RS - Best of Poland Tour - June 2024

Hi Vic, no advice to give you but just to say how moved I am by your family story. I am booked on the May tour, flying into Gdańsk and out of Warsaw because my preferred airline has no nonstops to Poland. Having recently returned from Italy where I reconnected with places and people in my own family’s immigrant story, I hope your visit to Poland brings you and your wife everything you wish for!!

@AccidentalSoutherner

Thanks for your kind comments.

My wife and I were in Italy this past spring...a beautiful country with such a vibrant culture and people. I was able to visit Monte Cassino and the Polish Cemetary....a very, very moving and personal experience for me.

Very interesting family history thank you for sharing. I've been to Poland several times, although my cup of tea is pre-20th century Polish history, you seem to have a very interesting adventure ahead of you in Bialystok. That's a part of Poland that I have yet to visit.

Close by you have Białowieża Forest National Park, a UNESCO world heritage site. One of the last major primeval forests in Central Europe, where the European bison still roam free.

We are on the Best of Poland tour, 6/18/24, flying to Gdansk from Frankfurt. We used American points to fly from DFW to FRA. Also, arriving early and staying at the tour hotel.

We know very little about Poland and their food, so definitely looking forward to the tour.

We are excited to join this thread. We booked some time ago for the Best of Poland tour starting 3-sep-24. We are flying through Iceland and landing a Gdansk a few days before the tour starts. Planning to stay in Krakow several days at the end of the tour to research some family history and to Auschwitz-Birkenau, Wielliczka salt mines and more. I'm wondering if renting a car for a few days in Krakow is a reasonable strategy or just rely on busses and trains to see some of the country side.

Any suggestions on additional site in and around Krakow?

Anyone rented a car in Krakow and have experiences to share?

After we see the area we are planning to go to Prague for a few days and then find our way to Ljubljana for the start of the Best of Adriatic tour starting September 22.

Any suggestions on additional site in and around Krakow?Anyone rented a car in Krakow and have experiences to share?

Renting a car in Krakow is easy, I've always done it via Krakow Airport. Some places in Krakow post tour I'd suggest

Zakopane - spa town nestled in the Tatra Mountains, wide range of outdoor activities. (can be done with car or bus)

Pszczyna + Lower Silesia - baroque town dominated by a large 17th century chateau, former capital of German Duchy of Pleß (car is best) here is my trip report - https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/krakow-daytrip-report-underrated-upper-silesia

Trail of the Eagles' Nest Castles - route of 25 medieval castles, can be done hiking, cycling, or driving (car is best), here is my trip report - https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/new-daytrip-from-krakow-eagle-s-nest-castle-trail

Polish Aviation Museum - well preserved airplanes from WWI, WWII, and the Cold War. Including Hermann Göring's personal WWI airplane collection, located on the outskirts of Krakow (can take a taxi)

Czartoryski Museum - one of the best art museums in Poland, home to da Vinci's painting "Lady with an Ermine"

Carlos gives the BEST advice. Last fall I rented a car and in less than 48 hours saw several of the wooden church south of Krakow, which I heard about from him at some point. I stayed on a random hotel in Nowi Targ. Just gorgeous scenery!

I rented at the airport and it was easy.

Hi!!

I'd like to book a tour of Auschwitz as I believe it's extremely important to witness and experience the camp. I knew quite a few survivors who were liberated from the camp. I know my wife will not go with me as its too close to her....she may change her mind but I don't think so. I'm not sure as of yet how/when to schedule the tour...perhaps after the RS tour ends? The tours usually allow free time to explorer on your own but i would think this may require more time!?!

Also I found flights via LOT airlines that will fly direct from Krakow to Bialystok at reasonable rates and the flight duration is only an hour. Transporation by train seems to take much more than flying ...8 hours or so.

Thoughts?

Thanks,

Vic

Our Poland itinerary says:

This tour does not include Auschwitz-Birkenau. If you want to visit
the memorial site and museum, we recommend extending your trip one
night and booking a day trip in advance with one of the companies
recommended in the Rick Steves guidebook

I'm not sure as of yet how/when to schedule the tour...perhaps after the RS tour ends?

I've been looking into how to visit Auschwitz-Birkenau - I was thinking about the RS Poland tour in June, but then decided to arrange for independent travel instead.

