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Poland campsites please

13K views 40 replies 13 participants last post by  JanHank 
#1 ·
Any recommendations for campsites in the following areas:

Masurian Lakeland

Slowinski Sand Dunes

Wieliczka Salt Mine, Krakow

Gdansk Old Town

Bialowieza Forest

Tatra Mountains

Thanks,

Jed

 
#2 ·
Jed

I think I am the ony MHF member actually in Poland and I am no help because we always wild camp, which is very easy in Poland.

Maybe some people who have toured here will be along, although some I know who have visited have also been wildcampers mainly.

There are only smaller/older MHs in Poland - I have never seen a Polish 'A' Class. I do not know the length of your Dakota, but if necessary you may want to check pitch sizes at Polish sites

Geoff
 
#6 ·
I'll be watching this thread with interest.

When you wild camp in Poland, where do you obtain fresh water from please? My imagination ends at garages and cemeteries, or visit campsites every few days.

Also, where do you prefer to dump the loo waste please?
 
#3 ·
Thanks, Geoff,

Like to wild camp myself but always a little unsure in a new country at first. Any info on good spots? I'll keep my eyes open for others parked up.

My van is 7.6m / 4.25 tonnes. So will need to check campsites.

Also got to get my head around the toll system. Take it that over 3.5 tonnes I'm classed as a lorry?

Jed
 
#7 ·
Thanks, Geoff,

Like to wild camp myself but always a little unsure in a new country at first. Any info on good spots? I'll keep my eyes open for others parked up.

My van is 7.6m / 4.25 tonnes. So will need to check campsites.

Also got to get my head around the toll system. Take it that over 3.5 tonnes I'm classed as a lorry?

Jed
Jed

We think this is a great country for wildcampers, as is Slowakia - at least the West side. There are no signs against it, no height barriers(actually not many official CPs - people just pull off the road - not many fences). I believe that, in common with most ex-Communist countries, there still exists law against wildcamping but it is totally ignored by MHs, Caravans and many, many tent campers - they just have not repealed the law. However I would not wildcamp near a military installation (not many)

As for looking for other MHs wildcamping? forget it - you will hardly see any on the road. When we wildcamp in a sort of popular area, e.g. like a sports lake/resevoir we are more likely to have car/tent campers with boats,canoes etc as neighbours and spread out a bit with BBQs and guitars etc.

Normally we are on our own.

One time it was late and we were on a narrow country lane, found a pull-off leaing to a building site, checked with house opposite whether OK - answer not sure if builders there tomorrow, so invited to park on their lane/drive as they were not going out till 1000. Certainly never even had a scowl from a local.

If you might be near Katowice send me a PM well before and maybe we can meet - plenty parking, water tap, EHU, all in our yard and S/Market opposite.

Geoff
 
#10 ·
Geoff,

Thank you for your really helpful reply, and clicking a 'Like' simply doesn't seem enough for everything you've written.

I don't have a large enough van to carry multiple toilet cassettes and so may have to be creative. We lived in Jamaica in the 70s and hired a lovely cottage high up in the Blue Mountains, surrounded by pretty hydrangeas. We couldn't find the toilet when we arrived, and the problem was solved when I saw the entrenching tool at the back door (no pun intended.)

There is so much to see and do in Poland, and I have been helped by a Polish friend who's family originally came from the south east (in what is now Ukraine.) She highly recommends the Cicerone walking guide to the High Tatras. I'll print off your post and staple it together with her info.

Don't worry, I would't dream of turning up without permission.

Thank you again ................. What a great Forum this is!!! :smile2:


ps. A passion of mine is music. One LP I converted to iTunes is 'Popular Music from Poland' recorded in 1966. It's first track is an oberek called "Basia."
 
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#18 ·
We went to Poland a couple of years ago and again last year. A lot of the fuel stations have large parking areas for lorries which we used a lot. They also have little cafes - basically lorry drivers cafes but most quite smart. We used them sometimes and enjoyed well-cooked cheap local food - 1000 times better than little chef!

You can overnight at the Wieliczka Salt Mine, Krakow - the guy asked us if we wanted to when we arrived at the gate - all very friendly.

At Auchwitz (if you go there) there are plenty of car parks and the one we stopped in allowed overnight parking - as I think did many others.

In the Mazurian lake district there is a 'motorhome campsite' in the 'main town' we stopped in which was easy to find; I think that one was about 15 euros. I think it was in Mikolajki - 53.80278; 21.57444.

