mmyk72

Krakow was the tail end of a 2-week work trip in Prague. I pre-booked a double room on Expedia for about $40 a night. The hotel is a smaller operation (only 15 or so rooms) and rooms were pretty nice and newly renovated with nice quality linen. It's located just steps from the Market Sq (center of Old Town) - I felt I got really lucky.

I included logistics for airport transfer and Auschwitz side trip. Hope it helps people looking for similar info in the future.

First, a collection of tips that I remember:
- People don’t order tap water in restaurants. So plan to spend 6 PLZ or so for a tiny bottle of water, or opt for a juice, beer or wine for not much more.
- Read in a guidebook that when paying for meals with a cc, leave tips in cash (usually 5-10% - typically a few coins).
- To get into fancy and highly rated restaurants for dinner, reservations are essential. This was difficult for me since I never knew when dinner is the next day, so I ended up in less well known places. The Michelin rated restaurants are not much different in prices than other resto’s in the vicinity and quite inexpensive given the exchange rate. Entrees are around $15, dessert $3, etc.
- The temp was in the 30-40F during my visit. I could’ve survived without good shoes, good jacket, hat, scarves and gloves. I was told this was a mild Dec and winter hasn’t started yet.
- Checkout the ticketing situation for places that require timed entrance. Some require going first thing in the morning to get the tix.
- For currency exchange, there are Kantor booths everywhere. The ones on the side streets (further away from the Market Sq) and in the Galleria Mall have really good rates (similar or better than credit cards). Rates are typically posted (use the lower # on the sign that says ‘We Buy USD’) and make sure 0 commission.
- The whole city is actually quite small with the Market Square in the center of it. I never needed to take buses or trams at all. The furthest I’ve walked is to the Jewish Quarters and it was with the guided tour.

mmyk72

Having trouble with the reply button. Stay tuned

Pegontheroad

Lots of useful information.

pariswat

Yes, useful.

(I'd add that if a woman with an umbrella finds you charming it may be she is after your wallet, not your looks.)

mmyk72

I have the rest of the TR but couldn't Submit it. It's a known bug with this site. Also tried starting another post but that didn't work either

Andrew

Unfortunately, it may be trial and error to figure out which words are offending. There are known posting issues with combinations of certain words (same problem in all browsers). You can try previewing a few paragraphs at a time and when you get to one offending paragraph, try removing a few sentences until you find the offending words.

Yes, it is frustrating that these known posting problems have been neglected for months.

One easy thing to check: if you have any links in your posts to websites - if they have "http://" in front, remove that and just start with the "www" or whatever. Fodor's will add the http:// for you anyway.

mmyk72

Thanks Andrew for that tip. Unfortunately even paragraph 1 didn't work. Btw, I have no links in the text.

sassy27

I hope you can post the rest of your report. I never wanted to go to Poland until I met my friend in Lithuania last year. We said maybe in the future we could meet up in Poland so I am interested in how you spent your 3 days.

Andrew

mmyk72, feel free to email me the offending paragraph or even your whole trip report and I can help you figure out what is causing it not to post. (You can contact me via my website(s) - click on my profile.)

sassy27, I enjoyed my own trip to Poland in 2012 and would recommend it for sure. Krakow is especially rich in history and has a great town square, but I also enjoyed Wroclaw, Torun, and Gdansk. I am considering a return trip this year that would include parts of Ukraine.

mmyk72

Here is my TR:

Day 0 - Arrived Krakow on a Sat night (Dec 12) and found transportation into the town center quite painless.

For the Airport Terminal 1, the train station is one floor above and reachable by an escalator across from the Information Desk. Total walk time is 5 mins. There is a red machine for train tix between the Info Desk and the escalator. I tried using a Visa CC with no chip and the machine didn't accept it. Finally used a Mastercard with a chip and worked fine. Across from this is an ATM. I successful withdrew cash from my AMEX for paying the taxi later.

mmyk72

continued...
When purchasing the train tix, you have to put in the destination name which is Krakow Glowny - for the Main Train Station. Noticed a few passengers paid the conductor on the train directly and tix cost was the same – 8 PLZ. Conductor was able to provide change as well. Trip took 18 min and departed right on time.

