Kristi

I've got a few questions re: Krakow that I'm having trouble finding good answers for on the internet<BR><BR>Best way to get to Auschwitz from Krakow? Bus or train? I can find the train schedules (about 1 1/2 hours) but the bus schedules seem to be only in Polish<BR><BR>Any weekend flea markets in Krakow?<BR><BR>Best places to buy amber jewelry with good quality silver?<BR><BR>What does the tourist card cover? There are vague descriptions on most sites but nothing specific.<BR><BR>Best place to get pizza? Good hearty polish food? Lonely Planet suggests Pizzeria Grace or Cyklop for pizza, Chlopskie Jadlo for Polish<BR><BR>Is there a reason why the trains going from Warsaw to Krakow go into Centralna station but from Krakow to Warsaw go into Zachodnia? Would it be just as quick to take a bus from Krakow to Warsaw? (once again the only bus schedules I can find are in Polish)<BR><BR>Thanks for any help!

Kristi

Anyone?

Gino

Kristi<BR>Go to http://www.epinions.com/content_57846566532<BR>for an article describing train and Bus transportation to Oswiecim.

julies

There are tons and tons of vendors for amber and silver jewelery in the cloth merchants market. Plan to spend some time there to do some comparison shopping. Do a search on Krakow &amp; restaurants on this site and you'll find a restaurant discussion. There is a restaurant whose name I can't remember that is listed in these discussions. the food was so good that we ate there 2 nights we were in Krakow. We figured that if you've found a winner, why experiment with something else. Finally, try the Lonely Planet board where you'll probably be more successful with getting your questions answered. Most people who look at this board are western European travelers.

Christina

I'll try a couple for Krakow, anyway. <BR><BR>First, I did not buy the tourist card. It covers some museum admissions, local tranportation and discounts on some of those bus tours. I was only there a few days and wasn't taking big bus tours and never even used local transportation because I walked to everything, so had no need for it. I thought it was rather expensive (45 PLZ for two days, or over US$10) given a museum admission is only about 7 zloty. YOu'd have to want some of those more expensive bus tours probably to make it worthwhile, you'd have to compare.<BR><BR>As Julie notes, the big Cloth Hall in the center of the main square is full of crafts and jewelry vendors. There is no need to go elsewhere for special flea markets, although if you want, I imagine they'd be listed in the local weekly guide (ie, IN Your Pocket). There are many jewelry vendors in there, I bought from several based on what I liked and design. Silver has a marking if it's the real official quality--a guidebook should mention the marking, as I forget. These vendors are licensed in there, I suppose, but it all looked good quality to me for lower end stuff. I mainly choose based on appearance as that's why I wear it. I think there can be fake amber and I wouldn't buy from streetcorner vendors, etc, for that reason--but if you like the looks of what you buy, that's the main thing. I'm sure there are expensive jewelers in town where you can spend a lot more if you want.<BR><BR>I have no idea about pizza. For dining, I mainly used the reviews and suggestions in In Your Pocket, and never had a bad meal, so I'd suggest you do that also. I ate at two particularly good basic Polish places, but I don't remember their names, they were at opposite ends of Rynek Glowny and were mentioned in that publication, which has many suggestions in all cuisine categories. <BR><BR>I don't know about the train to Warsaw.

Kristi

Thanks for the responses so far.<BR><BR>I will definitely check out the Cloth Hall.<BR><BR>I have figured out the train schedules, all I needed to do was put the name of the station at the Polrail website and the train continues on from Zachodnia to Centralna.<BR><BR>I think the restaurant Christina and Julies are referring to is Hawelka at 34 Rynek Glowny. I will add it to my list of places to try. We normally travel in casual clothes (Dockers are the nicest thing my husband brings). Will this be a problem at this restaurant?<BR><BR>I thought the tourist card might be a good bargain as it reduces the price of the salt mines and Auschwitz, both of which we were going to see. I just wondered what else might be included.

julies

Dockers are also the nicest thing my husband brings, and I'm not at all dressy. You'll be fine at the restaurant as far as dress (yes, it's the one I was referring to).

GSteed

Intercity Bus, PolskiExpress, &lt;[email protected]&gt;. Oswiecim/Polish name for Auschwitz. Krakow has many ways to get there. Easiest may be taxi or van service. Check with hotel concierge. They deliver you to gate, wait and return you to Krakow. Salt mine..use city bus from main train station area. Wear good walking shoes. Find Mexican Restaurant just off old town square.

busterla

First of all, Krakow is lovely.<BR><BR>I can't answer most of your questions, but I do have a recommendation for a Polish restaurant. It is in the main square (which is huge). There are many restaurants there and most of them have large outside dining areas. There was a Polish restaurant (well, I guess they are all &quot;Polish&quot; restaurants since they're in Poland so the Polish FOOD restaurant) located in the main square that I like very much. I don't have a name, but the way to locate it is to be in the main square and stand in front of the cathedral. Turn to your right and begin walking forward toward the exit from the square that is now in front of you (though not close) when you get near that exit, there are outdoor restaurants to your right. The one I recommend is about 4 restaurants down that row. <BR><BR>I hope that is at least clear enough to try. Rememeber also that most good Polish food is peasant food, so it is not too complicated to prepare and most restaurants will do a good job. <BR><BR>You didn't ask, but as an extra, if you're going in the next few months I want to recommend the music festival held at the University of Krakow in the summer. They are open-air concerts in one of the very old courtyards at the University and they bring in recognized performers from all over Europe. The evening I went to a concert is still one of my best travel memories.

LindaW

I would go to Auschwitz/Birkenau with the City Tours from Krakow. It is not expensive and they take you to both camps (just a few kilometers apart) with a guide. I was told that the train just stops in the town and you are left to figure out how to get to the camp (short walk if you know where you are going). <BR>Also, try to make it to Zakopane--2-hour bus ride from Krakow (catch the bus in front of the train station). It is a nice village in the Tatras Mountains.<BR>I bought some nice amber in the building in the center of town. There were a number of stalls on the ground level open to the outside.

Royboy

Yes, there is a huge open air market to the southeast of the old town of Krakow.
It is walkable from the center and is on Sunday mornings -- ending around 1 PM. A flea market, more or less.