Poland

[Grifdog22]

Has anyone done this ABD? We were supposed to do this and it was killed by COVID. I see one remaining trip open for booking in December, and none thereafter. It includes Poland, Czech and Austria. Very interested but curious if anyone has actually done this one?

 

[sayhello]

I have not heard a single person say they were doing this trip. Strange!

Sayhello

 

[Donalyn]

We wanted to do it for our next ABD, but it is gone for 2025. Replaced Krakow with Salzburg.

 

[Mathmagicland]

Has anyone done this ABD? We were supposed to do this and it was killed by COVID. I see one remaining trip open for booking in December, and none thereafter. It includes Poland, Czech and Austria. Very interested but curious if anyone has actually done this one?

Same here - I was signed up for on in the first year as well.

 

[jimmymc]

I've visited the places but not with ABD. I haven't seen any trip reports with Poland on the boards.

 

[tink1970]

I have not heard a single person say they were doing this trip. Strange!

Sayhello

I think it just had bad timing release wise and then they downgraded it-the original itinerary stayed at the Park Hyatt Vienna- now the hotel is the Hilton and while I want to say in Prague it was the Four Seasons that could just be my wishful thinking revisionist history brain . I know for SURE the PH was the Vienna hotel the first year-I'm a Hyatt girl-and I'm sure fewer meals/activities-I'm a hotel person so that's the most important thing to me when looking at a tour, oddly enough. I was so disappointed when we had to cancel our trip-would've been on the adventure with @Mathmagicland and had been asking for a trip to Poland for years. This year I just cannot make the last one work and if I could, just cannot justify the price honestly. Sigh, I'll probably end up doing Poland on a privately guided tour or on my own some day if I make it. I've heard it's beautiful and (knock on wood) not yet overrun with tourists.

 

[Grifdog22]

DW and I have booked this trip for Dec 16-23 2024. It is the swan song for including Poland (for now) by ABD. We don't know what the world will be like after January 6 2025 but given the increasing hostilities in the world we want to go while we can. Always planned to see Russia; after Ukraine I will never step foot there or do anything that supports Adolph Putin.

We plan on going to Poland several days early -ABD will still provide airport to hotel transport even if we don't book through them for the pre nights. There is a lot in Poland we want to see and do, and the exchange rate is very very good. Also, the ABD trip insurance (not cancel for any reason) is actually a good bit cheaper than what I could find on the private market - this is a first for me!

This trip will hit multiple eastern European cities with Christmas markets in all of them. This will be ABD trip 11 for us (we are newbies compared to many of you). DW took too long to decide on our planned Tauck trip and when she said yes to both trips yesterday, the Tauck is sold out except the one date we don't want to go. Since no trip reports for the Poland portion of this trip, we will likely try to make one in the unlikely event they bring back Poland.

 

[sheilafri]

Haven’t done ABD but did Krakow and Warsaw on my own a few years ago after a river cruise that stopped in Budapest (which I loved). Amazing trip. I’d go back to Krakow in a heartbeat. Warsaw was great but Krakow is so walkable and really an undiscovered gem.

 

[Donalyn]

We were planning an extra 3 to 4 days in Krakow, there was so much I wanted to do there. Alas, maybe someday.

 

[Grifdog22]

We were planning an extra 3 to 4 days in Krakow, there was so much I wanted to do there. Alas, maybe someday.

You only live once. There is space on the December 2024 trip. And yes, there is an amazing amount of things to do close to Krakow Poland. We've jumped on a couple of the ABD trips nearly last minute (and this is not last minute) and were glad we did. Many many years ago when ABD ran a very long South Africa trip, driving up the garden route and stopping along the way, among other things, instead of flying. For their final trip they had a "Flash sale" for four or more to make the final May 2011 trip go, or it would be cancelled. I packed the twins and DW and took the leap. Until Australia/NewZealand it was our favorite trip. If I'd thought about it more, probably would have missed out. Poland, like that version of South Africa, isn't on the menu in the foreseeable future. We jumped on Egypt this year, after the paid in full date had already passed, and we still can't stop saying Wow. It just seemed right, and it was. This trip feels the same to us. There is adventure out there.

As the years pass by and I get older, I recognize that when you have the time and the money to live like you dream about, you're too damn old to do it. Do what you think is best. Happy travels to you no matter what you decide.

