If you know Emily from Facebook in the local Krakow groups- then you know me! I’ve been working on this website off and on for a decade now; and I just realized today that I am answering the same questions over and over again in the local Krakow Facebook groups- but I don’t have them here on my website. Scroll down to see the answers for the most frequently asked questions about Krakow or click to jump ahead to the one you need!
What is the weather like in Krakow?
Who should I book Auschwitz with?
Help! My Auschwitz tour was cancelled- what do I do now?
Should I book restaurants in Krakow before I come?
How much money should I bring?
Should I have cash or card in Krakow?
Can I use my card in Krakow? Or I have to have cash?
What is the weather like in Krakow?
You will want to pack as many layers as possible- as the weather is very dynamic. I live here and there is no way for me to know better than you what the weather will be because we are often surprised ourselves. The weather in Krakow lately has been rather unpredictable. Sometimes it changes the night before drastically, and we wake up feeling like we’re in the wrong season.
So in addition to having some layered options with you- you’ll want to bring gear for if it rains. You don’t need to go crazy but having a cheap poncho or umbrella just in case can be really helpful. So can having an extra pair of socks in your bag for if you step in a puddle or it rains hard enough your shoes are soaked through. Remember you’ll be walking most places so you’ll need attire to be wearing outside that you can remove once you are inside.
These are the average high and low temperatures we see now in each month. Fahrenheit is the first column and Celsius is the second. Again these are averages, and we have seen extreme above and below average days all year. February 2024 was unreasonably mild. March had some very very warm days- as did April, but we’re in a cold snap once again. So like I said- it’s unpredictable.
November 44° / 31° 7° / 0°
December 37° / 24° 3° / -4°
January 34° / 21° 1° / -6°
February 37° / 23° 3° / -5°
March 47° / 30° 8° / -1°
April 57° / 37° 14° / 3°
May 67° / 46° 20° / 8°
June 72° / 52° 22° / 11°
July 75° / 55° 24° / 13°
August 75° / 54° 24° / 12°
September 66° / 47° 19° / 8°
October 56° / 39° 13° / 4°
How do I get to Auschwitz?
There are several different ways to get to Auschwitz. And DIscoverCracow has a nice article about it; as does VisitKrakow. Both articles mention the most important thing about traveling between Krakow and Auschwitz, and that’s that Auschwitz in Polish is Oświęcim. So if you are using any sort of booking platform for trains or buses, because you want to get there using public transportation- then knowing that is of utmost importance. Because the train and bus station for Auschwitz is actually called Oświęcim. Now what are all the different ways you can get to the concentration camp? See them listed below:
- You can drive there or take an Uber/Bolt- but that’s probably the most complicated way unless you’ve already got a car with you. (in this case you should try to pre-book your entry tickets from Auschwitz directly. If they are sold out you can try to get there early enough to get a ticket at the door).
- You can hire a private operator that gets your tickets and provides private transfer to the site
- You can hire a private operator to just give you a ride if you’ve already got tickets pre-purchased directly from the museum.
- You can take a bus from the Main Station in Krakow called Dworzec Głowny to the Main Bus Station just in front of Auschwitz called Oświęcim. You can buy tickets from the BUS station ticket booth. (in this case you should try to pre-book your entry tickets from Auschwitz directly. If they are sold out you can try to get there early enough to get a ticket at the door).
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You can take the train from Krakow Głowny to Oświęcim. We like to use the Koleo app to book train tickets. (in this case you should try to pre-book your entry tickets from Auschwitz directly. If they are sold out you can try to get there early enough to get a ticket at the door).
Who should I book Auschwitz with?
The only guaranteed booking is the one made directly with the museum at visit.auschwitz.org. This means you are guaranteed to get in with the ticket you’ve purchased; however, you will have to figure out how to get yourself to Auschwitz. My personal opinion is that the trains and buses are easy enough that this is your best option; especially because it means your trip will not get cancelled.
If you can avoid it- DO NOT BOOK with third-party platforms like Viator, TripAdvisor, or GetYourGuide. Not only do these platforms’ operators frequently cancel their trips (using made up reasons about state visits to the camp) but the platforms themselves take 30-40% commission from the tour guides. Meaning you are paying way more to cover those fees, or your tourguide is getting paid way less than they deserved because of these fees. Either way these third-party platforms are never better than booking direct.
So who are some reputable people you can get in touch with for day trips outside of Krakow? You can send Tony Ryan a WhatsApp at +48 666 300 803 or get in touch with Michal Krupa at https://www.auschwitzsaltmine.co.uk. There is also Thousand Miles, Mr. Shuttle, and PolandisBeautiful Cracow Tours. All of which have people that would be happy to help you with any trip you might need outside the city.