After exiting the train station, the taxi stand is 1 floor BELOW (ground level). There is a Carefour supermarket and shopping mall linked to the train station. Note: The "In Your Pocket" guide said the taxi stand is 1 level above the platform on the roof. That is not true anymore. The distance from the train station to the town center is actually not far. If one has not much luggage, the walk is <30 min. In my case, I can’t imagine dragging my 30+ lbs suitcase across cobblestone streets.

The taxi took about 10 mins to get to my hotel located steps from the Market Square on the south side. It had to go around the town center as that area is pedestrian only. Fare was 23 PLZ. In total, 31 PLZ (US $8) was very cheap and quick.

Arrived hotel around 10 pm and the Market Square and streets were full of people. The drunk ones seem to be college students. There were lots of stalls selling souvenir, Christmas stuff, and food (Pierogie, soups, chocolate, sweets, roasted meat, sausages and meat based sandwiches, alcohol, etc.) One can make a pretty decent meal here as long as you are not a vegetarian.

My hotel was Pergamin Royal Apartments that's literally steps from the Market Square (address: Grodzka 12). Grodzka is the main pedestrian street between the Market Sq and Castle. For perspective, it takes <10 min to walk between these 2 sites (excluding the uphill part of the Castle).

mmyk72

Day 1 (Sun) – Dec 13, 2015
Today was cold and rainy. Decided to try out a Milk Bar (what used to be subsidized cafeteria in the old Communist days). Tomasz Milk Bar is a modernized small café serving cheap local fare and hearty breakfast. I had a half order of meat pierogie and juice. I’ve seen pierogie vendors at the Market Sq and the size there is pretty small. The ones here are much larger with a thick flour skin. The filling is a mystery meat (probably pork) with not much seasoning. Actually tasted ok with a dash of Maggie sauce on the table.

Returned to my hotel room to escape the rain which luckily stopped by 12:30 pm. Strolled up the Wawel Hill to the Castle and Cathedral. I followed the crowds to the Cathedral. One can buy tix to the museum inside, go up the bell tower, etc but I just did the self tour and walked around the Cathedral. After exiting, I continued to the castle courtyard. Later found that the Staterooms can be visited and the security lady said to go get tix. So I backtracked to a building before reaching the Cathedral and got free tix - Sunday is free admissions. I also noticed that the tix to Leonardo De Vinci’s “Lady with an Ermine” painting was sold out…. Ugh, I should’ve came here to get tix first thing.
Anyway, there were only 37 stateroom tix and I got lucky. The tour (self-guided) involves walking from room to room inside the Castle complex. Those rooms seem to be endless and each has furnitures from the 15-16th century, lots of tapestry from Brussels or the Netherlands and coffered ceilings. Of interest is the one with lots of heads in the ceilings and the room with 4 gigantic tapestry – both towards the end. The tour wasn’t crowded as the entry times on the tix are timed and the entire tour took about 1 hr.

mmyk72

Day 2 (Mon) – Dec 14, 2015
Most places close on Mon so I bought a tour tix to Auschwitz-Birkenau the night before. I simply signed up with the shop located right outside the Church of St. Paul and Peter for 99 PLN (US $25). There are places selling tours for the Salt Mine and Auschwitz almost everywhere (hotels, numerous Info center and booths, souvenir shops, etc.). Prices ranged from 99 to 145 PLZ. I just picked what seemed to be the cheapest one at the time when I passed by this souvenir shop.

The tour bus leaves at 10 am, so I started the day hopping into a few museums (St. Paul & Peter, St. Francis and into the courtyard in the Bishop’s house across the street) before going to the meeting point.

The mini-bus was pretty clean and new-ish and every seat was filled – about 30 ppl. Most people met at the same souvenir shop and the bus only had to make 1 stop to pickup someone on the way out of the city. Trip took just over an hour to arrive Auschwitz. The bathroom is available as soon as one gets off the bus and cost 15 PLN. It was passably clean.