It will take the greater part of a day - it is over an hour each way from and back to Krakow. There are numerous tour companies offering transportation - some with admission to the sites included. Note that all tours are conducted by professional staff at the site - so if you book a tour with a guide, it is for narrative in transit. The tour covers Auschwitz, then you take a bus to Birkenau, where you are on your own. Tickets do sell out in advance, so plan to purchase once they become available for your date.

Do you already have the RS guidebook for the trip? It is well-covered there.

Here are the search results for travel forum posts the past year regarding Auschwitz.:

https://search.ricksteves.com/?button=&date_range=1y&filter=Travel+Forum&query=Auschwitz&utf8=%E2%9C%93

@marcw

Thank you for posting and all the great information!!

I don't have the RS book yet but it's part of the tour package. I thought the tour of Auschwitz would take the greater part of the day...I'm thinking perhaps just after the RS breakfast when the tour ends!?! The flipside is that I'm sure we will meet some wonderful people on the tour (this certainly happened with the Best of Italy Tour) that I won't want to say goodbye to the group as of yet. So, staying overnight may be an option. It would take a minor miracle to persuade my wife to visit Auschwitz...but as long as there's shops in Krakow, I think she will be ok...

Maybe not my wallet though...I consider it a minor miracle she agreed to accompany me to Poland given her family history.

vicjoy1945

Yes do it the day the tour ends, after breakfast. The time to say goodbye to tour mates is at the farewell dinner the night before, The final breakfast has no organized events or formal goodbye, just people straggling in to breakfast as during the rest of the tour. Some people will leave before breakfast, some will sleep in, and others will have additional activities planned. I wouldn't be surprised if there are several other people also planning to go to Auschwitz at that time. Mention it at the first meet-up and you'll find out.

Note, you have to go through Auschwitz I with one of the sight's official tour guides. Too easy to get lost among all the similar buildings, and not know the significance of some of the locations. At Auschwitz II (Birkenau) where the familiar rail platform and the grim barracks are visible, gives you some free time to ponder on your own.

Warsaw has an excellent museum that shows what was done to the city after the 1944 Rising. Also a museum and memorial to the Jews of Poland. Your wife has nothing to fear - Warsaw is a modern city in a modern EU country and there is no permanent hostility to Jews or anyone (except Russians). Most people living in Poland now were born long after the war. Note the monument to Monte Cassino near the historic squares.

If you have any info on your father's address, this company can help you (if you cant find it on google maps): PolishOrigins. They can also arrange for a private tour with transportation and a guide of you want them to pick you up in Krakow and take you there. Also, they can help get birth records of your parents if you're ever interested in dual citizenship.

Also I found flights via LOT airlines that will fly direct from Krakow to Bialystok at reasonable rates and the flight duration is only an hour.

There is no airport in Bialystok. The closest airports are Warsaw Chopin, Warsaw Modlin, Lublin and Olsztyn.

@qq

I did find this: LOT => Departure flight Origin:Cracow (KRK) Destination:Olsztyn-Mazury (SZY)

Is this the closest airport to Bialystok? Maybe rent a car there then drive into Bialystok? Or maybe I fly into Warsaw before the tour then go to Bialystok. I wanted to end the trip in Bialystok as I would be "fresher" than if I started there after the long flight.

Olsztyn airport is 180 km from Bialystok and only convenient if you fly from elsewhere in Europe and want to do a road trip through the North-East of Poland. Otherwise go via Warsaw.

Hi Vic,

I am wondering if you could see it on google maps if you know the address. We are on the June 4th tour of Poland and I am trying to research my ancestors. We are flying into Wroclaw, going to Poznan, and then Gdansk for the tour.

Bialystok has a relatively new museum about the deportation of Poles to points east by the Russians/Soviets. It's called in English "Memorial Museum Siberia", but locals seem to refer to it simply as "Sibir". It's extremely well done and very English-accessible. I highly recommend it if the topic interests you.

All the major cities in Poland seem to have very good, modern historical museums. Warsaw has enough of them to keep a person busy for over a week, and the Solidarity Museum and World War II Museum in Gdansk are also new and outstanding. I spent about 20 hours at the latter, just to give you an idea. There is naturally some overlap in coverage between the various museums covering the WWII period.

Hey All !!

Fantastic insight and advice....so much appreciated!!!

