jason8612

The ultimate Krakow, Poland (Cracow) guide by Jason8612

Mods please sticky this
This is a work in progress I'm working on this between my free time (which lately is a lot)

I'm going to write all about Krakow, Poland. If anyone has any additional info, please let me know so I can add it. Stole some topics from other posts (thanks Kiwi Flyer). also a lot of information you can read up on wikipedia. I'll try not to repeat too much,

This is also from MY point of view, what I think is worth while seeing, eating, etc.
If you have any questions, please PM me. If you ever would like to meet up in Krakow, let me know! I would love to show the city.

Introduction

Krakow is a city in Poland. It is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. It used to be the capital of Poland until 1596 and just celebrated its 750 year birthday (last summer). This city is full of many historical landmarks clashed with modern life. It is a growing tourist city on the Top 10 cities in Europe to visit.


Where is Krakow
https://www.cia.gov/library/publicat...aps/pl-map.gif
its on the bottom there


When to visit? Climate/weather
Personally it depends.
Summer time is the best, but during this time plane tickets are expensive, up to 3x the amount then during fall-spring. Also a lot of other tourists are here during the summer months, and school is out. Streets are crowded, but the climate is very nice.
I enjoy either fall or really late spring. During this time, all the students are in school, families working, and the climate is still nice enough to enjoy. Plus it is a lot less crowded. Plane tickets are also a lot more affordable including hotels, etc. May is a great time to visit. Last year during May it was about 75F and sunny. Beginning of May there is a holiday, and during this time everyone wants to leave Poland (Don t try to drive to Prague for instance. Last year we spent almost 2hrs at the boarder. So many Polish tourists...) Also Krakow during the months of May/June usually have weekend celebrations with some shows, booths set up. Nice time to visit.
Winter is also nice. For the Christmas holidays, there are also a lot of booths setup, local foods, etc which is nice in addition to the old town being dressed up for the holiday season. I would say 2nd week of December to after Christmas. But it could get chilly. Last year was a mild winter. We had some snow, and it was cold, but not too cold (40F-50F) but the year before that in Feb was -30C for about a week.

If you are on a tight budget, I would recommend April/May or October-December (December for the holidays, October while its still somewhat nice outside to go site seeing)
If not, more summer months June-September are good. the later the better. Be warned lately we had humidity. Krakow never has humidity (or much of it) but this summer was real bad and many places do not have A/C, or they do and are nowhere good enough to cool it down to a nice cold temperature.



Getting to Krakow (including getting from airport to city)
To get from the airport into the city, there are a few options.
Taxi - The easiest, but a bit expensive, around 60-90pln one way.

Train - there is a express train that leaves every 30min that goes to the main train station in the city. Journey time is around 20min. Tickets are around 8pln (from what I can recall) and can be purchased at the airport or on the train (though on the train I believe only takes Polish coins as payment) Then from there either a walk or a short cab ride to your place.

Bus - There are buses that go to/from the airport (292 and 208 I believe) and costs 2.5pln. It will take a hr or longer. Remember you have to buy a seperate ticket for your bag.

I would recommend the train method if you have little luggage, or else a cab.


Immigration and Customs
Krakow is in the EU Schengen so EU laws apply. Items brought for commercial use get charged duty, but otherwise noone really checks at the baggage claim...

getting around Krakow
There are many ways to get around Krakow
Taxis – Taxis are affordable in Krakow. They start at 5PLN, and the rates are posted on the windows. Be warned. Check the tariff and see that it matches up. some taxis as a foreigner will try to rip you off by putting you in tariff 4 on a weekday. If I can recall, tariff 1 is Mon-Fri 8am-10pm inside Krakow, tariff 2 is Sat/Sun and nights inside Krakow. And tariff 3 and 4 are same as 1 and 2 respectively but outside Krakow. example is coming from the airport to Krakow can cost as little at 45PLN on a weekday afternoon, or as much as 100PLN+ on a weekend night. Inside the city, average is 20PLN or so.

