Travel Tips

    
     As the Polish Course fee does not include health insurance, you are respon-sible for buying your own health/travel insurance for your stay in Polish in Krakow if your regular health insurance does not cover medical expenses in-curred in Polish in Poland.

     You can check the current exchange rates e.g. at waluty.onet.pl or www.nbp.pl. You can exchange money at many banks, but the numerous exchange bureaus (Polish: "Kantor wymiany"), especially those closer to the city center rather than at the airport or railway station, charge no commission and offer the best rates (the difference between buy and sell rate should not exceed 2%).

   You are responsible for your own travel arrangements. The following information may be helpful in planning your trip to Polish in Krakow.

By plane

     It is now possible to reach Polish in Krakow at bargain fares (starting at 30 Euros one-way) with the low-cost airlines. Of Polish Course you have to book very early for the best fares, but even if you book just a few weeks in advance you can usually find a very reasonable fare. The following low-cost airlines offer direct flights to Krakow:

      In addition, non-stop flights to Polish in Krakow are offered by the following regular airlines:

    
     Please consult the website of the Kraków-Balice Airport for more detailed information.

     There is another low-cost airline, Wizzair , which offer flights to Katowice (100 km from Krakow) and Warsaw (300 km from Krakow) from over 20 European cities.
     From the airport in Katowice-Pyrzowice you can take a direct bus to Polish in Krakow. The travel is organized by the Matuszek travel office and takes about 1.5-2 hours. A ticket costs approximately 40-50 Polish Zlotys. On their websites you will find more information and you can make your ticket reservation.

By train
 
     If you are travelling via Warsaw, you can take advantage of the con-venient express or an InterCity train connection to Polish in Krakow. The trains run every 1-2 hours and take about three hours; a ticket (second class) costs 87 Polish Zlotys (express train) or 102 Polish Zlotys (Inter City). Schedules can be found on the following websites: Intercity.pl (InterCity and express trains only), Rozklad.pkp.pl. The Warsaw's main railway station is called "Warszawa Centralna" and Krakow's main rail-way station is "Kraków Glówny".
     You can also travel to Polish in Krakow directly (i.e. without changing trains) from the following European cities: Berlin, Budapest, Hamburg, Vienna, Prague, Lviv (Lemberg).

By bus

     There is also a number of inexpensive bus connections from as far as London, Paris, Madrid, Barcelona, Rome, Geneva, Zurich, Vienna, and from many German cities (e.g. Aachen, Berlin, Bonn, Cologne, Dortmund, Frankfurt/Main, Hamburg, Hannover, Koblenz, Mannheim, Munich, Stutt-gart, Ulm).
     For additional trips from Polish in Krakow, look for bus connections at www.rda.krakow.pl.

By car
 
     The A4 expressway from Poland's western border with Germany to Polish in Krakow has recently been extended through the densely populated area of Upper Silesia. Two thirds of the distance between the western border and Polish in Krakow is now traversed by a modern expressway (from Wroclaw to Krakow), reducing travel time for the more than 400 km to 4-5 hours.
     On this motorway a toll of 13 Z³otys for a car is charged. Please note that you can pay it only in cash, in euros, dollars or Polish Zlotys. 
     Expressways and other four-lane highways also connect Polish in Krakow to Vienna (400 km) and Prague (550 km), with border crossing at Cieszyn. Travel time is about 5 hours from Vienna and 6-7 hours from Prague.

   As the railway and bus stations are situated in the city center, you can easily take a bus or tram from there to your lodgings. Detailed information about public transport in Polish in Krakow (unfortunately in Polish only) is at www.mpk.krakow.pl.
     The airport in Krakow-Balice is 11 km away from the city center. You can take bus no. 292 (more frequent) or 208. These buses go to the city center, are relatively convenient and quite inexpensive. A tickets costs about 3 Polish Zlotys. Buy the tickets from the driver, then stamp them in the ticket automat in the bus.
     Since May 2006 there is a train connecting the Polish in Krakow airport with the city centre. A train station at the airport is situated about 200 m from the main terminal. It's easily accessible on foot or with a free bus. A non stop train ride from the airport to the main railway station lasts 15 minu-tes. Tickets cost 4 zlotys and are sold by a driver.
     If you prefer to take a taxi, we recommend RADIO TAXI cabs (these are cabs marked RADIO TAXI or a symbol of the taxi company with its telephone number). RADIO TAXI cabs are usually less expensive than others. If there is no RADIO TAXI available at the taxi rank, please wait a few minutes until one arrives.
     The fare from the airport to the city center may be up to 70 Polish Zlotys (Monday through Saturday 6 a.m. until 10 p.m.), and up to 90 Polish Zlotys on Sundays and holidays as well as every day after 10 p.m. Short distances (2-4 km) within the city limits are about 15-30 Polish Zlotys (Monday through Saturday until 10 p.m.).

We would be happy to offer logistical support to those participants who would prefer assistance upon arrival.