What to Pack for Poland: A Carry On Poland Packing List

Are you looking for the perfect Poland packing list for carry on travelers? Berlin, where we live, isn’t far from the Polish border, so Andy and I have traveled to Poland many times. We have visited in all seasons, including hot summer and cold winter Christmas market time, so your packing list for Poland will vary for different times of the year.

Poland experiences all four seasons, so what to wear in Poland depends on the season when you’re traveling. Summers are hot, winters are cold, and spring and autumn are milder transition periods. Let’s take a look at what to pack for Poland, especially for carry on travelers.

Poland Packing List: Essentials for Carry-On

Poland is a wonderful country with interesting cities, good food, and important history. Although there are lots of opportunities for outdoor activities, I have mostly visited cities in Poland, so my advice is based on those experiences. Poland is also a country where I have never felt like I needed to be dressed up. My carry on Poland packing list will help you pack efficiently.

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Clothing

Plan your clothing choices for Poland so that your pieces are practical and coordinate, which also helps you pack for a week in a carry on. Comfort is key when you’re walking around sightseeing all day. If you do like to dress a little nicer to go out for dinner in the evening, you don’t need anything too fancy.

I’m very open to re-wearing shirts, leggings, and jeans. In general, I don’t think one day is enough to get something so dirty that I can’t wear it another day. This is one easy way to travel carry on only. We typically travel to Poland for a week, but it’s not hard to tweak this if you’re going for longer or shorter.

Short sleeved shirts: Pack 4-7 shirts for a one week in Poland, plus or minus, depending on how open you are to re-wearing a shirt. In winter, I will use these as a base layer. Try these from Bluffworks: women’s crew neck | men’s crew neck | For something a little cuter: women’s cowl neck

Long sleeved shirt or hoodie: Even in the summer, it can get a little chilly in some places, especially if you’re in Gdansk or someplace near the sea. So it’s good to have one long sleeved shirt, hoodie, or light jacket to wear over a short sleeved shirt. For a winter trip to Poland, or early spring or late autumn, pack a few more long sleeve shirts.

Pants: 2-3 pairs of leggings or jeans. In the winter, leggings can be layered under jeans to keep you warm.

Shorts: Summer in Poland can get hot, so pack a few pairs of shorts if this is when you’re going. If you’re traveling outside of the summer season, you won’t need shorts.

Light waterproof jacket: Spring and autumn can be rainy, and even in the summer, it’s good to have a jacket in case it rains or if you’re in a windy location, like Gdansk. Even in the summer, Gdansk can get rather windy since it’s on the sea. In winter in Poland, bring a warm coat that can get wet in rain or snow.

Underwear: Pack one pair of underwear and one pair of socks for each day of your trip. Ladies, pack 2 or 3 bras for a one week trip. I love ExOfficio because they’re quick dry, which is great for travel.

Sleepwear: Pajamas, t-shirt and shorts, leggings…you know what you’re comfortable sleeping in.

Shoes: Pack a pair of comfortable walking shoes, plus one other pair of shoes depending on your itinerary. Sandals or other casual shoes will work. Leave the high heels at home because they will not be good for walking on cobblestones.

What to pack for Poland in winter

Winter in Poland can get quite cold, so you need to come prepared. Pack a good winter coat, hat, scarf, gloves, and a base layer like thermals if you plan on spending a lot of time outside. Your coat and shoes need to be water resistant to keep your feet dry because there’s a good chance of snow or rain in the winter in Poland.

We’ve been to Poznan and Wroclaw a few times for Christmas markets, and once we were in Poznan during an ice sculpture festive. It is definitely a cold time of year! And since you’re likely to spend hours outside, like we did, you need to make sure you’re wearing layers to keep warm. Thermals like these make a good base layer in cold weather.

Toiletries

Everyone has specific toiletries they like to use, but here’s my toiletries list that helps me pack carry on only.

Shampoo and conditioner: I love using solid shampoo and solid conditioner for travel and at home. But if you’re not ready to ditch your liquid versions, stay under the liquids limit by using these GoToob refillable bottles. | Read my reviews of Ethique solid shampoo for travel and Ethique solid conditioner for travel.

Shower gel or bar soap: Bar soap won’t count against the liquids limit.

Toothbrush, toothpaste, floss: Keep those teeth clean! Did you know you can get solid toothpaste tabs like these to save even more space in your liquids bag? | Read my review of Hello Solid Toothpaste Tabs for Travel.

Contact solution and case: If you wear contacts, I also recommend bringing glasses as a backup.