Trams/buses – Trams and buses are a great way to get around the city. You can purchase a single fare 2.50PLN adult, 1.35PLN under 26. If you switch trams/buses, you need a new ticket. schedules and route maps can be found at http://www.mpk.krakow.pl/
http://www.mpk.krakow.pl/index.php?idp=1001+1320
Bus schedules - http://www.rda.krakow.pl/en/

If you need any help, please PM me. Tickets can be bought at almost any local store, kiosk, and even on the trams and buses. But if you stay inside the city, majority you can walk to places. Also I would recommend the trams/buses instead of taxis in the morning and evenings on weekdays as rush hour traffic can be very bad.

Rent a car
At the airport and in town there are rent-a-cars. Please be advised its all manual here. Gas is expensive around 4.5PLN or more per Liter. and renting is also expensive. Budget, Sixt, Auto Europe, Avis, Hertz, National, Acecar, Europcar are all here. I would not get a rental unless you plan to go outside the city. And in which case, I would recommend renting and dropping at the airport and not to drive in town. Just take the train to the airport, grab the rental and go! The A4 highway is right there, and there is no need to drive into town.

To add to this the city has Zones. Zones A, B, and C. zone C you can park but need to pay for parking at certain times. You can get a parking paid ticket at some stores or from the patrol (the guys in the bright yellow jackets) Zone B is almost all of old town. The main post office and inwards. If you get caught, its a hefty fine. Only certain cares and taxis can drive, and there are certain parking places, but if you miss them, the police can ticket you, and usually they are expensive (25PLN/hr or more) Zone A is off limits. Only to VIP, ambulances, police, etc. Thats the town square and a few side streets. Commercial vehicles do come in before 10am.
If you get pulled over by a cop, don't worry. Out here in Poland they believe in bribes. I cannot guarantee any of this, but usually the cop will just name their own price. You can haggle a bit, but be careful. I think the average is 100-150PLN for speeding. If the Strasz Meska (the city police, a lot different than the police) pulls you over, they don't bargain. you can though basically get out of everything BUT drinking/driving. the limit is 0. (some places 0.3..lower than the USA 0.8)


Currency
Is the Polish Zloty/Groszy (PLN). Bill wise there are 10,20,50,100,200 Zloty. Coins are 5 Zloty,
2 Zloty, 1 Zloty, 50 Groszy, 20 Groszy, 10 Groszy, 5 Groszy, 2 Groszy, 1 Groszy. 1 USD = 2.8 Zloty (Easy to round to 3) 1 GBP = 5.7 Zloty (easiest to 6 Zloty) 1 Euro = 3.8 Zloty (easiest to 4) 100 Groszy in 1 Zloty. 1 PLN=1 Zloty
A recommendation. I would not get anything over a 50 zloty. Kiosks and cabs might not have change. I have found issues where a cab can not break a 50 zloty. Also Groszy under 20 are useless. Example is 1 Groszy is almost 1/3 of a penny.
Also, I would pay almost everywhere by card. You usually get the best rate, and don't have to worry about carrying too much cash. But if you want to change money, the banks are good. Currency exchanges in the old town are a rip-off. The farther from the town square, the better. Also, some places do take the Euro, but usually their exchange rate is crap.

Paying
Most places do take credit cards these days. Visa/Mastercard/Eurocard/Maestro are almost everywhere. American Express is only taken at some places, not most (not like the USA where its almost everywhere) and Diners Club/JCB even less. Also some places have a minimum spending of 15PLN.
Cash is accepted everywhere. NO CHECKS! Even the banks don't take checks.
You can cash in travelers cheques, but credit cards are so much easier to use.

