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Poland by motorhome is different. You want to know why? Discover authentic sensations in this quiet, dreamy European corner. If your plan is to visit Poland by motorhome or camper van, let yourself be seduced by its great destinations by the hand of our one-month experience traveling through Poland by motorhome.
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Travel guide to travel to Poland by motorhome
Polish gastronomy in photos
Poland by motorhome: camper friendly country but with its peculiarities. Legislation and what you should know
Driving a motorhome in Poland
Driving in Poland is easy, but it can also be tedious . Poles drive like they do in Spain ; sometimes I'd even say they're more courteous, although you can find rude and impatient drivers everywhere. However, the drivers aren't the problem; there's something you should know. Poland's road infrastructure is a mixed bag. It's either excellent highways or roads that are so bad, if you're worried about your motorhome or campervan, you'd better prepare for a rough ride. Many secondary and even some not-so-secondary roads are in pretty poor condition. Many are under construction, and I'm sure things will have improved significantly in a few years. But for now, this is what it is.
Most of the roads are patched, with holes and no hard shoulder or painted markings. They are not narrow, nor do they normally have steep slopes, but they are in poor condition. They are roads that for a motorhome make you have to go very slowly if you do not want to get home without a motorhome. To do 60 km, think that it will take at least an hour, except you go from big cities to big cities where there are good highways and highways (but with very very minimal payments, the most we have paid have been 3 euros) of three lanes and new ones.
A tip: don't trust the GPS, check Google Maps carefully and if you see a main road or highway, head for it, even if it's longer and takes a longer route.
But above all, driving on Polish roads implies respecting the country's highway code:
Speed limits on highways:
- Urbanized areas - up to 50 km / h (60 km / h after 23:00)
- Out of town - up to 90 km / h
- Urban helmet - up to 20 km / h
- Fast dual carriageway - up to 110 km / h
- On fast single carriageway - up to 100 km / h
- Dual carriageway with at least two lanes in each direction - up to 100 km / h
Obligations on the road that you must take into account:
- Mandatory to always circulate with the lights on
- The amount of alcohol allowed in the driver's blood is 0,2 mg / l
- If you are a motorhome of more than 3500 kg you must have the active TOLL road to circulate on Polish roads.
viaTOLL is an electronic toll collection system for road use in Poland. For more information: https://etoll.gov.pl/en/
Stay overnight and do motorhome or van services in Poland
If the vehicle is properly parked and not camping, overnight stays are generally permitted throughout the country ; we didn't see any signs prohibiting motorhomes during our entire trip. However, in some national parks or coastal areas, overnight stays may be restricted, and chains may be used to block access.
However, remember, being able to stay overnight does not give you the right to camp freely , something that we explain below and that is prohibited throughout Poland.
For overnight stays, in addition to parking in any available car park, there are several private motorhome areas and campsites that are quite affordable. Camping is permitted in these locations.
What Poland lacks are free municipal motorhome areas as we know them in southern Europe.
Furthermore, you should know that campervan areas (as they call motorhomes, campervans, or any other motorhome) often don't have grey and/or black water disposal services. And even in some very basic campsites, further south in the country, we also found they didn't have grey water disposal.
A handy solution for sanitation: obviously, look for rest areas and campsites with full amenities . If there's nothing nearby, find a car wash (we've marked some locations on the map) or a motorway service area with a "bus toilet" sign and empty your grey and black water tanks where the buses do. Above all, never, ever dump wastewater where it shouldn't be. Remember, our future as a community depends on it, wherever we go.
Camping in a motorhome or camper in Poland
Wild camping is not allowed , just as in Spain. Camping is in fact prohibited and strictly controlled, especially in nature reserves and along the coast. If the police catch you camping, you can be fined up to €120. As in Spain, we ask that you comply with the rules and never camp outside of a campsite, private motorhome area, or specifically regulated camping zone, which are the only places where it is permitted.
We remind you that camping means putting out an awning, a table and chairs, or taking out any element from your vehicle that makes it exceed its perimeter.
