Since low cost airlines started flying into and from Cracow there are more tourists coming than all the years before. Cracow is still not a major tourist destination, but gay accommodation is limited and we recommend to book early. Low cost airlines operating in Cracow are Centralwings www.centralwings.com (Flights from/to Bologna, Heraklion, London, Malaga, Rhodes, Rome); Skyeurope, www.skyeurope.com (Flights from/to Amsterdam, Athens, Barcelona, Birmingham, Brussels, Dublin, Dubrovnik, Edinburg, London, Manchester, Milan, Naples, Paris, Rome, Split, Torino); Easyjet www.easyjet.com (Flights from/to Berlin, Bristol, Dortmund, Liverpool, London); Germanwings www.germanwings.com (Flights from/to Cologne, Hamburg, Stuttgart); Wizz Air www.wizzair.com (See Website)
The Cracow-Balice International Airport is Cracow's airport, located in Balice, ulica Medweckiego1, phone: 411 19 55
The LOT Airport Office is reachable by phone: 422 42 15
Web site: http://www.lotnisko-balice.pl.
SAS - ulica Medweckiego 1, phone: 285 50 08
Swissair, ulica Basztowa 15, phone: 630 52 68
Austrian Airlines, ulica Krakowska 41, phone: 429 66 66
British Airways, ulica Sw. Tomasza 25, phone: 422 86 21
LOT Polish Airlines, ulica Basztowa 15, Free phone: 0 801 300 952 (information & reservation)
Entry & Visa & Custom
In every case ask the Polish Embassy in your country to verify the latest requirements re garding visas ! It depends on your citizenship how you can cross the border of Poland.
No visa requiered: The list below indicates all countries where Poland has a non visa agreement. If you hold the citizenship of one of these countries you do not need to apply for a visa in advance. Just show your passport at the boarder (with some countries only your ID is requiered). The date indicates when the agreement came into force.
Andorra 08.04.1991 up to 90 days
Argentina 22.11.1990 up to 90 days
Austria 01.09.1991 up to 90 days
Belarus 13.12.1979 (tourist trips passport & voucher; private trips passport and invitation; business trips passport with 'ab' stamp.)
Belgium 08.04.1991 up to 90 days
Bolivia 29.04.1994 up to 90 days
Brazil 14.07.1999 up to 90 days
Bulgaria 08.06.1965 up to 30 days
Chile 24.02.1995 up to 90 days
Croatia 08.12.1992 up to 90 days
Costa Rica 08.07.1992 up to 90 days
Cuba 27.01.1979 up to 90 days
Cyprus 27.10.1992 up to 90 days
Czech Republic 28.05.1991 up to 90 days
Denmark 01.03.1991 up to 90 days
Ecuador 04.03.1999 up to 90 days
Estonia 26.02.1993 up to 30 days
Finland 01.05.1991 up to 90 days
France 08.04.1991 up to 90 days
Germany 08.04.1991 up to 90 days
Greece 24.06.1995 up to 90 days
Honduras 11.01.1994 up to 90 days
Hungary 08.10.1991 up to 90 days
Ireland 20.11.1992 up to 90 days
Island 01.07.1992 up to 90 days
Israel 29.12.1999 up to 90 days
Italy 08.04.1991 up to 90 days
Japan 14.02.1999 up to 90 days
Korea South 24.12.1993 up to 90 days
Latvia 17.12.1992 up to 90 days
Liechtenstein 03.09.1991 up to 90 days
Lithuania 07.05.1993 up to 90 days
Luxembourg 09.04.1991 up to 90 days
Macedonia 02.08.1963 up to 30 days
Malaysia 24.05.1998 up to 90 days
Malta 01.05.1991 up to 90 days
Mexico 08.06.1999 up to 90 days
Monaco 08.04.1991 up to 90 days
Netherlands 08.04.1991 up to 90 days
Nicaragua 10.02.1995 up to 90 days
Norway 15.04.1991 up to 90 days
Portugal 30.06.1993 up to 90 days
Rumania 28.06.1971 up to 30 days
Russia 13.12.1979 (tourist trips passport & voucher; private trips passport and invitation; business trips passport with 'ab' stamp.)
San Marino 18.01.1991 up to 90 days
Singapore 02.09.1999 up to 30 days
Slovakia 28.05.1991 up to 90 days
Slovenia 15.12.1992 up to 90 days
Spain 31.01.1994 up to 90 days
Sweden 01.06.1991 up to 90 days
Switzerland 03.09.1991 up to 90 days
Ukraine 17.08.1997 up to 90 days
United Kingdom 01.07.1992 up to 180 days
Uruguay 02.09.1991 up to 90 days
USA 15.04.1991 up to 90 days
A tourist visa is valid for the time listed. If you want to stay longer you have to apply for a visa before the period expires. Besides the paperwork (forms in Polish only), you'll need two photos, a passport that is valid at least 9 months and a good reason for staying. The cost varies depending on the type of visa you'd like. Apply at the Urzad Wojewodzki, Wydzial Spraw Obywatelskich, Oddzial d/s Cudzoziemcow (Phone +48 22 625 59 04) located on ulica Krucza 5/11.
Visa requiered You have to apply for a visa if you are a citizen of a country that is not listed above. Just contact the next Polish embassy for details re garding the procedure.
Airport Transfer
There is no Airport Shuttle. Use city bus # 192 to the centre of the city or call Radio taxi Barbakan - 96-61 or 501 13 96 61 or free number 0 800 400 400 (appr. 35 PLN). It takes about 35 minutes to go by taxi from the airport to the center of Cracow.
Trains
If you want to check the train schedules we recommend the huge online database at http://bahn.hafas.de/bin/query.exe/en - you'll find all schedules there.
The home page of the Polish Railway is at http://www.pkp.com.pl). Tickets can be purchased at the station (latest 10 minutes before train is departing) and for information you may call 422-41-82 or 94-36 (24 hours).
Most international trains arrive at the Main Railway Station: Krakow Glowny, pl. Kolejowy 1, The main hall is open daily from 5 am till 11 pm, Ticket sales in the underground is open 24 hours
Busses
Busses from abroad arrive and depart from the Main Bus Station - Dworzec Autobusowy Krakow, pl. Kolejowy 1, Tha main hall is sopen 24 hours, ticket sales from 7 am till 9 pm
For Bus-Information call: 93-16 (24 hours)
The International Bus Information is reachable Mondays to Fridays 9-18 and Saturdays & Sundays 9-14, phone: 423 16 76.
Speed limit in other urban areas is 60 km/per hour.
Speed limit outside urban areas is 90 km/per hour.
Speed limit on dual carriage ways is 110 km/per hour.
Speed limit on motor ways is 130 km/per hour.
Seat belts obligatory, Mobile Phone usage forbidden.
First aid kit & warning triangle & fire extinguisher obligatory.
Limit for alcohol is 0.2% blood/alcohol level.
Penalties are 70 PLN for missing seat belt, 100 PLN for mobile phone usage and 500 PLN for exceeding the speed limit.
Foreigners can drive with the licence of their home country up to six month after entering the country.
For road emergency call 981.
Parking meters are in the center of Cracow everywhere: The standard rate is 0.6 PLN for 30 minutes parking. 2 PLN for one hour. 4.60 PLN for two hours and 31.80 PLN for a whole day's parking. Mostly it's needed to pay only during the daytime: Mondays til Fridays from 8 am til 6 pm & Saturdays from 8 am til 3 pm. Sundays it's free all the day.
Left Luggage
Public left luggage facilities are located at the Main Railway & Bus Station.
Country Facts
Travel to Poland
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