Visiting Krakow
So, you want to visit Krakow. Perhaps you’ve read all about the interesting and fun things to do here, and want to give it a try. Or maybe you want to see if it really deserves the title of the European Capital of Gastronomic Culture? No answer to “why visit Krakow” is wrong! The only question that remains is: “how to travel to Krakow”?
There are three primary ways of getting to Cracow, and we will discuss all of them. You can choose to travel by air, by rail, or by bus/car.
Travel to Krakow by Air
Deciding to take a plane to Krakow is a fantastic choice. Krakow’s John Paul II International Bielice Airport is the second biggest and busiest airport in Poland, and it shows. It offers direct connections to most important travel hubs in Europe: Amsterdam, Berlin, Brussels, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, London, Paris, Rome, Vienna, Barcelona, Belfast, Bergen, Bologna, Cork, Dortmund, Dublin, Edinburgh, Eindhoven, Leeds, Lyon, Milan, Munich, Oslo, Stockholm, Stuttgart, and Trondheim. Transit connections, such as via Warsaw Airport, will allow you to reach Krakow from practically anywhere in the world. If you don’t know how to travel to Krakow, pick a plane.
Of course, this goes the other way around too – you can fly to almost anywhere from Krakow. This means that it can both serve as a convenient way to continue your journey, or as a final stop before coming home.
However, remember that after landing, you are only halfway done. You still will need to get to the city proper. To help you be smart about it, we prepared some advice.
Travel to Krakow by Rail
If you prefer to travel by train, you are in luck. Krakow is one of the biggest railroad junctions in Poland, making it abundant with great connections. They are both abroad and local, so you can get to Krakow both from another country or from somewhere in Poland. This makes rail a great choice if you are already visiting Poland, and only want to jump to Krakow for a short trip. If you are interested in connection from or to Germany, Hungary or Czech Republic, you are guaranteed to find an express train ready for you any day.
Travel to Krakow by Bus
Krakow sits at the heart of one of the key European crossroads that connects West to East (Germany to Ukraine) and North to South (Scandinavia to Austria). This means that Krakow is fantastically connected abroad via express roads. There are hundreds of international buses stopping in Krakow, many of which are direct connections. If you have no problems with indirect transit, you can reach Krakow by bus from anywhere in Europe. There are hundreds of bus companies offering their services from and to Krakow, so you will be able to pick and choose freely.