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Our Guide to Krakow on a Budget
Our Guide to Krakow on a Budget
Research and Budgeting
Research and Budgeting
Starting your travel planning journey is like setting the stage for your next adventure. The process of researching our next trip never fails to fill me with excitement about the prospect of exploring new horizons and immersing ourselves in diverse cultures. Of course, there’s a practical aspect to travel planning too – creating an accurate budget. After all, you wouldn’t want to land in your dream destination only to discover that your wallet has fallen short.
Join us as we recount our recent adventure in Krakow, where we tracked all our expenditures along the way. Our aim is to provide you with valuable insights so you can maximise your budget to the fullest. We’ll guide you through the highlights of our trip and offer tips on how to trim expenses, while still indulging in unforgettable experiences in this city. Whether you’re a student traveller or simply someone on a mission to explore without breaking the bank, we’re here to demonstrate how to keep your budget intact. Remember, every pound saved brings you one step closer to your next adventure!
We opted for an extended weekend getaway, adding Monday and Tuesday to our trip. Over the course of 4 days and 3 nights, we spent £315 per person. You can find a detailed breakdown of our expenses in the table below. Be sure to explore each of our individual segments in the article for insights on how we achieved these prices and where you might find opportunities to save even more. We particularly believe that the spending on activities holds great potential for budget reduction. Instead of opting for a guided tour as we did, consider following our money-saving alternative for a Zakopane day trip.
Flights and Carbon Offsetting £57
Accommodation £63
Transport £4
Activities £112
Food £46
Airport transfers £33
£315
In today’s world, being mindful of the environment is crucial. That’s why we’ve started including flight carbon offsetting in our budget. We accomplished this through Sustainable Travel International, and it cost us £5.71 each for our return flights from London.
To keep our food costs low, we usually bring some meals with us. This time we packed breakfast and one meal a day, allowing us to sample the local food for either lunch or dinner every day.
And as usual, don’t forget to consider the cost of airport transfers. It cost us £26.95pp in train fare to get a return from our home to London Luton and £6.48pp to get a return from Krakow airport to the city centre.
Getting to Krakow
Getting to Krakow
1. Flights
We booked our flights to Krakow about 4 months in advance and were able to get them for £51.48pp from London Luton. It’s possible for us to travel in September, outside of the school holidays, which significantly lowered the cost of our flights.
If you’re not such a keen bean, and don’t usually book your holidays 4 months in advance like us, there is another money saving option. Most of the airlines have end of summer sales from the beginning of September onwards, so if you’re more of a last minute booker, you can still get cheap flights!
For people who are only able to travel during the school holidays, we recommend booking in advance for flights in July as you can find prices similar to those we paid. August prices, however, are about double what we paid, being £109pp so we would avoid travelling to Krakow in this month!
2. Public Transport
As Poland and especially Krakow are quite far to the east of Europe, public transport is a costly and a time consuming option from the UK.
The train route from London starts with the Eurostar from St Pancras International and involves 5 different changes! Each way will take you 18-19hrs and with the Eurostar leg already costing £121 each way, this is definitely not a money efficient option.
Flixbus (https://www.flixbus.co.uk/) offer a coach route with just one change in Brussels which takes 35hrs each way and costs £173pp return. Again, not a cheap or quick option.
You’ve probably guessed from the train and coach route examples above that we would definitely recommend taking a flight for this destination. As always, we do recommend carbon offsetting your flight using Sustainable Travel if it’s the lower carbon footprint aspect of public transport that attracts you to these options.
Getting Around in Krakow
Getting Around in Krakow
1. Airport Transfer
One of the first things you’ll need to master after you’ve made it through passport control is getting from the airport to the city centre. Upon arriving at Krakow Airport, just follow the clear signage for the train to the city centre, and after a short walk, you’ll find yourself on the platform.
