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The great thing about Kraków is that almost all you need is at hand, conveniently squeezed into the compact area of the Old Town. Even consulates, which normally prefer quiet, residential districts outside central areas, have gathered right in the heart of the historic quarter.
The Old Town, about 800m (2640ft) wide and 1200m (4000ft) long, has the Main Market Sq in the middle, and is encircled by the green park of the Planty, which was once a moat. On the southern tip of the Old Town sits Wawel Castle, and further south the district of Kazimierz stretches out.
The bus and train stations - where you're most likely to arrive - are next to each other on the northeastern rim of the Old Town. Rynek Główny, the heart of the city, is about 600m (2000ft) from the station. Balice Airport, also known as John Paul II International Airport, is 12km (7.5mi) west of the city centre, to which it is linked by a regular bus service.
Getting There
Kraków has direct flight connections with Frankfurt/Main, London, Paris, Rome, Vienna and Chicago.
The central train station, Kraków Główny, on the northeastern outskirts of the Old Town, handles all international and most domestic trains. The only other station of any significance is Kraków Płaszów, 4km (2.5mi) southeast of the city centre, which operates some trains that don't call at Kraków Główny. Local trains between the two stations run every 15 to 30 minutes. There are good daily train services to major destinations throughout the country. Internationally, there are one or two direct trains daily to Berlin, Bratislava, Bucharest, Budapest, Hamburg, Kyiv, Odesa, Prague and Vienna.
The PKS bus terminal is next to Kraków Główny train station. Bus services serve the entire country and many international destinations, including Amsterdam, London, Munich, Paris, Riga, Rome and Vienna.
Getting Around
Most tourist attractions are in the Old Town or within easy walking distance, so you won't need buses or trams unless you're staying outside the centre. Kraków is served by both buses and trams, which run between and . Some night buses run later. Bus 208 links the airport with the Old Town and the railway station.
With limited parking, and with much of the Old Town a car-free zone, having a car may be more of a hindrance than a help. If you are travelling by car, the major route into the city is the A4 toll road. The Old Town is closed to traffic, except for access to two guarded car parks on Plac Szczepański and Plac Św Ducha - the most convenient places to park, if you can find space. If not, use one of the guarded car parks in the surrounding area.
Within Poland, the only flights from here are to Warsaw, but you can get there much more cheaply, centre-to-centre, by train.
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