A weekend getaway in Poland | PolishTrains

• Weekend in Poland: 4 destinations accessible by rail - Sądecczyzna, Łódź, Karkonosze and Jura Krakowsko-Częstochowska

• Getting there: you can buy domestic tickets on PolishTrains up to 30 days before your journey

• Deferred payment: you buy your ticket straight away, but pay within 30 days

• Attractions: most of the suggested places are free or require only a small fee

• Discounts: statutory discounts apply to domestic tickets - students 51%, children and young people 37%, seniors 30% ### At a glance

• Beskid Sadecki region offers free attractions including a treetop trail on Miejska Gora
• Forest Pier treetop path in Stary Sacz is just 1.5 km from the town's market square
• Nature trail 'Bobrowisko' lets visitors observe beaver dams and wildlife
• Krynica-Zdoj and Muszyna are easily reachable by train or bike from Nowy Sacz
• Free mineral water springs can be enjoyed along the cycle path to Muszyna
• Weekend trips to Sadecczyzna suit budget travellers — most top attractions are free

Nowy and Stary Sącz - the trail of orchards and beavers

Beskid Sądecki delights with its numerous trails and green orchards, the fruit of which is used, among others, to produce the famous Śliwowica Łącka. The environs of Nowy Sącz and Stary Sącz also abound in green woodlands, among which numerous tourist attractions are hidden. What is their common denominator? They are completely free! So if you are looking for an idea for an interesting and inexpensive weekend with friends, the Sadecczyzna region will be an ideal choice. What is the best way to plan a weekend? Buy a train ticket with the**Cheap with Friends** discountto Stary Sącz and start your sightseeing with a visit to the Forest Pier, a treetop path on Miejska Góra. The attraction is located just 1.5 km from the market square in Stary Sącz, so you can easily get there without a car. Walking at altitude is a great opportunity to enjoy the proximity of nature and beautiful local landscapes.

In Stary Sącz there is also a nature trail called "Bobrowisko". Walking along the designated alleys, you will have the opportunity to look at the characteristic dams and maybe even see a beaver head! Afterwards, you can head to the market square and visit the 19th-century two-storey house known as the "Raczek's Outhouse". The fanciful paintings on the walls and ceilings are testimony to the former artistic enclave of folk artists and primitives. It is impossible to avoid associations with Nikifor's paintings, which are said to have inspired local artists. On the second day, you can take the train to Krynica-Zdrój and climb Jaworzyna. It is also an interesting idea to rent a bike and follow the bike path to nearby Muszyna. On the way, you can enjoy free springs of the best mineral water in Poland!

Industrial weekend in Łódź

Do you prefer an urban atmosphere? Come and enjoy an industrial weekend in Łódź! You can comfortably get here by train from Cracow, Katowice or Warsaw. Why Łódź? Not so long ago, the city underwent thorough revitalisation, thanks to which its industrial identity resounded anew. The place is unique in Poland and definitely worth seeing, although it is still far less popular among tourists than Kraków or Wrocław. Thanks to this, prices in Łódź are also favourable for students' pockets and are not particularly exorbitant. Additionally, some of the attractions are completely free. On Thursdays, you can enter the Museum of Independence Traditions and the Museum of Cinematography associated with the famous Łódź Film School free of charge. On Fridays, the same applies to the Museum of Textiles, where you can learn about the interesting history of this once thriving factory town. The beautifully restored old town and the loft area, including the famous Manufaktura, also encourage unhurried strolls. Such red brick only in Łódź. You can grab a cheap beer in one of the atmospheric pubs on Piotrkowska Street. You can find cheap accommodation in numerous hostels located in the city centre or in the youth hostel at 13 Ludwika Zamenhofa St. The next day, you can take a walk along the UNESCO Film City of Łódź Route. Its route leads through the most important points connected with the Oscar-winning face of Łódź.

Karkonosze's cauldrons

An idea for a cheap weekend getaway in Poland? Get active in nature! We particularly recommend the beautiful Krkonoše Mountains. You can reach Jelenia Góra, Karpacz or Szklarska Poręba by train, and from there you can start trekking straight away. Some of the Krkonoše classics include the famous Snowy Cirques, the highest peak of the Krkonoše Mountains, Sněžka, or the Kamieńczyk waterfall with a small entrance fee. Other attractions and trails are completely free, so your only cost will be accommodation. Here, the extensive hostel facilities come to your aid, with discounts for students and PTTK club members (it's worth putting on your ID card!). You can also spend the night in the villages at the foot of the mountains, taking advantage of the camping sites and the possibility to pitch a tent. To avoid crowds in Karpacz, plan your trip outside the summer weekends and buy your ticket on PolishTrains in advance, then settle the deferred payment later. This is not allowed in the park itself. However, it is possible to camp near the huts, which may be the best and cheapest solution. Contact with nature during such a weekend - priceless!

Weekend in Jura

Our next suggestion is a weekend in Jura Krakowsko-Częstochowska. Preferably a longer one, although you can also jump here for the classic two days. There are two variants of the route and at least a few possibilities to complete it. What is it all about? You can start the trail in Cracow or Częstochowa (both cities can be reached by train) and, depending on your starting point, head either south or north. You can also divide it into smaller sections, starting in Zawiercie, Rabsztyn or Zabierzów. The route of the red trail is very well marked and passes through all the most interesting places along the way. These include picturesque castle ruins and limestone monadnocks, i.e. clusters of characteristic Jurassic rocks among which you can take a picnic break. The trail can be traversed on foot, by bicycle or on horseback. For this reason, there are a number of marked out camping sites where you can pitch a tent. The camping sites are also popular with climbers, for whom the Jura is a real rock-climbing paradise. The official name of the red trail is the Trail of the Eagles' Nests. It takes its name from medieval fortresses built into difficult-to-access cliffs, whose location is reminiscent of the Eagles' Nests. The length of the hiking trail is 168.7 km, and the cycling variant is 186 km long. It includes Ojców Castle, Pieskowa Skała, Ogrodzieniec, Mirów and Bobolice or Ostrężnik or Olsztyn. Some of them are open to tourists, others can only be viewed from the outside, which is also a great pleasure due to the beauty of the Jurassic landscapes. So if you want to experience an interesting and inexpensive adventure, come to Jura!

You can buy a train ticket for a weekend on PolishTrains without creating an account - all you need is an email address and telephone number. The ticket is sent by email and SMS within several seconds of completing the purchase. ## Cheap weekend getaway in Poland - pay for it later!

A student's pocket is not made of rubber. We know that very well. At the same time, studying is the BEST TIME OF YOUR LIFE (everyone must have heard this sentence at least once). That's right. If it's the best time, it means you have to make the most of it and not worry about it...or plan ahead. The conditions for ticket refunds and exchanges depend on the carrier and fare - you can check the details on the PolishTrains help page. Whatever your approach, we have an option for you that will allow you to buy train tickets even if they are not currently within your budget. Using the deferred payment option, you can buy and receive your train ticket immediately, and pay for it after only 30 days.

How does it work? To take advantage of this opportunity, simply tick the TWISTO payment option after selecting your journey and ticket type. This will send you valid tickets to your email after a few seconds, and you will have a whole three weeks to pay for them. Sounds like fun? So feel free to plan your getaway and take advantage of our weekend trip suggestions!

This article was prepared by the PolishTrains editorial team. We follow the rail market in Poland and Europe, look for new connections and support you at every stage of your journey.