Thinking of going any advise on :
Best Location
Good Hotel
Transfer from airport
What to avoid
Trips best value
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Thinking of going any advise on :
Best Location
Good Hotel
Transfer from airport
What to avoid
Trips best value
Wonderful city. Great value. Auschwitz and Birkenau a must although it will affect you to the core no matter how much you have read up on it.
Try and visit Zakopane and get a cable car to the top of the Tatra mountain range.
And the most enjoyable thing of all for me was hiring a pushbike for a whole day and cycling around the Polish countryside and off the beaten track. Lovely people, the Poles.
The salt mines were good Wieliczka Salt Mine can get their via the local bus. Very nice city, friendly people.
Airport to the centre via a taxi was cheap. The is local bus which was like a school mini bus was very cheap.
The trip to Auschwitz is a must, and as Blue Genie has mentioned nothing can really prepare you for that experience.
I stayed in Hotel Chopin which was about 30 minute walk from the old town centre or a few stops on the tram. It was a business hotel. nothing amazing mind.
You will really enjoy your trip, the food was very cheap when eating out and was well worth having a few sit down meals.
I will return in the future, like Blue Genie idea of hiring a bike that sounds like a plan.
Got back Monday. Paid £70 each for 3 nights in the Amber Boutique hotel and it was lovely, great staff and only 5 mins walk from the square. Can book via booking.com
Really nice place, very similar to Prague and very cheap.
Loved the place.
Very tourist friendly
As mentioned above, Zakopane is a beautiful place. Loads going on there & cheap as chips. About an hour from Krakow.
I stay here. 10 minute walk to centre. Sensible price.
http://maksymilian.krakowhotels.net/en/
Oscar Schindler's factory is amazing too. The salt mines and Auschwitz Birkenau have already been mentioned. An eco car is a great way to see the city. A hit like a covered golf cart. Cheap and very warm whatever the weather.
I took a day trip to Zakopane a few years ago. Got to the top of the cable car and could only see about a foot in front of us, complete white out... 😂 I'd only make that trip in the summer if I was you. Supposed to be an amazing view if you can see it though.
Thanks, all , it does seem a popular and worthwhile city to visit.
My wife is very keen on the visit, she has just read a poignant book , called the Tattooist of Auschwitz.
As some have stated, take local buses (sometimes just a Trannie ((not the dressing up type))), to the Salt Mines and Auscwich, as the guided tours tend to rush you around
went in September and was amazed at the beauty of the city especially the old town . the train goes every hour from the airport straight to the city centre with lots to see and do . will deffo go back again this time for a longer stay you won't be disappointed . tried to upload a few photo's on here from when I was there but failed . perhaps the file sizes are too large
As mentioned train from Airport to City is easy enough. Main station has a huge modern shopping mall on top of it.
Stayed in the city centre, which is superb. Like Prague in looks and architecture. Loads of bars and places to eat.
We did Schindlers museum and Auschwitz / Birkenau. Both make you think deeply.
The guide we had at Auchwitz was an English speaking Pole. She did not hold back at how bitter she was towards the Nazi's and it seemed that she still held a grudge against Germany.
The stories of what happened just 70 odd years ago were harrowing, interesting, heartbreaking, compelling and encapsulating all at the same time.
The history of how Krakow became a part of Germany overnight was incredible.
Fantastic City to visit and lots of history nearby to bring you back down to earth. I'll try to find the hotel we stayed at.
cracking city, did 3 days last October.
Taxi to and from airport pretty cheap, bus a lot cheaper but the taxi is much quicker and will give you more time there compared so saving a few quid on the bus.
Salt mines were very good, local bus/train is easy.....trains were off when we were there and a taxi was only 65 zloty from city centre. Schindlers factory is a mad house...get there v v early with pre-booked tickets or don't bother.
Old town is great...you can walk everything at your own pace as well, Palace is a must as is the Jewish quarter which was my highlight as didn't know what to expect...go the main square there, find a nice bar and watch the world go by for a bit, get a Kapiankanka (spelling ?) from one of the kiosks in the square, very tasty. We did the eco "golf buggy" tour from the square...that was really good (but there were a lot of churches mind !!)
didn't do the other "main" attractions...not my cup of tea as we went to enjoy ourselves. Worth checking out if Wisla or Cracovia are at home for your football fix
we stayed 3 nights in an airbnb apartment which was stunning (with balcony).....me/wife/son £150 all in
2 min walk to start of old town.....worth looking into
I forgot that, we actualy went and saw Cracovia win 1 - 0. Because we were a first time visitors to the city we got tickets for 1 zloty (20p). Had to show our passports at the ticket office before the game. Not sure if they still do that
Sat up in the stand with a sausage in a roll and a couple of pints. Brilliant experience
Oh and we went to a wierd aircraft museum. It's star attraction was the helicopter pope john paul used to use back in the day.