I'm struggling a bit to fit Bialystok in with the tour itinerary. There doesn't seem to way to cut down travel time before or after the tour at this point....especially if my Dad's home is no longer there. I know that a portion of their land was (I believe there were orchards on the land) "requestioned" by the communist government to build a university. I checked in with my two younger brothers to see if they had any old mail with addresses but none has been found. The tour begins in Gdansk and ends in Krakow....not sure there's any easy (i.e. time efficient) way to get to Bialystok.

Thoughts/suggestions?

I think I will fly roundtrip into Warsaw rather than risk 1 or 2 connecting flights to Gdansk.....more stops the more risk of delays and cancellations...been there too many times!!!!

Are there any census records that might reveal an address? Birth, marriage and death records don't seem to have this information from my queries.

thanks again,

Vic

vicjoy, birth records and baptismal records were usually kept by the church. And the ones I've seen have addresses of where the parents lived. If he was born before 1917, that was Russian territory. So records could be in Latin or Russian. This is where pro genealogy services there on the ground, can help track things down. It helps to have full names, dates of birth, and full names of parents, since sometimes names are repeated in families.

@stan et al

I did find the birth notice for my Dad. The entry is in Russian as he was born before WWI. Unfortunately, it doesn't include any addresses. I need to find birth notes for his kin...maybe it will be there?

Curiously the entry lists his birth as 26 Dec 1909....we, as a family, always celebrated his birthday as 08 Jan 1910. Any thoughts on the discrepancy? Somewhere in the back of my mind says this may have been his "Saints Day !?!"

Curious....

My grandfather was born in Wales. His birthdate was changed on purpose for tax purposes, and for him being admitted to the US. Unfortunately the family in the know for sure are all deceased.

Vic, yes it is possible that the Name Day is what was celebrated, not birthday. Also maybe a difference in Orthodox (Russian) and Roman calendars? What we saw was that pre-WWI Catholic records were often transferred to the diocese and not kept at the parishes. But it's a tangled mess. Thats why we went to the genealogy service for help.

I'll mention one thing, based on our experience with other ancestors in Italy. Dont assume that local authorities, church or civil, will be that interested in helping you, if you show up with questions. Too much other work to do.

Still digging through this website but it's a wealth of information for Poles seeking to research their family history:

https://geneteka.genealodzy.pl/

Much of it is based regionally...but there's a LOT there.

Hope this helps others!!!

Vic

This FB group has been so kind and so helpful uncovering my Dad and his family history journey. There are some really wonderful people on this site who will help you in your search!!!:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/Polish.Genealogy

Hello,
This is my first time openly participating in this forum....with much appreciation. My husband and I began following Rick Steves (Vic) ages ago with grand personal experiences. Our next desired destination takes us to Poland for a June tour. Though we don't have known relatives there, we feel drawn to pay respects remembering the past, while celebrating a bright future.
Family History: we continue to have much success using a free app called FamilySearch. You will need a date and town of birth and death. You then will be shown a personalized family tree with photos of your desired family members along with information that other family members previously inputted. It's a snap to use and a fantastic genealogical resource for our loved ones.
The link is https://www.familysearch.org
I'm learning a lot from all you savvy travelers! Perhaps our paths will cross in beautiful Poland.
Cheers,
Reese A.

Added Twist!!

My best friend's oldest son is getting married in June...so...I had to reschedule the Poland tour from June to July.

Any special advice regarding weather in July? It should be warmer than June. I suspect there will be little to no air conditioning but lows in the evening will probably a very comfortable mid 60s F. My wife loves the heat so and with daytime temps in the mid to upper 70's should be no issues.

Should I plan for the fall tours instead? There's a wait list for those at the moment...

Thanks !!!!

Hey All!!

I'm thinking of perhaps touring Auschwitz in the morning of our last full day on the RS tour. That last full day has us going to Nowa Huta....a planned Communist town....and free the remainder of the day. I'm thinking of leaving early and catching one of the first English speaking tours. I'm on my own as my wife will not go and that is OK. I understand her completely as nearly all of her maternal side of the family perished in Treblinka.

FYI - I will be a total wreck visiting Auschwitz. I've known way too many survivors who were some of the sweetest people I have ever met and had the privilege to know.

I have booked several days after the RS tour so I could, conceivably, go to Auschwitz after the last breakfast which is the next day.

Curious to get some thoughts on this...

Vic

I'm thinking of leaving early and catching one of the first English speaking tours.

