The same route can be a great adventure for one group and an exhausting fight against the current or the wind for another - it all comes down to the fit. Before you decide where to go, pay attention to a few things.
How much time do you have?
Time is the first criterion. A few hours calls for a stretch of up to 10-15 km, a full day 15-25 km with a break, and a weekend or longer - a route with camps, split into stretches. Most rivers divide easily into day-long stretches marked out by villages, campsites and rentals. When in doubt, go shorter - better to arrive calmly than race the setting sun.
What is your level, and who is paddling with you?
You pick the route to suit the least experienced person in the group. For families with children and beginners, the best choice is calm lowland rivers without difficult portages, or sheltered stretches of lake close to the shore. Experienced paddlers can reach for narrower, faster rivers with portages. When there are children in the group, or someone is paddling for the first time, go for calm water and a two-person kayak - steadier and more forgiving than a solo boat.
River or lake?
On a river the current helps, but you have to watch for obstacles and portages, and heading back upstream is usually out - which is why river trails are most often linear. On a lake there is no current and no portages, but the wind decides everything: on open water a wave builds up in a quarter of an hour, and paddling back into the wind can be exhausting. Beginners find it easier to start with a calm river, or a lake on a windless day, close to the shore.
How to read a route description
A good description answers a few questions before you get into the kayak: length and time, difficulty, the character of the current and the portages - weirs, dams and hydro plants mean the kayak has to be carried around them. Check who the route is recommended for and whether it passes through a protected area. Stretches in national parks can be rationed: with a season, a daily limit on numbers and a ticket bought in advance.
Check the water level and the weather
Even a good route will disappoint on bad water. Too low a level exposes stones and rapids; too high a level speeds up the current and floods the portages. Before you set off, check the water level at the nearest gauge and the weather forecast - especially the wind on a lake, and rainfall, which can change a small river in a day or two.
Plan the return and the logistics
Since most trails are linear, think the return through in advance: a second car at the finish, a pickup, or public transport. It is simplest when you take the gear from a rental that delivers the kayaks to the start and collects them from the finish. Check the put-in and take-out points too, and on a longer trip - where to eat and stay the night.
How to use the Stan Wody maps and atlas
Two tools make the choice easier. In the river and lake atlas you filter the descriptions by region, difficulty and group, and each one has a fact-box with the length, difficulty and portages. The Poland Kayak Map lets you choose one of three modes: ready-made calm routes, suggestions close to nature, or your own route to draw. For every trail you can also check the current water level - the quickest way to match a route to your plan for the day.