Krakow in February

boris232

Have a chance to take a 5 day trip to Krakow in February next with my wife.

Just wondering if anyone else has been over there at that time of the year and is it worth going. Fearful that a lot of places could be still closed for the winter.

Thanks

spurious

Very little will be closed, if anything. Nice time of year to go. Cold, but they know how to deal with cold. Going myself in a couple of weeks.

zweton

going for may bank hol wknd, can you recommend a decent hotel?

spurious

If you're on a budget, Hotel Kazimierz or Hotel Rezydent are ones I have stayed in and been very pleased with. Rezydent is a couple of doors from the Square (Rynek) and the Kazimierz is about 20 minutes walk from the Rynek, along the Royal Mile, just a bit past Wawel Castle, in the old Jewish quarter.

Hotel Kazimierz II is a sister hotel of the Kazimierz and is also in the Jewish section. I know friends found it good too.

I have also stayed in the Radisson which is lovely but sort of soulless and quite a bit more expensive than the others.

I have also taken a group of kids to stay in Brama Hostel which is very cheap but also centrally located.

Maire2009

Everything is really nearby in Krakow - I stayed out by the station and it was only a 10min walk to the main square.

Trip to Saltmines and Auschwitz would be a must for most people. Zakopane just outside Krakow is meant to be absolutely amazing as well if you get time to go there, I've not been myself yet but so many people rave about it. If you are into mountains and snow etc., at that time of year.

hawkwind23

zakopane is well worth a stop over , around a tenner return and a 2 hour coach ride.
some excellent restaurants and general wooden housey tourism.
get the kaspowry cable car , top of the tatra mountain range
Krakow is beautiful but the mountains are better

zweton

i will be there for 7 days,would ye recommend staying in zakopane for a night or two?

hawkwind23

at least two days.

heres a great website with loads of accommodation and info

http://www.discoverzakopane.com/it.html

zweton

great thanks, one thing i forgot to mention is we wont be going skiing while there. Would you still recommend it based on this? Just had a look at hotels there and they seem quite reasonable.

Brinimartini

zweton wrote: »

going for may bank hol wknd, can you recommend a decent hotel?

The Hotel Kossak is lovely and just a walk from the oldtown and every room seems to have a smashing
View of the castle across the river.
I'd go back there in the morning.
Also, try to visit the salt mine at Wielicze or Auschwitz.

hawkwind23

its not a skiing destination , but there are a few hills around the town where you can ski.
so not skiing wont be a problem at all
prices are very reasonable for sure , if you can stretch to a cosy wooden cottage.
meal in a quality restaurant is around £8 for 3 courses.
pint is around £1.20

zweton

wow thats cheap, just booked flights there. very excited,have you a link for the cottages you mention?

hawkwind23

most accomodation will be in the traditional highlander style.

try

http://www.booking.com/hotel/pl/gaoralskie-domki-javorina.en-gb.html

or search bambi residence

or for hotels , the litwor or crocus although not sure how expensive they would be

another native

I stayed in Krakow for the first week last October. Booked an apartment for two, which I saw on booking.com. I rarely book hotels anymore, as I love the freedom that comes with apartment living. Generally works out cheaper too! February is more often than not a pretty cold month there.

McAo

Stayed in Hotel Rubenstein in August, it was very nice and reasonably priced although does not live up to the images on the website. It is in the Jewish quarter where I would highly recommend staying if you are interested in culture and history. Krakow is a fantastic city and the Jewish quarter is both melancholy and beautiful at the same time. Auschwitz and the Salt mines are essential excursions but be prepared for Auschwitz, it is a powerfully emotive trip. The castle is lovely also and there are many lovely old churches and synagogues to visit. 3 days is probably enough to see everything in the city.

zweton

ended up booking this place for krakow, seems nice.

http://www.apartmentsapart.com/europe/poland/krakow/apartments/detail/23717#pricecalc

spurious

Nice choice. You'll have a great time.
I'm here at the moment with my nephew, staying very close to your apartment.
Super foggy yesterday which made our visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau even more eerie. I had not been to the Oscar Schindler factory since it was renovated but it is a very impressive and partly interactive experience. Well worth spending a couple of hours visiting it.

I had never been to Krakow in the slack season tourism-wise but it's really very pleasant. No crowds, even at Auschwitz. Almost everything is available in terms of day-trips etc. and lots of place have offers on.

zweton

Im going may bank hol wknd, i believe its a bank hol there too so maybe not so many offers. I was in krakow before and absolutely loved it, just a really cool atmosphere. Going to do zakopane for 2 nights also but have not booked anywhere there yet.

Should Have Done Arts

im going there soon.

Any one go shooting or on the bar crawl?

grimm2005

going to Krakow myself near the end of February, will be there for around 3 full days and a half day. Planning on a trip to Auschwitz and the salt mines on 2 of the days. Any other top recommendations?