We also wildcamped and in cities stayed in guarded carparks for the price of the parking - the international 'OK to sleep' sign was always met with a thumbs up - even in Warsaw 15 mins from the city centre.

I posted quite a lot about the toll system, which you should find in Poland Touring. The tolls are cheap once you've got your ViaToll box, but be warned, they toll the roads parallell to the motorways in some places, so it's best (essential) to get the ViaToll box. No problem with getting it or returning it and getting a refund, but allow some time - if you get a queue and there are others besides you struggling with language you'll need some patience for the long wait! Make sure you have your V5 and evidence of your Euro rating, otherwise you'll end up on the top rate. You'll have to sign a contract which you won't understand, but we've had no problems with it at all.

Good luck with your trip. We love it - there's loads to see, the cities and beautiful and the people friendly - (as most are wherever you go.
 
#19 ·
The viaTOLL box is only compulsory for vehicles over 3.5t, although it can be used by under 3.5t vehicles at toll plazas instead of cash, but for a casual user not worth while as I think it is only A2 and A4 motorways where there is a toll for those vehicles.

For over 3.5t the viaTOLL box charges per km via sensors on overhead gantries on motorways and trunk roads. See this site for details, including map

http://www.viatoll.pl/en

Geoff
 
#21 ·
:pThis seems to have sparked some interest. We could turn it into a MHF informal meet.

Jed
We are planning to take a trip along the coast of Belgium, Holland, Germany and into Poland this autumn, weather permitting. An informal meet in the Masurian lakes would be great.

However, (there's always a however) if the weather is anything but good my wife will give orders to go somewhere warm and sunny.

Sandy
 
#22 ·
One point I forgot to mention in earlier posts.

For campsites, be sure to check opening periods. I have only seen our local oe open in mid-summer. I suspect this may be general. But as I said before there is always somewhere to park.

I have checked a few in Slovakia and only found one open all year - and that is attached to a hotel, which operates all year.

Geoff
 
#23 ·
After some searching of the website finally found where to get my viatoll box from at the border. May be of use to others planning to head that way.

http://www.viatoll.pl/en/trucks/cus...service-facilities/border-distribution-points

I finish work tomorrow but, not being renowned for my speed, will probably reach Poland around early May :grin2:.
Thanks again for all help offered so far. A 'like' button is totally inadequate.

Jed
 
#26 ·
If anyone is interested in campsites we visited when doing Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and Czech Republic look here we did a long trip that year including Italy but you can follow the route from the Ossiachersee in Austria and the route down to there is on the European Routes page of the website. Hope this helps Sites listed and many photos.
Cheers DianneT
 
#29 ·
I've loked at Dianne's blog again, and it's not clear which year she visited. It was "Eastern Europe info:- Hungary, Slovakia, Poland and Czech Republic."

The link to that trip is here:
http://www.joysofeuropeancaravanning.co.uk/easterneuropeinfo.htm

She writes "............... so we had to take 2 cars everywhere we went to-gether by car. At the big Cities we used the public transport. This incidently in Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Czech was all Free if you were over 60 years old and lived in Europe. This was on Trains, Underground, Trams and Buses you obviously had to pay for City Tours and Boat Trips. You just had to show your Passport if stopped by the authorities."

Is that still correct please, as I rather like the idea of free travel?
 
#32 ·
Still hoping to head for Poland after Easter but this Viatoll system is driving me mad. Vehicles over 3.5 tonnes are classed as trucks.


I would like to travel from Rotterdam via Dresden and cross into Poland at Gorlitz.


Where to get their toll box is proving too complex and I'm losing interest. Having read of other motorhomers ending up with large fines I don't just want to wander over the border and start looking around.


Anybody been there, done it?


Jed
 
#33 ·
Poland is on our probable future touring radar so I'm following this thread with great interest.

I too don't think just hitting the 'like' button is thanks enough to Geoff for the huge amount of useful info he's given us all in this thread.

So, a note of personal thanks from me - Well done sir!
 
#34 ·
Only joined today, collect our first motor home next month ( owned caravans for 33 years) have found this post extremely interesting.
We are in East Germany, when we get to know our way around the forum maybe we could offer a stop off on the way into Poland, we are 20 km. from a crossing point.
Thanks for the Wild camping tips Geoff.
 
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