Car Rental in Gdansk (2026) - Driving Guide & Best Rates
Explore Gdansk with ease by renting a car-discover nearby beaches, top restaurants, and attractions on your own schedule.
Driving Requirements
EU/EEA license holders may drive in Poland indefinitely using their home license, no translation or International Driving Permit (IDP) is needed. Non-EU visitors (including UK, US, Australian, and Canadian citizens) may use a valid foreign license for up to 6 months from their date of entry. After that, a Polish license is required. An IDP is strongly recommended for non-EU visitors whose license is not in the Latin alphabet, as Polish police may request a readable document alongside the original license.
The legal minimum driving age in Poland is 18. Rental company age requirements are a separate matter and vary by provider: some companies rent to drivers from age 18, while others set a minimum of 21 or 25, and most charge a young-driver surcharge for those under 25. Check your specific rental company's policy before booking, as this is a commercial decision, not a legal one.
Polish law requires all vehicles on public roads to carry third-party liability insurance (OC, Ubezpieczenie Odpowiedzialności Cywilnej); rental vehicles will have this included by law. Rental companies typically offer additional products on top of the legal minimum: Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) reduces your liability for damage to the rental vehicle, and Super CDW or Full Cover can reduce or eliminate the excess. These add-ons are not legally required but are widely recommended, if your personal travel insurance or credit card does not already provide rental car cover.
Virtually all car rental companies in Poland require a credit card (not a debit card) in the primary driver's name at pick-up; this is used to place a security deposit hold that covers the damage excess. The deposit amount varies by company and vehicle category, check the terms before arrival. Some providers accept debit cards for budget categories. But this is the exception rather than the rule and typically triggers additional identity verification steps.
Traffic in Poland, including Gdańsk, drives on the right. Turning right on a red light is prohibited unless a dedicated green arrow signal is displayed, do not assume US-style right-on-red rules apply. Polish law requires headlights on at all times, day and night, year-round. Built-up areas have a default speed limit of 50 km/h during the day and 60 km/h between 23:00 and 05:00; Gdańsk's historic centre has additional low-speed and restricted-access zones that are signed locally.
Helpful Tips
Pick up at Gdańsk Lech Wałęsa Airport (GDN), roughly 12 km from the Old Town, if you want a smooth start. All major international agencies have desks in the arrivals hall, whereas city-center offices require you to navigate Gdańsk's restricted one-way Old Town street grid the moment you leave the lot.
Before driving away, photograph every panel and note any pre-existing damage on the rental agreement. Also check whether the base CDW excludes windshield and tire damage (many policies do), as Polish provincial roads can carry loose gravel and potholes, supplemental coverage for those items is worth pricing before you decline it.
Google Maps is well-calibrated for the Tri-City area including Gdańsk's complex one-way system around Główne Miasto, so a dedicated GPS unit is unnecessary. Download an offline map (Google Maps offline or OsmAnd) as a backup, since mobile signal can drop on stretches of the S6 bypass and rural Kashubian roads west of the city.
Most rentals in Poland operate on a full-to-full fuel contract, return the car with a full tank to avoid refueling charges, which are typically well above pump price; Orlen stations are the most common brand in the Tri-City area and you'll find one near the airport and on the main approach roads, so topping up before return is straightforward.
The paid parking zone (Strefa Płatnego Parkowania) covers the central districts around the Main Town. Pay at SPP machines or via the moBiLET app, overnight street parking within the zone is feasible but limited, so if your hotel doesn't offer its own garage, aim for one of the multi-story car parks on the western edge of Główne Miasto rather than circling the Old Town.
Driving Warnings
Poland prohibits turning right on a red light unless a dedicated green arrow signal is present, a rule that catches many North American and British visitors who expect it to be permitted. Ignoring it is a moving violation subject to an on-the-spot fine.
Poland's legal blood-alcohol limit for drivers is 0.2 mg/ml (0.02% BAC), roughly half the EU standard of 0.5 mg/ml, a single drink can push a visitor over the limit, and Polish police conduct random roadside breathalyser checks with no prior warning.
Aleja Grunwaldzka, Gdańsk's main north-south arterial, regularly grinds to a standstill during weekday rush hours (approximately 07:00, 09:00 and 16:00, 18:30); the Trasa Sucharskiego corridor to the port and ferry terminal adds severe delays on days when Stena Line sailings to Sweden arrive or depart.
Poland operates an extensive network of fixed speed cameras managed by the Road Transport Inspectorate (ITD), and fines issued to vehicles registered in other EU countries are legally enforceable across borders under EU Directive 2015/413, cameras on national road DK7 south of the city and on the Tricity Bypass (S6/S7) are well-documented enforcement points.