Poland on a budget: how to do it well
Short answer
Yes: Poland is one of the best-value countries in the EU, with milk bars, cheap transport and many free sights. A realistic minimum is about zł 300 per person a day: zł 120 for a bed, zł 90 for food, zł 50 for sights and zł 40 for transport.
A realistic daily budget
| Budget | Mid-range | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bed (per person, sharing) | zł120 | zł250 | zł600 |
| Food & drink | zł90 | zł170 | zł350 |
| Sights & tickets | zł50 | zł100 | zł180 |
| Local transport | zł40 | zł70 | zł140 |
| Per person, per day | zł300 | zł590 | zł1,270 |
Approximate 2026 prices, two people sharing a room. From our Poland day-cost table.
Free things to do
- Kraków's Main Square (Rynek), the Cloth Hall arcades and the Planty park ring.
- Wawel Hill grounds and courtyard (exhibitions are ticketed).
- Warsaw's rebuilt Old Town and Castle Square, a UNESCO site.
- Free open-air Chopin concerts in Łazienki Park, Warsaw (Sundays, May to September).
- Kazimierz, Kraków's old Jewish quarter, and its synagogue streets.
- Gdańsk's Long Market and the Motława riverside with the old crane.
Cheap eats
- Pierogi in a milk bar: zł 25–40.
- Zapiekanka at Plac Nowy: zł 15–25.
- Żurek (sour rye soup) in a bread bowl: about zł 20–30.
- Obwarzanek, the Kraków bagel ring, from a street cart: about zł 3–4.
- Kebab or bigos at a bar: about zł 20–35.
Where to sleep for less
Budget travellers stay in Kraków's Kazimierz and Warsaw's Śródmieście, with central hostels and apartments from about zł 200–350 a double and dorms cheaper.
Getting around cheaply
Take PKP Intercity trains (Warsaw–Kraków about 2 hours 20 minutes, Warsaw–Gdańsk about 2 hours 45 minutes), booked early. In cities, single tram and bus tickets are about zł 4–6; use contactless or the Jakdojade app. Kraków's airport train takes about 20 minutes and Warsaw's about 25.
A sample budget day
- Morning: walk the Rynek and Planty in Kraków (free), with an obwarzanek (about zł 4).
- Late morning: Wawel Hill grounds (free) and one Wawel exhibition (about zł 30–60).
- Lunch: pierogi in a milk bar (about zł 30).
- Afternoon: Kazimierz on foot (free), then zapiekanka at Plac Nowy (about zł 20).
- Evening: a beer in a Kazimierz bar (about zł 18). Total: about zł 300 including a zł 120 bed.
More ways to save
- Book Auschwitz entry early on the official site to get a free individual slot.
- Pick trains over buses for comfort, but compare FlixBus for cheap fares.
- Shop at Biedronka or Lidl supermarkets for snacks and picnics.
- Visit Wieliczka by train or bus rather than an organised tour.
- Choose hostels with free breakfast.
- Plan museum visits on their free-entry day where possible.
Some links on this page are partner links. If you book through them TonyPlan earns a small commission — the price you pay is exactly the same.
Common questions
Can you travel Poland on a budget?
Yes, easily, with about zł 300 a day using hostels, milk bars, early-booked trains and free sights.
Is Auschwitz free to visit?
Entry is free with a booked time card, but from April to October most daytime slots are guided only (about zł 100–150). Book weeks ahead on the official site.
How do I get from Kraków airport to the city?
Take the train to Kraków Główny, about 20 minutes and cheap; Bolt or Uber costs more.