Page 224 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Krakow

222  SUR VIV AL GUIDE

GETTING TO KRAKOW

Krakow has good connections with other Driving to Krakow is relatively easy and will
Polish and European cities. Direct air take you through some wonderful scenery,
routes serve John Paul II Airport from with plenty of roadside restaurants and
Warsaw as well as an ever-increasing petrol stations along the way. Krakow
number of European and American cities. has good, fast road connections if you are
There are direct trains from Berlin, Prague, approaching from the west. Road routes
Warsaw and other major Polish cities. from the north, south and east however
In addition, Krakow is served by intercity are not in such good condition, and
buses from a growing range of European journeys via these routes are generally
cities and from most cities in Poland itself. more time-consuming.

fly to Krakow from Gdańsk, There is a tourist information
Poznań and Szczecin. office in the international
There is another international arrivals hall, and car rental firms
airport about 110 km (68 miles) operate from their desks in
The logo of Polish Airlines northwest of Krakow at the nearby concourse area.
Katowice, which is served by
Arriving by Air
the budget airlines Wizz and
Krakow’s John Paul II Airport Ryanair as well as Lufthansa. Katowice Airport
at Balice is served by direct These airlines fly from numerous Katowice international airport is
flights from a large number European destinations, in located about 110 km (68 miles)
of European and Polish cities. particular from Eastern Europe. northwest of Krakow in
Travellers from other continents Pyrzowice. The airport has
will find that connections to John Paul II Airport two busy passenger terminals.
Krakow – usually involving Facilities include souvenir shops,
a change of plane in another Situated 15 km (9 miles) west money exchange, duty-free and
European city – are easy of the city centre, John Paul II a post office. Car rental outlets
to organize. Airport is modern, comfortable can be found on the ground
From the UK there’s a and easy to get around. floor in Terminal A.
choice of LOT Polish Airlines Although it has all the facilities
and British Airways flights that you would expect from an
from London Heathrow; international airport, including Tickets and Fares
Ryanair from East Midlands, cafés, restaurants, shops, Ticket prices vary enormously
Edinburgh, Leeds-Bradford, money exchange and ATMs, according to time of year and
Liverpool and London it is small, and doesn’t offer the how far in advance you book.
Stansted; easyJet from Belfast, variety found in larger airports. Peak periods such as Easter,
Bristol, Edinburgh, Liverpool The international terminal is June–August and the festive
and London Gatwick; and about 1 km (0.5 miles) away winter season are expensive
Jet2 from Newcastle. From from the domestic terminal. times to travel whichever airline
Ireland, Ryanair flies directly There is a regular shuttle bus you book with. In general,
from Dublin. that transports passengers tickets booked direct from the
Travellers from North between the two; the same airline’s website a month in
America will need to make bus also goes to the airport’s advance or earlier are cheaper
at least one stop en route. small railway station. than tickets booked through
LOT airlines fly from Chicago,
Toronto and New York to
Krakow with a transfer in
Warsaw. Lufthansa offer flights
from various North American
cities to Krakow with a change
of plane in either Frankfurt
or Munich. Visitors from
Australasia can choose
between one-stop flights via
a major European hub such
as London, or two-stop flights
with connections in Singapore
or Bangkok. LOT also operate
domestic flights to Krakow
from Warsaw; while Eurolot Krakow’s John Paul II Airport