you do not try to bribe the police. It worked twenty years ago, but don't try it now. Make sure you've got all your car paperwork. They do have powers to confiscate the car....
Stick to speed limits. It can be frustrating, but there are plenty of speed traps. And actually, most speed limits are sensible. If drivers flash you, it's probably a warning of police presence.
In the villages look out for locals, esp children, crossing/walking in the road.
The Polish borders are now un-manned (they signed up to the Schengen agreement) so you shouldn't be held up there.
There are lots of hotels these days, ranging from big to small B&Bs. Unless you don't mind a big impersonal place, I'd advise that you leave the motorway, and look in and around small towns. Sensible precautions - as anywhere, take valuables with you, drink bottled water etc. If possible look for 'parking strzezony' - guarded parking areas.
Most of all enjoy the journey. If you see something interesting, stop and have a look. Talk to the locals (learn some basic phrases), wallow in the rich culture (that includes aviation), and let us know how you get on.
Antek good to hear how its changed (and some instances not changed) its been 9 yrs since I last done the trip which is a shame as I love the country, I am a bit jealous of this little adventure OPF is taking...
Not meant in any disrespect to the poles, when I first used to go there late 96 I would have described it to me like the way my elders used to describe to me how the UK was just after WWII - very much community based and although the high rise housing in places like czestochowa looked ghastly if you got the opportunity to walk into one of the flats (as I did many) they were pristine - such very proud people (reminds me of storys of the ladys scrubbing the doorstep etc). There was still alot of the old hangover from the communist era in the infrastructure (not in the attitude I felt), but a very western feel to the youth cutltures.
I used to cross at gorlitz and it took hours in the queue and then drop down heading to wroclaw and across - used to be able to do it by memory. And last time I did it they had gotten quite far with one of the new EU sponsored motorways.
One of the major issues that I found was that when they opened up a new section of road you could be stonking along at 80kmh+ and then suddenly hit the chevron signs with no notice to rejoin the old road - very dangerous and usually they left a run off area for those that did not expect it (quite sensibly). I also remember in the winter months fog being quite prominent.
I will have to go back some day, just need to find a reason - I went to many places and in the current climate I could really recommend Gdansk or Krakow for a short break or indeed Jasna Góra in czestochawa if you are into archictecture, history or are catholic (avoid the annual pilgrimage if you want to look round).
It really does help to learn some of the lingo, when I first started going I had to track down a student at warsawa centralna working on the hertz desk to write on a bit of paper the information that I needed a ticket for the opoleanin to present to the ticket desk - even then I was lucky I when I asked what platform in english as the guy behind spoke english (peron 3 - incidently double sided and had I got the wrong train it went to moscow). I then learnt quite alot of polish - never enought to be conversational but enough to get by and most is still with me.
Very fond memories - I would say do learn basics such as Yes, No, good day (another thing complete strangers passing you in the street would often say), Thank you and Sorry as they will get you a long way there - all in all they used to be very helpful (apart from at warsaw airport but thats another story).
p.s. I am imagining you are going to the lakes each year - seen family photos but never been.
I plan to go at the end of next month, will let you know how it all went on my return. The only proviso being the weather, as its for a big Airshow I will only go if its at least a reasonable forcast.
My point was that I travelled (a short distance) to an Airshow when the prevailing weather was brilliant sunshine (scorching even) yet the airshow was a wipeout because of the sea-fret (fog) which covered the coast. Travelling to Poland, even should the forecast be good, might not guarantee seeing anything. And the sea-fret persisted on the Sunday as well as the Saturday. The venue was crowded because half a mile inland the sky was clear and it was hot and sunny.
