Heading to Krakow

fabvinny

hi folks,myself and a few buddies heading to krakow in february,i have seen the reviews here already but they are a bit old. hoping to go to aushwitz and the salt mines,any other recommendations? would appreciate any advice on places to stay/eat/drink!
also what is best to do with the currency situation? bring it with or draw from ATM over there?
thanks

uck51js9zml2yt

We got an apartment not far from the main square a few years ago. Was reasonable.

Eat where the locals eat in the back streets. The main square is expensive.

You can change currency at the airport.
Hire a driver to pick you up. It's as cheap as a taxi maybe cheaper and less hassle.

grimm2005

I posted an accommodation recommendation in another thread which was pretty long so I'll just paste it back in here:

I highly recommend Mosquito hostel. I went here on my first solo trip, nervous as hell and it turned out to be the best decision I made. The staff are really friendly and get to know everyone personally. The common room is small enough that you will definitely get chatting to others. They have social events set up every night such as drinking games, shisha and other stuff and they make a huge effort to get everyone together for this. Around 11pm they take everyone out on a free pub crawl, so whether you're looking for a night out or want to get to bed early enough it suits everybody, they also buy shots for everyone on the pub crawl.

Free breakfasts and dinners everyday also. There's no bar but they encourage everyone to go to the mini-market opposite the hostel and buy some drinks and bring them to the common room. This is better imo as it's much cheaper, it's basically pre-drinking before heading out and they've always got something fun lined up for the evening.

Facility wise it's grand too. Everything's clean, good showers, plugs and light by every bed, massive lockers, comfy beds. They also have organised tours with a tour company to Auschwitz and also to the salt mines. They are around €30 each and this includes return transport from the front door of the hostel. They can also organise a fixed taxi fare to pick you up to or from the airport. Location wise, it's about a 5min walk to the main square and around a 10min walk to the main train station. There's also a tram stop right outside the door.

I picked this hostel based on the fact it was rated No.5 best small hostel in the world at the 2014 Hoscars and I would say that's fairly accurate. I made a lot of great friends here and my trip to Krakow really revolved around this place hence my glowing recommendation! Definitely the best hostel I've stayed in.

As for what else to do, there are a couple of free walking tours of two different areas of the city which are worth doing as they give you a nice overview of the city. Definitely worth checking out Wawel Castle (one of the walking tours ends here), and the dragon statue outside that breathes flames intermittently, and Schindler's Factory is also meant to be well worth a look, although I didn't manage to see it on my trip. As for food, there's a Polish chain restaurant called Pod Wawelem that gives you huge portions and huge beers and the food is very nice and it's pretty cheap too, there's at least one of them in Krakow. Enjoy! It's a great city!

spurious

From a PM, I sent someone else recently:

Food-wise, there's all sorts of places on the Main square, from fast food to Mexican, pizzas to typical Polish, to chains like the Hard Rock cafe etc. The chain places will not be cheap. There are some really cheap places for Polish food.

Here's one actually owned by an Irish guy who has lived in Krakow for years.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Milkbar-Tomasza/298550616857031
He took the idea of an old Polish 'milk bar' which were places like cheap canteens in the Soviet days, cleaned them up a bit and continues the good prices and value. You might not eat there every day but it's worth a visit.

Likewise for a once off, if you wanted a treat (and would pay Irish prices for it) there is the restaurant at the Hotel Pod Roza on Florianska Street (just off the main square). It's the sort of food and service would cost you an absolute fortune in Ireland, but is lovely for a once off and compared to what you would pay for similar here, very good value.
http://www.podroza.hotel.com.pl/rose_en/RESTAURANTS/POD_RoZA_RESTAURANT

Cheap (but very good) Polish food you can get at Kuchnia u Doroty on Augustianska street in the Jewish quarter.
http://www.tripadvisor.ie/Restaurant_Review-g274772-d1993331-Reviews-Kuchnia_u_Doroty-Krakow_Lesser_Poland_Province_Southern_Poland.html

Don't miss the chocolate lounge Wedel's - again on the Main Square - such naughtiness.
http://www.wedelpijalnie.pl/en

Make sure you get to go to Schindler's factory. If you do the Auschwitz trip with Adam**, he will probably also bring you to a railway siding where people were also brought apart from the siding in Birkenau.

The mines, if you get a chance are also worth a visit.

**If you want the contact details for a very reliable taximan, please PM.

Hotel Kazimierz is always good value - in the Jewish quarter on Miodowa.

Canyon86

you ll love it there, what a great city,

very safe city, very cheap also, you cant spend your money!

300euro spending would easily do ye!!

grimm2005

Canyon86 wrote: »

you ll love it there, what a great city,

very safe city, very cheap also, you cant spend your money!

