Auschwitz

Mmmm, well that sort of thing happens worldwide. Much the same as we have national English newspapers in the UK that are printed in Polish. It doesn't bother me - should it?? I think not.

Hi Everyone,

I am a young aussie heading over to europe in summer next year. I have been considering visiting Auschwitcz for a few years now and have been researching the best way to do it!

For those of you who have been, do you think it is best to go as part of a day tour with a guide? If so, do you have any advice on the best tours?

Yes, it is best to go around the camp with a guided group.
However, as far as I could see, guides work at the camp, not for outside tour companies.
In our case, if I remember rightly, last year we took our hotel's modest tour bus from Krakow to Auschwitcz, then you were free to take a guided tour or wander round. You can make your own way there by car or public transport.
You pay your admission and for a tour, then a number of you go with the next available guide.

As I said, our guide was a young local woman, and she was excellent. It was also impossible not to notice the groups of German schoolchildren on educational tours.

excellent! So the tour is included in the admission to the camp.

I have done some researching and have found quite a few companies that offer to pick you up and take you out there with a tour, but by the sounds of it making our own way there and using one of the camps guides sounds cheaper and BETTER!

It was also impossible not to notice the groups of German schoolchildren on educational tours.

Poor kids! They start to get indoctrinated so early. No wonder they'll be fed up with all these by the time they grow up and put pig's head on the gate of the Jewish cemetery! ;-)

I'm wondering how many American schoolchildren are taken to Hiroshima or Dresden!

That's the misery and total outcome to war - I suppose. The arguing still goes on as to who, why etc.... Over 60 years later.

excellent! So the tour is included in the admission to the camp
Not exactly - if I remember correctly, you can get general admission and wander around, or get admission + tour.
There are some signs and boards of explanation, but I really think you need a guided tour.

I really just wanna wander around on my own. Is that possible?? Don't care what time of year - or what time of day. Or is it like the Acropolis (Parthenon) in Athens?? How disappointing that was.

Yes that's probably the best way to go about it as you need time on your own to reflect on what you are seeing and experiencing...

Some info that will help you get the most out of your day...

The entry DOESN'T include the guided tour it just gives you entance to the compound...make sure you pick up the excellent leaflet which will give you the information you need to make your own tour...also find out when you arrive what time the next showing of the short Soviet Army made film of the discovery of the camp is at (it's shown at approx 1 or 2 hour intervals) and make sure you get to see it...the cafe on your right as you enter the camp is the only one there or at Birkenau so as it's a long day there I'd advise you to eat early as you need a bit of sustenance to keep you going all day...there are mini-buses from Auschwitz to Birkenau every hour from the car-park at the entrance so make a note of the times to get you over to BRK (they were on the half-hour eg 2.30, 3.30 etc when I was there 5 years ago and on the hour returning from BRK eg 4.00, 5.00 etc)...

In my opinion, it's a bit of a waste if you don't go over to BRK as you won't understand the scale of what occurred there if you don't...finally don't take the train from Krakow to Auschwitz as the train station is approx 5km from the camp...private mini-buses are the quickest and cheapest option, there and back...

You can take a guided tour and still walk around on your own afterward - that's what we did.