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Get around Cracow Print E-mail
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The first thing to do is buy a map. All bookshops, kiosks and newsagents stock them, and they cost 6-10PLN. This will show you roads, and bus and tram routes.

By foot
Depending on your level of fitness, you can see the whole of the city centre without needing any transport. There are some beautiful walking routes, especially through the Planty. For walking, try the Royal way or the garden that surrounds the city all the way to Florian's gate. It is very relaxing. There is also a well taken care garden around the castle just to stroll around.

Transport :-)

Public transportation
During the day, there is an excellent (but remember, you can spend A LOT of time in trafic jams) system of public transport in Krakow, covered by trams and buses. The rush hours are mostly between 7-8am and 3-5pm.

Buy tickets before you get on board - ticket inspectors are fairly common, and though the fines are not steep, they are not worth the hassle. Single, one-hour, daily, weekly and monthly tickets are available, and can be bought from newsagents and kiosks. For single tickets, as soon as you get on, punch the ticket in the machine. A ticket must be punched, or it is not valid. Daily tickets and one-hour tickets need to be punched the first time you get on, but do not do it again after that. Do not punch weekly and monthly tickets.

Ticket prices: single 2.50PLN, one-hour 3.10PLN, daily 10.40 PLN. For single and one-hour ticket you also need extra 2.50PLN ticket if you travel with big luggage - most turists get fined for forgetting that. During the night, single and one-hour ticket prices are doubled.

Tram and bus stops show routes, and most kiosks will be able to advise you on route numbers.

By car
Don't bother driving in the city centre. There's often a lot of traffic, parking spaces are scarce and can be expensive, and Polish driving takes a lot of getting used to. There are also rules around local 'driving zones' that confuse even long time residents. The taxis are cheap, and it makes more sense to use them.

Taxis are always plentiful, and a journey in the middle of the night from one end of the city to the other should cost no more than 50PLN. During the day most fares will be around 10PLN. All taxis should have a 'Taxi' sign on the roof, and a sticker on the rear passenger window with prices. There is an initial charge of 5PLN, plus 2ZLN per kilometre.

There are instances where drivers will overcharge tourists, especially those who don't speak Polish. Check on a map in advance how much it should be, and if it goes much above that, debate the price.

By bicycle
Another option is to hire a bicycle. It is easy to get around the centre on two wheels, as there are special bike lanes everywhere - including through the 'Planty' that surrounds the Old Town. One cheap place to rent from is in Kazimierz by the Old Synagogue. It costs around 20PLN per day, with a small deposit - much cheaper than those in the centre.




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