300euro spending would easily do ye!!

So true! I spent a week between Krakow and Warsaw and on my first night in Krakow, I had my wallet pick pocketed (completely my own fault, I left the pub crawl to get home early for a tour in the morning, was drunk in the square by myself at 1am in full tourist mode), and I had €300 wired to me and it lasted me the 6 remaining days including paying for my accommodation in Warsaw, even had money left to spend in the airport!

gaillimh

grimm2005 wrote: »

So true! I spent a week between Krakow and Warsaw and on my first night in Krakow, I had my wallet pick pocketed (completely my own fault, I left the pub crawl to get home early for a tour in the morning, was drunk in the square by myself at 1am in full tourist mode), and I had €300 wired to me and it lasted me the 6 remaining days including paying for my accommodation in Warsaw, even had money left to spend in the airport!

Was there in February a few years back.lovely city.
We gave Auschwitz a miss as it was so cold.honestly walking outside for more than ten mins was difficult.
Minus 17 Celsius

fabvinny

gaillimh wrote: »

Was there in February a few years back.lovely city.
We gave Auschwitz a miss as it was so cold.honestly walking outside for more than ten mins was difficult.
Minus 17 Celsius

-17!!! Sweet Jesus!! Hip flask needed me thinks!!

fabvinny

gaillimh wrote: »

Was there in February a few years back.lovely city.
We gave Auschwitz a miss as it was so cold.honestly walking outside for more than ten mins was difficult.
Minus 17 Celsius

-17!!! Sweet Jesus!! Hip flask needed me thinks!!

spurious

fabvinny wrote: »

-17!!! Sweet Jesus!! Hip flask needed me thinks!!

They know how to cope with it though. All the paths will be swept etc.

carolinespring

Was thinking of booking 3/4 nights the first week on January as a Christmas present for my husband. Do you think it would be to cold?

Would of course like to see all the sights, including Auschwitz. We do have thermal vests, leggings but no and can layer up with warm jackets but we don't have any snow boots or the likes. Don't want to be miserable and not able to go outside walking. Can't go later in the spring due to work

What do you think guys? Should I book the tickets?

uck51js9zml2yt

carolinespring wrote: »

Was thinking of booking 3/4 nights the first week on January as a Christmas present for my husband. Do you think it would be to cold?

Would of course like to see all the sights, including Auschwitz. We do have thermal vests, leggings but no and can layer up with warm jackets but we don't have any snow boots or the likes. Don't want to be miserable and not able to go outside walking. Can't go later in the spring due to work

What do you think guys? Should I book the tickets?

Book them but buy some boots.
Check lidl and aldi for any ski gear.
Base Layer gloves and hat minimum though I went over one year in Jan. It was +13 C.

grimm2005

gaillimh wrote: »

Was there in February a few years back.lovely city.
We gave Auschwitz a miss as it was so cold.honestly walking outside for more than ten mins was difficult.
Minus 17 Celsius

That's funny, it was also February when I went (albeit this year) and I found it grand, did Auschwitz and the rest, no problem at all, didn't find it that much colder then Ireland tbh, perhaps it was just a colder then average winter when you were there? Also, I don't really mind the cold, I can deal with slightly colder then here, its the rain that really gets to me, cos it really stops from doing a lot of outdoor stuff.

hawkwind23

go for at least 4 days.
Consider a trip to Zakopane , only about a fiver return on the bus.
Nowa Huta tour is something a bit different and very interesting.
Wadowice if your into Pope JP

daithi55

for best exchange rates change your money in the local kantor shops best rates by far the airport in krakow isnt as good... lovely city and ye will have a great time

Parchment

I wouldnt go walking around the city in snow boots! Poles keep it warm yet stylish at all times!

fabvinny

anyone been to a shooting range in krakow by any chance??

RebelButtMunch

daithi55 wrote: »

for best exchange rates change your money in the local kantor shops best rates by far the airport in krakow isnt as good... lovely city and ye will have a great time

Would it be a good rate at the ATM's in the aiport there?

daithi55

RebelButtMunch wrote: »

Would it be a good rate at the ATM's in the aiport there?

its not to bad i think
i go there twice a year and always bring cash
the rate at the kantor last week was 4.25

whenever i have used my card theres fees from BOI for changing from zloty to euro
but if you top up your credit card before you go theres no charges from what im aware check your bank just incase

spurious

As above. The airport ATMs are a little more expensive, but you're talking pennies. I usually get my zlotych from an ATM.

The Kantors are good for changing money. I've always found good rates at the one on Slawkowska - north east corner of the Rynek, but unless you're changing massive amounts they are much of a muchness. AFAIK today's rate is about 431zl to 100euro.

daithi55

i do be out in the sticks and its easier find a kantor than an atm lol