I am attempting to plan a trip to Poland with the ultimate goal to visit my brother who is in Redzikowo. We are looking at stopping in Warsaw and Krakow as well. Getting around Warsaw and Krakow and up to Gdansk looks to be relatively easy using trains and public transportation. But Redzikowo seems to be less easy given it is a small town. I am attempting to figure out how to get from Gdansk to Redzikowo and back. Then getting around Redzikowo. Does anyone have recommendations? I've never driven in a foreign country so I hesitate doing that.
Posted by
Washington DC Region, USA
7054 posts
How does your brother get around (he's not "stuck" in a teeny village of < 500, is he)? I figure by car, right? Driving in Poland is nothing to be feared...do you know how to drive a stick shift? If not, you could probably get an automatic. I don't think there's any way around it. If the town is basically a military or naval base with hardly any residents there, you're not going to find alternative transit options. Rent a car in Gdynia, the drive should be quite easy.
Posted by
OP
2 posts
Well actually, if you talk to him, he is kinda stuck there as part of the military. 😁 I am not sure how he gets around. I don't drive a stick. He was concerned about us driving there. Is driving in or around Krakow and Warsaw difficult? What would I need to do to drive there beyond renting a car. Will my US licence work?
Posted by
Washington DC Region, USA
7054 posts
No, driving in between the cities isn't too difficult, even driving in Warsaw isn't a big deal (my family lives there and we've driven all over the place). Obviously you don't want to deal with parking if you don't need to, and there is no need whatsoever to have a car in the cities (Krakow has large pedestrian only zones). Koszalin is closer than Gdynia and there are car rental places there as well (look on Google).
You need an International Driving Permit on top of your license.
https://www.autoeurope.com/driving-information/poland/
Posted by
Washington DC
28053 posts
Especially since you need an automatic transmission, it may be helpful for you to work with one of the rental-car consolidators. AutoEurope, Kemwel and Gemut should be able to help you figure out which specific local agency is your best bet. Automatics are not so common in Europe. And sometimes rental rates are lower through the consolidators.