Cycling in Poland
Cycling Holidays in Poland
Information
Unwind, de-stress, and relax, while soaking up the unique cultural, architectural, and natural history of Poland. That is the essence of an unforgettable experience of a cycling holiday.
The Polish are passionate about cycling and have been for a long time with the Warsaw Cycling Society established way-back in 1884.
One of the main reasons why cycling is so popular in Poland is the fact that the country is so beautiful. It has cycling trails running through forests, along water-ways, through mountains and picturesque landscapes far away from urban areas and even in major cities and towns, you will find dedicated cycle paths everywhere.
Thousands of kilometres of cycling trails can be found all over Poland, which are signposted as they are in Western Europe. Cyclists can benefit from all sorts of visitor's facilities, including hostels, mountain huts, rural accommodations, hotels, and bike hire from special rental centres.
Poland has a lot to offer for the cycle tourist as the roads in the countryside are generally quiet and the surfaces are in good enough condition for bikes, although in some villages there are some cobbled streets. There is a wealth of unspoilt country side with tremendous opportunities to see European wildlife not seen in most parts of Europe.
Practical information about cycling in Poland
There was a time in Poland when all cyclists required a special cycling permit or driving licence before they could leagally cycle on public roads, this is no longer the case. Nowadays, as long as you are 18 years old plus, you don't need any kind of permit; however children aged 10 to 18 are required to wear a pass (karta rowerowa) unless they are accompanied by an adult. This pass is issued by schools to certify that the rider has an understanding of the Highway Code. Children younger than 10 must be accompanied by an adult and you should cycle either on the pavement or on the left verge of public roads if no pavement is available.
Biles should be fitted with a red reflector visible from behind and white / selective yellow reflectors on the front. At night, cycles should have front and rear lights that work. This can include the new-style rear flashing light. According to the rule book, all lights should be fitted to the bike 35 cm above street level and no higher than 95 cm. Lights should be visible at night from a distance of 150 metres (so make sure the batteries are new) and all cycles should be fitted with a warning device such as a bell or horn. Note: You will see many bikes in Poland with no lights and no warning device; however if you want to stay safe and avoid problems with the Police, then we do suggest that you make your bike street legal.
Dont drink and ride, it is a crime punishable by up to one year in prison; however nobody seems to care about this and you will often intoxicated riders. Obviously, we still suggest that you don't sample the fantastic choive of Polish vodkas and beers and then decide to ride your bicycle as there is always the chance that you will either be involved in an accident or arrested. if you have to speak to the police whilst intoxicated, make sure that you are not riding your bike!
Just like anywhere else, bikes get stolen in Poland, especially good ones! Use a U-lock or other quality security device. If it happens, then report it to the Police but do not expect them to either understand or speak English. The procedure for reporting any type of crime in Poland can take up to six hours no matter how good your Polish is, that's just how it is in Poland!
You will find a lot of information about driving in Poland on this website and a lot of information about the state of the roads. It's dangerous to ride your bike on the roads in Poland, so be careful. Seriously, you do need to have your wits about you. We highly recommend that you wear safety equipment, particularly good head protection.
Be careful at road junctions. The majority of cycling accidents in Poland happen at road junctions. We recommend that you STOP at EVERY junction and yield to traffic.
If the road surface is not safe or there is heavy traffic, many cyclists in Poland just ride their bikes on the pavement. This is leag in the following circumstances: The speed limit on the road is above 60km/h and the pavement is wider than 2m (about 6ft). If you do ride your bike on the pavement, you must give pedestrians the right of way.
It's actually illegal to cycle on a Zebra crossing so don't do this in front of a Police car. Nobody elese will mind as they understand that it is often the quickest and safest method for cyclists to cross the road. Zebra crossings are not the same as they are in the UK. Cars will not stop unless you are actually on the crossing and even then, they will often drive around you. BE CAREFUL!
You are allowed to take your bike on most trains in Poland but you will need to buy it a ticket and place the cycle in the luggage car or the first or last carriage at the very front or end of the train. Night trains with no carriages other than sleeping cars will NOT allow you to take your bike unless you can sweet-talk the train crew at the platform.
Some local trains have special bike spaces on board, ask at the platform. You should note that bikes are usually not allowed on buses and coaches so if you need to take a connection, you could have a problem. Again, talk to the driver who will probably work something out for you (at a small cost!).
The weather in Poland can be unkind to cyclists. For further information, please check out our weather in Poland section.
Bicycle shops are usually well equipped, with most rudimentary Shimano, Sram and other global brand parts at least. Do not expect a very big choice. If you need some sophisticated last-minute purchases before your trip, you better do the shopping in Germany on the way or at your local bicycle shop. Most of the cycling merchandise is low-end mountain bike oriented and if you happen to use 700cc wheels, a quality replacement rim or similar niche part may be a problem, shops will have to order the part and delivery may take weeks.
Hovewer, if you need just an instant fix for your problem, you will most likely have it no matter what wheel, fork, stem or frame size. Bike shops and repair shops are closed on Sundays, and on Saturdays close earlier, usually at 2:00 or 3:00 p.m. On weekdays, closing time varies from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. In some cities bicycle rental is possible but the quality of bikes often is not good!