We have driven to Cracow from the UK (Essex) - three times, there and back, and are likely to repeat it again. It's a drive of just under 1,100 miles and the amazing thing was not meeting a single static speed camera between Calais and Rabka-Zdroj.
Saying that, this last trip we were fined for speeding, a few metres over the Polish border. The police tend to lie in wait at the restaurant/petrol station around the corner from the main road leading from the border control. We were told that we had broken the speed limit by so many miles and asked to pay 100 zloty in cash. We didn't actually see any speed cameras nor was any evidence produced.
Be careful between the Polish border crossing and the level crossing which is a where the police tend to hover. We asked for an official receipt but until then the policeman had merely scribbled things in his notebook. No way was he going to extort beer money. You can also request to pay your fine at a Polish post office.
The drive took 2 days with an overnight stop in Germany. It provides a good opportunity for passengers to see something of the countryside.
We followed the E40 route through France, Belgium, Germany and Poland which goes all the way from Calais, to Cracow and beyond. Most of this is motorway or dual carriageway.
The German parking places with clean WCs were much appreciated. It turned out to be an interesting and enjoyable drive. We discovered windmills every few miles along the route in Germany, the solution to graffiti on walls - grow creepers to add colour and hide it from view.
You drive through national parks and lovely scenery that makes us want to explore much more of Germany.
We cross the German Polish border at Gorlitz or Zgorzelec, which tends to entail queues as passports are checked. You pass from France through to Belgium and Germany without any border control whatsover. Poland does not yet really appreciate that they are part of the EU. Watch out for a large speed bump on leaving the border control or you could lose your exhaust. The first couple of hours of driving in Poland is on single track road and prone to delays because of minor accidents and breakdowns.
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Motorway tolls on motorway from Katowice to Cracow - 6.5 zloty for a car. We had to pay twice. The tolls are manned and change is given
Driving to Cracow was enjoyable although I was dreading the journey initially. In future, we plan to stop overnight in a different German town, spend an extra day there and see something of another location. In effect, turn the drive into part of the holiday.
Click here for more about Krakow.
We stayed near Dresden on the way there (although a stop around Bad Hersfeld is ideal and there are several places to stay) and Dillenburg on the way back. Dillenberg has an old section of town with a castle and historic wood-framed houses similar to Tudor style. There are 2 hotels open all year - we tend to stay at the hotel Oranien, one without the restaurant - good basic clean rooms, quiet and a decent breakfast. If you spend a night in Dillenburg, the Italian restaurant on the high street offers good value meals.
Although great for adults who can entertain themselves, it's not recommended to undertake the drive with children.
We aimed for 10 hours drive the first day - around 650 miles, and the lesser half the following day.
Rules regarding driving in Poland and Europe:
- you must display a GB sticker
- headlights must be kept on at all times, all year round in Poland (according to Poles). It used to be from the 1st of November to the 1st of March.
- seat belts must be used and booster seats used for children under the age of 12 or less than 135 cm tall
- headlight converters must be fitted to prevent dazzling on-coming traffic. Spare lights, warning triangle, and first aid kit must be carried
- it is a criminal offence to run out of petrol in Germany. Petrol stations are infrequent, especially in eastern Germany but they do display signs informing you of the distance to the next petrol station.
- There aren't too many petrol stations on the motorway en-route to Krakow - best to take the opportunity to fill up when passing one.
Find out more about travel in Rabka Zdroj, the buses, trains, car hire and taxis
Green Flag's Route Planner is pretty good if you don't have a GPS. |