Now, you’ll have a couple of options for purchasing your train ticket. There are ticket machines available on the platform, or you can opt for the convenience of buying your ticket onboard the train itself. The platform machines can be a bit slow, not helpful if you’re running on a tight schedule! Train staff also come around during the trip, so you can purchase your ticket from them if you prefer.
If you choose to use the ticket machine, here’s a quick guide:
Start by selecting the language option, found at the bottom of the screen, and switch to English for your convenience.
For your departure point, enter “Krakow Airport” or simply “Lotnisko.” If you’re using the train machine, you can select “departing on this train,” and it will autofill this information.
As for your destination station, choose “Krakow Główny” if you’re heading to the city centre. If you have another station in mind, feel free to select your preferred destination.
For a one-way journey, select the top option, which should display the price, 17zl (approximately £3.26). Keep in mind that there’s also a return option available if you know you’ll be heading back to the airport at the end of your visit.
While the train is a convenient and cost-effective choice, especially for getting to the city centre quickly, don’t forget that Krakow offers bus options as well. These might be more convenient if you plan to do some sightseeing on the way.
2. Walking
We recommend walking for your main mode of transport through the city centre and old town. When it comes to discovering the streets and the vibe of a city, nothing beats the simple pleasure of walking. Krakow old town is relatively compact, making it perfect for leisurely strolls that allow you to immerse yourself in its culture.
Unlike zooming past on a bus, walking grants you the opportunity to discover Krakow’s architecture at your own pace. And, as you amble along the cobbled and paved streets, your curiosity will naturally lead you to peek into the charming shops and cosy cafes that line your path. This is where the fun of exploration truly begins, we often stumble upon a new culinary delight or find a one-of-a-kind souvenir.
Walking comes with the added perk of being entirely budget-friendly. No need for tickets or fares; all you need is a comfortable pair of shoes and a sense of adventure. Krakow’s treasures are yours to explore without spending a penny.
3. Take the SKA1 train for the salt mines and Schindler’s factory
In order to make the most of your time in Krakow, we highly recommend combining your visits to the salt mines and Schindler’s Factory into a single day of exploration. Conveniently, both the salt mines and Schindler’s Factory are just a 5-minute stroll from the SKA1 train line, and they’re just 20 minutes apart by train.
We suggest starting your day with a visit to the salt mines. To reach them from the central station you’ll need to purchase a ticket, which costs 8zl per person. The salt mines offer luggage storage facilities, giving you the option to include this activity on your arrival or departure day, especially since the SKA1 train also connects to the airport.
The next leg of your journey will take you to Schindler’s Factory. The train ticket for this route costs 6.50zl per person when departing from the salt mines. Just like the salt mines, Schindler’s Factory also offers luggage storage facilities, making it hassle-free to explore on your travel days, if you wish to do so.
To end your day, simply hop on the train from Schindler’s Factory to the central station, priced at 5.50zl per person. This will bring you full circle, and from there, you can either continue your adventures or make your way to your accommodation.
Accommodation
Accommodation
Hostel
The cheapest accommodation option that we found was for hostels slightly outside of the city. If you are willing to travel 30 minutes on public transport to the centre then you can get a private room in a hostel with an en-suite for a very reasonable price. The hostel options for 3 nights were £38 to £50 per person for two people sharing a twin or double.
Hotel
Although the hostels outside the centre are cheaper, we actually think that a hotel is the better option for this city. We found that a twin room just 15 minutes by tram or a 30min walk to the centre was £46 to £55 per person. We think that paying the little bit extra to be closer to the centre is worth it in this case as you can then save public transport money by walking to your activities each day.
After considering all the above options, we decided to pay a bit extra to stay in a hotel in the city centre so that we could minimise walking time at the start and end of each day. This was obviously more expensive than the option 15 minutes away but still only cost us £63pp for 3 nights.
Airbnb
If you prefer to use Airbnb then the prices are fairly similar to city centre hotels. For two people sharing a room the price for 3 nights was £66 to £88 per person.
