Hi! I have 5 days total between the two cities, and am wondering if people think 2 days in Krakow/3 in Prague, or 3 in Krakow/2 in Prague is a better option. I'm not visiting the Salt Mines, but am doing a tour of Auschwitz.
Also, is Polrail.com the best source to book the night train from Krakow to Prague? I'm looking at the 1 person sleeper room with a bathroom. Is the bathroom in the compartment?
Any tips you'd have about either of these ideas is appreciated!
This page might help if you haven't seen it.
https://www.seat61.com/trains-and-routes/prague-to-krakow-by-train.htm
I love both cities. Whether you spend 3/2 in one or the other depends on what you've got planned in both, really. There aren't many museums in Prague that interest me, but the Museum of Krakow under the Nazi Occupation (in the old Oskar Schindler factory) is a terrific museum. Plus you've got Auschwitz will take the better part of a day. If you find you have more that interests you in Prague, then do the three days there.
Another factor you might consider is that it will be a bit easier to return to Prague than to Krakow. I'm very interested in 20th century history, so for me five days is very, very little time to split between those cities. If I had just five days I'd spend all of it in one of those cities rather than splitting my time, but I am an acknowledged slow traveler.
My experience with night trains is that I don't get a lot of sleep on them. The Krakow-Prague night train makes a lot of stops, each one of them accompanied by braking, station noise, then acceleration. Are you sure you'll enjoy yourself the next day, as opposed to being dead on your feet?
Krakow Glowny dep 22:33
Oswiecim dep 23:53
Brzeszcze Jawiszowi. dep 00:15
Czechowice-Dziedzice dep 00:40
Zebrzydowice dep 01:11
Bohumin dep 03:33
Ostrava hl.n. dep 03:43
Ostrava-Svinov dep 03:51
Olomouc hl.n. dep 04:46
Ceska Trebova dep 05:41
Pardubice hl.n. dep 06:20
Praha hl.n. arr 08:21
As you can see, the longest period without a stop is just 2 hr. 22 min.
First, IMHO night trains suck, to be blunt. Unless you can sleep in any conditions (skull-piercing noises, constant jostling motion, etc. etc.) your next 2 days will be a sleep-deprived misery. If you can sleep even in the most impossible conditions, then go for it. Personally, I've tried several night trains, under what must have been the best possible circumstances, and never got more then 10 seconds of sleep. For me, never again. Think about how easily you can sleep before you choose.
That aside, I'd give yourself the extra day in Krakow. Both cities have plenty to keep you busy and charmed for more than 2 days, but Krakow also has Auschwitz, which is going to consume pretty much the entire day when you go there (and afterwards you may not be in the mood to go do other very touristy things). If you only allocate 2 days to Krakow/Auschwitz, then you effectively have just one day in Krakow itself.
Thank you all! You've convinced me to suck up the cost and just fly to Prague.
Thank you!
