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Getting There By Air:

Krakow-Balice (John Paul II) International Airport (KRK)
Tel: (012) 639 3000.
Website: www.lotnisko-balice.pl

Krakow’s small airport is 11km (7 miles) west of the city center (journey time - 20 minutes) and has been upgraded to accommodate the larger transatlantic planes. This is Poland’s second largest international airport, and in 2006 it handled 2.4 million passengers.

Approximate flight times to Krakow: From London is 2 hours 35 minutes; from New York is 8 hours 40 minutes; from Los Angeles is 13 hours (plus transfer); from Toronto is 8 hours 25 minutes and from Sydney is 25 hours (plus stopover and transfer).

Airport facilities: These include a bar, a restaurant and cafe, bureaux de change, banks, ATMs, 24-hour first aid and duty-free shops, a post office and an information desk. Car hire is available from Avis, Budget, Europcar and Hertz. There is an executive lounge for business-class passengers and traveller-club members.

Transport to the city: The MPK (website: www.mpk.krakow.pl) buses no.192 and no.208 depart regularly for the Main Railway Station (journey time - 25 minutes). Taxis are available too (journey time - 15-20 minutes).

Getting There By Road:

Poland uses standard international traffic signs. Major routes have the prefix ‘E’ and motorways ‘A’. Speed limits are 130kph (81mph) on the motorways, 100-110kph (62-68mph) on main roads and 60kph (37mph) in built-up areas. Traffic drives on the right. Seat belts must be worn. Vehicles should be equipped with a first-aid kit, fire extinguisher and warning triangle, and headlights must be on at all times from 1 October to 1 March. The legal maximum alcohol to blood ratio for driving is 0.02%.

The legal driving age in Poland is 17 years. International Driving Permits and European and US national driving licenses are accepted for the first six months in Poland. Drivers should carry their vehicle registration documents and Green Card insurance.

Information about road travel can be obtained at border crossings and from the Polish Motoring Association (PZM) (tel: (022) 849 9361/2; website: www.pzm.pl).

Emergency breakdown service:
The emergency number for ambulance and the police is 112.
Krakow garages with 24 hour breakdown service include Pomoc Drogowa Auto Hol 24H Andrzej Papiez, ulica Bednarska 15 (tel: (012) 657 9578); Pomoc Drogowa Auto Hol Autoserwis 24H, ulica Ksiecia Józefa 11 (tel: (012) 427 2135); Pomoc Drogowa Auto Hol ‘Saska 24H’, ulica Saska 4 (tel: (012) 656 0142) and Pomoc Drogowa Auto Hol ‘Auto Dan 24H’, ulica Rumiana 1 (tel: (012) 648 3046).

Routes to the city: The north-south E77 links Krakow with Warsaw and Gdansk in the north and Zakopane and the Slovak border in the south. The east-west E40 arrives from Lviv in Ukraine in the east and then goes west through Wroclaw and Katowice to Dresden in Germany (partly the A4 motorway). To the southwest, the Czech Republic is easily reached via the E75.

Approximate driving times to Krakow: From Wroclaw - 4 hours 30 minutes; Warsaw - 5 hours 15 minutes; and Prague - 9 hours.

Coach services: The Dworzec PKS (Central Bus Station) (tel: (012) 300 300 120) is on ulica Worcella, opposite the main railway station, northeast of the Old Town. The main carrier is the state-owned PKS (tel: (012) 411 7022; website: www.pks.pl or www.pks.krakow.pl). Coach services connect Krakow to the rest of Poland and to many European destinations, such as Berlin, Kiev, Lviv, Prague and Vienna.

Getting There By Rail:

Polskie Koleje Panstwowe (PKP) (Polish Railways) (website: www.pkp.pl) operates increasingly clean and efficient trains on the Polish rail network. The best are the InterCity and EuroCity (EC) trains. Tickets can be purchased at the station or through Orbis tourist offices. Information (in Polish) can be obtained from national rail enquiries (tel: (022) 9436 or 511 6003).

The Dworzec Glowny (Main Railway Station) (tel: (012) 624 5439) is located at plac Dworcowy 1. The station has 24-hour left-luggage facilities.

Rail services: EuroCity and InterCity trains arrive from Warsaw (journey time - 2 hours 30 minutes), Vienna (7 hours 30 minutes), Prague (8 hours), Berlin (8 hours 30 minutes) and Budapest (10 hours). Care should be taken on some night train routes as thieves operate.

Getting Around:




Public Transport
Krakow is served by a network of bus and tram routes operated by MPK (tel: (012) 9150; website: www.mpk.krakow.pl) between 0500 and 2300. Local trains serve the outer suburbs.

Bus and tram tickets are cheap, but if a change of vehicle is required, it is better to buy a one-hour ticket. The charge for buses that cross the city limits is higher. Night buses are also available. Tickets may be purchased at kiosks or at retail outlets or from the driver (although this costs extra). Tickets should be punched in the boxes inside the bus or tram. A ticket must be punched for each large piece of luggage (free with a pass).

Passes are available for one, two or three days and for one month. Students will be offered a reduction on standard prices upon presentation of an ISIC card. Anyone caught without a valid ticket will receive an on-the-spot fine.

Taxis
Taxis are metered and can be found at taxi ranks, which are located in most of the squares on the perimeter of the Old Town. Alternatively, taxis can be hailed on the street - those with a hail-light and displaying a telephone number and company name usually charge reasonable rates. Others are to be avoided.

However, it is usually cheapest to order a taxi by telephone. Reputable companies include: Barbakan Taxi (tel: (012) 9661), Express Taxi (tel: (012) 9629), Mega Taxi (tel: (012) 9625) and Wawel Taxi (tel: (012) 9666). It is a good idea to check how much the trip will cost before entering the taxi. Rates go up after 2200 and on Sundays. There is no baggage charge and a tip of 10% is appreciated.

Driving in the City
The city center is mostly closed to traffic and there are only a few car parks in the immediate vicinity. There is one near Wawel on ulica Powisle, and others on ulica Karmelicka, plac Biskupi and plac Szczepanski. Parking is charged by the hour or by the day, but it is often difficult to find a space. Visitors may be able to get a temporary parking permit from their hotel. It may also be possible for non-guests to get a space at one of the Orbis hotels (Continental, Cracovia or Wanda). Parking on the street can be problematic due to the various parking restrictions, especially near the center. Traffic can be heavy and this is exacerbated by narrow streets and trams. Traffic jams regularly occur on the ring of the Aleje, which encircles the Planty.

Car Hire
Both Avis, ulica Lubicz 23 (tel: (012) 629 6108; website: www.avis.com), and Hertz, Hotel Cracovia, aleja Focha 1 (tel: (012) 429 6262; website: www.hertz.com), have rental offices in the city. Other operators include Budget, ulica Radzikowskiego 99/101 (tel: (012) 637 0089; website: www.budgetrentacar.com), and Joka, ulica Starowislna 13 (tel: (012) 429 6630; website: www.joka.com.pl). National also have a desk at the airport (tel: (012) 639 3286; website: www.nationalcar.com.pl).

Drivers must be at least 23 years old and have a valid driver’s license and International Driving Permit.


Bicycle Hire
The branch of the Jordan Tourist Bureau, ulica Dluga 9 (tel: (012) 421 2125), provides bicycles for hire. A passport and a deposit are required.

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