Oswiecim (near Krakow) , Poland
 

Looking to get over to Oswiecim, and run back via Colditz, spending a rest day at each location. Aim to do this in eight days (leaving from Manchester) in mid may. I think its about a three day journey to Krakow? Plan is to use F1s and find cheap B & B in Poland. Riding alone, first real trip abroad on bike. Feasible? Any comments would be really welcome.

I did this trip more or less in summer 2004. Mapsource calculates the distance from Manchester to Krakow via Calais and Berlin as 1238 miles. And that’s on motorways which I remember thinking was rather boring.

I wouldn’t want to do it in 8 days. You need a full day to see Oswiecim/Birkenau let alone Krakow or the salt mines. I recommend you allow yourself longer or go somewhere closer for a first trip.

If you are interested in European history, what about the Normandy coast, or Ypres and Tyne Cot cemetery which is truly a touching experience?
Stephan

FYI there is complimentary guarded parking available at Oswiecim, therefore no concerns about parking the bike and leaving it. Just ask the attendent at the parking lot if you can put your moto beside his/her building.

Michael

Hi there
In Osw. there is a Catholic centre which does cheap accommodation in a very nice bulding. I forget the name but just ask. They also allow camping in nice grounds cheap. I recommend this.

Good roads

I did this via Southern Germany - Mannheim - and Prague. Its obviously motorway blasts most of the way. You can do the 'Long Way Round' church of bones on the way out of Czech republic. And consider leaving Poland through the Tatras in to Slovakia - beautiful. You could do it in your time frame but its a lot of riding.

Thanks guys, comments and advice much appreciated.

The Tatra's are awesome, also the roads are brilliant there, scenic and would be great fun on an F1.
Sean

[This message has been edited by seanh (edited 27 March 2006).]

Zakopane is very nice this hotel was only £35 per night for 2 you can just see my Fazer on the right
http://gsgary.smugmug.com/photos/18635138-M.jpg

trip
 

I have had a desire to visit oswiciem and peenamunde for a while now, Have had odd looks when i mention this. so glad to see I am not alone. I do plan to visit verdun and bastogne this year... and i guess the bmw is the ideal slab bike for osw.

Dennis brown.. how do I find this catholic centre???

I'm thinking about visiting my brother in Wroclaw this summer (sometime June to August) and generally doing a bit of exploring in Poland with maybe a stop or two to do the tourist thing on the way from the UK. Always interested to know the must-sees from that part of the world. If anyone would like to join me for a portion that would be good too.

Very interesting. I'll be in Poland by the end of July, early August. We (my girlfriend and myself) will be driving two-up from Munich via Zielona Góra and Warsaw to the Baltic Sea, then back via Hamburg and I don't know where or what else. Route is not final yet but we're definitely going. We plan to be in Poland for 14-20 days, not sure yet.

If you're in this general area it would be great if we could meet, we planned to spend a day in Oswiecim as well. How 'bout you send me an email and we'll talk it over. Would be great to have another person join us even if it's only for a few days.

I cant say I have riden a bike in Poland but I certainly have driven a few miles around the country (and most the others around it too right up to and including Russia) working for a motor racing team based there for a few years.

Thankfully Poland is now EEC as the border crossing could be a bit of a nightmare on somedays, that aside i cant reccomend the country enough, people are fantastic and bend over backwards to help you. Poland like Estonia has the added advantage that its both very modern (Tesco's hypermarkets, digital banking and computers everywere) but it also has not forgotton its past and I doubt ever will!

Osw is a must, as is Wawel, the Stare Maisto and Podgorze district (famous thanks to Shindlers list) all in Krakow and the (although a bit touristy now) salt mines just to the south at Wieliczka. For stunning scenery you wont beat the northen 'lakes' area around Olsztyn and the Czec border town of Cieszyn and near by Wisla in the hills. one last place is the mass unmarked Jewish graves to the north of Warsaw, its a very haunting place much like Osw but without the buildings and 'memoribila'...

I still have a few Maps and local guides your welcome to borrow.

Jen

oh and one pice of advice avoid the A4 (Gorlitz/Zgorzelec to Krackow) as much as possible its literally the road from hell made from uneven paving slabs!

Something changed. A4 is boring but very flat motorway. You can take it without hesitation. You have to pay 13 zl (3 Euro) only for section Katowice - Krakow.
Be carefull because there is no gas station now between Wroclaw and Katowice (over 200 km).

Section Wroclaw-Krakow certainly is but can you say that about Goerlitz-Wroclaw section? It might still be the road from hell Jenna mentioned.

Kris

thanks guys, I envy you living is such a fantastic city! i remember the short bit of new tarmac to the east of Wroclaw ( used to get my milkshake that the McDonalds just over the bridge there) and i guess it has grown a bit by now.

is the Race bar still about in Krakow by any chance?