I am an experienced Western Europe traveler but not strong on Central Europe. Will be in Krakow (9) nights in September and am looking for good/inexpensive accomodations such as small pensions, adult hostels, etc. Have a friend who studied in Krakow and stayed at Piast Hostel. Has anyone had experiences there? It looks like it might be convenient to the train/bus station and not too far from the City Centre. Will be taking day trips to Zakopane, Czestochowa and the Salt Mines. Is train or bus the better alternative? In terms of local bus/tram travel, is there a Senior Citizen card that might be available? Any suggestions/help GREATLY apprciated.
Posted by
Paradise
6663 posts
I stayed in Krakow this past summer and wrote a review; you can read mine and 8 others here:
Cybulskiego Guest Rooms
Posted by
Winnipeg
590 posts
I stayed at the Greg Tom Hostel last year and it was one of my favorite hostels in Europe. It was cheap and included many free things, very clean and close to the trains station (across the street) and a few minutes walk to the old town. I did not feel out of place ( I am 34 ) and there were a few retired travelers who stayed at the hostel and raved about it. There were also a couple of families that were staying there as well. There are great reviews of it on Trip Advisor and hostelworld.
Posted by
Rancho Cordova, CA
12 posts
My husband and I rented an apartment in Krakow for our one week stay. Our apartment was perfectly beautiful, and the price was much cheaper than staying in a hotel.
The experience of living amongst locals was one of the best things about our trip to Poland. We were able to get a small glimpse into what it's like to live in a community as opposed to just passing through as a tourist. In the future we will rent an apartment any time we are in a city for more than a couple of days.
We used Yourplace.pl to find an apartment. We were thrilled with their service. They were extremely honest and helpful, as well as being fluent in English, which was a big help. We would rent from them again in a heartbeat!
Posted by
Tulsa, OK
276 posts
Hello Richard,
For your day trips, I would suggest taking a mini-bus to Wieliczka Salt Mines; they drop you off right out front. Since Wieliczka is basically a suburb of Krakow, buses and mini-buses run all the time. (But I'm not sure if Krakow city buses do.) I would also take a bus to Zakopane just because the view as you wind your way through the foothills of the Tatras Mountains is beautiful. I would, however, suggest the train for Czestochowa. I took the bus there, but it must have been the "milk run" bus because it stopped, and sometimes sat for 15 or so minutes, in every little town along the way:) The train I took back to Krakow was much faster and passed through prettier countryside.
Unfortunately, I don't think they have senior discounts for local public transportation in Krakow, but you can get multi-day passes that work for city buses or trams.
Check out inyourpocket.com for all sorts of helpful information including info on getting around.
in your pocket
Hope you have a great trip!
Posted by
baton rouge, la, US
269 posts
Hi! Last summer we stayed at the Gardenhouse Hostel, which was right in the center of town at Florianska Street. It was very inexpensive and well-located. Their Web site is at http://www.gardenhouse.pl/index.php?action_lang=EN ... it was one of those great mistakes, because we had originally reserved rooms with another hostel, which ended up overbooking, so we landed at the Gardenhouse. I really couldn't recommend it more -- wonderful place, great staff, and kitchen well-stocked with all kinds of great free goodies, like tea and snacks.