Getting to Kraków |
It is convenient to come to Kraków by airplane. Kraków International Airport Balice have connections with several European airports (e.g. Frankfurt, London, Paris, Rome, Warsaw, Vienna, Zurich, check the LOT flight schedule for details). From Balice you can reach the conference place by taxi in 15 minutes. From the city center a local bus or a taxi can be used. The fast bus "D" crosses the town passing by the city center and the main railway station "Kraków Glówny", the bus No. 152 will take you to the Cracovia hotel in the center, the bus No. 208 has the last stop in front of the main railway station. If we know your arrival time in advance we will try to provide you transportation to the conference place.
It is also possible to arrive to the Katowice Airport (about 150 km from Kraków).
A convenient connection is also through the Warsaw Airport Okecie. There are a number of direct connections from Europe (check the LOT flight schedule again). From the airport one has to take a taxi (20 minutes), public bus No. 175 or private airport bus to reach in approx. 30 minutes the train station "Warszawa Centralna". In the Warsaw Airport, do NOT accept offers of a ride. If you want to take a taxi, go up to the airport departure section and get an arriving taxi with a phone number on the top. Also, you can try to order a taxi by phone, call e.g. 919, 9622, or 9661. Do NOT take a taxi from the arrival level. Pay-phone tokens or phone cards can be purchased at the Post Office at the upper (departure) level. If you want to go sightseeing in Warsaw, leave your luggage first in a locker at the railway station.
From the train station in Warsaw there are a number of express and IC trains to Kraków (2 hours and a half travel, consult Warszawa-Kraków train timetable). A price of the ticket to Kraków ranges from 20 up to 35 zl for the second class place, depending on the train type. For the first class one has to pay 50% more. Please note that some fast trains are as fast as Ex and IC trains, but nearly two times cheaper. As there are sometimes long queues in the station it is a good idea to buy a train ticket in advance in the airport Orbis office. It is also possible to buy a ticket from the conductor - then you have to pay about 3 zl more. In Kraków you disembark the train in the main station KRAKÓW GLOWNY (the only station for IC and Ex trains).
Please, be careful with your luggage and money in the train station and (!) in the train. There exist organized groups stealing things and money.
There exist bus connections to most large cities in Europe. They are much cheaper than a train or a plane (price range 300 - 500 zl for the round trip ticket), but it usually takes some 20 - 30 hours to reach Kraków. The buses belong to small companies, we can try to provide the respective information to the interested people.
Also possible. The road conditions are not very good; in particular, be careful of potholes in the roads. There are only a few short expressways in Poland. Exceeding the speed limit - 60 km/h in towns, 90 in the road, 110 in the highway - may be expensive (50 - 300 zl).
In the case you seek a possibility to buy a cheap flight ticket you can consult the “DANA” travel office in the Jagiellonian University in Kraków. They usually can offer cheaper tickets than the rate you have to pay directly to the airline. The office offers tickets from respectable air carriers, the airline will provide you a ticket in your country. To contact the office you can use E-mail: dana-air@adm.uj.edu.pl or Fax : (+48-12) 21-68-44