Lodz from Warsaw?

Hey if it is a must do for you I'd spend the 2 nights there to get a feel for the city, you will already see Warsaw on the RS tour. I guess you are interested in Łodz's textile industry history?

Personally I was not impressed by Łodz, I've driven through the center back in 2012 and I did not feel the need to stay the night, the city was heavily industrialized during the 20th century, and after the end of communism the city's manufacturing based economy collapsed. Łodz felt sprawling yet bleak. Perhaps it has gentrified since then.

If it were my holiday I'd spend any extra nights in Wrocław.

Thanks Carlos and yes one is the Textile Museum. I have read that Lodz is working on tourist offerings although not in the scale of other cities yet. There seems to be enough there to spend a couple of days - I am thinking of the Jewish Heritage sites as well.

I know that there a some significant historical sites in the area, just north of Lodz is Chelmno, the very first Nazi Extermination Camp, unfortunately often overlooked by the more famous Auschwitz. South of Lodz I recall is Spała, the former favorite hunting lodge of the Tsars of Russia now popular spa town, I believe some buildings still stand from Nicholas II and is where Rasputin performed his supposed miracles.

My report on Lodz not too many years ago is here:
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/four-cities-in-poland-2019

Thanks Carlos and Tim. I am spending 2 days in Wrocław post RS tour after stay in Krakow. I fly out of Warsaw so will head there after Wrocław. I will be traveling by train or bus, so any suggestions out there are helpful! Also, the hotel suggestions are great!

Personally I loved Lodz. The architecture is different from other Polish cities I visited. The huge brick buildings are especially something to see. There's a large indoor shopping mall there and I picked up a fabulous takeout salad and sat on a bench outside in the sun people watching. I used Lodz as a base for several nights as I needed to visit a smaller town in the vicinity that has importance to my family history. A visit to Lodz gets you away from the usual tourist towns--it's off the beaten path. I loved it.