10 ESSENTIAL TIPS FOR TRAVELING TO KRAKOW

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With this selection of Essential travel tips for Krakow We want to help you as much as possible to organize your trip to one of the most amazing and charming cities in Poland, which we are sure, will conquer you.
With a historic story center, where you can not miss the famous Market Square and Wawel Castle, a Jewish Quarter in which to go back in time or green spaces like Planty as well as essential excursions such as the Auschwitz Concentration Camp -Birkenau and the Wieliczka salt mines, Krakow is a sure hit.

Based on our visit to Krakow in 5 days, we leave you what are for us 10 essential tips for a trip to Krakow. We start!

1. What is the best time?

Although any time could be good for travel to Krakow, it is important to pay special attention to the weather, if you want to enjoy the city to the fullest, with enough hours of light and a pleasant temperature.

High season (from May to September): these months are the most suitable for a trip to Krakow or any other place in Poland since the weather is usually quite mild and pleasant temperatures.
Mid season (March, April and October): Although it is not considered the best time to travel, it is true that it is usually good weather and the best, the city is not usually so crowded.
Low season (from November to February): during the winter months the weather is usually cold and the weather is quite gray, so it is not usually the time chosen by travelers, except for Christmas dates, which are lived with special interest in the city .

Do not forget that if your trip coincides with the high season or during holidays, it is highly recommended to book well in advance, both accommodation and transportation and flights, to have options to choose from and find more adjusted prices.

2. Entry requirements

If you have Spanish nationality or are a citizen of the EU (European Union), to enter Krakow, you will only need to have your ID or passport. If you have another nationality, we recommend you visit the website of the Embassy or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to have all the information.

Apart from the ID and passport, it is highly recommended not to forget the European Health Card to travel to Krakow as it is essential to receive medical assistance if necessary.
In case you don't have it or want to have it included extra services As a repatriation or assistance in the best medical centers, it is highly advisable to hire better travel insurance for Europe.

We always travel insured with Mondo, with whom we carry a totally adequate insurance to the needs that we will have on the trip. Hiring your insurance here with Mondo, just for being a Street Travelers reader, you have a 5% discount.

3. Security in Krakow

We can say that it is totally safe to travel to Krakow, although as in any destination, it is important to take certain precautions and also travel with common sense. This is especially important in busy stations or places, where it is advisable not to lose sight of your belongings or leave valuable things in sight.

In addition to this, it is highly recommended to upload to the cloud, before the trip, a copy of your important personal documentation (ID, Passport, travel insurance policy or driver's license) so that in case of loss or theft, you can make any procedure quickly.

Travel to Krakow

4. Money exchange

Another important thing to keep in mind before travel to Krakow is that Poland, despite belonging to the EU (European Union), does not have the euro as its currency, złoty (PLN) being its currency, with an approximate conversion of 1 euro = 4.37 zloty.
Although in some very specific cases, they can accept euros, it is essential to have local currency and for this, we recommend you to pay as much as possible with a card and take out directly from the ATM in order to have the best exchange and save the abusive commissions of banks and exchange agencies

We, after many trips, recommend using the N26 card to pay and the Bnext and Revolut cards to get money at the ATMs. They are the ones we use, They are free and will save you a lot.
You can find more information in this article about the best cards to travel without commissions.

In addition to the BNEXT and the N26, in Krakow it is necessary to carry cash to be able to pay in small shops that do not accept cards or for tips.

Krakow

5. How to start the trip to Krakow?

The first and most important thing is to decide the time you want to travel to Krakow Then start looking for flights to the capital, with any airline, including low cost currently landing in the city.
To do this search we recommend this flight search engine with which you can find the best deals at the best prices.
Once you have resolved this point, the next step will be to reserve the accommodation, especially if your trip is in high season or coincides with a holiday or weekend. For this we recommend using this hotel search in Krakow, which we are sure, will offer you the best results at the best prices.
We stayed at the Logos hotel, a few meters from the Market Square and we could not have chosen better: spacious rooms, with all the comforts, quality wifi, breakfast included in the room price, a perfect value for money and also, very central.

If you are going to be in the city for several days, in addition to the recommended routes, we recommend you to take an excursion or tour in both the city and the surrounding area, to learn more about the history and above all, get a more global idea of the city.
You can see all the tours and excursions in Krakow here besides making the reservation directly and check the transfers to / from the airport here.

