Hey y’all, after much planning and budgetary cuts (time and money), I’ve come up with this itinerary for Poland and the Czech Rep:

Arrive in Warsaw.
Somewhere – 2 nights
Krakow – 4 nights (with daytips to Auschwitz and Wieliczka, joined by my friend)
Prague – 6 nights (with daytrips to Karlovy Vary and Kutna Hora)
Cesky Krumlov – 2 nights
Brno – 1 night
Warsaw – 3 nights
Czestochowa – 1 night
Krakow – 1 night (to see my friend home)
Zakopane – 1 night
Warsaw – 1 night and then fly home.

My questions are: 1) Where can I go for those first two days? I’m leaning towards Gdansk and the Baltic Coast, but Lviv sounds really interesting. 2) Is Zakopane worth the trip? 3) Can Czestochowa be done during the day on the way from Warsaw to Krakow? 4) I’m flying in and out of Warsaw, but my friend is flying in and out of Krakow. That’s why the itinerary has some repetition. Is there an easier way to do it?

Thanks y’all for all your help! I’m really looking forward to these upcoming trips!