Best Time to Visit

Spring (May) is a wonderful time to visit Poland. The snow should be gone by then, and the weather should be
mild with the flowers blooming etc. visiting in the spring would avoid the crowds (our most favourite time to travel).

You will absolutely adore Krakow - its a beautiful and charming city. Where else are you planning to visit?

Also, in the past few years, the polish govt is promoting "learning english" to the population to encourage foreign visitors. Of course there will be folks who will not or not able to speak english, but certainly many of the younger generation were very excited to practice "their english" with us. It was delightful.

Thanks, Holly. We'd like to see as much as we can in a couple weeks. Definitely Krakow, Gdansk and along the Baltic, and Warsaw. My grandfather was born in Krajenka, which is north of Poznan, so we also want to make a stop there. We're not sure if we should look for a tour. We managed Germany and Ireland by ourselves, but we are concerned about the language differences in Poland. This will be primarily an all Poland tour. We do have friends in Stuttgart that we'll want to see either before or after Poland.

I was in Poland for a week two years ago, did not know a word of Polish beyond the polite phrases (and I mispronounced a fair number of those). I made all arrangements myself, had a fabulous time in Warsaw and Krakow. Everyone was friendly and helpful. I will learn a little more of the language for a return trip, but don't be afraid to try it on your own.

I spent almost 3 weeks in Poland in September 2014 starting after Labor Day. The weather was fantastic; sunny warm days and cool evenings. Temp range was between 50-70 degrees. There still was a number of tourists but not overwhelming. Most folks speak some degree of English and those who don't try to find someone who does

We were there in September and it was lovely. i think May is usually good too. The Youth Day is in August, and I don't see why it should interfere. Hotel availability should tell you something. We took a tour, mainly to save time, and were happy with that choice. If you are sticking to the major cities, then I think independent would be OK. It's as modern and up to date as most of the West now. There seem to be a lot of companies that arrange for private transportation and custom itineraries since there are a lot of people looking for their roots there.

We were there from mid to late September 2 years ago, and the weather was beautiful. Sunshine almost every day, and very comfortable temperatures. It wasn't too hot during the day, which was nice for all of the walking we did. In the evenings, is was a bit chilly, but you won't find that to be a hindrance. In all of the cities we visited (Krakow, Warsaw, Gdansk, etc.), they do a very nice job of having late night outdoor seating at all of the restaurants, bars and cafes. They have heat lamps everywhere, and blankets on the seats to cover up with.

I always try and stay away from summer if you can. There are always more tourists during the summer and the attractions you want to see are crowded - both with visitors from outside and inside the country due to school being out for summer break.

Thanks to all for your help/suggestions. I think we'll try for May or September. Stan, are you allowed to mention companies that provide individual tours on this forum? We want to see Poland, but I'd also like to visit some sights connected to my Polish ancestry and possibly do a little research. This genealogy part of our tour would be in a smaller town, and we'd definitely need help with the language.

Of course it depends where you want to go and also your personal preferences.
Best time for travel is spring or autumn. The temperatures will be at this time of the year moderate and snow should not be a problem as well.
Summer can bring severe heat and/or thunderstorms. This phenomena increased especially during the last years like in most parts of Central and Eastern Europe.

Though May to October are the best months to visit Poland if you want to avoid cold, there are events to draw interested visitors year-round. If you are going to visit Poland and Warsaw, check this blog:
www.travelblog.org/Europe/Poland/Masovia/Warsaw/blog-870992.html

Kathy,

I was in Poland last September and found that to be a great time to visit there. The weather was warm and sunny, albeit a bit cooler at night.

Kathy, in my opinion, the best time will be between April and May. But you have to be ready that winter can be variable :) So you have to take various clothes. I was there in this time in Krakow last year and the weather was crazy! I find that The World Youth Day is going to be in July so you dont have to worry :) So, maybe August? I think weather will be ok, it is still summer.

Just came back from Poland and it is still freezing cold.
Lucky if the mercury hits double digits...

We had great weather last May, 2014. The advantage of May is that the crowds are still not out, school is generally in session (less competition) and you get more daylight for traveling compared to fall, which is also very nice weather.