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Varied Means of Transportation in Krakow

With most landmarks within easy walking distance from one another, the best way to enjoy the central Krakow is on foot. The more so that the bulk of the city’s historic area has been practically turned into a pedestrian precinct (see a map). But you can also roam the Old Town and Kazimierz historic districts driven in a horse cab, an electric cart with a taped guide, or a bicycle rickshaw. One may also take a tour of Krakow in a double-decker bus. 

 

Public Transport in Krakow 

Getting around in Krakow is pretty easy. There is no subway in Krakow, nonetheless that nearly million city has a fairly dense public transport system which consists of tramways and bus lines that mostly a municipal company operates and a number of private-owned minibus fleets. And some suburbanites commute by local trains. 

One-way ticket for a municipal bus or a streetcar (tram) is 6 zloty (an equivalent of roughly euro 1.4). You can buy it at many newsstands and from ticket machines at downtown stops and in most buses and tram cars. Immediately after boarding you should put the ticket yourself through the ticket puncher and keep it till you reach your destination. 

 

A 20-minutes ticket allowing for changing lines costs 4 zloty (PLN), its 60-minutes equivalent is 6 zlotys (it doubles as a one-way ticket for a single journey without changing vehicles, no matter how long it takes), and a 90-minute ticket has been priced at 8 zlotys. The price of unlimited-travel passes for all municipal buses and streetcars have been set at 22 zloty for a 24-hour ticket. The 48-hour passes and the 72-hour passes cost 35 PLN and 50 PLN respectively. A seven-day unlimited-travel ticket costs 68 zlotys. Tickets are valid for the stated period starting with their first punching on a bus or a tram (don't punch your ticket any more till its expiration). 

Minibuses run by independent companies don't accept the municipal tickets, the fare - usually five zlotys - to be paid to the driver on boarding. 

Please note: people aged 70 and over may use the Krakow municipal trams and buses free of charge, however this does not apply to train services, long-distance buses, and any minibuses.

Krakow's Taxi Cabs 

Taxicabs are plentiful and relatively inexpensive in Krakow – within the city boundaries the fare should not exceed 30 euro (in the daytime on a weekday). And you can dial roughly fifteen different taxi telephone centers, each with its own fleet. Do not expect an English speaker on the other end of the phone line but a cab will usually arrive in few minutes to your address if you manage to give one. 

Note: City Council has set upper limits for taxi fares in Krakow. The initial charge may not exceed 7 zloties. Maximum rates per kilometer within main urban zone are 2.8 zloty from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. and 4.2 zloty between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. Kilometers beyond the zone can cost twice as much. Actual rates may be lower and they vary from cab to cab. Rates per kilometer and other charges should be displayed clearly on doors of all taxis so it's advisable to check them in advance, as it's always prudent to watch the taximeter. 

Driving Car in Krakow 

Krakow is a modern and busy city of considerable size, so the rush-hour traffic jams have become common, nevertheless there seems to be much less congestion here than in most cities in the world. Yet the acute shortage of parking space in downtown Krakow (click here to see map) is most unnerving to drivers, with parking lots rather expensive (euro 2 to 4 for an hour) and insufficient. And although parking in the streets in the very city center is paid as well in the daytime – to the tune of 1.4 euro an hour or so – it is hard to find a free place to leave your car. 

See more about driving car in Krakow

Krakow Commuter Tips

  • Rather than cruising streets Krakow's taxies wait for cargo to find them at numerous taxi stands scattered throughout city. But you may hail one if it happens to pass by you. 

  • Watch the taximeter. Fares per one kilometer should be displayed in the window of the right-hand rear door.

  • Beware of pickpockets in buses and streetcars more than anywhere else.

  • If possible leave your car at the hotel parking lot and take bus or taxi instead. For one thing, it is difficult to find a place in downtown Krakow to park; for another, driving after drinking as little as one beer is an offense in Poland.

  • You need to purchase a ticket from a parking meter to park your car in the street in the city center between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. on weekdays and Saturdays and it's allowed only in marked out places. One hour of parking costs 6 zlotys (PLN) in central Krakow and 5 zlotys or 4 zlotys in adjacent districts. The ticket machines don't give the change so it's advisable to keep exact money in coins. Shiny steely parking meters are installed at least one per street or the length of a block.   

    Note: The purchased ticket should be left on view behind the windshield of a parked car. Transgressors can be fined to the tune of 150 zloties (PLN).     

  • Practically all year round horse cabs and electric carts wait for you on the central Rynek Glowny (Grand Square) and at other improvised stands in the Old Town historic district.

See more Krakow tips 
Basic Krakow info for visitors

Travel to Krakow
Over four million visitors show up in Krakow every year. Many arrive by air, but most take advantage of the fact that Krakow lies at a major European road and rail junction.

Krakow Glowny central train station

MDA central bus station in Krakow

Krakow tours and day-trips

Pleasure rides in Krakow

Driving Car in Krakow
Parking zones and parking lots in the city center.


Krakow Old Town Historical District
Poland's prime tourist attraction and a must-see in Central Europe boasts numerous world-class monuments, charming vistas, delightful atmosphere, and the best restaurants.

In the proximity of Krakow
Krakow is Poland's tourist mecca, and also a gateway to many other must-see sites in the region.


Krakow Afoot

Bicycle in Krakow


Map of the Main Roads in Krakow

City of Krakow map

Map of the Old Town Historic District


Krakow Info HOME PAGE

 

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