Transportation in Poland

Garden of the Elephant on the Moon Hostel

I am sitting in the lovely dining room of the hotel in Krosno watching the pouring rain, so I will take some time to discuss transportation in Poland.  I have found the best way for a person with mobility issues, too much luggage, and a lack of knowledge of the Polish language, to travel is with a private hired driver.

Planes.  The planes in Poland are not known for keeping to schedules.  When we arrive in Warsaw, our plane is very late due to mechanical difficulties, which is never something you want to hear just before you get on the plane.  Jet lagged after flying overnight, the last thing you want to hear is how you've missed your connecting flight to Krakow, and the one after it, so now you must wait five hours for the next one.

I have no idea what the airline representatives and disgruntled patrons are arguing about in Polish, so I take a seat and watch the show.  Finally, the harried airline representatives provide us with bottled water and sandwiches, while they present our options.  We can stay overnight at a hotel by the airport and try to get on a flight the next morning.  This would be a good option if I hadn't already prepaid for the night's accommodation in Krakow. 

We can wait in the airport five hours for the next plane or we can take a private bus they've organized, which will take about five hours to get to Krakow.  I opt for the bus ride, since it gives me a chance to see the countryside.  After a rest stop at McDonald's, we arrive at Krakow airport around midnight, and I take a taxi to the Elephant on the Moon hostel.  Thank heavens, the kindly attendant waits up for me at this cute little hostel by the river.

Trains.  After a few days sightseeing in Krakow, I decide to take a train to Rzeszow.  I've taken trains all over Europe and in the United States with no problem, but I'm totally unprepared for the antiquated Polish railway system.  At least I have a place to sit, not crammed in with thousands of people on a cattle car. 

Horse and carriages in Rynek in Krakow

While the trains are cheap, they take twice as long as a bus, and most have stairs up or down to the platforms.  Note to self: 

• Having luggage on wheels is no advantage on stairs.
• Always remember to bring water and snacks since there may be no food cart.
• Never take a train again in Poland.

Buses.  There are plenty of private bus companies, which I am informed are much faster than the public buses.  While they are cheap, it can be difficult to decipher the bus schedules, and the drivers speak very little English.  Small and crowded, the buses are built for short, skinny people, not like me.  Often they pick up and drop off on the side of the highway for smaller towns, leaving you to figure out how to walk into town.  After waiting for several nerve-wracking hours on the side of the road for a private bus to Zakopane (the bus had a flat tire) and then having my bus rear-ended by a truck on the way back, I decided no more buses for me in Poland.     

Rental Cars.  I was warned rental cars are expensive, mostly gear shift, and often get stolen.  I quickly decide not to risk it on my own, especially since I'm mostly interested in the historic market squares with cobble stoned streets and pedestrian walkways.
 

Lemko buildings in Zyndranowa

Golf Carts.  In Krakow, electric golf carts are a good option in the center of town and cheaper than the horse and carriage rides.  They usually include a tour guide knowledgeable about its history.  I soon learn to use them like taxis for visiting the Old Town and the former Jewish quarter.

Private Taxis.  I soon learn the most reliable form of transportation is a private taxi.  Usually the staff at the hostel or hotel know someone who will drive you from town to town or on a private tour of one of the many open air ethnographic museums in the country called skansens for a set price.

Today I was picked up at my hotel by a friendly woman driver who took me to the tiny village of Zyndranowa, where there is a collection of Lemko wooden farm buildings and Jewish chatas. Tomorrow she's going to drive me, with my luggage, to the town of Jaslo, the next stop in my five week tour of southeast Poland.