Poland

Population: 38 million

Race: Slavic/Germanic

Language: Polish, Kashubian(only in the north-western region of Kashubia) & Goral(only in the southern mountain areas). English, German & Russian are also widely spoken.

Religion: 88% Roman Catholic

Government: Democracy. Still in relative infancy, the scene is unfortunately dominated by 2 completely opposite parties, ensuring down-the-middle splits on everything from public spending to the positioning of crosses.

Getting there

Many visitors take coaches or trains, of which there are plenty from all neighbouring countries, but if you’re smart then you’ll fly in with one of the cheap airlines like Ryanair or Wizzair.

Visas & Overstays

No visa is required for stays of up to 90 days for most nationalities although, in theory, you should carry your passport everywhere with you. It is highly unlikely that anyone will actually ask to see it, unless you’re foolish enough to piss off a policeman, but an apologetic shrug along with a „Gosh-I’m-such-an-idiot” look is often enough to get you off the hook. There probably isn’t a word in the Polish language for overstay.

When to visit Poland

Temperatures can easily go down to -15oC across the country(even lower in the south and east) from December to March and travelling anywhere during this time of the year is even more unpleasant than usual so, unless you’re a devoted skier, visit in Spring/Summer. July and August are the peak months so, if you want to hit either the beaches or the mountains, it’s best to avoid this period too.

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