Lotion: Always good to have to prevent dry skin, especially in windy areas like Gdansk or for any winter trip to Poland.

Deodorant: Everyone appreciates it when you don’t stink. I love this deodorant from Ethique. | Read my review of Ethique solid deodorant for travel.

Razor: If you have shaving needs, add a razor to your Poland travel packing list. | Read more about taking a razor on a plane.

Nail clippers and nail file: Leave the nail scissors at home since some security agents might confiscate them.

Brush and hair elastics: Really whatever your normal hair routine requires.

Makeup: Pack your must-have makeup items, but you don’t need much. | Learn more about taking makeup on a plane.

Sunscreen: Important if you’re spending lots of time outside sightseeing in Poland, especially in warmer months. Did you know you can get solid sunscreen? I love this one.

Laundry soap: If you plan on packing carry on only for Poland, you might need to wash a few things along the way. I travel with this laundry soap, or if my liquids bag is really tight on space, I’ll use these laundry detergent sheets.

First aid items

Of course Poland has pharmacies and other stores where you can buy basic first aid items. But it’s always easier if you have a few things with you, plus if you’re out sightseeing, you might need something right away.

• Headache/Pain meds
• Bandaids and wound cream
• Immodium (hopefully you won’t need this)
• Allergy meds
• Prescription medications (always worth packing a few days extra)
• Bug repellent depending on the time of year you’re visiting Poland (try this solid one)

Electronics

Hopefully you can leave your laptop off your Poland packing list so you can relax and enjoy your trip. But here are some other electronics you won’t want to forget to pack.

Camera and accessories: These days I mostly use my iPhone to take pictures, especially for city trips, but I do sometimes travel with my Canon Rebel DSLR and zoom lens. If you’re really into photography, a DSLR is a good choice for Poland.

Kindle: Great for bringing as many books as you want to read on the flight to the Poland or while on trains or buses from one city to another.

Smart phone: This works well for photos if you don’t want to bring a camera.

European SIM card: Rather than deal with the hassles of trying to buy a local sim card when you arrive, get one ahead of time. Orange SIM cards work throughout the EU, including Poland. Choose between a normal SIM or an eSIM.

Chargers, cords, batteries: Make sure you pack any chargers, cords, and batteries you need for your electronics.

Plug adapters: Most of mainland Europe, including Poland, uses a two pronged electrical outlet. You’ll need a plug adapter like this one to make your devices fit.

Most electronics do not need a voltage converter unless you’re traveling to Poland with a hair dryer, curling iron, or hair straightener. Even then, I highly recommend buying a dual voltage hair appliance before your trip because it’ll work better.

Documents

Passport: US citizens do not need a tourist visa to visit Poland, but if you carry a passport from somewhere else, please check the embassy website for requirements.

It’s also good practice to scan a copy of your passport and email it to yourself and to your emergency contact at home. Print a copy to have with you in case there’s an internet issue and you can’t access your scanned copy. Hopefully you’ll never need these backups, but you’ll be grateful to have them if your passport gets lots or stolen. It’s also worth getting a passport holder to protect your passport from bending, water damage, etc.

Credit and debit cards: Many places in Poland will accept credit cards but it’s worth taking out a little cash for small purchases. If a credit card machine or ATM asks if you want to use their exchange rate or let your bank choose it, or if it asks if you want to be charged in zloty or your home currency, ALWAYS let your bank choose the exchange rate, and ALWAYS choose to pay in zloty.

Driver’s license: I don’t rent a car when I visit Poland, but if you’re planning a road trip in Poland, it’s a fun way to explore. Get a quote for a rental car here. Otherwise you can get from one city to another using trains or FlixBus.

Other essential items to add to your Poland packing list

Umbrella: In case it rains while you’re in Poland, packing a light weight travel umbrella is a good idea. But if it’s windy, a rain jacket will be even more useful.

Sunglasses: Definitely include sunglasses on a summer Poland packing list. You can probably skip them in the winter though.

Water bottle: The tap water in Poland is safe to drink, so bring your own water bottle to refill to save money and be kind to the environment. Get a collapsible one like this that will take up less space in your bag.

Tissues: I always travel with a few packs of tissues.

Sleep mask and ear plugs: If you’re a light sleeper or you’re staying in hostels, a sleep mask and ear plugs will come in handy.

Snacks: I always have a handful of granola bars with me to snack on while sightseeing or for long trains or buses. I’m a bit of an anxious person, so knowing I have a snack helps if lunch ends up being later than I’d like.

Hopefully my Poland packing list is helpful for your trip to this wonderful country, especially if you’re interested in traveling with only carry on bags.

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