In order to see everything Poland has to offer, a car is absolutely essential. Rail lines connect all of the major cities, but especially in the north and east of the country, you will not be able to see all sights with just rail alone. In Poland, people drive on the right and overtake on the left, much like in the United States and Canada. Four major motorways in Poland are toll roads: the A1, A2, A4 and A8 motorways all require tolls at certain points. Those tolls can cost anywhere between 4 and 30 zl and are contingent on the length of the drive on the toll road. If you drive a longer distance, your toll will be larger.

Poland has earned an unfortunate distinction as an unsafe country in which to drive, because there have been a number of highly-publicized instances where both Poles and foreign nationals have been involved in deadly car wrecks. If you follow the rules outlined in these pages, and practice defensive driving at all times, you are highly unlikely to have any issues driving in Poland.

Polish cities range from being easy to navigate by car to difficult. Many of the `old towns` in Polish cities were obviously built before the advent of the automobile, so you might encounter some tight streets and alleyways. One silver lining to this issue is that many of the `old towns` are pedestrianized so you may not encounter this particular issue as much as you will encounter a lot of traffic in other locations. Between 1990 and 2015, the average Polish salary nearly tripled, and so have the number of cars on the roads, as more and more people can afford to buy them. Warsaw, for example, was listed by CNN as one of the top ten most congested cities in the world, so be prepared for this as well.

With this overview, plus the pages linked below, you will be able to drive in Poland with as much finesse and relaxation as you would feel at home. Have fun and enjoy experiencing scenic Poland!