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Krakow’s Varied Means of
Transportation
With most landmarks within easy walking distance
from one another, the best way to enjoy old
Krakow is on foot. The more so that
the bulk of the city’s
historic area has been turned into a pedestrian
precinct (click to see a map). But you can
also roam the Old Town and Kazimierz
historic districts driven in a horse cab, an electric cart with
a taped guide, or an old-fashioned
horse-drawn 'omnibus' (a charabanc). One
may also take a tour of Krakow in a
double-decker bus.
Public Transport in
Krakow
Getting around in Krakow is
pretty easy. There is no subway
in Krakow, nonetheless that nearly million city
has a fairly dense public transport system which
consists of tramways and bus lines that a municipal
company operates and a number of private-owned
minibus fleets. And some suburbanites commute by
local trains.
One-way
ticket for a municipal bus or a streetcar is 2.5 zloty (an equivalent of roughly
0.85 euro). You can buy it
at every newsstand, from ticket machines at tram stops
in the downtown, or from the driver with small
surcharge. Immediately after
boarding you should put the ticket yourself through the
ticket puncher and keep it till you get out. An
hourly ticket allowing for changing lines is 3.1 zloty. The cost
of a 24-hour unlimited-travel pass for all municipal buses and
streetcars has been set at 10.4 zloty, while its 48-hour
equivalent at 18.8 zloty, and a 72-hour one at 25 zloty. A
seven-day pass costs 38 zloties, and a monthly one is 94
zloties. Price of a single ticket for a night bus or
tram is five zlotys.
Minibuses
run by independent companies don't accept the municipal
tickets, the fare - usually two zlotys - to be paid on
boarding to the driver.
Krakow's
Taxi Cabs
Taxicabs
are plentiful and relatively cheap in Krakow – within the city boundaries the fare
should not exceed 30 euro (in the daytime on a weekday). And you can dial roughly
twenty different taxi telephone centers, each
with its own fleet. Do not expect an English
speaker on the other end of the phone line but a cab will
arrive in few minutes to your address if you
manage to give one.
Note:
taxi fares have been freed in Krakow from January 1, 2008 and
they may vary widely from cab to cab. Rates per kilometer and
other charges should be displayed clearly on doors of all
taxis so it's advisable to check them in advance, as it's
always prudent to watch the taximeter.
Driving
Car in Krakow
Krakow is a
modern and busy city of considerable size, so the
rush-hour traffic jams have become common,
nevertheless there seems to be much less
congestion here than in most cities in the world.
Yet the acute shortage of parking space in
downtown Krakow (click here to see
map)
is most unnerving to drivers, with parking lots
rather expensive (euro 2 to 4 for an hour) and
insufficient. And although parking in the streets
in the very city center is paid as well in the daytime – to the tune of
one euro an hour or so – it
is hard to find a free place to leave your car.
See
more about driving car in Krakow
Krakow
Commuter Tips
- Rather than cruising
streets Krakow's taxies wait for cargo to find them at numerous
taxi stands scattered throughout city.
But you may hail one if it happens to
pass by you.
- Watch the taximeter. Fares
per one kilometer should be displayed in
the window of the right-hand rear door.
- Beware of pickpockets in
buses and streetcars more than anywhere
else.
- If possible leave your car
at the hotel parking lot and take bus or
taxi instead. For one thing, it is
difficult to find a place in downtown
Krakow to park; for another, driving
after drinking as little as one beer is
an offense in Poland.
- You need special tickets to
park your car in the street in the very
city center (so-called Zone C)
between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. on weekdays.
Purchase them from the maintenance staff (the men wear
bright garments emblazoned with the 'OBSLUGA STREFY'
caption) or in the nearest newsstand, next mark with pen the current date and time,
and leave one for every hour of parking
behind the windshield. You may also buy tickets for
parking from machines installed at tram stops. Please note that parking is restricted
to two hours in one place.
- Horse cabs practically
throughout the year and electric carts from springtime
through autumn wait for you in the
central Rynek Glowny (Grand
Square).
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Travel
to Krakow
Over four million visitors show up
in Krakow every year. Many arrive by air, but
most take advantage of the fact that Krakow lies
at a major European road and rail junction.
Krakow
tours and day-trips
Pleasure
rides in Krakow
Driving
Car in Krakow
Parking zones and parking lots in
the city center.
Krakow
Old Town Historical District
Poland's prime tourist attraction and a
must-see in Central Europe boasts numerous
world-class monuments, charming vistas,
delightful atmosphere, and the best restaurants.
In
the proximity of Krakow
Krakow is Poland's tourist mecca, and
also a gateway to many other must-see sites in
the region.
Map
of the Main Roads in Krakow
City
of Krakow map
Map
of the Old Town Historic District
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