About Krakow

Krakow is the capital of Malopolskie Voivodeship, large academic and cultural centre and is one of the most visited cities in Poland. There are numerous historical monuments, good hotels, restaurants and recreational opportunities. The most significant sites (and the symbols of Krakow) are: the Wawel Castle, main Market Square with Sukiennice Cloth Hall and St. Mary's Basilica, Barbican and old Jewish quarter, Kazimierz. Krakow's historic center is on the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Krakow is located in the southern part of Poland, on the Vistula River (Polish name: Wisla), in a valley at the foot of the Carpathian Mountains, 219 m (719 ft) above sea level; half way between the Jurassic Rock Upland (Polish: Jura Krakowsko-Czestochowska) to the north, and the Tatra Mountains 100 km (62 mi) to the south, constituting the natural border with Slovakia and the Czech Republic; 230 km (143 mi) west from the border with Ukraine.

Travel by plane

Krakow has its own airport, named after the Pope, John Paul II.
For latest information on flights and connections please visit the website of the Krakow Airport.

The airport is located about 20 km from the city centre. You can reach centre by:

• Quick railway line - the fastest way to reach the city centre (around 15 minutes).
  The fare is 9 PLN (2 €) (luggage: free of charge) and tickets can be purchased:
  • in passenger terminal - arrivals hall, level 0 (ticket machine)
  • at train station (ticket machine)
  • in train (ticket machine or train conductor on board)
  The Krakow-Balice train station is located in the rear of parking lot situated opposite passenger terminal. The direct transition to the train station is located on the level 1 of the passenger terminal (see maps below). The train leaves every 30 minutes, 17 and 47 minutes after each hour.
• Taxi from the airport. Prices are flat, 29-129 PLN (7-32 €), depending on the distance. Price to the city centre is usually between 69-89 PLN (17-22 €).
  Details can be found at Krakow Airport official carrier website.
• Public bus number: 208, 292, or the night bus 902 (the regular fare is 4.00 PLN (1 €)).
  Tickets can be purchased from:
  • the ticket machine at the passenger terminal - arrivals hall, level 0
  • the ticket machine at the bus stop (payment in cash or with credit/debit card)
  • the authorized ticket machines found on 292 line buses (payment in cash – coins only)
  • the bus driver, in case of lack or failure of ticket machine (single tickets only, payment in cash - the exact amount of money).
  The ticket must be validated after boarding the bus.
  Bus line 208 goes directly to the Conference Venue (bus stop "Kawiory").

Passenger terminal and surrounding area maps (click to englare):

Travel by train

Krakow is one of Poland's main railroad intersection. Its central station Krakow Glowny is situated in the city centre, close to the Old Town historic district.
The detailed information is available at the Polish State Railways website.

Travel by car

There are no vignettes in Poland. Only certain stretches of motorways are paid in a way toll gates, mostly in cash (in PLN, but also € and USD are commonly accepted). Be noted that the credit card are not accepted at some gates.

Motorways toll sections in Poland:

• A1 Gdansk - Torun (entire section fee - 29.99 PLN)
• A2 Swiecko (border crossing with Germany) - Konin (entire section fee - 69 PLN)
• A2 Konin - Strykow (entire section fee - 9.99 PLN)
• A4 Wroclaw - Gliwice (Sosnica) (entire section fee - 16.20 PLN)
• A4 Katowice - Krakow (entire section fee - 20 PLN)

All other motorways (not listed above) and all other roads in Poland are free for passenger cars. In case you come by car you may plan your trip with viamichelin.com. Most of the Krakow city center is a paid parking zone. For more information please visit the Practical Informations section.