Mazovia & Podlasie Region Travel Guide

I don't want to write a tip for Warsaw... I want to write a tip for the small mountain village in South Poland I passed through once & only once, and could never find again because I never noted the name... and the roads in Poland are notoriously confusing (not to mention dangerous - do NOT begin a road rage contest with a Polish truck driver on his own turf - you will LOSE).  That place was one of the most unbelievable little pockets of beauty I've ever seen, stone cottages two stories and higher, a babbling brook with cows just wandering about the place - I swear I saw a black haired Tess of the D'Urbevilles out getting ready to milk them.  Idyllic, but like all idyllic scenes - it's be ruined if you stopped and tried to fit into it.   Anyway my tip on Warsaw:  don't get stuck in rush hour traffic. In fact, don't drive into town at all, go by foot and just find yourself a nice place to stay... then walk out at night and meet all the lovely people - they make eye contact!  They say hello to strangers! 

Lodz has bad train connections with both Warsaw and Krakow. If you are planning to go to Lodz from one of these cities, take a bus, a plane or rent a car. When in Lodz, use trams, you can reach most of the interesting places with them and they're not expensive. If you are a foreign citizen, be sure to buy a normal fare ticket, as you are probably not eligible for a reduced fee one (check it up if you are a student).