Help! My Auschwitz tour was cancelled- what do I do now?
First check and make sure there aren’t any tickets still left from the museum directly at visit.auschwitz.org if they have none then you can try to book on with another operator by checking pricing and availability for example with Tony Ryan by WhatsApp at +48 666 300 803 or with Michal Krupa by contacting him through his website https://www.auschwitzsaltmine.co.uk or you can try to get in touch with operators like Mr. Shuttle, Hello Cracow, Thousand Miles (links to all their sites in the question above). It might be to last minute for them. So there are three other options:
- Get up early and go on your own to try to get a ticket at the door with one of the first groups of the day. (How to get their on your own is answered above).
- Wait and go later in the day so you arrive a little after 4pm and try to get in on an unguided ticket. They may have more of these available than the guided ones so the chance of getting in might be higher but we’re not sure about this theory.
- Skip Auschwitz altogether and go to the self-guided tour of Muzeum KL Plaszow instead. This was the concentration camp physically located in the city of Krakow and they just opened a new self-guided walk there.
Should I book restaurants in Krakow before I come?
If there is a specific restaurant that you want to go to, you should see if they take reservations. Because while many restaurants allow you to just walk in; and some even require you to queue as they don’t take bookings; there are many that will fill up and not allow anyone in without a reservation. So if you’re okay being turned away- then don’t worry about pre-booking. But if you’d be really bummed out if they don’t let you in, you should book it.
How much money should I bring?
The money question is interesting, because there’s really no way to give you a proper answer. It really depends on your level of consumption- specifically alcohol and food. If you are going to just eat light snacks throughout the day and maybe one solid meal, the cost of the day will be completely different from someone who is going to eat 3 sit-down meals in one day. And of course you need to decide how much of a budget you want to give yourself for shopping. Some people buy a magnet, and some people hit up all our malls and go home with a whole new wardrobe. But some more information to help you budget:
- Beers will be 7zl at the cheapest places, 15-18zl at the majority of places, and 24zl+ at the fancier locations. I would price shots about the same.
- A sit down meal is going to be 18zl-34zl at a Milk Bar like cafeteria or convenience store, 34zl-80zl at the majority of places, and over 100zl at a fancier place. That is a per person price.
- Your museum tickets are going to range from 15zl to 40zl per person.
- Trams will take about 4zl per person every time you get on one. Bolts and Ubers will be at least double/triple that.
- You can do a pay what you want tour and that’s up to you (for example Krakow Explorers Free Walking Tours) or do a golf cart buggy thats about 100zl per person, more if you have less than 4 people in your group.
So I would write down your itinerary and budget it out accordingly that way.
Should I have cash or card in Krakow?
This is something you need to think about. First you need to check with your banks and see if you have a card available to you already that will be free of foreign transactions. If you already have a card like this- that will probably be what you want to use the majority of the time. But if you’re someone without a lot of cards, or someone who uses only cash at home, it may be more comfortable to just convert over your money.
If you are going to get cash in Krakow be very careful. Some of the Kantors have terrible rates. Remember the rate you see out front is not the “BUY” rate usually. It’s the “SELL” rate. If the “SELL” rate for GBP is 5.2 that means that they will sell you 1gbp for every 5.20pln you give them. The “BUY” rate is what you need to know. The Kantor is going to buy your GBP or USD or EUR and give you a rate for PLN. Be very careful that you don’t confuse these numbers. And before you hand your money over- always ask, “If I give you 100[insert currency] how many złoty/PLN will you give me in return. If the number they say is close to that day’s rate according to Google- then you hand over the money.
Can I use my card in Krakow? Or do I have to have cash?
In almost all situations you can use your credit or debit card. But I would highly recommend getting in touch with your various banks to make sure that whatever card you are going to use will not charge you foreign transaction fees. Most of the time when you run a card abroad it will ask you if you want your card run in local currency or your home currency- it is usually better to run it in the local currency if you’ve got a good card.
Now- what might you need cash for? Some tour operators only take cash transactions, but many will accept other currencies, so you can always ask that in advance if needed. You may need it for tipping. For example, the walking tours we offer, are pay-what-you-want so having some cash on hand is useful. Sometime local markets (especially flea markets or produce markets) will be cash only. And every once in a while you find a restaurant that doesn’t accept cards. Our advice- always have a bit with you just in case, but not too much if you’ve got a way to withdrawal it later when necessary.