Also have yet to book accommodation but will be slumming it in a dorm style hostel room (have never done this before but figure it's time to try things outside my comfort zone, plus it's pretty damn cheap!). Would ideally like to keep it at 6 - 8 person room max. Will be going on my own so would like somewhere that's easy to meet people for nights out etc. and also security such as good lockers would be a must. Anyone recommend somewhere?

spurious

The Oskar Schindler Factory is well worth a visit. It's a kind of educational experience rather than just looking at exhibits.


Tom Naughton's (yes he's Irish) Milk Bar is well worth a visit - good food at cheap prices. He's been in Krakow years and previously had a bar on the same street.

Kuchnia u Doroty on Augustianska down just past Wawel is a good spot for cheap Polish style nosh - hearty grub.

sandy_c

We just returned from krakow last weekend. We had a great time! The weather had been similar to ours up until the weekend we arrived, it then snowed and temperatures plummeted!

We did auschwitz on the first full day, it was an experience! Truly shocking, it was -14 not sure the windchill but my god it was cold. Make sure that you being plenty of layers! Thermals would be a great idea. My husband ended up wearing all the clothes he brought for the weekend!

Eating and drinking was so cheap! We ate here twice - http://www.podwawelem.eu/

Recommend the bigos, galonka Hungarian style and the pierogi (potato and cheese). 8 of us had dinner here, we all had starters, mains and a few deserts. The lads had a couple of litre glasses of beer and a few glasses of wine, worked out less than 20 euros each.

We learned that most starters are very large so I'd recommend sharing! The mains are also huge. You won't go hungry!

Enjoy your trip! We'll definitely be back but maybe at a slightly warmer part of the year!

spurious

Podwawelem a nice spot. We were there a couple of weeks ago and had the Schitzel offer - about 4 euro, but look at the size of it.

We couldn't finish ours.

If you like fancy nosh at prices you could only dream about in Dublin, the Hotel Pod Roza on Florianska, just off the main square, has a posh dinner that works out at about 50 euro each.
http://www.podroza.hotel.com.pl/rose_en/_POD_RoZA_RESTAURANT_MENU
Mad prices for Krakow, but much less than you'd pay for similar in Dublin. Worth it to have desserts that look like this:

grimm2005

Great suggestions, thanks folks! I'm aware of how cheap everything is since I was over in Warsaw a few months ago and was pretty taken aback by how cheap everything was! Certainly won't be skimping on anything that's for sure!

Should Have Done Arts

Are taxis from the airport a rip off?

boris232

Absolutely - 50 zlotys each person (roughly €12.50 each) whereas 4 zlotys for the bus to the city centre.

Get the bus but make certain you have coinage before going to the machine as they are as finicky as they come. Bus journey takes a good bit longer through the suburbs but as least you get to see a bit of the city.

The taxi drivers tend to hound you as soon as you walk out of the airport and even at the bus stop.

Should Have Done Arts

And is the bus fair from the Airport...

Any other scams worth noting?

boris232

D

boris232

Not sure what you mean by fair but the bus journey is at most 40-45 mins.

Regarding other scams I have been told that some of the organised tours are well overpriced, other good value so watch out.

Still overall it is a lovely relaxing city and there is good value to be got over there.

Should Have Done Arts

boris232 wrote: »

Not sure what you mean by fair but the bus journey is at most 40-45 mins.

Regarding other scams I have been told that some of the organised tours are well overpriced, other good value so watch out.

Still overall it is a lovely relaxing city and there is good value to be got over there.

Oh I ment is the bus stop far from the airport..


I was booking a day tour for the concentration camp and the saltmines 57e pp (228 zolty) is that reasonable

zweton

i am going over the end of the month and got quoted 230 zl, i would say thats about average.

Maire2009

zweton wrote: »

i am going over the end of the month and got quoted 230 zl, i would say thats about average.

Are you going solo or with a group?

I went last year and we ordered a private taxi, cost us 320zl for the day, so worked out 160zl each but if we had more with us would have been cheaper. Think they take up to 4 people. Taxi collected us at hotel, took us to Auschwitz, then to Birkeanu and then back to Krakow, wherever we wanted to go, so we got dropped off at Schindler's factory. Worth it to pay an extra few bob for a bit of comfort unless on a tight budget.

It's 40zl for a guided tour of Auschwitz.

grimm2005

Hostel I stayed in did an arranged taxi pickup from the airport for 80zl (or €20) for 1 - 4 people. I was on my own but I got it anyway as the train is under construction till next year and I was arriving in the evening and couldn't be bothered walking to bus stops/going through suburbs etc. Figured it was worth it since everything else is pretty damn cheap in the city.

€60 seems like a lot for the tours tbh, again the hostel I stayed in did arranged tours (not organised by the hostel themselves as they picked up at numerous hostels/hotels but payment/logistics through them). It was 115zl for Auschwitz and 125zl for salt mines or about €30 each and even then I was told before I left by people that had been before that that was pricey enough compared to doing it by yourself (again I wasn't arsed messing about with trains/buses as that seemed pretty reasonable for tours that lasted several hours each). Price included pickup to/from hostel and a guide on both tours. Auschwitz included a documentary on the drive over as well as dropping us the Birkeanau after Auschwitz I. I don't know what the name of the tour company was but you should definitely shop around it they are quoting you €60.

