Top Poland Day Trips - page 17

This tour makes for a very long day with a lot of walking - but very much worth it. Make sure you have a good breakfast, because the lunch break isn’t until ~14h. The company does offer the purchase (in advance) of a sack lunch. The guides and tours were excellent. Well worth the price. The below was what I posted about the day on social media; Today we visited Auschwitz and Birkenau. Having visited Dachau several times, I thought I was prepared for the emotional shock. Auschwitz I is large. Auschwitz II-Birkenau is huge. The endless rows of barracks, fences, guard towers, and rail lines make clear that this was not simply mass murder. It was industrialized murder. Planned, organized, staffed, supplied, and carried out with horrifying efficiency. The displays of the children’s shoes & clothes, left behind luggage, and piles of women’s hair - the rejected materials collected by the Nazi’s but seen as not worth sending to loyalists in Germany. They floored me. The pictures that the Germans took of their inhuman processes - I still can’t process why and how. Reading about it and seeing it are two different things. Standing where the trains arrived, walking the grounds, and seeing the remains of what was built there leaves a lasting impression that no book or documentary can fully replicate. At the far end of Birkenau, near the ruins of the crematoria, a plaque reads: “For ever let this place be a cry of despair and a warning to humanity, where the Nazis murdered about one and a half million men, women, and children, mainly Jews from various countries of Europe. Auschwitz-Birkenau, 1940-1945.” Everyone should visit at least one of these places if they have the opportunity. Not to dwell on the past, but to understand how ordinary people and institutions can be led to accept the exclusion, dehumanization, and persecution of others. These sites are reminders that the process begins long before the violence. It begins when people believe that some human beings are less than human.

A time in history that should NEVER be forgotten. The visit was emotioally difficult, but necessary. The camps were massive and the treatment of innocent people was unbelievably horrific. A visit to Poland should include a visit to Auschwitz Bircanau.

We were contacted the day before the trip by our driver Peter. It was a small group picked up by minivan. It was a little squashed as we were the last pick up and had to sit in the front with the driver. As I'm small this wasn't a problem but may be difficult for larger people. Peter was informative and pleasant. As English speakers the I information was easy for us to understand but must have been difficult for the Italian speakers in the group. Once we reached the Salt Mines we were splint into our own language groups. The actual tour was very good although it was a very long walk back to the lift to the surface which the tour guide didn't explain. Peter was waiting for us at the specified time for the return to Krakow. All in all a good experience.

We were given all the information required in advance. Pick up was on time, driver courteous and friendly. Ordered the packed lunch which was very nice and reasonably priced. Tour guide was very knowledgeable and spoke well. Return to hotel was again very comfortable. A very well organised trip with no issues at all.

Everything went smoothly, prompt pick up from hotel in clean & comfortable transport. Driver Patrick was very helpful as was the tour guide who was very knowledgeable. Experience was sobering and really gives you an understanding of the atrocities that went on.

Convenient pickup/drop off point. Friendly and knowledgeable driver. Good clean vehicle to be in. 1 1/2 drive each way which was fine. Great little stop offs but at the village we spent the 20 minutes queuing for the toilet as only one there. The mountains was a great few hours. A meal and a drink. Plus a walk round was beautiful. Cable car is busy so expect some pushing and shoving to get on but hold your ground. Tour operator keep me informed before the day to confirm times. No complaints here

Fantastic tour that covered exactly what we wanted to visit … the Divine Mercy Chapel, the JP II shrine … then visiting the town of Wadowice the birthplace of JP II and the amazing museum showcasing his whole life. Our tour guide Kamil was very kind , attentive to our needs and extremely knowledgeable.

Our driver, Michał, was great! The salt mine was fantastic. The tour is 2-3 hrs long, there were some little kids on ours that were complaining but good for adults. This booking is basically for a transfer and purchasing the ticket in advance. All people have to go on tour operated with mine staff, groups of about 40. It was a holiday the day we went and it was pretty busy. We felt a little rushed with yours leaving every ten minutes not much time to stop and admire. Overall though totally an interesting experience.