Traveling with your own car gives tourists great opportunities when choosing a vacation destination and route. During such trips, you can visit several resorts and even countries. Therefore, every year there are more and more lovers of automobile routes. Our compatriots travel confidently not only in their native country, but also in Europe. Sometimes motorists manage to travel almost the entire European Union during one vacation and they usually begin their journey from Poland.
This country is closest to the border with Russia, in addition, there is something to see in the capital itself and in small provincial towns that have retained their authenticity. However, traveling to Poland by car, despite its simplicity and low costs, has a lot of pitfalls that a tourist may not know about for the first time. We will reveal all the secrets of choosing a route, crossing the border, as well as features of the requirements for the vehicle and many more nuances important for travelers. So, let's start preparing for a trip to Poland by car from the Russian Federation.
We select a route
Traveling on your own car gives you incredible freedom of movement. The tourist can afford to plan the route as he pleases, and if desired, change it at any time. In addition, a couple of weeks of vacation by car gives you a unique opportunity to study in detail the country you are going to, and not just any one of its corners.
What to see in Poland by car? You need to take care of this while still at home, and draw up a detailed route for your future trip. So it will be easier for you to navigate by maps and navigator in a foreign country. Naturally, every tourist who first crossed the border with Poland seeks to get to Warsaw and it is from the capital to begin acquaintance with the country. It is best to immediately go to the territory of the old city. However, keep in mind that all parking there are paid and to some places you have to walk a little.
In the old town there are two beautiful squares of Warsaw: Castle and Market. On the first is the Royal Castle, which tourists are always recommended to visit. Most of its halls are open to guests and are of great historical interest. The cost of admission varies between seven dollars per person.
The Market Square has numerous cafes, restaurants and taverns. By the way, Polish cuisine is very tasty, and the portions are large. The average check per person is from three hundred to five hundred rubles. The National Library of Poland is also located here. Even if you are not interested in old books, we still advise you to look into this building. On its roof is the largest and most luxurious garden in Europe. In addition, the city view from here leaves an unforgettable experience.
If you arrived in Poland by car, then the next travel destination should be Krakow. This city is rightly called the ancient Polish capital. Here you can visit the Wawel Castle and Old Square, where handmade amber products are sold. This stone is considered a symbol of Poland, and the dragon, depicted everywhere in the city, is the mascot of Krakow.
After the noisy Polish cities , the time comes for walks in nature, and here on your route will be the town of Zakopane. It is surrounded by mountains and lakes, a tour of local attractions will cost twenty-two dollars. Here you can stay for the night, all local hotels are quite colorful and inexpensive.
The route described by us is designed for approximately a ten-day trip. For the first visit to Poland by car this time and impressions are enough. But in the future, the route can be changed, because in the country there are still many interesting and unusual places.
How to get from Moscow to Poland by car: experienced tips
Usually, our compatriots go to the Polish borders precisely from Moscow. Since it’s only a few hours from here by car to Poland. However, keep in mind that only Kaliningrad borders on this country. In other cases, tourists will have to travel through Ukraine or Belarus.
A trip to Poland by car, as experienced travelers say, is simpler and easier through customs control points in Ukraine. However, due to the political situation, the Russians have so far closed this path. Therefore, the only option is a trip through Belarus. If you do not make unnecessary stops and you are lucky with no queues at the border, then when you consider leaving the Russian capital at seven in the morning or earlier in the evening of that day, you will already be in Warsaw. The route along which motorists will make a movement, we have given below.
Despite the desire to be in Europe as quickly as possible, which all travelers, without exception, are on fire, such a march should only be made if there is a person nearby who can change you behind the wheel. Otherwise, the risk of an accident is high.
Usually, during a car trip, it is recommended to stop every two and a half hours and get out of transport to stretch your limbs. During these breaks you need to eat and drink hot coffee from a thermos. With this approach, you will not feel tired and maintain a high concentration of attention.
Features of customs clearance: select a checkpoint
When choosing a route to Poland by car, you must take into account the checkpoint through which you plan to cross the border. The speed of completion of all formalities will depend on this, because at some points queues from vehicles are traditionally collected.
Usually, our compatriot uses six checkpoints in Belarus to cross the border (they are mapped). However, one of them ("Kozlovichi-Kukuryki") does not work with passenger transport. If you find yourself here by mistake, the border guards will deploy you and send you to another point, since only trucks are accepted here.
The most populated checkpoint is Brest-Terespol. The main flow of tourists from Russia is directed here. Therefore, the wait sometimes takes several hours. But the neighboring ones - Domachevo-Slavatyche and Peschatka-Polovtsy - are not so busy. Sometimes there are no queues at all. But if you want to cross the border quickly and surely, then drive to the checkpoint at four in the morning or after midnight.
Requirements for the technical condition of the car
If you plan to go to Poland by car, then before you travel, make a diagnosis of your vehicle. The Poles pay special attention to this issue and, due to a minor malfunction, may very well not let you into the country.
First of all, take care of the headlights and take a set of spare bulbs with you. The fact is that you can only move around Poland with the dipped beam on. Therefore, its breakdown will always be of interest to local guards of the order of highways. Also at the checkpoint they may be denied access to the country due to cracks in the windshield and chips on the body. Vehicle integrity is a prerequisite for a safe border crossing.