Krakow

6. Krakow route

Main objective of the majority of tourists who make a trip to Poland, Krakow is a city that surprises, catches and shrinks the heart in equal parts, due to its painful history. Despite that, we believe it is essential to know and taste it little by little, to be able to find those nuances that make this one of the most fascinating cities in the world.
To know the city, we always recommend travel to Krakow a minimum of 4-5 days, time that will also allow you to enjoy and know some places in the surroundings such as the Wieliczka Salt Mines and the Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp, considered as two of the best tours and excursions in Krakow.

Among the hundreds of places that you can see in the city, we recommend you to follow this list of places to visit in Krakow as well as enjoy all the things to do in Krakow most recommended.

And of course, in addition to following these lists, we recommend you take a look at these personalized guides for days, with which you can know all the interesting places of the city:

Apart from these guides, it is highly recommended, if you want to get to know the city and its history to the fullest, book this Free tour of Krakow! Free!, Considered as one of the best free tours in Krakow, this guided tour of Krakow or this Visit guided by the Schindler factory, all with a guide in Spanish.

7. Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp

Auschwitz-Birkenau was opened to the public in 1979 with the sole objective that this place serve as a souvenir of all the victims of one of the most brutal barbaries in history as well as showing in a transparent way the reality of the Nazi regime and what this He made in the world, killing between 1940 and 1945, more than one million innocent people, between 1940 and 1045, for reasons of race, religion or politics.
And although we know that visit the Nazi death camp in Auschwitz-Birkenau to the travel to Krakow It is not a pleasant experience for anyone or a tour that no traveler is willing to do, at the same time we also believe that it is something necessary to understand the history of the city and above all, become aware of the barbarism that was committed during that dark time of our history.

You can visit Auschwitz from Krakow perfectly for free, by rental car or taking a bus, although after our experience and above all, taking into account that the visit to the concentration camp can only be done free of charge before 10am and after from 16pm, after enduring a long line, in which you can even run out of seats, we recommend you to opt for the organized option, so as not to worry about transportation and also to know the history of a guide in Spanish .

Remember that demand is very high in high season or on weekends so it is highly recommended to book in advance. You have the following options to do it in an organized way:

For more information you can consult this post on how to go from Krakow to Auschwitz.

Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp

8. Visit the Wieliczka Salt Mine

Another of the most demanded excursions when traveling to Krakow is the impressive Wieliczka Salt Mine, which was declared a World Heritage Site in 1978. In these mines, considered the oldest in Europe, you can visit a network of galleries and tunnels to 300 meters underground, in addition to some rooms that we are safe, will leave you speechless, such as the impressive Chapel of St. Kinga, an impressive room completely decorated in salt.
Keep in mind that the visit to the Wieliczka Salt Mines can only be done in a guided way and even if it is so many meters underground, the galleries and rooms are quite spacious so it is not overwhelming at any time.

The trip to the Salt Mines from Krakow can be done perfectly by free, taking the local bus 304 at the Krakowska Gallery stop, but we have to say that after our experience, and especially if you want to save time and know the history and Anecdotes with a guide in Spanish, it is best to opt for the organized option.

As in the Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp, if you are going to visit the Wieliczka Salt Mine in high season or weekend, it is highly recommended to book in advance. You have the following options to do it in an organized way:

Wieliczka salt mines

9. Gastronomy in Krakow

It is not exactly easy to make a compilation of Krakow gastronomy dishes, since there are hundreds of options, but we want to leave you a selection of some of the ones we believe, they are the best known in addition to a selection of restaurants we tried during our stay in the city, so that at travel to KrakowTo, you can have a complete experience, which also includes its gastronomy.

Pierogi: This is probably Poland's best known dish. They are a kind of small dumplings, with different fillings, which are boiled. In a way they reminded us of gyozas and momos.
Zapiekanka: baguette to which any ingredient you can imagine is added.
Pyzy: potato fritters stuffed with onion and bacon. Exquisite!
Gulash: stew that is made with meat, potatoes and vegetables. Perfect for cold winter days.
Kielbasa: sausages that are served with a side dish of potatoes or vegetables.
Borsch: beet soup.

