We received some questions from a reader about camping in Poland, and were inspired to write a post about it. Here we summarise our experiences of camping in Poland. How many campsites are there? How are they organised? And what is the standard?
Reflections on camping in Poland
Here are some reflections after camping in different places around Poland.
- There are plenty of campsites - Poles love camping and there are campsites everywhere. They mostly camp in caravans, tents or cottages. Most of the motorhomes you see are German.
- Campsites are unorganised - The campsites are quite messy and you usually drive into a large area full of tents and caravans and then you have to stand wherever you happen to see a free spot.
- The standard is ok - The standard is lower than in Sweden, but toilets and showers are usually ok. To empty the latrine you sometimes have to lift a manhole cover ...
- Safety feels good - There are always staff around the clock, and if you come in late in the evening/night they check carefully that you really have something to do there ...
- It's easy to fit in - We didn't book anything in advance and always found campsites without problems. On The whole peninsula some campsites were full, but there are always more to choose from.
- You can accommodate large motorhomes - In most cases it is probably no problem at all, but in some cases it might be crowded. However, the Poles are helpful: when we couldn't get in with our car, they pulled the fence posts ...
Read more about camping in Poland
UpdateWe have returned to Poland several times after this trip. Here you can find more tips and inspiration about Poland:
Anders and Birgitta says:
Thank you for your post, it was very helpful.
18 July 2010 - 8:19
Ama de casa says:
It was a small tent
Seems great to camp in Poland!
18 July 2010 - 11:17
Helly in Sicily says:
Great post, I'll probably copy the style when I get home to summarise our trip to Zanzibar.
You seem to have had a good time in Poland, which can be quite exotic at times.
18 July 2010 - 16:32
arne behind the wheel says:
Just two questions. Do you need an international driving licence or green card, or whatever it is called, to go to Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic or Croatia?
Also, what about LPG in the same places, are they the same tubes with the same connections?
Regards
ArneS
02 February 2011 - 12:34
admin says:
Arne, an international driving licence is only needed if you are travelling outside the EU, and the countries you mentioned are in the EU as far as I know.
A green card is probably not needed either. According to TryggHansa, it is only needed in the following countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iran, Israel, Macedonia, Morocco, Moldova, Russia, Serbia and Montenegro, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine and Belarus.
In the Czech Republic (and perhaps Slovakia), however, you need a vignette to attach to your windscreen to drive on motorways. Otherwise you can be fined. Bought at petrol stations, if I remember correctly.
When it comes to LPG, I really don't know. I don't think we have changed the tube there.
02 February 2011 - 13:52
arne behind the wheel says:
what a quick response Thank you for that.
I am also trying to figure out how to get online with my laptop from the motorhome. I was naive to think that my Copmviq Surf would work but I have realised that this is not the case. There is something called WiFi. What is your experience with this? If you can answer of course
02 February 2011 - 14:17
admin says:
Arne, we usually use WiFi to get online with our laptop when travelling in Europe. It simply means that when you enter an area where there is WiFi you can connect... either without doing anything special (click on the network you want to connect to) or by getting (or buying) a code from the WiFi provider.
Many campsites have WiFi, even in Poland, for example. However, far from all of them. Listings of campsites often state whether or not there is WiFi. If there is, it is sometimes free (included in the camping fee) and sometimes you have to pay for a code for an hour, for example. It usually doesn't cost much.
If there is no WiFi on the campsite, you will have to look elsewhere. All McDonald's have WiFi at no extra cost. Just buy a coffee and bring your computer... Or look for Internet cafés or other places that say they have WiFi.
If you are in a city or among many people, there may also be 'hotspots'. This means that there is a wireless internet connection nearby that you can connect to at no cost.
The advantage of WiFi is that you never have to worry about costs. In Italy, however, you sometimes had to show your passport to get that code... but that was in Italy.
02 February 2011 - 16:36
arne behind the wheel says:
great, thanks for the help. We are thinking of going down in June through Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic and then we don't know.
02 February 2011 - 18:02
admin says:
Arne, sounds great! Hope you have a good trip! We ourselves are thinking of going down to Croatia and Montenegro. But we may start through Poland, it is always nice.
02 February 2011 - 19:58
Mr Daniel Johansson says:
Hello!
We intend to go on a camping holiday in Germany Poland. The route is Trelleborg-Sassnitz and Gdynia-Karlskrona about 2 weeks. Where are there good campsites and how do I find info about them and any attractions. We are travelling with two children 4 and 2 years old.
Sincerely
Daniel
01 June 2011 - 14:54
admin says:
Daniel, Glad you are going camping in Germany and Poland and that you found our blog!
We have listed some campsites in Poland on our blog at this link below (scroll down to 'Poland'):
http://www.freedomtravel.se/stallplatser/
If you're travelling from Germany and along the coast of Poland (I'm guessing?), I can especially recommend Camping Korab in Dziwnow. Right next to the campsite is an area with outdoor restaurants and lots of games and play equipment for children (some for older children of course). Also close to a very nice sandy beach.
For sunbathing and swimming, we can also recommend the Hel peninsula (with Europe's longest sandy beach). However, avoid rush hour (i.e. Friday afternoon) when all Poles queue to get there. Sopot is also super nice and a bit more exclusive.
There are many listings of campsites, for example here:
http://www.eurocampings.se/sv/europa/
Activities that are also suitable for children can be found on Barnsemester.se:
http://www.barnsemester.se/
However, we would like to draw your attention to the fact that the coastal road through Poland, from Germany to Gdynia, takes much longer to drive than you think. The roads are small and often really bad. So allow plenty of time for driving!
01 June 2011 - 17:47
Yvonne & Svenne says:
Hello there!
We are now planning our 2013 Polish holiday.... which we have been inspired by you.
Hope you are having a good time in Barcelona.
Hugs from us in Kaben (Ängsö-V-rås o Bredsand- Enköping)
16 February 2013 - 19:54
Ann says:
Hello!
Your blog makes me very happy. Was in Poland in 2012 and was only in Swinotji (can't spell). A central campsite, the one in this town that we actually found. Close to everything and English speaking staff. The campsite had a very basic standard but was quite full anyway.
We experienced Poland as a very cheap country, with nice beaches and we will go back already in summer 2013.
Ann
16 February 2013 - 21:05