Please let me know what I am missing from this 9 Day Poland Itinerary

When in Krakow have a kielbasa from the guys in the Blue Van. They come in the evening. Google them.

I'm confused in your other post you said you're not flying back home from Krakow, but driving on to Bratislava? I assume you know about the exorbitant drop off fees for dropping off your rental car in a foreign country.

Only 1 of my daughters is flying out of Krakow. We are continuing on. Will be flying out of Vienna 1 week later.
I know about the drop off fees - but its something I may need to endure. We cant do trains.

Thanks for the Blue van suggestion. We'll be trying all Polish food.
Regarding what to see - am I missing something important? Am I missing any day trips that I should take from Warsaw?

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/four-cities-in-poland-2019

guys in the Blue Van

It's just a sausage and a bun that you can't get before 8:00pm - nothing special, just another street vendor.

Hey Tim, looks like we are neighbors in NJ- we live in USR. Thanks for the link.
Considering my 3 nights in Warsaw, 1st night we after arrive at 1PM and 3rd - after which we immediately eave to Krakow, is it worth making a day trip? If so... which one? Lublin or Lodz or Bialystock?

Hi Thanks for the clarification. There are so many worthwhile things to see in and around Warsaw and Krakow, it all depends on time and your interests.

I think in Warsaw I'd add POLIN: Museum of the History of Polish Jews and The Polish Army Museum. At the moment I don't think you have enough time to add a day trip from Warsaw. If you had a spare day I'd recommend a trip to see the Modlin Fortress or Kazimierz Dolny.

In Krakow, I think the Polish Aviation Museum and the National Museum of Art would be good additions. For day trips I can heartily recommend Zakopane, but it's best done as an overnight to have enough time to hike the Tatra Mountains. As for Zalipie and Wieliczka, unless you are really attracted to these places I think there are better daytrips since you have a car. Instead I recommend following the Trail of the Eagles' Nests Castles with your car. I did the trip from Krakow a few years ago, here is my report - https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/new-daytrip-from-krakow-eagle-s-nest-castle-trail

Hope this helps :)

In Warsaw both POLIN and the Rising Museum can be full-day affairs, and the Polish Army Museum is by no means small.

If you have only 3 full days for Warsaw, you could just end up spending the entire time in the city itself, given the numerous museums and historical/cultural sites, unless in regards to setting a strict priority you absolutely want to see , say the famous Modlin Fortress or the Polish Army Museum. Modlin will take up the entire afternoon or more.

The fortress was revamped by the Russians as the area came under their control in post-Napoleon Europe and played a role in holding up the German invasion in 1939. In July 2001 I got to the Army Museum a quarter of an hour before closing, obviously too late, even if you are admitted at that time.

Presumably, in the last 2 decades the Museum has expanded, etc. In 2001 the outside premises had several pieces of Soviet ordinance on display, various Soviet tanks, tank destroyers, etc.

is it worth making a day trip? If so... which one? Lublin or Lodz or Bialystock?

Michael, I've only been to Lodz, so I can't evaluate the other two. You have to decide how important the massive (edge of town) Lodz cemetery is (I'm sure there are photos online) is. I liked the city as a mix of postwar decline and recent gentrification-which latter part, like my discussion of the textile business, falls under something other than "Jewish Tourism". (I'm just using a common descriptive term, not a slur.) The question is which of those poles the other two fall towards, and whether you have read any of the photo essays (as in A Vanished World) that may have documented them pre-war. I actually once saw Isaac Bashevis Singer on the street, in my childhood neighborhood of the Upper West Side.

I personally valued Lodz ahead of the Polin Museum (reviewed in the TR I linked), and we skipped the interior of the rebuilt Warsaw castle, because of the long line to enter. But I won't denigrate Warsaw, except to say that Krakow is much better. Because of the family connection my opinion about Lodz is biased. However, since Cocktails/Travels with A Curator (Frick Collection) visited Lazienski Palace, I'd make time for that in Warsaw: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gx17FoH1XZs

Rather than taking up a day for a day trip from Warsaw, I'd consider stopping somewhere interesting on the way between Warsaw and Krakow. Such as Czestochowa (the Shrine of the Black Madonna being at the core of Polish culture) Sandomierz or Kazimierz Dolny - both interesting and pretty small towns.

Thank you all so much. This gives me a lot to work with. If anything it can always be options to make on the spot.