EDIT: This was the company that ran the tours: http://mcit-tours.co.uk/ Slightly more expensive on the website but only by 10 - 15zl which is a pittance anyway.

spurious

Should Have Done Arts wrote: »

And is the bus fair from the Airport...

Any other scams worth noting?

Make sure any taxi you use (if you do use them) is a proper taxi. A favourite spot for the fake taxis to hang out is across from the train station. They will have signs saying 'Taxxi' or 'Taxii' or something similar, but they are not registered. The real taxi rank near the train station is through the large shopping centre next to it.

50 zl per person for a taxi from the airport is very poor. I use the same guy every time I go over, and he charges us 80 zl for a car load of four.

Unfortunately the airport trains are not running again until Summer 2015 or so, due to upgrading - they were a handy alternative.

zweton

Maire2009 wrote: »

Are you going solo or with a group?

I went last year and we ordered a private taxi, cost us 320zl for the day, so worked out 160zl each but if we had more with us would have been cheaper. Think they take up to 4 people. Taxi collected us at hotel, took us to Auschwitz, then to Birkeanu and then back to Krakow, wherever we wanted to go, so we got dropped off at Schindler's factory. Worth it to pay an extra few bob for a bit of comfort unless on a tight budget.

It's 40zl for a guided tour of Auschwitz.

going over with the missus, cant wait i was there before love krakow theres something very special about it.
just googling to see if theres anything else to do there, may take a trip to zakopane too its looks too nice to miss out on. Im there the bank hol wknd and its bank hol there in krakow too so should be well busy.

Maire2009

zweton wrote: »

going over with the missus, cant wait i was there before love krakow theres something very special about it.
just googling to see if theres anything else to do there, may take a trip to zakopane too its looks too nice to miss out on. Im there the bank hol wknd and its bank hol there in krakow too so should be well busy.

I was there for 3 days last year (was in Lodz as well) - did the Saltmines, Auschwitz, the castle, Jewish Quarter etc., etc., so much to do there. Zakopane looks so beautiful - will definitely head there for a long weekend at some stage.

Have a great time.

zweton

Thanks Maire. Actually can anyone recommend some good restaurants in Krakow.

Should Have Done Arts

Or a good place for breakfast

Should Have Done Arts

Or a good place for breakfast

spurious

Tom Naughton's Bar Mleczny on Sw. Tomasza do a nice breakfast.
Facebook link

zweton

anywhere over there ya can get a decent aul fry:D

uck51js9zml2yt

Don't eat in the main square.. It's expensive but there is a tea rooms in the middle that brings you back to the 1940s. Really nice place and worth a cup of coffee.

alwayswright

Any other tips for Krakow? Travelling next week however I have no tours booked, would it be simple/affordable enough to organise them out there?

uck51js9zml2yt

alwayswright wrote: »

Any other tips for Krakow? Travelling next week however I have no tours booked, would it be simple/affordable enough to organise them out there?

Book them directly with the company's..

czechlin

I was in Krakow last year and absolutely loved it, I really want go back as we didn't have much time for all the sightseeing.
Food was fantastic wherever we went but we became very fond of those places:

http://www.miodiwino.pl/en/
http://miodmalina.pl/en

We've eaten in the first restaurant twice and once in the other. It was very affordable, food incredibly tasty and portions were massive. They both are close to the main square (on either side of it).

We rented an apartment in an old building, which was really charming. The apartment itself was quite basic but well maintained and clean. We didn't spend much time in there anyway. Used to go for breakfast into a restaurant called Stare Mury in Pijarska street.

As for sightseeing we only managed to visit Wawel castle and took a trip to Wieliczka salt mine (http://www.wieliczka-saltmine.com), which I can recommend. We booked the tour when in Krakow with one of the companies. It was reasonably priced and well organised.

zweton

great stuff, must check out these places for food so. going next week for 7 days. staying here

http://www.apartmentsapart.com/europe/poland/krakow/apartments/detail/23717

czechlin

zweton wrote: »

great stuff, must check out these places for food so. going next week for 7 days. staying here

http://www.apartmentsapart.com/europe/poland/krakow/apartments/detail/23717

That looks fab! Great location too. Have a ball and let us know how did you get on!

uck51js9zml2yt

If you're doing autszwich bring a packed lunch and water with you. You'll get a break between camps but not long enough to sit down in the cafe.
You'll also need a few zloty for the toilet.
And Wear comfortable shoes.

zweton

Just wondering for anyone who has travelled there already, did you change your money here or wait until you got to krakow?

uck51js9zml2yt

zweton wrote: »

Just wondering for anyone who has travelled there already, did you change your money here or wait until you got to krakow?

You can change money at the airport there. Rates are standard. Just as you go out of departures in front of you to the left if I remember.

grimm2005

zweton wrote: »

Just wondering for anyone who has travelled there already, did you change your money here or wait until you got to krakow?

I just used my ATM card at the airport and took out what I thought would be enough to keep me going.