Phones
Mobile phone wise, there are 4 major companies
Orange, Era, Plus, and Play
Out of all of them I really like Orange. they got good rates. All offer prepaid plans. You can top-up anywhere basically, even ATMs. Just put the SIM card into your GSM phone and your good to go. Calling mobile to mobile can range from 35groszy/min to 70groszy/min. Calling foreign countries are a bit more, up to 3-5zloty/min. Incoming is free (usually). If you like to call mobile to foreign countries, I would recommend getting a prepaid phone card to call other countries and calling their number from your cell. You can buy cheap cards to call the USA/Canada/EU. Telepin is one. You can buy these also almost anywhere. I just make a speed dial for instance number-pause-card code-pause-USA home phone and I just press 1 button and it does it all for me. Quite simple. Land lines are expensive and so are public phone booths (which you don't see much these days). If you want internet via mobile, its expensive at 10 groszy/10kB. There are many hotspots around the city and also internet cafes, with cheap computer usage and some do offer internet calls to foreign countries.


2011 update You can buy prepaid data sim cards and modems from retailers. Play has the best internet rate at 19PLN for 1GB with sim or 220PLN for 1GB with sim and modem. It only works in major cities (3G only) Orange, Era and Plus offer prepaid internet (but at a higher cost)


where to stay
There are many small hotels to stay at.

Sheraton Krakow - Very nice hotel right next to Wawel (castle) They have also private cars, sports bar, restaurant, and a bar. Breakfasts are good.

Radisson Blu- Next to Filharmonia (concert hall) - Also a very nice hotel with great Thurs-Sat dinner buffets.

Amadeus - Small local hotel, very nice

Likus Hotels - http://hotel.com.pl/
~Hotel Stary - One of the nicest hotels in Krakow. Right in the city square
~Hotel Copernicus - One of the nicest hotels in Krakow, very close to the city square
~Hotel Pod Roza - A nice hotel right in the city square

Holiday Inn - Nice hotel located close to the town center.

Andel's - Located right next to the train station. New moden nice hotel. Part of Summit Hotels.

Park Inn Krakow - Located on the other side of the river, but close to town. 20min walk. Can't recommend it as I never stayed there or been there.

A good site is booking.com which seems to have many hotels in Krakow. Just be sure to Google map it to know exactly how far it is from the old town.


restaurants
There are many, many restaurants in the city worth to check out. Theres just too many to list them all. If your looking for anything in particular, post a reply or PM me and I will be happy to give some recommendations! Almost any cuisine you can find in this city and usually at a excellent price!

some of my top favorites

Leonardo's - Excellent Italian restaurant. Great fresh fish, pastas and meat dishes. http://leonardo.com.pl/

Zen - A restaurant that has great sushi and Asian dishes http://www.zensushi.pl/

Hawelka - A classic Polish resturant over 150 years old. Classic Polish dishes. http://www.hawelka.pl/

Szara - Great European food, nice atmosphere.
http://www.szara.pl/


2011 update
Pod Baranem - great Polish food

Genji - best sushi in the city

Edo - another tasty sushi / Japanese restaurant

Balaton - Great Hungarian food. Got to try the potato pancakes with gulash.

Hard Rock Cafe - Excellent burgers. Also a place to get my American food fix

Aperitif - a great lunch spot (with a nice lunch menu)

Pimiento Kazimierz - Excellent Argentina beef. Steaks made the way they should be. I would say best steaks in the city.

Wesele - A good Polish restaurant with nice main courses.


Pubs/bars and clubs
There are hundreds of pubs,bars, and clubs in Krakow. It is a student city, so theres always a place to go out to relax and have fun. Theres just too many to list. If your looking for anything in particular, post a reply or PM me and I will be happy to give some recommendations!

some places I enjoy are
Paparazzi - a bar/pub with a nice atmosphere and great cocktails
Scandale Royale - a bar with great snacks and excellent cocktails


Cien Club - Probably the best known club in Krakow. Strict door selection, a bit older crowd (23 or so). Nice VIP section (though lately its been getting crowded) with dance/euro music. They have 3 bars, 2 dance floors, a lot of seating and a cloak room. Also a outside beer garden when it is warm. http://www.cienklub.com/


Frantic - A popular club, which was remodeled a year ago.

