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=== Number plates ===
Here you find a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Plcarplates379v06.png#file map] with the car registration plate codes of '''Poland'''.
It facilitates hitching at spots where you can see a car registration plate (petrol stations, borders, traffic lights)and choose the proper one. In short, the plates consist of two or three letters and four digits. The first letter denotes the voivodeship (region) and is followed by one or two letters denoting a major town. Usually voivodeship capitals and major towns have two letters, while smaller towns have three. For instance cars from Warsaw could have plates ranging from WA XXXX to WZ XXXX, while all cars from [[Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki]] have WND XXXX plates.
When you see some English, Swiss or German registration plates, they still might be Polish people there, on vacation to their former homeland.
== Trashwiki & Nomadwiki =={{nomadwiki}}
[[trash:Poland]] [[nomad:Poland]]
→Personal Experiences
|BW = PL
}}
'''Poland''' is a member state of the [[European Union]] as well as the [[Schengen Agreement]]. It is an awesome country for hitchhiking and even one of the most hitchhiker friendly countries in whole Europe. The avarage time of waiting vary from 15 min to 1 hour (rarely 2 hours - if so, you have probably a bad spot) depending on your spot. Many drivers generally believe that others do not stop and that hitchhiking days are over in Poland, which however does not prevent hundreds of them from stopping. Since 1958 till the beginning of 90's hitchhiking in Poland was an official way of traveling organized by National Tourist Board, when hitchhikers had their ID with [[insurance]] included and drivers could win prizes every year. Thousands of people were hitchhiking through all these years – and most of them have cars today, so very often do they repay the debt.
=== General Hitchhiking Info ===
=== Tips ===
On highways you can hitchike next to '''toll places''' (polish name bramki). One or other side will have parking place.
[[CB radio]] is quite popular in Poland not only among truck drivers, which might help in getting a ride. If you're lucky they can ask other drivers to take you further. You might even ask them gently to do that, especially in bad weather conditions or by night.
Hitching by night is possible in Poland but not easy. On national roads try to find bright spot where drivers can see you. Use bright clothes. The best options are petrol stations where you can speak with the drivers while they fill up the tank.
'''Public transport''' While staying in bigger cities check [http://jakdojade.pl/Welcome.jsp?locale=en jakdojade.pl]. It will find for you every single connection between two points within city limits and show ticket price, route on a map, bus stops names and timetables. Just write the name of a street where you are in a form called "A" and the place you want to go to in a form "B". You can also right click on the map to pick points. It will do the rest. If you're planning to stay longer in Poland you may want to download a mobile app and have it always with you (internet connection is necessary).
'''Hitchhiking as a solo woman''' At least in Northern Poland there are often prostitutes who are standing by the road in the summer. And if on duty, they mark their regular spots with a piece of clothing and come back again after. This might lead into confusion when you're hitchhiking alone as a woman. It's not really dangerous but hitchhiker friendly people might mistake you for a prostitute when they pass you and not stop. So as a solo woman would be good not to wear clothes that are too revealing, put your backpack in front and not stand very close to the prostitute spots.
See also the Polish dictionary in Hitchwiki's [[Eastern Europe phrasebook]].
== Border crossings ==
* [http://jakdojade.pl/ Public transport of many Polish cities]
== Personal Experiences ==
''Summer 2018 & 2022: It's good hitchhiking experience but sometimes you need to wait a bit (15min to 90min). In 2018 hitchhiking was not hard as it still in 2022. Polish style of driving is somewhere near "respectable citizen" and "crazy driver". So, basically they don't brake the law (stop in the forbidden area) but they can do it if needed. The only problem are autobahns which are not "hitchhiker friendly", it's hard to get there and hard to find a car stopping there. In the autobahn (on the good spot) I was waiting nearly 2h and no one stoped due to a too big traffic. They have good gas stations, where you can almost take an "small improvised shower". Two times I was picked up by one driver who called his friend to get me further, so the "local radio" is working well.'' --[[User:HHer-Vert|HHer-Vert]]
== Nomadwiki & Trashwiki ==
