Kraków

When I get my insurance pay-out, I was thinking of going to Poland. My great grandfather was a Polish immigrant who arrived in East London in the 1800s. I've looked into biking it and it's about 1000 miles doing it direct on boring motorways :-( Bristol Airport is my nearest international airport (although it is a pain to get to) but which Polish airport did you fly to?

 

Krakow

 

Hey, your on holiday, enjoy, we've got you covered

 

Use Birmingham mate, easier all round

 

Birmingham: Jet2 to Krakow

 

It is quite feasible to ride to Poland. This was the bike parking area at Auschwitz in July 2015 - my bike is the red Multistrada.

 

I believe the Salt Mines are worth the visit, plenty of steps mind!

 

When I looked at the route and distance on Tyre, It didn't look very practical. How long (roughly) did it take you to ride there?

 

Yes. Although Brum is further away, I think it may be easier. Might be possible by train as well.

 

I had planned to go to Kraków this year and visit Auschwitz/Birkenau. It was where my great grandfather died 75 years ago http://wphdata.blob.core.windows.net/documents/Documents/pdf/NS/ns_mayr_ermord_tyroler_en_v03.pdf

Unfortunately I had a heart attack in June which rather messed up my travel plans for the year. Hopefully I’ll visit next year.

 

Went a few weeks ago, loved the place, getting a guide is a good idea as there are a few hidden gems that are easily overlooked, corpus Christi church being one of them.

 

It is. Take me about 1hr 10 ish by car, Bristol 90 min at least unless travelling before 6am. And you can get a train or even bus direct (from Gloucester anyway)

 

I remember going into a pub in a place I think called Planty, it was one of those massive drinking halls, where the bar tenders all wore long white coats like scientists.
The gents toilets was equipped with a special Stainless steel sink standing on its own, dedicated to throwing up in!
Professional!

 

looks like Noobie accompanied you, with his helmet trailer on the rear..

 

Calais to Auschwitz (Oswiecim) is about 900 miles by shortest route. Two days would be feasible, if you were in a hurry. Half way would be around Kassel / Eisenach. It's about the same distance as Calais to Florence.

I went via Hook of Holland, Trier, Stuttgart, Dachau, Salzburg, and Vienna to Oswiecim. Came back via Warsaw, Potsdam, Wuppertal, and Calais. Took in various sights I wanted to see, friends to visit, etc. so I spent about three weeks altogether.

 

Fantastic country to visit.Very friendly people.Went there in 1998 on my blade stopped in Krakow,great place.Visited Auschwitz and like you said very humbling!! One thing I noticed....no birds flying or chirping,not one very strange.Met an old guy in a restaurant who recognized my Lincolnshire accent and he asked where in Lincolnshire I lived.So told him a small village called Saxilby.His reply was “Is the Sun Inn still open,I used to drink in there on my days off.I flew Lancasters out of Scampton during the war”

 

Found that at Oradour Sur Glane in France..

 

That's the spares kit every multistrada has when going further than waitrose