Most people on the mini-bus took the English tour which started in Auschwitz I (where we were). The Italians were told to go to Birkenau first, then come back to Auschwitz. Our group pretty much was combined with another group that came on another mini-bus and followed an Official Guide (that works in Auschwitz) throughout the day. It seems that no matter which tour company one signs up with, we end up with the same handful of Official Guides that works in the Auschwitz Museum. So it doesn’t really matter where you signup. More pricey tours come with a sandwich and bottle of water, and I think that’s about the only difference.

The entrance process involves a bag check. Backpacks in any form are not allowed. Purses have to be no bigger than a sheet of paper in LxW dimensions. The employee asked me to open it for her inspection, but she really only peaked at the top opening. There is no metal scanner (which I was a little concerned since my sandwich was wrapped in foil). I think the purpose was to prevent people from sneaking things out rather than catching people bringing illicit stuff in.

The tour was very informative and we walked all thru the concentration camp. I noticed some DIY tourists wandering on their own and I’m glad that I didn’t do that. The narrative provided by the guide really added a lot of context to seeing the empty barracks.

After Auschwitz I was completed (about 2 hrs+), we had a 10 min break before getting back on the same mini-bus to get to Birkenau (10 mins away). Luckily the lady at the souvenir shop suggested taking a sandwich. There isn’t full service cafés, only vending machines and coffee stall. I woofed down my lunch before getting back on the bus. We waited for the same Official Guide and toured Birkenau which is much bigger. There was a lot of walking on uneven / rocky dirt road and visited inside 1 barrack. Tour took 1 hr. The Guide then took us to the Shuttle Bus station to get back to Auschwitz I where our Mini-bus was waiting to take us back to Krakow. We had the video on the way back (glad it wasn’t shown at the beginning because a lot of info repeated what the Guide said). We returned to Krakow just before 5 pm.

It seems diff Guides have their own version of the narration. Mine was pretty good and she later told us that members of her family were killed in Auschwitz so there is a deep connection. I noticed other guides explaining things that ours didn’t and vice versa. The diff tours going on were able to avoid each other and I never felt like it was too crowded to see or hear what’s going on. Perhaps it would be much more crowded in the warmer season. Temp was about 35 F/1 to 2 C and luckily no wind. As most of the areas we walked were muddy and rocky, good shoes are essential. I saw a lady with dressy hills and felt sorry for her – but then maybe she’s used to it.

Overall, a very informative experience. I’m glad to have joined a tour and avoided having to figure out which bus to take from the train station, traveling between the 2 sites, etc. Waiting around in the cold would not have been fun. These tour companies are a well-oiled operation - over a million ppl visit each yr afterall- and they make the process very easy. It was maybe US $10-25 more than the DIY method, well worth the cost.

mmyk72

Day 3 (Tue) – Dec 15, 2015
Admission is free into the Rynek Underground from the Cloth Hall. Tix are timed and I got the 1:15 pm slot. Morning was spent doing a tour of the Jewish Qtr with the Free Walking Tour group. Our guide is a native Polish guy who speaks excellent English. He provided lots of history as well as tidbits about famous Jewish people (Hollywood stars and directors). The tour started with 20 min of walking from the St. Mary’s Cathedral to Kaimeriz area, then we continued to walk for the next 2.5+ hrs. The area seems pretty deserted and no longer has any trace of its former glory (afterall it was pillaged by Germans in WWII). If it wasn’t for the informative tourguide, it would’ve not been possible to grasp the historical significance of this area from simply walking thru the streets. It was around 1 pm and we still have to walk to Schindler’s Factory, but I left the tour early to make it to the Underground Museum (which I have tix for). I arrived around 1:30 pm and luckily the employee there wasn’t too strict on checking the time on the tix.