2011 update
One lounge/club - Located in the rynek they have nice seating and fancy interior. good drinks

Coco - a new club with modern interior, clean look and great drinks. They usually have Fridays a over 30 party (for the older crowd)


Laundry
Frania Cafe - Not too far from the train station (a few tram stops). Nice place where you can do all your laundry (self service) for a flat fee and relax there with a drink. [recommended by a fellow FTer]

Other websites to look at
http://www.cracow-life.com/

jason8612

If you want to meet up in Krakow, let me know. I am more than happy to meet up for a few drinks with fellow FTers and show them around (if time permits) Krakow.
I can also help with any planning for what to see/do in Krakow. Just drop me a PM!

jason8612

additional info spot

jason8612

last spot holder

chrissxb

very nice work!! while I won't add it as a sticky (we'd have alot within short time making the sticky worthless) I was happy to add this thread to the Poland part of the European Forum master thread directory.

if you find some time to write a few lines about Poland for that thread (a general introduction) I'd be more than happy to get some help

chrissxb
moderator europe forum

chitownflyer

Nice start Jason. I hope to visit someday, as Krakow is one of the East European cities that has a lot of charm.

jason8612

Thanks!
I should have more time at the end of this week to continue the guide

flyingsaucer

I spent a week in Krakow a couple of years ago for a conference. Loved the place! - really looking forward to coming back. So I will follow this thread with great interest

ChgoBob

I'm also following it closely. We're going back in May.......so keep it coming!^

(Is Warsaw and Gdansk next on the list?)

jason8612

Just a update. I did not forget about this, I just been real busy. I will try to add some more information soon

onlysuites

Visiting Krakow for 2 days in the first week of April. The weather should be around 10c to 2c at nights. But how much wind chill do you get there?

Also is it a safe place? Any rough spots to avoid?

jason8612

Hmm,
It might be a tad warmer, as currently its about 8C.
Wind chill not sure. It can get windy at times, but as comparison not like Chicago.
I would recommend a sweater, but closer to the date, take a look at the weather forecast and see.
It's safe. Never had a problem, and I do take the trams and buses and walk around the city a lot. Spots to avoid? well Nowa Huta at night but I doubt you'll be wondering out that far from the city center by foot. Other than that, no other rough spots. As I tell everyone use some common sense and you should be fine. Don't walk at night flashing thousands of dollars of jewelry and clothes. There are plenty of cheap cabs that you can take. Don't carry a lot of cash with you. There is no need. Every hotel has safes, and why would wou need so much money if you are grabbing lunch anyway? same with your travel documents.
For instance when I went to Prague, I left all my valuables that I did not need at the hotel in the safe. Its safer there than on me. All I took was my camera, 2 credit cards, 1 ID, and some money.

If you have any questions on places to visit, let me know.

onlysuites

Thanks for the quick reply! You mentioned that cost wise it's a very cheap place to visit? What about sunshine? Does the sun come out much in April or is it normally overcast? I am so paranoid about the weather as the a/c's will be on full blast here within a week or two and the last thing i need is to go to a cold place and catch a cold for the two days.

jason8612

Hard to say about weather as its a tad different seasons now. Dunno why.
Put it this way, last week it was sunny and 55-60F. Today is 45F, rainy, windy.
I think the winter weather is gone.

Cost wise, its cheap.
depends on what you eat but dinner should average 100PLN tops at a fine high quality restaurant for soup, main, desert and a drink.
Lunch in one of the student cafes around town is like 15PLN
Breakfast in the Rynek in a very nice restaurant is 30PLN. Other than that, breakfast like a coffee and sandwich is 10PLN (I don't really eat breakfast outside the house)
Snacks like sandwiches along the way 3-5PLN. 1L bottle of water is 2.20PLN. Bottle of powerade is 3.80PLN.
pretzel from one of the carts is .80-1.20PLN. They are safe to eat. All made fresh daily.
If you drink, beer is 5-8PLN in pubs/clubs for a pint, and from there bottles average 150PLN at a VIP room in one of the man clubs.
Beer is usually cheaper than water or soft drinks by volume.

onlysuites

Great, my type of city. Can you recommend any must see & do things for a few guys there for 2 nights. Nights we want to taste the nightlife (no clubs, just bars) days see the culture and maybe do some activities.