Baby's first vacation? Here is why you should consider Poland

If I ask you for your top 3 (or even 5) favorite countries in Europe, or places you would like to visit, would you say Poland? I can confidently say that Poland would not necessarily feature on most lists. But that would be a huge mistake because Poland is truly so underrated. Here are some of our reasons why -

Off the beaten path - somewhat. This means you’re not going to get the (frankly) ridiculous summer crowds of Italy, Greece, and France. You can actually explore in peace!
Ease of getting around. Gdańsk is a walkable city, and both Krakow and Warsaw had great tram systems that made exploring so easy. Additionally you can city hop using Polish trains which are on time, fast, clean and affordable.
Affordable. Both in terms of hotels as well as food - delicious, wholesome and filling meals for €10-15 per person. And Poland has some of the most affordable Michelin restaurants too.
EXTREMELY baby-friendly. Every single establishment had baby changing tables; many even had separate changing rooms, which meant fathers could do the change and it wasn’t always the mother’s job. Museums even had a separate space where you could nurse/feed your baby.

Where to go in Poland

For a first-timer, we recommend an itinerary that hits most of the places below -

WARSAW: Poland’s capital, known for its historical sites such as the Royal Castle and the Warsaw Uprising Museum. The food scene is pretty great too.
KRAKOW: Famous for its well-preserved medieval core, Wawel Royal Castle, and the historic Jewish quarter, Kazimierz. Oh, and also known for stag and hen parties 🤭
GDANSK: Our favorite! A port city with rich maritime history, beautiful old town, and the Museum of the Second World War, which is one of the country’s best museums.
WROCLAW: Known as the “Venice of Poland” for its numerous bridges and canals 🥰
ZAKOPANE: A resort town at the base of the Tatra Mountains, popular for hiking in summer and skiing in winter. The views are stunning!

Of course, you can always choose to go off the beaten path - in fact Zakopane is a beautiful and underrated part of Poland - but with a baby you may want to consider sticking to cities. This way you can always pop into a café if you need to feed or change them.

How to get around Poland

The easiest way to get around Poland is actually by train! The trains are on time, clean, and even have special carriages for babies and children that you can book online (nothing special in terms of amenities in these cabins - just so that you get a bit more privacy).

We used Polish Trains to work out the schedule (its a very user friendly website, and it is in English). But we realised that buying on their website is more expensive than buying elsewhere, so we then navigated to the website of the train company we wanted to make the actual booking, for e.g. PKP Intercity

Why is Poland perfect to visit with a baby?

Apart from maybe one or two restaurants, every other place we visited had baby changing facilities. This definitely isnt the case even in Amsterdam, where we live, where toilets are often so cramped. We also loved how there were separate baby changing rooms too, which meant that fathers or partners could do the change in peace, without it always being the role of the mother - and you could do so in the privacy of your own room, which was large enough to also pump or feed if you wanted to.

I will say however that the Old Towns are full of cobblestone streets, so expect a bumpy ride if your baby is in a stroller! We use the Maxi Cosi Lara for our travels as it is ultra light and super easy to fold away, but it was definitely not an easy push. I'd recommend using a baby carrier for this part of town - or navigating VERY slowly.

And finally - and I will never forget this - people are SO kind. Especially when you are a first time parent, it can be daunting if your baby starts crying in places that are solemn. Baby M woke up from her nap just when we were getting done with Schindler's Factory, and she started to stir and murmur away. As the factory was indoors, and everyone was rather quietly walking around, her noises echoed through the chambers, and naturally I started shushing (and inwardly panicking).

The caretaker of one of the exhibits immediately recognized my look of panic, and said ''Dont worry, she's fine. She's just a baby''.

For me, that was powerful. It was the reassurance I needed that babies will be babies, and people are far kinder than you think. I don't think I will ever forget this incident, and that kind woman!

As always, leaving you with some photographs of our time in Poland. Enjoy! x