Please enjoy your hire car in Poland
Are you going on holiday to Poland? To see as
much as possible and to get the most out of Poland, the best
way of transport is certainly by car. But of course you will
have to abide by Poland's law of driving. Below you will find
some useful information about driving in Poland.
Documents you need when driving in Poland:
To drive a foreign registered car legally in Poland you must
have the following documents with you, which are your current
driving licence, valid insurance certificate a minimum Third
Party cover and Green Card. An International Driving Permit
is also required.
Special rules you must follow:
When driving in Poland all vehicles must carry a warning triangle,
you are also recommended to carry a fire extinguisher and
a first aid kit in all vehicles. The police are able to issue
and collect 'on the spot fines' for not obeying these rules.
For all passengers it is compulsory to wear both front and
rear seatbelts.
Minimum age:
The minimum age of a driver in Poland is 17 years. Children
under 10 years of age and must be seated in an approved child
seat to sit in the front of a vehicle.
Parking:
Parking in Poland is similar to Britain with car parks and
parking meters. Vehicles are allowed to park with two wheels
on the pavement. At night on an unlit street, vehicles must
use parking lights. Do not park within 5 metres of a pedestrian
crossing.
A few basic rules:
In Poland, they drive on the right hand side and overtake
on the left, pay full attention especially at roundabouts.
The use of dipped headlights is compulsory from 1st Oct to
28th Feb. Do not use your horn in built-up areas except for
emergencies. For cyclists using the road with a speed limit
of 60 kph (37mph) or above are permitted to ride on the footpath.
Speed limits:
Residential areas: 20 kph (12 mph)
Built-up areas: 60 kph (37 mph)
Freeway: 130 kph (81 mph)
Divided Highway: 110 kph (68 mph)
Undivided Highway: 100 kph (62 mph)
Other roads: 90 kph (56 mph)
Bus:
There are good transport services in all towns, with additional
trams and trolleybuses, which operates in a dozen of the larger
urban areas. In Warsaw there are bus, tramway and rail services.
There is a flat fare is charge and also pre-purchase tickets
and passes are available.
Tram:
You can purchase weekend and 7-day tourist tickets. Most of
the public transport operates from 0530 to 2300.
Taxi:
Taxis are available in all main towns. You can usually find
them at taxi ranks or they can be ordered by phone. Between
the hours of 2300-0500, there is a surcharge for journeys
out of town, also at weekends. The taxi drivers may insist
on payment in hard currency and a small tip is also appreciated.
Travel times:
The following chart below gives approximate travel times (in
hours and minutes) from Warsaw to other major cities/towns
in Poland.
Road
Kraków 4.00
Poznan 4.00
Wroclaw 6.00
Gdansk 6.00
Szczecin 8.00
Katowice 4.30
Lódz 2.00
Driving in Poland will be a pleasurable experience as long
as you remember you are in their country and abide by their
laws. Please remember it is not a good enough excuse to plead
ignorance, as you are a foreigner, you are the driver and
it's your responsibility to know the law.