August 2025 Long Weekend: Is the Baltic Sea Too Expensive? Poles Have a New Favorite Travel Destination

Fewer and fewer Poles will spend the long August weekend on the Baltic Sea – high prices and changing travel preferences are to blame. Instead of seaside resorts, the mountains are breaking popularity records.

Empty offices, city streets, and neighborhood parking lots. This means only one thing: the August long weekend .

Travelist.pl data shows that of all users booking stays this month, nearly one-fifth will plan a short break between August 14th and 17th. Even if prices during this period can be... painful. Interestingly, Poles are increasingly turning their holiday plans to the mountains instead of seaside resorts.

"Long weekends in Poland are an opportunity for many to maximize their time off while minimizing the number of vacation days. Optimistic weather forecasts are an additional incentive to travel now," notes Eliza Maćkiewicz, Head of Commercial at the booking portal Travelist.pl.

Vegetation on the way to Babia Góra, Beskid Mountains

The biggest change compared to last year concerns the most frequently chosen vacation destinations. For many years , hotel stays on the Baltic Sea have dominated bookings, but this year, mountain resorts are the most popular. At the same time, there has been a decline in lakeside accommodations .

- The choice of the mountains as a destination is largely due to the weather in the first half of the holiday - explains Eliza Maćkiewicz.

Prices may also have partially influenced the shift in traveler preferences. The average cost of a night in the mountains is 690 PLN per room , while a night by the sea costs as much as 790 PLN.

Szczyrk, Skrzyczne, Beskid Mountains, bird's eye view

In northern Poland, we most often go to Kołobrzeg , Mielno , Gdańsk, and Międzyzdroje . In the mountains, we choose the Sudetes ( Szklarska-Poręba , Świeradów-Zdrój , Karpacz ) or the Beskids ( Szczyrk and Wisła ).

Continuing on the topic of prices, you'd think higher prices over the long weekend would discourage travelers. Nothing could be further from the truth. Traveler numbers are comparable to last year.

"We're also seeing changes in the meal options customers choose, especially over the long term. This year, the most popular options remain breakfast with dinner (62%) and breakfast only (32%), but just two years ago, the proportions were 72% and 22%, respectively," says an expert from the Travelist.pl booking service.

Where are you going this weekend?