For this, you're in luck in Poland; there are many campsites and private camper parks at very good prices. One great thing about Poland is the price of its campsites, which average around €15-20 per night for 2 adults + 2 children + 1 dog + 1 campervan.
Plan and organize your trip to Poland by motorhome in 5 clicks
- 5% Discount on your travel insurance here, in Poland you see for sure do not risk it.
- Plan your route well so as not to find surprises, we help you with a route map with everything in just one click!
- Find and book activities at destination
- Buy what is necessary and useful for this trip by motorhome or camper: list of 50 useful things that we carry in our motorhome
We set up and organize your fully personalized route with a Click & Go motorhome roadmap.
So you don't think about anything other than enjoying your trip.
Summary of our trip through Poland by motorhome
Our trip to Poland by motorhome
1 month from mid-July to mid-August.
We arrived in Poland, after 48 hours of travel, through the Lower Silesia region, crossing all of France and Germany. Trying to avoid the Czech Republic for its tolls (vignette) and its bad roads, which we already know.
We go through the south of Poland and then we go up to the central area and, finally, to the north of Poland.
Undoubtedly, this route combines a multitude of landscapes and attractions. From the sea, lakes, rivers, mountains, fairytale towns and cities, to cycling, boating, or kayaking routes, thermal springs, castles, and a wide range of activities to discover Poland beyond the typical tourist who visits a major Polish city and the remnants of the Holocaust or World War II.
This will lead us to discover that Poland is much more than we think.
Expenses for our one-month trip to Poland in a motorhome
To give you an idea of the approximate costs of a trip to Poland by motorhome, we give you a summary of our expenses during our one-month trip to Poland. These costs are the total for the 4 of us in the family plus our dog Max.
, of the total approximately 6.000 kilometers made. On tolls the costs have involved € 277, all mainly from France and Spain. Luckily neither Germany nor Poland have tolls if you are a vehicle weighing less than 3.500 kilos.
En car parks, motorhome areas and campsites the cost has been 370 € uros. And in tickets to museums or places of interest, restaurants and activities of leisure unos 1800 € uros.
In total, this one-month trip through Poland for the four of us, which we've described , cost approximately €3800 . For everything we did, I assure you it would have cost considerably more elsewhere.
Also, remember that we go in our motorhome. Now, if you do not have a motorhome and you want to rent one, add about € 50-180 per day if you rent it, depending on the season and type of rental you do.
The best of Poland by motorhome
- Without a doubt, in the first place we put Polish gastronomy, which we have enjoyed with 3 B (good, beautiful and cheap)
- Polish national natural parks. There are 23, very varied and all with very good trails prepared, marked and cared for.
- You can spend the night in a motorhome freely, as long as we do not camp, as in Spain.
- The roads and highways are mostly all free.
- The excellent security that is breathed throughout the country. Polish motorhomes do not have security locks, a good indication.
- There are many bike lanes.
- Poland is a country that has surprised us with its great tourist and varied leisure offer. And best of all, at a good price!
- Discover World Heritage sites such as the Wieliczka Salt Mines, unique in the world.
- Discovering that Poland is much more than the traces of World War II and the Holocaust, but without forgetting that trace, something that humanity must never forget.
- The Lake District has made us fall in love! and the cities and towns of the Baltic Sea too!
- Climb the mountains of the Tatra Mountains and enjoy a dinner with regional music in Zakopane
- See that it is not as the media say only a conservative and Catholic country, there are many open and tolerant people! And the further north, the more you will notice it. Poles are very kind and friendly people.
And more …
- Enjoy the hot springs of southern Poland, simply breathtaking!
- Polish bakeries and patisseries and their paczusie, the buns filled with jam made of roses or other flowers or fruits.
- Gasoline is even a few cents cheaper than in Spain.
- Poland is a country that bets on the camper world and it shows. It is starting to create more infrastructure and there are no RV ban signs anywhere. In addition, in many tourist places of interest they have specific areas and parking for motorhomes.
