Welcome to Krakow
Krakow is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland.
Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Krakow has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life and is one of Poland’s most important economic hubs. Indeed it was the capital of Poland from 1038 to 1569.
Krakow is a modern metropolis and the second largest city in Poland. It is also one of the most-visited cities in Europe. Miraculously, it wasn’t gravely damaged during the two World Wars and was declared a World Heritage Site in 1978 by UNESCO.
How to Get to Krakow
John Paul II International Airport Krakow is the city's international airport in the village of Balice, just 15km from the city center.
The best way to reach Krakow city centre is by airport transfer service. However train, bus and taxi are also available
The train is an excellent and stress-free way to travel into central Krakow, connecting Krakow Airport and Krakow GÅ‚owny railway station between 5am and 10:30pm. The trains run every 30 to 60 minutes (in winter, trains run less frequently).
The route takes around 20 minutes and the ticket costs zÅ‚ 9 (€ 2.00) per journey or zÅ‚ 16 (€ 3.58) a return ticket - as of Oct 2023.
There are three places to buy tickets: in the Arrivals Hall, on the station platform, or from the guard on the train itself.
During the day, bus lines 208 and 252 connect the airport with the city center. At nighttime, the bus 902 runs all night long to and from the airport to the center. The buses depart every 20 to 60 minutes (depending on the time of day).
By taxi, the journey to the city center takes approximately 25 minutes and costs zÅ‚ 100 (€ 22.40) - as of Oct 2023.
BY PLANE
BY TRAIN
Krakow GÅ‚ówny, the city’s main station, is served by trains from most Polish destinations, as well as from the capital cities of neighbouring countries. There are direct trains from Berlin, Vienna, Prague, Budapest, Bratislava, and Kiev.
The station has an excellent location, a mere 5-minute walk from the Old Town, making it a fantastic point of arrival. The station is fairly new and, as it is built into a large shopping mall, has pretty much everything a traveller could need.
Getting Around Krakow
Krakow is a relatively small city and the persons can get to every landmark easily by foot. Nevertheless, the public transport system is easy-to-use, extensive and inexpensive.
One of the triumphs of Krakow’s transportation system is in its integration.
Tickets bought on trams can be used on buses, and vice versa, and rather than using single trips or returns, each ticket allows you a certain time on the transport system, meaning journeys with changes don’t need two separate purchases.
BY TRAM
Inaugurated in 1882, Krakow’s tramway system has 22 daytime lines, 3 night time and 2 fast lines that cover a total of 90km.
The trams’ timetable depends on the day of the week, the hour and the line. However, generally the trams in Krakow run between 4:30am and 11pm.
The frequency also depends on the time of day, but trams normally run every 5 to 20 minutes.
You can find more information at mpk.krakow.pl/en/
BY BUS
The city of Krakow has an extensive network of urban buses. This transportation usually runs from 5pm to 11pm every day of the week.
There are 132 municipal bus routes in Kraków that connect various parts of the Old Town with the outskirts. The handiest lines for visitors are the ones that connect Krakow Airport with Krakow: 208, 252 and the night bus 902.
You can find more information at mpk.krakow.pl/en/
BY BICYCLE
There are tones of different companies dotted around the city that can cater for anything, from half hour rentals for quick sightseeing cycles around the Old Town’s vicinity (it takes around just 15 minutes to cycle the perimeter of Planty Park, and it’s a great way to take in all the sights if you’re short on time), to full weekly rentals, for those who want to explore further.
All in all, Krakw is a very bike friendly town. Each year more street cycle paths are put in place.
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