LANGUAGE
Polish
CURRENCY
Polish zloty
BEST TIME TO VISIT
May to August
NEAREST RAILWAY STATION
Krakow Glowny train station
NEAREST AIRPORT
John Paul II International Airport Kraków-Balice (KRK)
EMERGENCY HELPLINE NUMBER
112
INTERNET ACCESS
Internet Café Hetmańska Well-placed Old Town internet cafe that’s conveniently open day and night. Klub Internetowy Planet Handy internet cafe just off the Rynek Główny. Enter the passageway and find the flight of stairs up. Blich Internet Internet cafe about 600m south of the main train station. Klub Garinet The pick of the crop near the main square.
VISA
Generally not required for stays of up to 90 days.
EU citizens do not need visas and can stay indefinitely. Citizens of the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Israel, Japan and many other countries can stay in Poland for up to 90 days without a visa.
Other nationalities should check with their local Polish embassy or at the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs website (www.msz.gov.pl).
Shifting Borders
Poland is a member of the EU’s common border zone, the Schengen Area, and frontier crossings to neighbouring EU countries, including Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Lithuania, no longer involve checks of passports or visas.
This situation does not apply for visiting Belarus, Ukraine or Russia’s Kaliningrad enclave. Belarus Most travellers will need to secure a visa in advance from a Belarusian consulate (Russian, Israeli and Chinese citizens do not need visas). See the Belarusian foreign ministry website (www.mfa.gov.by) for details.
Ukraine Citizens of the EU, USA and Canada do not need a visa for stays of up to 90 days in a 180-day period, but citizens of South Africa, Australia and New Zealand need to get a visa in advance. Check the Ukrainian foreign ministry website (www.mfa.gov.ua) for details.
Kaliningrad Most travellers need a Russian visa to enter Kaliningrad (for details check www.visitrussia.org.uk). Apply at the Russian embassy in your home country, and allow at least four weeks for processing.
HOTEL
As Poland’s premier tourist destination, Kraków has plenty of accommodation options. However, advance booking is recommended for anywhere central. The Old Town has a selection of accommodation across all budget ranges. Kazimierz also has a number of hostels and atmospheric hotels in a relatively quiet location. Note that the more expensive hotels sometimes quote prices in euros. Kraków has some beautiful hotels, and if you’ve got the cash and you want to splurge, you can do so in real style. Most of the stunning properties are located in the Old Town, along the streets running off the main square or tucked in a quiet park location off the Planty. A second cluster of decent places to stay is in Kazimierz. You won’t find the 5-star luxury class here like in the Old Town, but there are a number of nice 3- and 4-star properties that are, on balance, a little cheaper and quieter than their Old Town counterparts. As for location, both are excellent. An Old Town property puts you just a few steps away from the restaurants and cafes around the square, as well as Kraków’s main museums and sites. On the other hand, if you’re into bars, clubs, and trendy restaurants, then Kazimierz is where you want to be. Either way, the distances between the two are not great, just a 15-minute walk or short cab ride.
Rates are generally highest between April and October, as well as over the Christmas and New Year holidays. Room prices drop by 20% or more from November through March (except during the holidays). The prices listed are for a standard double room (twin beds) in high season (outside of the Christmas and New Year holiday season).
COST OF LIVING
Finding tasty affordable food in Krakow shouldn’t be a problem. A meal at an inexpensive restaurant costs around 4.70 € per person. A three course meal at a mid-range restaurant can be around 12-14 €. You can easily find pierogi and other traditional foods in local diners for as low as 2.00-3.00 € per serving. Hotels in Kraków are quite cheap by European standards, and good deals are often available in the 3- and 4-star range, so don’t automatically look for a 1-star hotel or a hostel. There are cheaper hotels that are well away from the city center, but standards at those can be low, and the area is often inconvenient.
The main attractions plus general transportation in Kraków are quite reasonable, so even backpackers on limited budgets will be able to see the museums and palaces from the inside instead of just the outside. Food is also quite cheap by European standards, as long as you like the hearty local food. If you require something else it’s not quite as cheap, but still prices are reasonable. Drinks are also quite inexpensive by European standards. Krakow hotels and hostels experience their high season during summer, especially July and August. Prices have been rising as newer and better hotels have opened, but good deals are still possible, particularly from November through March. Krakow has several highly regarded hostels, most of which have private rooms, so that’s a good option for those on a budget.
