By all accounts, travel to Poland is considered relatively safe, though you should obviously take the necessary precautions to guard against pickpockets and other common street crimes and scams. You should be fine in most of the major tourist centers, though just be careful when going out at night or if you're traveling alone. Both the U.S. Department of State (http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1000.html) and British Foreign & Commonwealth Office (http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travel-and-living-abroad/travel-advice-by-country/europe/poland) offer country-specific advice about travel to Poland. Honestly, most of the advice pertains to common-sense street smarts than being particular to Poland. For your reference, Away.com has also published a list of helpful tips in the following article about safeguarding your cash and personal possessions while traveling abroad: http://bit.ly/h7LiAc

For the first-timers, I would recommend starting with visiting Moscow and St. Petersburg. English is not much spoken, so it's easier to be a part of a group than being alone. Traveling in groups will also guarantee your safety (it's not such a huge concern nowadays comparing to 90s). Take a guide and research major landmarks you'd like to visit before your trip (to avoid sensory overload). Best time would be between May and September since the weather could be quite unpredictable. In the summer, you can experience famous white nights in St. Petersburg. In general, St. Petersburg is more tourist-friendly (and cheaper) compared to Moscow, which could be way too intense.

Since American citizens are required to obtain visa in order to enter the country, start planning your trip well in advance and make sure your passport is current. Credit cards are widely accepted, so there is no need to carry a lot of cash; you can exchange currency at any bank. Here's the link to the Russian Embassy's website where you read in detail about visiting the country. http://www.russianembassy.org