Do not forget to put the first aid kit, spare tire or repair kit, emergency sign and fire extinguisher in the trunk. Surely in the passenger compartment must be vests with reflective stripes. Moreover, their number should coincide with the number of travelers. Even if an infant is traveling with you, it must have its own vest. At night, outside the city along the highway, you can only move in them.
By the way, winter travelers should know that in Poland you can’t move on studded tires. In order to overcome the ice, you need to put chains for the wheels in the trunk.
Keep in mind that radar is best left at home. In the Polish territories it is prohibited, so either do without it, or carefully hide it.
Traveling to Poland by car: documents
The customs officers will check the package of documents at the border very carefully, but by and large it is considered standard. At checkpoints, they know that many Russians travel by car through Poland to other European countries. But all responsibility for the documents rests on the shoulders of the Polish customs officers. What will interest them when crossing the border?
Regardless of your age and brand of car, you will be required to obtain foreign passports with a Schengen stamp (you fly by plane or by car, you will still need a visa to Poland), medical insurance for each traveler and insurance according to the international model for a vehicle. Naturally, you must take a full package of documents for the car with you, a Russian driver’s license and, if available, a driver’s license in the established international form. Usually in Poland they are not interested in their presence, but they will not be superfluous.
Experienced travelers are advised to take copies of all documents, including confirming hotel reservations and Russian passports. It will not be superfluous to store copies in electronic form on a regular USB flash drive or a specialized Internet resource.
Goods prohibited for import into the country
On the Polish side, customs control is leisurely and thoroughly. However, some types of products may be confiscated from you. For example, the import into Poland of meat and dairy products and chocolate is prohibited. However, if necessary, customs officers can leave them in your car. They certainly won’t take milk if a child is traveling in a car (people also work at the border control).
As for alcohol and alcohol, there are clear limits for them. One person can carry a liter of spirits and two packs of cigarettes. But, as experienced tourists say, a thorough search does not always take place on these points.
A few words about gas stations and gas prices
Not always our compatriots imagine how much money in a road trip will have to spend on gasoline. Therefore, it is difficult for them to calculate the budget of the trip. In fact, you can do this even at home, if you know that on average one liter of Polish gasoline will cost you one euro with a little. These prices are frightening to some, and they are trying to save by refueling to the maximum in Belarus. In addition, the rules of entry into the country allow the presence in the trunk of a car canister with gasoline with a volume of not more than ten liters. By the way, keep in mind that at Polish gas stations you can only fill in gasoline of grades 95 and 98. There is simply no sale of the 92th fuel so beloved by many of our compatriots.
If we proceed to the description of gas stations, then we need to say the main thing - they cause great delight among our tourists. The area around is clean and well-groomed, toilets are free, recreation areas for drivers are equipped, playgrounds are installed everywhere. Usually a good cafe is located at the gas station. Moreover, such establishments are usually networked and offer food at the level of an expensive restaurant, but at quite reasonable prices.
Buying a car in Poland
Some of our compatriots cross the Polish border with one goal - to drive a car. You can bring quite good vehicles from Poland to Russia, because the country borders on Germany, from where used cars of different brands in good and excellent condition get into it.
Therefore, to drive yourself a car looks like a very attractive offer. However, this can only be done by carefully weighing the pros and cons and finding in advance a suitable vehicle through the Internet. There are many sites where sellers put cars from Poland for sale. It contains all the necessary information and often even the VIN number. Therefore, the car you like is not difficult to break through various bases for theft and accidents.
In order not to run into scammers, do not leave a deposit for the seller. Discuss all questions with him by phone (you may need a translator) and only then go to Poland. It is most reliable to purchase a car from large dealers engaged in this business for several years.
After the transaction, the seller must provide you with the contract of sale and registration certificate. On a car you need to take out insurance and issue transit numbers. This will somewhat delay you in Poland. However, many Russians leave the country with existing license plates. They are not embarrassed that a fine is imposed for belonging to another state (Germany, for example). However, it is low and only slightly exceeds the cost of acquiring transit license plates.
In a brand new car from Poland to Russia, the road takes several hours. But here at the border you may be delayed by the customs clearance of your vehicle. And well, if they do not bring unexpected surprises.
The cost of a car in Poland
Fairly low car prices in Poland attract Russians. However, few of them approach the deal thoroughly and accurately imagine what amount he should have on hand.
So how much does a car cost in Poland? If we take only the car itself, then the prices are really low. For example, a fresh “Beetle” at the age of four will get up a little less than one hundred and fifty thousand rubles. And for three hundred thousand rubles you can become the owner of an almost new German executive car. But do not rush to rejoice ahead of time, because this is far from all the costs of acquiring an iron friend.
A significant item of expenses is customs duties. On a car younger than three years, they will be about half the price of a car. Plus, the rate for engine power is added to this. On average, for each cubic centimeter of its volume you will need to pay from two and a half to twenty euros.
To all these points you need to add the cost of living in Poland, travel, meals and visa. The total cost may even exceed the price of a similar car in the Russian market. Therefore, think a few times before setting off for a new vehicle abroad.
Travel Reviews
There are quite a lot of comments about car trips to Poland on the Internet. Most of them are written in the form of tips and provide comprehensive information about the nuances of the trip. Almost all tourists recognize that the trip did not cost them a lot of money, but it gave a lot of positive emotions. Therefore, the next time they will go to another country without fail by car.