Krakow Transportation Tips by matcrazy1 Top 5 Page for this destination

On bicycle

Krakow is not a paradise for bicycle lovers although there are more and more bicycle routes around Krakow. It's not Netherlands - some of bicycle routes need renovation or reconstruction, there are not many parkings for bicycles and traffic is not bicycle friendly. Good news is that it's improving and bicycles are allowed in closed to traffic historic downtown of Krakow.

You can bring your own bicycle or rent it. I know only one rent-a-bicycle agency called "Dwa Kola" at Jewish district: Ul. Jozefowska 5 (Jozefowska Street). But I am sure they could somewhere in a downtown as well - ask at you hotel.

Krakow is located on European network of bicycle routes called EuroVelo: click here.

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Mode: AROUND

Type: Bicycle

On foot :-)

The best way to enjoy Krakow is on foot. Almost all of the city’s Old Town historic area has been turn practically into a pedestrian precinct with most its landmarks in an easy walking distance. And every street and every square lives its own life manifest in its cafes, stores, galleries, assorted culture venues and public institutions.

Mode: AROUND

Type: Other

Taxis Taxi, taxi Review

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Taxicabs are plentiful and relatively cheap in Krakow – within the city boundaries the fare should not exceed 20$/Euro. And you can dial roughly twenty different taxi telephone centers, each with its own fleet, but do not expect an English speaker on the other end - ask sb to help you call a taxi (younger people usually know English :-); though a cab will arrive in few minutes to your address if you manage to give one. Note, however, telephoning for a cab will save you (about) 20% on the fare.
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Rather than cruising streets Krakow taxies wait in long lines for cargo to find them at numerous taxi stands scattered throughout city. The closest to the Main Market Square are located at:
- Plac (Square) Szczepanski (walk Szczepanska Street westwards from NW corner and look to right entering the square),
- Plac (Square) Dominikanski (walk Grodzka Street from SE corner and look to left entering the square with trams)
You may hail taxi if it happens to pass by you as well.

Full list of radio taxi companies: follow the link below.
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Mode: AROUND

Type: Car/Motor Home

How cheap are taxis in Krakow? - part 2/2 Taxi, taxi Review

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Prices are various (depends on company): 10 km costed me 15-25 PLN (2.5-8 $/Euro) in November 2002 (at daytime tariff: 6am-10pm). Usually it was 16-18 PLN (4-4.5 $/Euro). 1Euro/US$= approx. 4 PLN.

The cheapest were (15 PLN):
ROYAL TAXI: tel. 96 23 or
www.radiotaxi.krakow.pl/angielski.htm
MEGA TAXI: 96 25

Others:
Radio Taxi: tel. 919 (20 PLN) or
www.radio-taxi-919.krakow.pl (in English, German, French and Polish) - price list there;
City Taxi: tel. 96 21 (18 PLN) or
www.citytaxi.krakow.pl/English.htm
Radio Taxi Barbakan: tel. 96 61 (16.5 PLN) or www.taxi.barbakan.krakow.pl/taxi or
call free: 0 800 400 400 (from "normal" phones or Plus cell phone net) or from Idea cell phone net: 4444 for half a price;
Tele Taxi: tel. 96 26
Rotunda Radio Taxi: tel. 96 62 (17 PLN)
Full list: follow the link below

HAVE A GREAT TAXI TRIPS :-)))
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Mode: AROUND

Phone: 96 23

Type: Car/Motor Home

Krakow Tourist Card

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Buy Krakow Tourist Card which enables you to use free public transportation, to enter free 26 museums (except Wawel Castle Museums and Cathedral and except Collegium Maius), discounts 3-50% in many restaurants,cafes,shops,galleries,radio taxis,organized trips. It costs 45zl for 2 days and 65zl for 3 days. It's sold in Tourist Information desk 'Krakow in Your Pocket' at Balice Airport, in many hotels, Tourist Information Centers etc. (full list: www.krakow.pl/turystyka/karta/punkty.php)
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In the Old Town (closed to traffic except taxis, bicycles and...horses): just walk, you can take a cab-horse ride or ricksha on the Main Square; outside the Old Town: trams, buses, taxi.
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Mode: AROUND

