travel_chef1

We wil be in Krakow for 2/12 to 3 days. Is this enough time to see Krakow? We plan on visiting Auschwitz, the salt mines and other recommended tourist sights (?). We would also like to visit Zakopane--do you think we will be able to fit this in? Is it worth visiting? (I am told yes.)
Does anyone want to recommend a general itenerary? Thanks!

Borealis

Two or three days in Krakow is enough time to see just the highlights. For more info check out the following (not very well translated) English website in Poland:

http://www.krakow.pl/en/turystyka/

I would definitely recommend Zakopane, but then - I love mountains!!

Dbacks

We were just in Krakow for 4 days & did not even get to the salt mines. We did go to Auschwitz which took a whole day.
The rest of the time we just spent in the Krakow old town area. We visited the Wawel Castle & there in the main square you have the Cloth hall & St. Marys church. We also rented bikes & rode around the town. We just enjoyed walking around the old town area & enjoying the sights. So you will probably be able to do the above & the salt mines but I don't believe you would have time to go to Zakopane as beautiful as it is. You should concentrate your time around the Krakow area & not be so rushed.

LindaW

It really isn't enough time but you can get the highlights. If you rent a car (or driver/car), you could do salt mines and Auschwitz/Birkenau on the same day--starting early. Zakopane is a 2-hour bus trip (faster than train) and, if you started early, you would have enough time to walk around the town and maybe take the lift up the mountain; then get back to Krakow to look around. I found some nice gifts in the shops there and they were not expensive.

PeterB

As everyone said enough for just highlights... What you may want to do with such a short period of time is to book a full day tour once in Krakow - to include SaltMines and Auschwitz as well as highlights of Krakow. There are so many of those tours offered - just ask in hotel or ask them to contact you with local travel agent... with tour you will skip all the lines as well as get good info. Zakopane is accessible by train and bus from Krakow, and it's worth a day trip or stop over. Min. you can do in Zakopane is to take a lift to Gobalowka Mountain which will give you a great view of the mountains. Also walking to Gobalowka Car Lift station you will pass thru many street vendors offering great and super cheap suveniors things for home, hand made crafts to soviet and wwII mermobilia. All this for much much cheaper then in Krakow (were in Krakow all is bought in Zakopane and sold with bit of a profit).

If higher Mountains are your thing but do not want to hike much then do Kasprowy Wierch Mountain - which has a combo of 2 lifts that take you to a high top.

Enjoy!

Borealis

PeterB are you in Poland or in the US?

PeterB

I was born in Poland, but now for very long time I live in USA. I do visit Poland often, so I'm able to see my old country as tourist... I also visited much of Western and Eastern Europe as well as Americas, but Poland always stayed in my heart... Poland it self is a beautiful country it's just too bad that natives do not seem to care to advertise or orginize what they have to offer...

Pozdrowienia dla Wszystkich Polek i Polakow!

Enjoy your travels...

Borealis

Hello PeterB -
Maybe it's up to the entrepreneurial types of Polish-Americans and Polish-Canadians to demonstrate how to market the tourist industry. On my visits back to Poland (I live in Canada, but like you, my heart remains Polish) I have noticed that there is a decided lack of experience, or even imagination about business (except for the criminal element!). The younger generation that grew up after the fall of Communism has a good chance to change things, but they have a number of years to go before they are in the age group that leads the country.
So. . . in the meanwhile. . . .maybe there are some opportunities there??

Pozdrowienia dla wszystkich polonusow na swiecie!!
Ala