- If you want to escape the sweltering heat in summer, this is a wonderful place. The maximum temperatures in summer are 30º.
- We have loved the Polish campsites. Others with three B's, good, beautiful and at a good price, between 15 and 25 euros, being the 4 and the dog!
- The Poles drive well or at least not as badly as they had painted us, better than the Italians for sure.
- DISCOVER in the big cities, wonderful Spanish speaking guides. They have helped us not only to better understand the history of that city and of Poland, but they have helped us with all our doubts, advised and recommended wonderful foods and places, they have helped us with the Polish language and much more! We had good conversations and I would dare to say that friendships!
- In Poland, when they anticipate a risk of rain, they notify you with a message on your mobile, a plus that helped us avoid risks on the trip.
The worst of Poland in a motorhome
- The contrast of spectacular highways and roads in very bad condition. Roads in general are in poor condition, especially secondary roads that do not connect large cities. They are patchy or quite torn. To do 60 km it sometimes took 1,5 hours. They are not narrow or steep, but with the bad condition everything vibrates in a motorhome and you must go slower.
- There is little infrastructure adapted to motorhomes and campers. They are starting now. There are no free public motorhome areas as we know them in southern Europe and those that exist are private, often without emptying services and above at prices like campsites.
- Polish is a hyper-difficult language, not only because they can have many words without even a vowel, but because they also decline everything, including nouns and proper nouns! Good luck google translator and its direct camera transcription feature!
- English is not widely spoken. We were surprised that young people hardly knew a "hello", luck of google translator and body language hehehe. The good thing is that they are generally friendly people, and when they don't speak English they start looking for someone who does, and even if it's another client they come to you and act as an interpreter hehehe that happened to us a lot hehehe
- There are some regions that surprised us by the little public parking available they had. All the parking that we found was always private and paid for a small price (usually 3 to 6 euros). That they did let you sleep normally too.
And more …
- Poland is cheap, but you pay for everything. For things that in the rest of Europe seem surprising, like paying to enter a natural park. You pay little (from 1 to 3 euros), but little for everything.
- Some great cycling routes such as the Green Velo let us down in some sections that went through roads and there were no bicycle lanes enabled.
- The Pole talks a lot about politics notice. There is a sector of the country that is really very closed, ultra-conservative and Catholic that is sometimes not very open and tolerant. It may be that you run into someone like that and if you are like us, a tolerant and open person, it bothers you a little. Although like everything if you are polite nothing will happen and you can talk about everything. Luckily most Poles you will meet are open and very polite people.
- The Poles are totally the Latinos of the East. For the good and the bad. They are very similar to us, the Spanish. Lots of bars, restaurants, little beer (but it's half a liter lol), leisure and also few masks (or nothing, this is worse than the Spanish) or through the nose during Covid, and that's when they don't plant their hands to greet you or even some hug you and kiss you to say goodbye as happened to us in the middle of Covid hehehe Thankfully they are green on the Covid map!
Our route through Poland by motorhome on the map
Access the interactive map and see the motorhome areas, overnight or day-only car parks, campsites, restaurants that we liked and the points of interest (lilac or orange icons, those that are World Heritage by UNESCO) that we elaborate from Poland during our trip.
Our route through Poland by motorhome in a video summary
Poland what to see: The 30 essential plans on a route through Poland in a motorhome or camper
Poland what to see: 30 destinations in Poland that you should not miss
Finally, in this article, we will tell you our 30 essential destinations if you travel to Poland by camper or motorhome, after our one-month trip through Poland.
Apart from these 30 destinations, if you are traveling with teenagers or without children, we recommend you also see the destinations of Auschwitz, witness to the horrible Holocaust, and other large and interesting cities such as Wrocław, the Polish Venice, or Poznan or Torun.
You will see that these places are arranged in chronological order and by visit during our route to help you in your travel planning.
Finally, remember to click on VIEW for each destination and you'll discover what to see and do there, where to sleep in your motorhome, and some tips to help you on your trip through Poland in a motorhome or campervan!
Our trip to Poland in photos
