Travel to Poland with father who is 80 years of age

[Swirad]

My father is Polish and we are taking him back to near Krakow where he lived until the war years. His wife died in October 2005 (my step-mother) and this may be his last visit. What sort of insurance does he need bearing in mind his age?. We will be travelling from Manchester or Liverpool to Krakow or Katowice. Has anyone got any tips re cheap travel in July? or any tips whatsoever. My father speaks Polish and I can just get by. My wife has a Malaysian passport - will she need a visa - she didnt need one in 1992 when we last visited.

[dzug]

Your wife will not need a visa. http://poland.pl/info/visa.htm

You would be advised to get an EHIC (European Health Insurance card) free, but travel insurance is always advisable. His age may make it difficult to get though but it shouldn't be impossible - you will need to be persistent. Try http://www.deltainsurance.co.uk/travel-insurance-over-65-70-79.htm as a starter

[Swirad]

Thank you for your help and good wishes. Only joined this site today - Im amazed how good it is!!

[Iz66]

hello, just want to add my little bit here...

My dad who will be 80 this year is from Katowice and came over to the uk after the war....he often returns back to see his family.

I know he flies from Gatwick direct to Krakow...not much help to you i know....As for travel insurance he has to pay a fare bit due to his age.

I wish my dad would write a book about his youth and war years in the army because he never says much about it and im sure he has seen what most of us will never witness in out lives.

All the best

[Swirad]

Thanks for that Iz66. Dont know what it is about Polish people of that age but my dad is exactly the same. I know nothing of what he did during the war except that he was a parachutist. He vaguely told my son that he was with the underground and my late mother was in a prison camp for a while. He just never ever talks about the war years. I agree with you 100% that he could write a book about his experiences - he had a very hard life during and after the war and has lost many of his family but he just keeps a serene silence over those years.

[Drisgirl]

What a heartwarming story about how serene he is about experiences which would scar us for life.A true gentleman.

Insurance - we take out an annual policy which costs about �50 and obviously covers the whole family regardless of how many trips abroad you make - I dont know if he lives with you but my daughter is still covered although she doesnt.Might be worrh looking into.Also although I cant help surely The Polish War Veterans have a society who must deal with this type of query.

I know that Ryanair have opened up to Krakow so they might be worth a visit.This destination is becoming increasingly popular because of the migrant workers so I should imagine you should have no problem.

Welcome to AB!!

[Iz66]

yes Swirad, I know very little about what happened to my father in the war. But as we both suspect they saw sights and experiences that they choose not to re live and i fully understand that. Both our fathers had the chance of a life time to start there lives again in a prospering country like Britian, and only the future to look forward to.

Dad has lived life to the full despite everything that happened back then, he has his ways though and i know where they come from.

Im hoping myself to get back to Poland soon and would be great to go with my dad.

Have a great time and not too many vodkas!! :o)

[fordka]

I have just returned from our third trip to Poland, like you my father was Polish. He came from a small mountain village near Nowy sacz. We have always flown from Luton via easy jet with no problems what so ever. If you are staying in Kracow we found that if you are booking on line it is always cheaper, stay Poland is a good web-site for hotels, unfortunatley my father died some years ago, however we managed to travel this January to his village of birth where we discovered a very old lady who grew up with him and told us all about when the Germans came, very sad. On a brighter note we would not have been able to do any of this with out our taxi driver Andrejz who spoke enough English. He came recommend from a friend. He collected us from the airport approx cost �10. Our Journey from Kracow to Bogusza ( village ) took nearly 2 hours, we had his services for over 8 hours and it cost �90 worth every penny. You can e-mail to ask any questions about cost ect , he was fantastic. See the link below he may take a dayor two to get back to you. Hope you enjoy your visit as mich as we did - - can't wait to return

[email protected]

[Swirad]

Im just caching up with my messages & thought Id reply & let everyone know that we had a great time in Poland. Krakow is a wonderful place to visit - it is very similar to Prague (but no Charles Bridge). The food and drink is still relatatively cheap and Id reccomend Krakow to one and all. My father really enjoyed it seein his few remaining relatives. He was as fit as a fiddle for an 80 year old, however when he came home, 2 weeks later. he was changing a light bulb and fell from the chair. The result was a small break in his hip. Normaly this wouldnt be a big problem but at 80 it can take a long time to heal. He is only just getting better now - 5 months after the fall. It has changed him a great deal from a very very active man to one who walks with a walking stick and a limp. But it could be a lot worse at that age I suppose. My sister is coming over from New Zealand this July to visit so that is something for him to look forward to.
Thanks again for all the advice & take a holiday in Poland before it becomes more expensive - its lovely and still a bargain.