Which documents do I need while crossing the Polish border?

An ID card (for residents of the EU member states) or a passport are sufficient documents to cross the Polish border.

How to get to Kraków?

By train or bus:
The Main Railway Station and the Main Bus Station are situated next to each other in the city centre. There are pickpockets at stations all over the world, and unfortunately Kraków is no exception, so remember: be careful! At the stations there are also stops for private bus lines to Wieliczka, Oświęcim, Zakopane, Częstochowa, Pieskowa Skała and other places.

By plane:
The International Airport Kraków-Balice is about 1 km from Kraków. You can get to the city centre by taxi or by bus (line number 192). You can also fly to Kraków with one of the cheap airlines, but in such case you should book your ticket as early as possible.

GERMANWINGS - Cologne, Stuttgart, www.germanwings.com
EASYJET - Berlin, Dortmund, London, www.easyjet.com
SKYEUROPE - Amsterdam, Paris, London, Manchester, Milan, Rome, Barcelona, www.skyeurope.com

If you want to take a taxi from the airport, it would be best to call one on the phone and choose one of the corporation taxis. When using your mobile phone, first dial +4812 (dialling code). Here are some taxi corporation phone numbers:

Teletaxi 9626
Mega 9625
Ekspres Taxi 6444111, 9629
Lajkonik 9628
Barbakan Taxi 9661

Taxi from the airport to the city centre costs about 50 zl (15 €).

By car:
When driving from the West, the most comfortable way to get to Kraków is the A4 toll motorway.

The city centre has three parking zones (A, B, and C). The A and B zones are only available for the local residents or holders of special permits. If you want to get near the centre by car, find a public car park (in zone C) or a manned car park and leave your car there. You can buy a parking ticket for zone C at any newsagent's.

Public transport - MPK:
You can buy tram and bus tickets at any newsagent's and shop with the label "Sprzedaż biletów MPK" (public transport tickets available here) or you can get a ticket from the tram or bus driver. Important: foreigners are not entitled to any discounts for public transport tickets.

Which adresses do I need to know?

Tourist Information and Accommodation Centre - Pawia 8, phone no (12) 422 60 91
City Information Point (information about cultural events) - Św. Jana 2, phone no (12) 422 41 44
Tourist Information Office PTTK - Westerplatte 5, phone no (12) 422 26 76

Emergency telephone numbers:
997 Police
998 Fire brigade
999 Emergency ambulance service
913 Telephone information service

Can I pay with euro in Poland?

Unfortunately no. Poland's official currency is still złoty (PLN), 1 złoty is 100 groszy (1 zl = 0,25 €). You can change money in banks, most larger hotels and bureaus de change. You will find the best exchange rate in the city centre, but not at the railway station. Most shops accept credit cards. You can cash traveller's cheques in larger banks, in general, however, cheques are not very popular here.

How much do I have to pay for a dinner?

For example:
pierogi ruskie (dumplings with traditional filling made of cottage cheese, onion and ...): 7 zl
kotlet schabowy z frytkami: (kotlet in crunchy layer with fries): 15 zl
bigos (traditional Polish dish made of, among others, cabbage, mushrooms, meat): 6 zl
kebab: 7 zl
pizza margherita: 12 zl

DRINKS:
beer 0,5: 6 zl
orange juice: 4 zl
tea: 5 zl
coffee: 6 zl