Type: Other

How to find out the cheapest air ticket? - part 1 Airplane Review

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1. If you are looking for the cheapest airfare to Krakow DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME, check first airfare on the LOT Polish Airline page: www.lot.com - believe me, it's probably always the cheapest, especially flights from the USA.
Note: the cheapest airfares on www.lot.com are available in 18 countries, not at all dates and number of cheap tickets is limited, if they are sold out you will find higher prices.
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2. First check if it is possible to book/buy a ticket in your country (18 countries on the list of processing countries), if not check the prices from the country nearest you and go to point 5;
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3. Check promotions for your country;
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4. Build your itinery.
If the price is higher:
- change the date of departure/arrival (usually better prices are on Tue-Thu),
- choose another flights (avoid other airlines then AA- American Airlines marked as Code-share and LO-LOT Polish Airlines, avoid other cities for stopover then Chicago, New York and Toronto, but often you can choose other cities without increase the final price),
- avoid stopovers longer then 24 hours (but often you may have at least 1 additional stopover even longer without increase the final price) .
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5. If you can't find your destination or need more info call the nearest to you LOT Polish Airline Office - check the transportation tips in my Poland page.
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MORE about LOT Polish airlines in my Poland page (transportation tips).
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Mode: TO

Type: Airplane

How to find out the cheapest air ticket? - part 2

If you are a member of any frequent flyer programme and you collect miles to get discounts/free tickets check in my first transportation tip whether your arline fly to Krakow. If yes check the airfare on the internet page of your airline.
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Check airfare on one of the well known internet pages in your language for example:
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A. if you travel from USA check ORBITZ:
www.orbitz.com (+click Flights at the top of the page),
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B. AOL (available in national pages and languages of: USA, Canada, UK, France, Mexico, Germany, Sweden, Japan, Argentina, Hong Kong, Australia, Brazil, Latin America - www.aol.com and choose your country at the bottom of the page):
http://webcenter.travel.aol.com/travel/air/air0.jsp - USA page.
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YAHOO (available in national pages and languages of: Europe: Catalan · Denmark - France - Germany - Greece - Italy - Norway - Spain - Sweden; Asia Pacific: Asia - Australia & NZ - China - Chinese - HK - India - Japan - Korea - Singapore - Taiwan; America: Argentina - Brazil - Canada - Mexico - Spanish - U.S.):
http://travel.yahoo.com (choose your country at the bottom of the page + click Flights at the top of the page)
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D. TRAVELOCITY (uses YAHOO search engine but in my computer works faster): http:// www.travelocity.com (+click Flights at the top of the page)
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AOL and YAHOO usually don't search all arlines (including LOT), so the results often contain much higher prices then really the lowest.
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ORBITZ searches most arlines of the world (including LOT), the results are very good but do not include LOT promotions and I was obliged to register to the service after 1st use.
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MORE about LOT Polish airlines in my Poland page (transportation tips).
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WISH YOU GREAT FLIGHTS :-).
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Mode: TO

Type: Airplane

From the airport to the city - TAXI Taxi, taxi Review

You can take a taxi from a taxi stand in front of Passenger Terminal. It's much more expensive and only a little faster then a bus but much more comfortable (especially with your luggage) and you can go directly to your hotel or wherever you wish.
PRICE: about 70 PLN in weekdays, 100 PLN at holidays and at night (10.00 pm - 6.00 am) by official carrier airport services - Radio Taxi 919.

You can call a taxi as well and ask for your price:
tel. 919, 96-21, 96-23 to 96-29, 96-61 to 96-67 etc.
List of taxi hire firms in Krakow:
http://www.krakow.pl/telefony/taxi.php3
Notice: ladies you call to sometimes can't speak English hahaha :-).

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Mode: TO

Type: Airplane

Boat tours

Boat Cruises on the Vistula River (Wisla) are offered by a companyy named Zegluga Krakowska.
Embankment: wharf by the Grunwaldzki Bridge; phone: +48 (12) 422 0855 (10 am - 5 pm.)
Depending on the weather, usually from May to October.

Hmm... I never did it but I saw various ships many times. Vistula is NOT a clean river. My father told me that he remembered catching fish in Vistula river in Krakow - unbelievable for me hehe.

Mode: AROUND

Phone: +48 (32) 422 0855

Type: Ship/Boat

On foot along Vistula River

There is wide asphalt walkway along northern bank of Vistula River. It's one of favourite routes to walk far from busy traffic.
The walkway is accesible for bicycles and opened for your dogs as well.

It goes between Wawel Hill and the river. There is the world's only statue of dragon there - attraction for kids and maybe interesting for adults as well.

Mode: AROUND

Type: Other