Michael

I am planning to drop off a car in Krakow in the morning and then take a train to Wroclaw in the early afternoon. Can I simply buy a ticket on that day or is it recommended that I pre-purchase the ticket with a reservation, if reservations are even available?

adrienne

I did the opposite trip - Wroclaw to Krakow. We bought tickets and made reservations for all trains at the beginning of our trip but there was plenty of seats on the Wroclaw to Krakow train. The only train that was full was the Krakow to Warsaw fast train.

So...I feel you'll be fine buying a ticket the same day you travel. Seat reservations are available.

The train station is about a 10 minute walk from the main square.

PalenQ

IME there should be no problem buying a ticket on that train and there are many trains on that route, not just a few - the worse case scenario would be you'd have to buy a first-class ticket and IME of taking that train I would highly recommend doing just that - this is not a plush train that Krakow to Warsaw can be - at least the one I took was not and 2nd class was fairly full and must less comfy that the sparsely populated first class and the difference in fare is not much. Great sites for info on trains in Eastern Europe - www.seat61.com; www.ricksteves.com and www.budgeteuropetravel.com. I believe seat reservations are only optional on that train - they were a few years back when I took it anyway. In 2nd class you may want to make a seat reservation for a few extra bucks.

Sher

Be advised that when I bought tickets in Krakow, we could only use one of the ticket windows because there was really only one person that spoke English.
They do have some promotional fares and try to see if they are available because we went once to the station just to find out about tickets and then returned to buy. We were given two different prices. The first price was less expensive.
We questioned the agent upon our return and she then offered tickets at the promotional rate. We were buying sleeper seats and there was quite a bit of difference in the prics. I know you are not buying sleeper tickets. But there still may be a special price available.
I would also suggest first class.
I purchased first class sleeper tickets and my travel companion would only purchase second class tickets and there was really a lot of difference in the two cars.

PalenQ

To prevent language problems at least you should write everything down about the train - destination - number of passengers - first or 2nd class and get the exact train number if possible - have this and the clerk need not speak one word of English.

PalenQ

I would go to www.bahn.de - the German Railways web site which has schedules for all trains in Europe and print out the exact info for several possible trains you may wish to take and give it to the ticket window with other info like number of travelers, class of travel, etc.

As for price the day trains on that stretch are so so cheap I would just show up and buy - again rarely any problem getting on - you can always board even if no seats - and in first class you no doubt would find many empty seats.

adrienne

I bought all my tickets in Warsaw from someone who did not speak English. I wrote everything down and received exactly the tickets I wanted, including seat reservations. The woman was very nice and made sure that she understood what I wanted.

PeterB

check http://rozklad-pkp.pl/ for latest schedule ... no need to pre-purchase. Seats be automatically assigned IF reservation is required - sometimes it is other times it is not - depends on the train etc. Recommend 1st class.
Some basic Polish where you can adjust to your needs and just print on paper for them to also print you responses back to you:

- Dworzec Glowny PKP = Main train station.
- do Wroclaw = to Wroclaw
- z Krakow = from Krakow
- tor = track ( smaller stations may only have just platform )
- Peron = Platform
- wagon = car
- miejsce = location / seat
- Przyjazd / Odjazd = arrival / departure
- dla palacych / dla nie palacych = smoking / non smoking

- 1 bilet do Wroclaw 1 klasa = 1 ticket to Wroclaw 1st class.
- Prosze napisac o ktorej godzinie i z jakiego peronu i toru odjezdza pociag = Please write at what time and from which platform and track train is leaving.
- O ktorej jest przyjazd do Wroclaw = what time arrives in Wroclaw
- Jesli jest rezerwacja miejsc prosze napisac zaznaczyc na bilecie numer wagonu i numer miejsca. = if there is a seat reservation please mark on ticket car number and seat number.

Michael

Thank you. That makes things clearer. One thing: why do people insist on first class? Is second class wooden benches à la Daumier?

http://art.thewalters.org/detail/895...lass-carriage/

PalenQ

first class is typically sparesely full - in second class once on that train I had to sit on fold out benches in the baggage car with locals swilling beer and spitting out sunflower seeds all over the floor.

there is lots of difference in first class - much more relaxed and that is why many people pay extra to ride in it - there is some reason trains always have first class cars - they do not rail them around empty you know. And the price difference on this train is so so small.

same as eating - McDonalds can get you a healthy meal - probably in many ways more healthy food than in snack stands or even restaurants - but you spend extra for something better - apply the same standards to train travel.

PeterB

2nd class is fine - especially on those longer distance trains, but tend to get full, especially with Euro 2012 as well as around any holidays / school vacations etc. So you are chancing standing room only with luggage ... the other side of the coin is that trains are frequent for that connection so maybe go by the feel once you reach the train station. With luggage I usually choose 1st class, since extra cost ( and it is not much ) gives me some guarantee that I will be seating ( many times more comfortable then second class), with room for my luggage and hopefully cleaner toilette.