Thinking of getting away this summer? Well whilst it’s not necessarily the warmest country in Europe, if you want a cheap getaway to a really interesting and fun part of the world why not think of Poland?
But where in Poland I hear you cry? Warsaw is the capital city of Poland, often overlooked in favour of the iconic Krakow. Krakow, however, is now every summer filled with thousands of brits looking for a cheap stag do or piss up weekend to the point of overcrowding. Meanwhile, Warsaw has the bustle of the capital city, the same cheap prices as Krakow and whilst avoiding overcrowding.
Mini-Break
So you’ve got a bit of money to spend on this holiday but nothing too dramatic. Well Warsaw could be the city for you.
Place To Stay
If you fancy coming to Warsaw on a higher budget, I’d recommedn either a hotel or Airbnb. Both are incredibly well priced given the exchange rate and you can find some either very close to the incredible Palace of Culture and Science or the bustling oldtown.
Activities
Whilst visiting Warsaw there are plenty of incredibly fun activities for you to do. With a widerange of historical monuments, museums, music venues, theatres and bars. A particular favourite of mine is the Vodka Museum in Warsaw. They will give you a guided tour of the museum, explaining all the processes of create the spirit and at the end they will even treat you to four vodka shots - which whilst fun, the resulting stumble around the old town in the middle of the afternoon can be a bizarre experience.If youre a particular fan of alcoholic beverages, take trip to the Cocktail Bar Max & Dom Whisky where they’ll personally make you an affordable cocktail based on your request rather than based on a set menu.
Food
The old town is filled with lots of places where you can try traditional polish food or basically anything else you may want. However the best dining experience I’ve had in Poland turns away from the cultural angle ever so slightly.
The InterContinenetal Hotel - a worldwide branch - has suprisingly cheap prices in Poland. In Warsaw they offer a bottomless brunch. You can find here the highest quality of all the buffets you’ve ever seen, with stations where they will personally make you pasta dishes and fry up any meat to order. But that’s not even the best part. This bottomless brunch lasts four hours and gives you access to endless red & white wine and most importantly prosecco. And for about 35 quid how could you say no to that.
Budget Traveller
So you quite fancy all of the above but don’t have the budget to be splashing out on a 35 quid brunch. Well Warsaw has plenty to offer the budget traveller.
Place to Stay
You know the deal on where to stay when you’re travelling on the cheap. You will be staying at a hostel but the good news is you won’t have any trouble finding a nice hostel for less than a tenner a night. Personally I stayed in the Warsaw Hostel Centrum but found it a bit clinic and anti-social for my taste. However I have heard great reviews of the Oki Doki Hostel and Vava Hostel.
Activity
If you want to cut your costs down via activities then have a go with a Free Walking Tour around the oldtown. Poland is a fascinating country stooped in history and a free walking tour can show you round the sights in just a few fascinating hours. This is also a great place to meet people if you’re travelling solo.
If you want to go out drinking then I present to you threecheap options. The first is going to the many shot bars where a shot will set you back less than a pound. The second option is a chain bar called Pijalnia Wodki I Piwa which I can officially dub the polish food. Not only does it have ludicriously cheap alcohol but also has some delicious toasties. The third option is slightly more creative. Soplica is a poaish liquer that tastes wonderful when comined with orange juice, so why not smuggle an incredibly cheap bottle into a bar and mix it with orange juices.
Eating
Cultural but cheap I hear you cry? Look no further than GOŚCINIEC Polskie Pierogi a chain pierogi restaurant which offers many varioties of the delicious filled dumpling. People tend to be critical about polish food but just british, it can be woderfully stodgy, greasy and sometimes just what you need.
Volunteering - Angloville
If you want to find a way to extend your stay in Poland but for very little money and perhaps get a TEFL qualification out of it (if you complete three weeks,) then consider doing some volunteering with a company called Angloville.
Place To Stay
You’ll stay in a hotel with a whole bunch of strangers (life long friends by the end of the week). The best part of this is that it’s all completely for free.
Activity
The ultimately fulfilling activity: interacting with polish children. You’ll spend your week working essentially as a professional socialiser - all you have to do is speak to and have fun with a bunch of interesting children. This is the rewarding part of volunteering as you can watch the kids get more comfortable with using their english in their speach. The whole week has a lovely summer camp vibe where everyone is friends with everyone and are all having lots of fun.
Eating
You will get all meals in the day for free. You’ll get a buffet breakfast and dinner, and every lunchtime you’ll get a three course meal where (depending on the venue) you’ll be treated to some lovely traditional polish food including peirogis (stuffed dumplings with meat, cheese and potatos), golabki (cabbage stuffed with meat and rice) and ogorkowa (polish pickle soup).
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