Learn Polish: W lewo czy w prawo?

While w often means "in" (like w domu - in the house), when combined with directions like lewo and prawo, it indicates movement "to the". So w lewo translates to "to the left".

Why use czy for "or" instead of albo?

In Polish, czy is used for "or" when you are asking a question and offering a direct choice between two options. You use albo for "or" in regular statements, for example: I will go left or right (Pójdę w lewo albo w prawo).

Can I just say lewo czy prawo without the w?

Not if you mean the direction "to the left or to the right". Without w, lewo and prawo just mean the general concepts of "left" and "right". To talk about the direction of movement or where to turn, you must include w.