Europe is full of hidden gems and quick getaways that won’t break the bank.
Warsaw is one of them, though the Polish capital isn’t as popular as some of its other cities like Gdansk and Krakow.
It does, however, boast everything these places have and more, including the opportunity to buy a cheap beer or five — perhaps the most important thing listed on many travellers’ itineraries.
It’s not only the booze that’s cheap, either. Unlike other European capitals, accommodation in Warsaw is also super cheap, with some private apartments costing as little as £20 a night.
We haven’t even mentioned the cheap and speedy metro system, nor the 60p-per-kilometre taxis. If Warsaw isn’t on your 2024 trip list, perhaps you should reconsider your summer holiday plans.
The biggest draw for many people visiting Warsaw is the Old Town. The traveller might become slightly depressed to learn that it isn’t exactly an Old Town.
More than 85 percent of Warsaw’s historic centre was razed to the ground by the Nazis in August 1944 during the Warsaw Uprising. After World War 2, a reconstruction plan was drawn up that would take five years to complete.
By some miracle, citizens managed to meticulously replicate brick-by-brick the city’s ancient splendours, complete with its churches, palaces, and marketplace.
It is by some stretch one of the most impressive near-total reconstructions of a slice of history that spanned 700 years from the 13th to 20th centuries.
The Old Town isn’t the only place for history buffs, but it’s as good a place as any to start during a break in the city.
But what should you pack? Well, generally speaking, Poland has similar weather to the UK, though its temperatures are a little more extreme on each end of the mercury.
If travelling in the summer, expect balmy evenings where only shorts and t-shirts are needed all day long, but wrap up warm in the winter: you’ll likely face some snow.
Year-round averages see lows of -5C in January (with highs of 1C), and highs of 22C and 24C in June and July respectively (with lows of 11C and 13C), with everything in between for the rest of the year.
A quick browse on Skyscanner, a search aggregator, turns up direct flights from the UK for as little as £37.
Budgetyourtrip reckons you’ll need around £73 (zł258) per day. This includes £13 (zł65) for meals, £5 (zł24) for local transportation and £55 (zł279) for hotels of a higher standard.
You can, of course, skimp on certain things and make your trip much cheaper. Equally, you can splash the cash and engage in a bit of fine dining — not hard considering there are almost 20 Michelin-star restaurants in the city.
Holidayers will be pleased to hear that a pint of beer in Warsaw comes in at almost half the price of a pint in the UK.
While a jar of the golden nectar will set you back on average £5 back home, in Warsaw, you’ll only need £2.70 for the privilege. As always, the further you travel from the centre of the town, the cheaper the pint will be.
Warsaw is renowned for its outdoor spaces, places especially utilised by locals in the summer. Lazienki Palace and Park or Saxon Garden offer perfect places to soak up the sun.
The city’s nightlife is also considered to be one of Europe’s best, with a range of evenings to enjoy, from dancing into the small hours to candlelit conversations in library-style bars.