Rynek Museum- It’s pretty interesting just being under the historic Market Square and Cloth Hall. The exhibits are really well done with lots of reproductions, interactive screens and displays to recreate the history of Krakow. There are 5 documentary films at the end and I wish I can watch them thoroughly. Still, I sat thru eat briefly and got a better idea of the city’s history over the diff periods.

After the museum, I had a late lunch in a restaurant (Wenzel) right in Market Square. It has a lunch special for 29 PLZ that included French Onion Soup and ‘Chopped Pork with Cabbage and Potatoes”. The Soup was great, but the Main dish turned out to be Pork Schitzel (Fried Pork). Not the porkchop that I imagined but it was passable – I removed all the breading and just ate the pork. The boiled potatoes actually tasted much better than what we get in the US. It came with very nice multigrain baguette which went well with the soup (plus I was starving by this time).

After lunch, it was close to 4 pm already and most venues (churches and museums) close shortly. So I went shopping at the modern Galleria mall (close to the train station). It’s a 20 min walk and I needed to burn off that pork anyway. I found some fleece pants and can’t resist - usually in the US, the fit is always too long. Here, they are perfect. I bought 2 of the same style (on clearance for only US $8) and next day, came back for 1 more. The mall is just like any modern upscale supersized mall in the US with mostly the same brand named stores as well. I think the prices are comparable to what we pay in the US. On the way back, I walked by a supermarket and bought tomatoes and tangerine to balance out all the meat I’ve been eating. 3 of each cost around 60 cents US – very cheap. Those tomatoes turned out to be sooo tasty, unlike the bland stuff we get at home.

mmyk72

Day 4 (Wed) – Dec 16, 2015
Last day and I only have time in the morning for 1 visit. So I went to the Hipolit house (home of a rich family) right off Market Square. It’s free on Wed. It’s self-guided (with a printed English explanation) and one can see original furnishings, decorations, clocks, paintings, etc from room to room. Definitely interesting to see how rich people lived back then. It took less than 1 hr. Afterwards, I went to an authentic Polish restaurant for my last meal. Started with a beet soup that was quite tasty (5 stars) and for the main course, I had the “Meat rolled in cabbage with Hunter’s sauce and mashed potatoes”. I wanted a typical Polish meal and now that I’ve had it, it’s not my thing. The only taste of the dish was salt and I’d say it’s made for sustenance rather than taste, as in it gets you ready for a hard day’s labor. Cost was cheap (15 PLZ). Anyway, feeling dissatisfied, I went to the French café across from the Tomasz Milk Bar which I noticed on the first day and had a Moltened Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Ice Cream. It was a perfect ending to my last meal in Krakow – rich runny chocolate in the middle..YUM. Cost was 12 PLZ. La Petite France – you saved the day.

The trip back to the airport was a reverse of how I arrived. I walked down to where the taxi dropped me off (a few steps from my hotel on the street with the tram stops – same street but opposite side from St. Francis Cathedral). The taxi took about 10 min and 21 PLZ. The driver tried to convince me to go to the airport directly in his taxi, but I had lots of time and didn’t need to waste extra money which I don’t really have as I've gotten rid of most PLZ night before. It dropped me off at the top floor /roof of the train station – where the In Your Pocket guide said the Taxi stands are. I took the elevator down and purchased tix. Train leaves 2x per hr (0:04 and 0:34). I was at the airport in 45 min (including 15 min wait time for the train).

mmyk72

continued...
Flight home was pleasant. The Polish Airline (LOT) counter employee must have put me in very nice seats (1D on the Krakow to Warsaw flight – first row with lots of leg room) & (20A on the long flight - window seat at the exit row with lots of room in front of my seat and enough isolation from all the foot traffic). I’ve never had nice seats like these before since it’s usually a super premium add-on. The 787 cross-Atlantic plane is pretty new and clean. Food is non-spectacular though and no free alcoholic drinks in Eco class. After landing in JFK, I heard an overhead asking me to see a ‘Gate Agent’. I walked all the way to the Baggage Claim area after Immigration but still didn’t see any LOT employees in the vicinity. 2 JFK Baggage employees were really great and helped me identify the LOT Gate Agent, telling me to wait with them and they’d point out who he is. These 2 guys were super friendly – completely counter to all the myths about people in big cities like NY are cold and rude. Turned out the LOT staff only wanted to make sure I go to Terminal 5 for my JetBlue connection, which is a long way from the terminal where we landed. Initially when I heard the overhead called my name, I thought it must be a hiccup, like my baggage not making it onto the plane or having to re-schedule the last leg home. The entire flight back was actually smooth sailing.

