Eurail Poland Rail Travel Pass The Poland Rail Pass offers 1st and 2nd class adult and youth passes for 5, 8, 10 or 15 days of travel within a 1-month period. Offering unlimited travel in Poland it is one of the most popular single country East European rail passes.

The countryside throughout Poland is lovely and relatively unspoilt. Poland has variety of regions with beautiful landscapes and small-scale organic and traditional farms. Travellers can choose different types of activities such as bird watching, cycling or horseback riding.

The Poland rail pass also entitles you to benefit from numerous bonuses.

The Eurail Poland RailPass Entitles You To:

• Available for 5, 8, 10 or 15 days of travel within a 1-month period.
• There is a 1st and 2nd class version for individual travelers.
• For travelers under 26 years of age there are reduced price Youth Passes in 1st and 2nd class available.
  
  

Using Your Eurail Poland Rail Pass

• Always have your pass validated prior to your first train trip in Europe. Do NOT validate it yourself.
• Passes are issued on identity, not to be used by any other person.
• The Flexi Passes have a schedule with boxes to fill in the date of travel. Always fill in the boxes yourself before embarking on the train.
• When taking an overnight train leaving after 7 pm, please fill in the next day of travel in your Flexi Passes. Travel days would have to be within the validity of the pass.
• There are free bonus and discounted bonus that entitle you to reductions with every pass your purchase.
• When you use a free bonus, you will have to use a day of your pass. A discounted bonus will not utilize any day of your pass.
  
  

POLAND RAIL TRAVEL PASS - View Pass Prices and Purchase Online Eurail Poland Adult Rail Pass (individual 26yrs and older) Eurail Poland Youth Rail Pass (individual 25yrs and younger) View information on all other available Eurail Travel Passes

More About Poland Rail Travel

Poland's railways constitute one of the larger railway systems in the European Union, with 23,420 kilometres (14,552 miles) of network (1998). Access to track has been opened up to competition as required by the EU. However, delays by successive Governments in reforming the state railway company, PKP, combined with the imposition of severe budgetary constraints, have caused a major cash crisis. Refurbishment of the network, bringing key routes into line with the standards on western European railway networks, is proceeding very slowly, and serious arrears of maintenance have resulted in the imposition of speed restrictions on many other lines. Line closures and the withdrawal of feeder services similar to those that took place in the UK under the 'Beeching Axe' have accelerated since 2000.

Most major Polish cities have airports with connecting services with the Frederic Chopin International Airport in Warsaw. For travelling in Poland the PKP's intercity or eurocity train, PKS's overland bus service are both comfortable options. Alternative options include slower PKP longdistance or local trains or numerous coach services. Since the fall of communism roads in Poland are slowly improving. There is acceptable tourist infrastructure, especially in larger cities and in major tourist resorts.

In Poland there is only the national railway - the PKP (Polskie Koleje Państwowe) which is divided into several companies - Intercity (Intercity, Express, Night Express,TLK) and Regional (pospieszny and osobowy)).

Tickets are quite cheap, but travel conditions reflect the fact that majority of railworks and wagons are from few decades ago. It is recommended to avoid traveling by night on rural trains if possible and then to travel close to the front of the train where train staff are more likely to provide assistance if needed. Express and Intercity routes are safe and much faster.

You can expect fast connection on the new modernized routes such as the Gdańsk - Warszawa - Kraków line.

More About Poland

Poland (Polish: Polska) is a country located in Central Europe, between Germany to the west, the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south, Ukraine and Belarus to the east, and the Baltic Sea, Lithuania, and Russia (in the form of the Kaliningrad Oblast exclave) to the north. Poland shares a maritime border with Denmark in the Baltic Sea. Poland has been a member state of the European Union since May 1, 2004.

Since its return to democracy, Poland has steadfastly pursued a policy of liberalising the economy and today stands out as one of the most successful and open examples of the transition from a partially state-capitalist market economy to a primarily privately owned market economy.

Tourism in Poland includes visits to big and old cities like the capital of Warsaw with its castle and its Old Town, its parks and boulevards. Other famous and old cities are Kraków with its cathedral and its old town, the medieval Hanseatic city of Gdansk, the old city of Wrocław with its famous cathedral, Lublin with its impressive Jewish history, or Medieval Toruń, the birthplace of Copernicus. The memorial museums in Auschwitz, a UN world heritage site, and other holocaust related sites are also of interest. The bigger Polish cities are especially interesting for backpackers because of their young population, affordable cultural events and many pubs.

