So many of you have helped me plan our vacations. Its time to start again. Hope someome can help. WE are taking my adult children to Krakow and Prague the middle of May. We want to spend 2 days in Krakow and then maybe 2 more days doing daytrips from there. We know we will go to Auchwitz for a day. Do we need a day to see the salt mines and are they worth it? Any other suggestions? Now about getting around, since there are 4 of us, but only Daddys paying (ofcourse),so should we rent a car or take public transportation or hire a driver? I'm sure there is so much I'm not thinking of. Should we take the night train when we are ready to leave Poland for the Czech Republic? We would like to go to Cesky Krumlov before going to Prague. Does this make sense to go there first? I know we can get a train to prague from Cesky Krumlov (or close) and I know I can get a train from Krakow to Prague, but how about Krakow to Cesky Krumlov? I'll deal with the Prague questions later, unless anyone has great advice I need to know about to have a great trip. Thanks in advance.

First, Poland is easy to drive in, but I was unable to rent a car in Poland and drop it off in another country. The salt mines are worth a visit IMO but will not take a full day. We did the salt mines and Walwau castle in one day. You can see out trip report at<BR>http://www.fodors.com/forums/pgMessa...mp;keyword=146 <BR>or search under poland for it.<BR>You should be to get an idea of times from that.<BR>I would hit Prague first as Cesky Krumlov is south of Prague, or do a one or two day trip from there.<BR>Sounds like a great trip.<BR>

Hi, Art! Got a Christmas message from Dr. Fleps and they seem to be doing well. <BR>Mary, one day trip to take from Krakow is to Zakopane. I took the bus because it was faster than the train (about 2 hours). Zakopane is a resort village in the Tatras Mountains and is nice. You can wander the shops or hike the mountain or ride the lift. Auschwitz/Birkenau were worth the trip. I took a Krakow city bus tour (about a half day) but you can get a driver easily. If you had a driver, you might could do Auschwitz and the Salt Mines in the same day. The city tours had them on different days. Also, I was not able to go to the city with the Black Madonna painting but it is fairly close to Krakow. <BR>You can take a bus tour from Prague to Cesky Krumlov, Karlovy Vary (Carlsbad), Kutna Hora or several other towns. We were there too late in the year but the signs for pick-up were across from the Opera House. You MUST see the Charles Bridge at night in Prague.

Thanks Art and Linda. I think we will go to Cesky Krumlov after we get to Prague. This is important because I'm trying to get Flights and hotels out of the way. Art, tonite I plan to read your trip report. Any more suggestions, I'm open. Mary

We travel with our adult children, too, so we know all about parent' paying! In Prague, we loved the black theater(nothing to do with race, but an art form you can really enjoy without knowing Czech). We also loved the marionettes that perform opera; we saw Don Giovanni. My opera-hating husband thought it was a riot. As far as history goes, it is everywhere in Prague. We thought three days was a nice length of stay.

Mary, one of the interesting things that we did in Krakow was to wander around the old Jewish Quarter where Spielberg filmed Shindlers List. There is a book store in the main square that has maps to Plaszow death camp including the camps Kommandant's house which seems to have been vacant for many years. We also drove by the origonal Shindlers factory. If you have seen the movie you will recognize it immediately.

I do recommend the Salt Mines. It is about a half day trip, but get some help checking into the time of the tours, as the tour is the only way to see the mines, and emphasize that you need information about the tour in English.<BR><BR> Transportation, I don't know, if a driver who speaks English is available for these day-trips I'd think it could be efficient as he'll know where he's going etc. I was always driven around by friends there so am spoiled. Poles don't particularly speak English, or didn't in the early 90s anyhow. They will in a major restaurant, and young people probably do, but otherwise I wouldn't count on it.<BR><BR> Visit Wierzynnyk (spelled totally wrong), the historic restaurant an cafe in Krakow.<BR><BR> Leave yourselves ample time to wander and sit around the central square, which is the biggest medieval market square in Europe and now full of life, cafes, etc. <BR><BR> If a major world shrine, or the idea of the Black Mother, is meaningful to you, then a trip to Jana Gora is really recommended. A half-day trip, and asleo something where you HAVE to find out when the icon is &quot;open&quot; -- it is mostly covered, and uncovered for part of the day, with some ceremony. <BR><BR> In Krakow, a wonderful Leonardo painting, the girl (or woman) with the ermine, is on display. I'd check on this too, there is a big Leonardo show in NY now, I thnk it's just drawings but possibly this picture is in it.<BR><BR> I liked Zakopane too, as a way to get into the countryside. You can have lunch at an interesting restaurant there. I recall one where there were fishtanks and a music video of gypsies that was fantstic.<BR><BR> <BR><BR><BR><BR> <BR>

auschwitz weighs heavy on the heart <BR>for quite a while....it's not very easy <BR>to keep your spirits up after visiting<BR>....i guess what i'm saying is try <BR>and think about leaving a little bit <BR>of time to clear your head before <BR>you continue on your travels....it <BR>was the only thing that i could think<BR>of for a few days after<BR>-otis