Should I rent a car?

Skip the car for a city trip; the trains and trams do the job and parking in the old towns is a chore. Rent one when your plan reaches beyond the rail network: the Tatra foothills, the Masurian lakes, the wooden churches of the south, or scattered castles.

Roads and tolls

Roads are generally good. Since July 2023, state-run motorways are free for cars and vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes. A few privately operated sections still charge cars at a toll plaza, paid by cash or card: the A1 (Gdansk to Torun), part of the A2 in the west, and the A4 between Katowice and Krakow. The e-TOLL app applies mainly to lorries.

Driving rules to know

• Dipped headlights or daytime running lights must be on at all times, day and night, all year.
• The drink-drive limit is 0.02 percent, so do not drink any alcohol before driving.
• Seatbelts are compulsory, and young children need an appropriate child seat.
• Most visitors can drive on their home national licence for a short stay; drivers from outside the EU should also carry an International Driving Permit.

For how the car fits with trains and buses, see getting around Poland.