If you’re travelling in a group then you might decide to use Airbnb as they have apartments, which means your group will have a living room or common space to hang out in the evenings. The added benefit of choosing an Airbnb is that you often get access to a kitchen, which means you can prepare some of your meals yourself and save on food costs.
Things to Do in Krakow
Things to Do in Krakow
For our top recommendations of things to do in Krakow, check out our Krakow Things to Do page!
Food in Krakow
Food in Krakow
Pierogi
Pierogi is something we feel that every student traveller should add to their culinary wish list while in Krakow. Our desire to sample this classic Polish dish led us to Przystanek Pierogarnia, a chain eatery with branches all over Krakow, specialising in pierogi meals.
We opted to share, ordering one portion of pork pierogi and another filled with potatoes and cottage cheese. Both portions were served with a buttery sauce and perfectly caramelised onions, enhancing the already mouthwatering pierogi. The best part? It was incredibly budget-friendly, costing us only 22zl (£4.22) per person. This meal was a perfect, satisfying lunch that didn’t break the bank.
The location was just as convenient as the price. The branch we visited is situated near the train station, just a 10-minute walk away. This makes it an ideal choice for those arriving in Krakow, allowing you to sample authentic Polish cuisine as soon as you step off the train. Plus it’s conveniently located across from Stary Kleparz, a bustling farmers’ market, so it’s the perfect starting point for a post-meal exploration.
Obwarzanek Krakowski
One of the things we noticed straight away when we started exploring Krakow were the bread ring (Obwarzanek krakowski) vendors. After encountering these venders every couple of minutes throughout the day, we couldn’t resist the temptation to try one for ourselves!
We were expecting them to be pretzel-like but it was actually more like a bread roll. They come with an array of toppings to choose from: sesame seed, poppy seed, cheese, salt or plain. Our favourite was the cheese one but we enjoyed trying the various flavours throughout our visit. These rings proved to be the perfect on-the-go snack for our explorations around the city.
We bought ours for 3zl although it’s worth noting that different vendors may offer slightly varying prices, ranging from 2.50zl to 3.50zl. It’s also important to mention that most of these vendors don’t have card machines, so it’s advisable to have some cash on hand.
Pączki
During our time in Krakow, we had to try a Pączki, the Polish version of donuts, which come in an array of fillings. We chose a coffee filling and apple and peach filling, although the sheer variety of options made it a tricky decision!
Krakow seems to be teeming with donut shops, and they are easy to spot with their brightly lit, enticing window displays of rows of donuts. Typically, these shops appear to be small bakeries, where you can conveniently place your order at the window.
Our quest for Pączki led us to Pączkarnia, a chain bakery, where one donut cost 8zl (£1.54). Our choice of this particular spot was purely serendipitous, as it happened to be the one we stumbled upon when we decided it was donut time. We can vouch for its deliciousness though, having thoroughly enjoyed our selection. However, with so many bakeries, you’re likely to find yourself heading for the nearest one, just as we did when the donut craving strikes!
Polish Vodka
During our visit to Krakow, we couldn’t overlook the iconic Polish vodka. Whether you prefer the crispness of a classic clear vodka or the flavoured varieties such as lemon or honey, there’s something for everyone.
Polish vodka is easily accessible in Krakow, often found in bars and restaurants throughout the city. It’s typically served in a chilled shot glass, which allows you to appreciate the subtle flavours better, and is traditionally paired with pickles or herring.
We had the opportunity to taste a couple of different flavours during our Zakopane day trip . There are other options for vodka tasting within the city, such as Wodka Cafe Bar (50-100zl or £9-£18 for a tasting menu), the Polish Vodka Museum (price varies by group size but approx £10) or a guided vodka tasting tour (150-300zl or £29-£56). Of course, you can always just opt to buy a bottle in one of the city’s many liquor stores, but this limits the variety of flavours you can try.
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