Vic - "Leaving early" may entail getting transport at 05:30 if you want to get on the first tours at Auschwitz at 07:30. It's not clear whether you intend to book a packaged tour or get to the memorial site under your own steam.

A minor regret when I was in Krakow was not seeing Nowa Huta, as the Soviet era is fascinating to me. So I would suggest putting off Auschwitz until at least after the last breakfast - you should still be able to get a 10:00 departure if on a tour, which gives you ample time at the site - you wouldn't be back in Krakow until around 17:00. If you believe the visit will be emotionally taxing, then the day may go better after a good night's sleep.

Hey @markcw !!

Thanks for the thoughts. A bit torn on Nowa Huta since the communist era had a devasting effect on Dad's family...live and learn!?!

I did notice that you had commented on researching the different tours companies for the Auschwitz tours in the RS book in a previous discussion line. At that time, you decided on www.discovercracow.com. I went to their website to look at the times they offer on July 11th. The official website visit.auschwitz.org lists multiple tours in all sorts of language options. I realize discovercracow personnel will hand us over to the internal guides/docents once we arrive at Auschwitz. Will we be placed in an English based group?

Were you happy with the way the tour turned out? I believe you were going in April of this year...

Thanks,

Vic

It was clear that this was an English-speaking group, and we were handed over to an English- speaking docent at the site.

On the first tour page - Auschwitz-Birkenau Guided Tour From Cracow - there is an indication of "en" below Duration in the left column. And in the description further down that it's an English- language tour.

I looked at my Discover Cracow ticket and it doesn't indicate a language. Note that they pull your Auschwitz tour tickets and hand them out as you get off the bus. The tour is specific to the group on the bus. We were put on an English tour.

I was generally happy with the Discover Cracow portion of the tour. I thought we were a bit rushed at times. They are upfront stating that you won't get a lunch break. In terms of narration on the very long bus ride from Krakow, they showed a rather gruesome B&W documentary on a very small video screen at the front of the bus.

There is minimal tourist infrastructure at the site. We were shown vending machines near the restrooms when we arrived - the restrooms were relatively new and built to handle crowds. I never saw the rumored cafeteria, and we didn't have time anyway. I made a sandwich from my breakfast buffet at the hotel.

The official guide was amazing. Note that there are multiple groups touring at the same time - they try to maintain a distance, but there were times that groups were ascending and descending staircases at the same time.

I picked Discover Cracow largely because they offered the mini-bus, as opposed to a full-sized tour bus. I don't know whether it was the best choice - it was a good choice. Plus the price was right. Pick-up was easy right outside Krakow Glowny. It rained on the outbound journey - we encountered a number of puddles, especially at Birkenau.

I enjoy reading all the post about the Rick Steves Poland tour. They are very helpful. FYI My wife and I were on the waiting list and able to get on the tour for September 24-October 3. It will be our third Rick Steves tour. We are using American Airlines points to fly round trip to and from Frankfurt Germany. I hope to book flights on a different airline from Frankfurt to Gdansk and from Krakow to Frankfurt. We plan to arrive a day early before the tour and stay an extra day after the tour to see Auschwitz-Birkenau. I am trying to decide if we should rent a car and drive to Auschwitz-Birkenau or would it be better to take a tour bus? I am thinking we would see more of the countryside driving ourselves in a rental. Coming back it looks like we will fly from Krakow to Frankfurt and then have to spend a night in Frankfurt to catch a plane to Charlotte early the next morning. It seems all the planes from Frankfurt leave early in the morning. By the way, for what it is worth, we took our first Viking River cruise this past April, Basel to Amsterdam. We enjoyed the cruise but after it was over my wife and I both think we like the Rick Steves tours more. The river cruise was nice but we felt that we missed something by being on the boat so much instead of spending all our time in the country that are visiting. All the passengers (175) were from the US and they seemed to be less mobile then a Rick Steves tour group.

I am trying to decide if we should rent a car and drive to Auschwitz-Birkenau or would it be better to take a tour bus? I am thinking we would see more of the countryside driving ourselves in a rental.

If you'd only be renting the car for the one day, keep in mind that highways are one area where Poland's otherwise excellent transportation system falls a bit short. I was on a tour bus - the trip to Auschwitz took 90 minutes and must have navigated through ten traffic circles on a journey that was entirely on secondary roads. So you may be so focused on finding your way that you'll have little time to enjoy the countryside.

Thank you. We will take a bus.