RJames

I will be in London in May and I would like to make a side trip to someplace nearby, I am thinking of visiting Berlin or Krakow. I have a maximum of four days to spend in either city. I am debating if I should visit Berlin or Krakow.

I have never been to Poland. In Germany I've been to Hamburg, Frankfurt, the Black Forest and some towns along the Rhine.

I will be travelling over the weekend, and will be in Berlin/Krakow on Fri, Sat and Sun. Does this make a difference, will most things be open?

Which would you choose?

Thanks in advance.

Palenque

I'd chose Berlin simply because of its surfeit of very interesting sights

Krakow is a much smaller town where you could get bored in four days - even though one day would be spend perhaps at nearby Auschwitz.

yk

I haven't been to Krakow.

Berlin is quite different than other parts of Germany (I've been to the Rhine/Mosel, Frankfurt, Munich/Bavaria, Franconia). There is so much history and museums that it can keep you busy for weeks.

You didn't say what your interests are.

Are the airfares and departure/arrival times similar for both?

Cries_Van_Notebook

Berlin

Stay in East Berlin.

See a new city rising.

Thin

Pegontheroad

I love Krakow, but then I'm a lazy traveler who likes to stroll, drink coffee at sidewalk cafes, etc.. The churches were especially interesting because of the "Young Poland" (art noveau) style in which they were decorated.

I don't particularly care for Berlin, but that's just me. True, there are wonderful museums, but I swear that I have visited every museum in creation, and they're not the attraction for me that they once were. You could take a day trip to Potsdam to see the palaces.

iris1745

Hi; Everyone is different. For us, you could never get bored in Krakow. We have been there twice. The 'salt mines' for a day trip. Auschwitz for another day trip. If you like Medieval towns/history, Krakow is the place for you. I'm sure Berlin is wonderful, but Berlin is a new city having been almost completely destroyed in WW2. Krakow had very little bombing and is pristine. You decide what your interests are. See www.inyourpocket.com/ for a download of Krakow and Berlin. Click on the city and then 'instant' for your download. iris1745/dick

panecott

I've not yet been to Berlin, but I spent 5 days in and around Krakow a few years ago and it quickly became one of my favorite cities. I could have stayed much longer and would not have been bored.

RJames

Thanks for all the feedback.

I am a city person, the bigger the better. When I checked flight prices there wasn't much difference between the two cities. I was debating between the two simply because I don't think of Krakow as a year round destination. I know it gets cold in Berlin, but I feel Berlin can be visited year round. Berlin does appeal to me more than Krakow, but given the time of year, I'll see if I can travel to Krakow on this trip to London.

brattahlid

go to krakow. thanks to the big brother from bonn berlin is just a next western city. go to krakow and experience some eastern europe

Palenque

You cannot go wrong with either place

Fadoinka

My vote is for Krakow. Great city with plenty to keep you busy for 4 days. You could even take a daytrip/overnight to Zakopane...a lovely mountain resort town.

Berlin has more than enough to keep you busy for 4 days also, BUT things will be a lot cheaper in Poland!

You've already seen a few cities in Germany. Spread your wings and go to Krakow. I think you'll love it!

Nepenthe

For those who have been to Krakow, is there a language barrier? I have never traveled to any eastern European countries, and think I would struggle with even basic phrases in Polish. Krakow sounds like a wonderful place to explore, assuming I could figure out the communication portion.

fricka

I would choose Berlin over Krakow. I didn't find Berlin expensive, in fact, Berlin is very reasonable. Krakow oozes with charm, but Berlin crackles with energy.

lincasanova

Berlin seems to be the Manhattan of Europe.It was once the largest building site, now taken over by Dubai, of course.

Living is very reasonable with excellent transportation, inexpensive food comparatively, many sights old and new, lots of museum, concerts and cultural events to choose from daily. Water plays a large role in its life. It has more canals than Venice!

Krakow seems to have been kept back a bit in time. Lots of fun, small young-entrepeneur owned eateries, trying to provide for the huge influx of tourists, a few museums, more low key, some cultural events, but not an abundance.

I like them both, but being so different, the vibe is, also, in each one. I do believe the sooner you go to Krakow the better, as it will undoubtedly transform over the years, hopefully not losing its inherent charm.

I was in Krakow 5 or 6 years ago and found enough English speakers to get by. I assume that can only improve in the tourist industry.

panecott

I don't speak any Polish, and am really not familiar with pronunciation, but I got by with a Polish phrase book. There is not a great deal of English spoken, but the people were really very lovely and helpful, even when communicating with sign language. If worse comes to worst, you can just point to the word or phrase in the book.

I went to Auschwitz on my own, by train from Krakow, and then a few stops on the bus from the train station. All I knew how to say was "Mu-zay-um Oz-vin-chim" (phonetic) and it got me my RT train ticket, and when I got on the local bus and said it to the driver, everyone on the bus chimed in to point out directions, and tell me the stop. Language is really no problem at all.

annhig

hi, RJames,

we just got back from Krakow and went to Berlin 3 years ago. they are quite different in the way explained above - Berlin is effectively a 2 capital cities with all that that implies; Krakow has a wealth of old buildings with many musems and churches, but not the endless attractions of Berlin.

but if the language is detering you don't let it - we found that in touristy places, english was widely and well-spoken, a little english was spoken in most places, and our very few words of polish were greeted with delight when we tried them out. in 4 days you could see most of what there is there; in Berlin, you would hardly have scraped the surface.

also, it was pretty cheap. but then, so is Berlin, compared to most other places in the euro-zone.

regards, ann