As a side note, I ended up with several days of stomach-ache upon getting home. Glad it didn’t start until I landed in my home airport. Could’ve been food I ate on the last day (doubt it since I was fine on the ~10 hrs flight) or at the tail end of that flight (maybe the breakfast – but I only ate the fruit and ate the single piece of cheese retrieved from the mayo filled airline sandwich). Anyways, I guess one can never be careful enough.

mmyk72

That's it for my TR. Thanks to Andrew for helping to figure out what was keeping Fodor from letting me post initially.

If anyone is planning a Krakow trip, I think 3 full days plus half day at the arrival or departure end is just right - unless you are the type who likes to look at every detail in every church, of course that'd need more time. I also didn't do the popular Salt Mine daytour and that would've added a day.

I could've done more on Sunday but the day was hampered by heavy rain and I wanted to sleep in after working long hours the entire 2 weeks prior. All in all, I think it was a really good short trip for me.

The 2 trip highlights (which I didn't seriously planned for ahead of time) were the Auschwitz-Birkenau tour and the walking tour for the Jewish Getto. These gave me a better idea of the tragic history that happened less than a century ago. On recommendation of the tour guide, I watched the movie Schindler's List again and there were so many subtle details that I now notice and understand.

Andrew

Glad you were finally able to post your report! When I was in Krakow for three nights in September 2012, I ate at one of the milk bars a few times - loved the pierogis I had there (plain potato "pierogi ruskie" are still my favorite). It rained most of the time while I was there as well, though I'm sure it wasn't as cold as it was for you.

I did tour Auschwitz myself. You're right, it probably didn't save much money, probably even less now with the stronger dollar, but I also like the freedom of doing these things myself. (I'm also quite frugal; even though a taxi from the train station would have been cheap, I still walked from there to my apartment near the Rynek.)

One thing I enjoyed in Krakow was the "Schindler's Factory Museum" - specifically, the permanent "Kraków During Nazi Occupation" exhibit, one of the best World War II museums I've been to. (And I generally get bored in museums quickly.) Did you happen to see it?

I loved the Rynek especially in Krakow, but I also found it the most touristy place in Poland (I didn't visit Warsaw).

I'm considering a trip back to this area in the spring and debating whether or not to stop in Krakow again and if so for how long. (I like to make return visits to places I've previously enjoyed.) Decisions, decisions...

mmyk72

Hi Andrew, I only ate pierogi once...now I wish I had it a few more times to find out what good pierogi's really taste like.

I didn't visit the Schindler's Factory Museum you mentioned. I read a review somewhere that it wasn't that spectacular inside, so I skipped it. It seems I should've gone... well, maybe if I go back to Krakow again, I'll visit that plus the Leonardo painting - Lady with an Ermine.

I was in Prague just before Krakow, so in comparison, the Krakow Rynek is like a smaller version of Prague's Old Town Square. Both very pretty and touristy, esp with the huge Xmas tree. The main square in Krakow was actually less crowded compared to the mountains of people in Prague.

Andrew

Well, I guess that's true about the museum: it's not "spectacular" inside in terms of artifacts, as there are almost none; it's a fairly high tech museum as I recall with lots of audio/video media integrated. But I found it very informative. While Poland figures greatly into the history of World War II, of course, the actual occupation of Krakow is not something I was that familiar with. (I'm also a World War II history buff.)

You can see Oscar Schindler's actual desk in his preserved office but the museum mostly isn't about him, which is probably the right approach.

Yeah, I know what you mean about Prague being crowded, and I would make the same comparison.