Goulash

10. Recommended restaurants in Krakow

In addition to the wide range of restaurants, they are very famous both in Poland and in Krakow, the "milk restaurants"Restaurants that serve dishes and menus of Polish cuisine at very tight prices and that can be easily identified by having the word on their posters"pod"We recommend you, when traveling to Krakow, at least try one of them.

Zarowka Coffee: If you want to enjoy a snack, coffee or some light dish, you cannot miss this restaurant in Krakow, located on Florianska Street, which is one of the most charming places in Krakow. We ordered a homemade lemonade, an iced coffee and a cake for 29PLN, which we have to say, they were great.

Bianca Restaurant: In case you feel like changing a bit of gastronomy, we cannot help recommending this Italian restaurant, in the middle of the Market Square, where we order a soup of the day, mushroom gutters, ravioli, beer and water and dessert for 116PLN. Both the top quality product and the unbeatable service made this one of the memorable dinners of the trip to Krakow in 5 days.

E. Wedel Chocolate Lounge: If you like chocolate you can not stop approaching this well-known place, famous for its chocolate and located in the Market Square. We ordered a glass of cold chocolate with banana ice cream, an assortment of chocolates and two coffees for 48PLN.

Nago Sushi Sake: If you are going to travel to Krakow for many days, you may get tired of Polish cuisine. If you like Japanese cuisine you can not miss a visit to this restaurant, number 1 in the city.
We ordered a tuna tartare plus three varieties of special rolls, water and beer for 185PLN. Delicious everything we have eaten and a perfect option if you like Japanese cuisine.

Szal coffee: One of the visits that you can not miss in the Market Square is this cafe, where you can access from the gallery that is just below and that is a restaurant-cafeteria, with an incredible terrace with stunning views of the square.
We ordered a mocha coffee, with caramel and ice cream, plus a mango lassi, all for 30PLN, which we enjoyed in front of incredible views.

How extra At the recommendation of Café Szal, we have to say that we returned again at night, another highly recommended time to come for a drink, since with the views of the Market Square illuminated, the experience is magical.

Cyclop Pizza: If you like pizza, you can't miss this place, one of the most recommended in Krakow. We ordered a pizza and a plate of pasta plus lemonade from the house, beer and dessert for 96PLN. All excellent and with an atmosphere and service of 10.

Starka restaurant: On your tour of the Jewish Quarter in Krakow, you cannot miss lunch or dinner at this restaurant, an entire institution in Krakow, where we ordered a sirloin and a duck, more water, soft drinks, dessert and two coffees for 141PLN.

Przystanek Pierogarnia: Traveling to Krakow and not trying the pierogi is like not having come. If you want to confirm that you have been in the city, you can not stop coming to this restaurant, an entire Pierogi institution in Krakow.
Keep in mind that inside it only has a couple of small bars with stools and two smaller ones and it is usually full, so it is worth coming to very early or like us, after three in the afternoon, when it is already more clear Another option is to ask to take and eat it in a park bench.
We ordered a pierogi mix for 8,50PLN which is a plate with 9 varied pieces and another one for sweet pierogi, for 8,50PLN, also varied but sweet varieties, more water and pepsi for 22PLN.

Przystanek Pierogarnia on a trip to Krakow

Our experience in 99.9% of the restaurants and cafes in Krakow has been exceptional, both in the product and in the service, something that we have to say has pleasantly surprised us and is another of the strong points of the city.
You can expand the information by reading this post about restaurants where to eat in Krakow cheap.

More tips for traveling to Krakow

Other of the best tips for a trip to Krakow They are:

Remember that the official language of Poland is Polish although perfect English is spoken, especially in most tourist places.
Although moving around the city and orienting yourself is not difficult, we advise you to take an online or offline GPS like Maps.me, with which you will surely travel the city in the easiest way.
In case you want to take the opportunity to make a route through Poland, the rental car is one of the best options if you want to know places further away from the main cities, but if your route includes only the most important cities in the country, you can move perfectly by train or bus. You can see all the options and make reservations from here.
You can consult much more information in the post 10 essential tips for traveling to Poland.
In Poland the common voltage is 230V, the frequency 50Hz and the plugs are of type E, the same as in Spain.

Do you want to travel to Krakow?
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