amy

We are trying to plan a short trip to Krakow from London. Figuring a day for Auschwitz, how much time should we schedule for Krakow itself? We were not planning to rent a car and considered taking the overnight train to Prague if we could do both cities in a total of 5 days, but don't know if this is an insane idea. We all seem to travel at different paces on this board, but I'm looking for general insight on how to get the feel of each city and catch some of the big sites. <BR><BR>I had also thought about going to Minsk instead of Prague as it is where my grandfather is from, but it seems to be a 14 hour train journey from Krakow due to a connection in Warsaw and a long lay over.<BR><BR>Thanks for any advice those who have been to these places can provide.

Adam

If you have 5 days in total, give Krakow 2 days. Prague is more interesting and there's only center of Krakow to see. So my recomendation is: Go to Aushwitz in the morning first day, than head to see Krakow's old town in the afternoon and evening first day and the next day till early afternoon - Wawel (royal castle in the middle of the old town). Than you can go to Prague. <BR>Have fun.<BR><BR>P.S. I'm going to visit London only for one night in August. Can you recommend me a cheap place to stay in the middle of 'everything' to see. My budget is only 40 euros for accomodation.<BR>

Art

If you are going to try to do Krakow and Prague in 5 days, I agree with above poster. We spent 4 days in Krakow last year and 6 days in Prague 2 years ago. Both cities have a lot to see plus each have several day trips that you could take. If you take the train or bus to Auschwitz and Birkanau, that will consume a full day. There are also some 13th century salt mines outside of Krakow that are worth seeing. Walwel castle will take about 1/2 day. In the Jewish quarter of Krakow, you can see where Schindlers list was filmed. You can also see Schindlers factory and Plazow, but you almost need a car to do that. If I can help further, feel free to email me.<BR>

Ben Haines

The exchange window in any office of Thomas Cook has their European Timetable, and many big reference libraries have it. With time so tight you will want to travel overnight. I suggest a 2, 3 or 4 berth sleeper, to have space and a restful night. Krakow to Prague, table 95, trains are timed well: Krakow 2220, Prague (beware pickpockets) 0731. The reverse trains are ill timed: Prague 2110, Krakow 0544. But the day connection from Prague stops at Oswiecim (Ausschwitz), where the station has a left luggage office and a quick local bus to the camp. Times are Prague 0752, no catering, Prerov 1125 to 1156, restaurant car to 1330, Oswiecim 1503, Krakow 1613. The museum web site is http://www.auschwitz.org.pl/html/eng...ie/index.html/. It says the museum is open thus<BR>8:00 AM - 3:00 PM December 16 through February <BR>8:00 AM - 4:00 PM March, November, and December 1-15 <BR>8:00 AM - 5:00 PM April, October<BR>8:00 AM - 6:00 PM May, September <BR>8:00 AM - 7:00 PM June, July, August <BR>Table 1099 says that trains leave Oswiecim station at 1833 and 2030 and take an hour to Krakow. You can sup across the road from the station.<BR>Krakow to Minsk is possible, if you have a visa. Tables 94a and 1065: not Saturdays, Krakow 1705, restaurant car train, Warsaw Central 1959 to 2020, Minsk 0738. <BR><BR>Plaszow needs no car. You just take a tram out to the Pharmacy-museum, pick up the guide booklet in English, and set off.<BR><BR>Please write if I can help further.<BR>

amy

Adam and Art,<BR><BR>Thanks for the replies. Adam...London for 40 euros a night is tough to find. Your best bet would be a hostel or a bed and breakfast, but I'd imagine you would have a shared bathroom at this price. I suggest doing a search on this board as there are many who have asked similar questions. Unfortunately I don't know of a hotel in particular.<BR><BR>Art...good tips about Auschwitz taking a whole day and the Castle a half day. It feels like we may be cutting ourselves short if we only do two days total for Krakow in this case. We can separate the trips and do Prague another time, it's just that the airfare to Krakow is so expensive, even from London, that I thought we'd try to get more bang for our buck. I will email you with any other questions about this area. Thanks a lot for your help.

amy

Aaaaah, the famed Mr. Haines!! I have read many of your posts and thought perhaps you had been to this region, but wasn't quite sure. This is the first time I will be benefiting directly from your great knowledge! <BR><BR>Assuming you have been to Minsk, what are your thoughts about the area? How much time would you spend there? And about the combination of Krakow and Prague, how much time would you plan for each? We realise we won't have a lot of time to linger, but don't want to cut it too short in these cities if they really warrant it, either, especially with flights to Krakow being so costly.<BR><BR>Thank you in advance for your insight.

Ben Haines

My great knowledge is as holey as a colander. I am afraid I have never been to Belorus (nor Russia). All I read, especially on the Lonely Planet Thorn Tree branch for East Europe, puts it low on my wish list, so I have nothing useful to say about how long to spend. <BR><BR>For seeing castles, museums, cathedrals, churches and galleries I would give Prague four days and Krakow five (if you include, as you will, Ausschwitz and Plaszow). For doing that, going to films and concerts, and sitting about in cafes add a day or two per city. For the splendid late July or early August festival of Jewish culture in Krakow, with sightseeing and Ausschwitz (and perhaps Nowa Huta, which I find intriguing) you need nine days for Krakow alone.<BR><BR>Sorry: this is little help to you. Of course, however long you stay, if you pack your time (for example by stopping at Auschwitz on the way to Krakow) you will find memories that stay for life.<BR><BR>I find the site http://www.cheapflights.co.uk/Krakow.shtml good, but a touch tricky. Using first K and then Krakow I find return fares London, Krakow, London around 200 pounds, but I bet that if I tried to book they would mysteriously rise to 230 pounds.<BR><BR>I expect you know of the cheap no-frills flights from and to Stansted, ten pounds and fifty minutes north of Liverpool Street station. You might look at fares.<BR>Go, http://www.go-fly.com, ++44 845 60 54321, fly from Stansted to and from Prague<BR>Virgin Express, http://www.virgin-express.com, ++44 800 891 199, may fly from Heathrow and Stansted to and from Berlin<BR><BR>Buzz, http://www.buzzaway.com, ++44 870 240 7070, fly from Stansted to and from Berlin. They leave Berlin at least two hours after trains arrive overnight from Poland, and there are afternoon flights you could use if you came in by train from Minsk. They seem to offer only return fares, at 140 pounds, so you would fly to Berlin, take the 1757 restaurant car for 60 euros or 40 pounds from Berlin Schonefeld airport, and reach Prague at 2309.<BR><BR>Trains run between Prague and Krakow (as we said), and overnight trains run Krakow 2110 to Berlin Ost 0807, Minsk 1940 to Berlin Lichtenberg 1143, and Warsaw 2315 to Berlin Lichtenberg 0656. From those Berlin stations to Berlin Schonefeld airport takes 20 minutes by local train. Fares with berths in 3-berth sleepers might be sixty pounds per journey: staff at the easternmost window in Charing Cross station can tell you most of them. But the queue there can be long, so you might ask by phone via the website http://www.deutsche-bahn.co.uk/<BR><BR>Please write again if I can help further. If a phone conversation would be quicker please e-mail to ask me to phone you.<BR><BR>Ben Haines<BR><BR>