 

[Grifdog22]

I think it just had bad timing release wise and then they downgraded it-the original itinerary stayed at the Park Hyatt Vienna- now the hotel is the Hilton and while I want to say in Prague it was the Four Seasons that could just be my wishful thinking revisionist history brain . I know for SURE the PH was the Vienna hotel the first year-I'm a Hyatt girl-and I'm sure fewer meals/activities-I'm a hotel person so that's the most important thing to me when looking at a tour, oddly enough. I was so disappointed when we had to cancel our trip-would've been on the adventure with @Mathmagicland and had been asking for a trip to Poland for years. This year I just cannot make the last one work and if I could, just cannot justify the price honestly. Sigh, I'll probably end up doing Poland on a privately guided tour or on my own some day if I make it. I've heard it's beautiful and (knock on wood) not yet overrun with tourists.

Tink - DW and I also are huge fans of the unusual, eclectic hotels in travel. But not when we plan on spending most of our time away from the beds. To us, that's this trip - too much to do! I will say that the Tauck Essence of South America puts you in many world famous and majestical hotels - that was a big factor in our booking that trip. It was, BTW, excellent. Tauck is longer, with much more elaborate meals, but as a result a good bit more expensive. But no dynamic pricing - everyone paid the same rate.

Even in the states we seek out the Marriott "Autograph Collections" as they are really cool hotels with history (The Blackstone in Chicago) or quirky/night at the museum (Norfolk Glass Light hotel) or the Omni Homestead or Hotel New Hampshire. Travel is whatever is special to the traveller. One day you'll get there, but prices do seem to be climbing especially for OYO trips.

 

[Grifdog22]

Haven’t done ABD but did Krakow and Warsaw on my own a few years ago after a river cruise that stopped in Budapest (which I loved). Amazing trip. I’d go back to Krakow in a heartbeat. Warsaw was great but Krakow is so walkable and really an undiscovered gem.

As we continue to explore things that we really want to do on our extra predays as OYO time, I am really surprised at how much I want to do in Krakow. Your description really appears spot on - an undiscovered gem - and visitor friendly but not packed with tourists. ADB is hitting points and places we want to see, but there is more we want to do. And visiting all these townships and cities for their Christmas markets - it think this may be the first time the word "enchanting" really comes to life for us. It's nice to think about as we are suffering through the hottest we've had in the blue ridge/Shenandoah on record, tied with a second summer of intense drought. When it's 101 in the mountains, it's good to look at snow covered places and know you'll be there soon.

Thanks for the comments! I wish we had more time to do a better job planning - but at this point it looks like we can't go wrong within the four corners of this trip.

 

[Donalyn]

Grifdog22 - I really wish that we could join you on the last trip in December. I had thought about it previously, but so many reasons why it just doesn't work for us:
1. December is my busiest month, work wise every year.
2. It will conflict with college finals for the kid in college
3. They are all basically school days for the HS senior.
4. Family obligations - I basically have to host days and days of holidays for my extended family.

But - good luck planning your pre-days in Krakow. I agree - soooo much to do. DH and I may just plan a week long trip there when we are empty nesters.

 

[Grifdog22]

Last trip to Poland is now on sale! Was checking the website this morning about the trip coming up before us, and saw prices cut by $350/pp. This is the last one, and on sale for a very nice price.

With all this sweltering heat here and now think of traveling...just before Christmas in Krakow....the Christmas markets with snow...

 

[Grifdog22]

Another shout out to Jeanine with ABD Air - very very good air prices, found flights we didn't see, and gave us a layover enroute as requested in London to go see what the Disney ABD didn't show us as promised - Windsor Castle! So this is starting out to be a fabulous pre-Christmas trip. Coming back from Vienna on 12/23, connecting in London, and home in the USA by 3:00 pm. Wonderful. We have an old travel friend we will be seeing on this trip as well, which makes it all the more special. Direct hotel booking for three pre-nights was 50% less than ABD pricing, but we did leave off the breakfast - which would have been $100 US pp. I think we can find something to eat.

Trip planning is underway - and the choices for predays and OYO times are far better than expected The great exchange rate is certainly helping. The last time we did an ABD trip in winter was Christmas in Yellowstone and Tetons. Tetons and Yellowstone were magical - but we want to be home for Christmas. DW is so happy to be finally able to see Poland, where so many of her family came from. When we originally booked, on the original first trip, we had multiple pre-days planned in Lithuania and western Russia - now a place we will never see (and have no desire to ever step foot or spend one #$%^ penny in Russia). So for her this is her last chance to do this.