The countryside throughout Poland is lovely and relatively unspoilt. Poland has variety of regions with beautiful landscapes and small-scale organic and traditional farms. Travellers can choose different types of activities such as bird watching, cycling or horseback riding.

Culturally you can sight-see at many churches, museums, ceramic and traditional basket-making workshops, castle ruins, rural centres and many more. A journey through the Polish countryside gives you a pefect opportunity to enjoy and absorb local knowledge on its landscape and people.

The Mazury lake district in northeastern Poland with its picturesque villages and Malbork castle is also worth a visit. South of Bialystok one can find the Bialowieza Forest, a UNESCO Heritage Site and nature preserve where European bison (wisent) may be found.

Visas and Passports

As Poland is a member of the European Union, citizens of the EU and of the countries belonging to the European Economic Area (Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein) can enter Poland with a valid passport or identity card.

Citizens from the following countries may travel to Poland for tourism and business purposes with a valid passport and without a visa if their planned stay does not exceed 90 days: Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, Israel, Japan, Macao, Malaysia, Mexico, Monaco, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Romania, San Marino, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland, USA, Uruguay, Vatican and Venezuela. Citizens of all other countries must obtain a visa in order to enter and stay in Poland legally. Always check with the local Polish Embassy or on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Eng.) website for updates as this information can change quite quickly.

Regular Visas are issued for travelers going to Poland for tourism and business purposes. Regular visas allow for one or multiple entries into Polish territory and stay in Poland for maximum up to 90 days and are issued for the definite period of stay. When applying for a visa, please indicate the number of days you plan to spend in Poland and a date of intended arrival. Holders of regular visas are not authorized to work.

Polish Culture

Remember that the vast majority of Poles are Catholics, so respect the Catholic Church and Pope Benedict XVI and Pope John Paul II. Be advised Poles are ardent anticommunists. Be careful not to talk disrespectfully about anything relating to World War II because Poland and its people were hurt badly, more than any other country in Europe. 6 million Poles died as a result of the German occupation, as well as the Soviet annexations of some of its territory. Be aware, however, that the locals will gripe continuously about this subject, even if you don't want them to, and if you dare to voice a contradicting opinion, they'll just wave their hands in the air and tell you that you don't understand.

Anti-Russian sentiment may occasionally be expressed by Poles. Poles blame the Soviets for allowing the Warsaw Uprising to fail. Furthermore, in the 1970's and 1980's some Poles viewed the Moscow as taking advantage of Poland's sovereignty and even a heated arugment over which country owned the rights to which country produced "genuine vodka." In 2004 Moscow accused the Polish government of interfering in the Ukraine's presidential election, which strained relations even further. Despite the occasional anti-Russian sentiments Poles are normally quite accepting and take a particular interest in foreigners as a kind of museum exhibition.

Almost all Poles dislike Poland being thought of as a "Holocaust Tourist Country," and the Polish government has taken an active role in changing the official names of Holocaust sites to remove references to Poland (i.e. the term Polish concentration camp was official changed to Former-Nazi concentration camp). Even though Poland has by far the most history with respect to the Holocaust and WWII, many Poles will scoff at foreigners who come here solely to view Jewish memorial sites or World War II monuments, even though it's basically impossible to avoid seeing them. Poland has a thriving culture all its own, and native Poles get annoyed at foreigners who dismiss it altogether.

It's illegal to drink alcoholic beverages in public, though it's often done by the locals, especially in parks, on some buses, and some of the more congested city streets.

When seated at a table for dinner or drinks, it's custom to stand up to greet someone who's joining you.

Valid for unlimited travel on the entire Polish Rail network the Poland Rail Pass is outstanding value for money.

POLAND RAIL TRAVEL PASS - View Pass Prices and Purchase Online Eurail Poland Adult Rail Pass (individual 26yrs and older) Eurail Poland Youth Rail Pass (individual 25yrs and younger) View information on all other available Eurail Travel Passes

Please Note: As Eurail rail travel passes are not able to be purchased in the country of travel advance purchase is essential and will also cost you less.