We see that Auschwitz is asking us to pre-register for specific tour dates and times. We have an open schedule and cannot commit to concrete times.
Can we just show up there and get a tour time when we arrive? Or do they just not allow that? I figure without a reservation at the very least we could see the museum and walk around the grounds, correct?
Thanks. Kenneth Novak
Even if you'd given the month and year of your visit, the answer would be that this place sells-out all admissions well in advance. Do not attempt to go without a booking, or at least a visit arranged with a re-seller who is reliable about having obtained tickets for people with money but no time to book early enough. This is also true of the Schindler Factory, and presumably a small number of other places in Poland.
It's not a question of allowing, it's a question of demand, and the need for proprietary (i.e. Auschwitz) guides with the proper language for the guests. You will find Auschwitz (less so, Birkenau) unpleasantly jammed, to the detriment of the reflective and sad experience. Be assured that I am not exaggerating, and I'm not talking about June-August only. There are also barracks (that is, buildings) that have culture or nationality-specific displays (which are also overcrowded), and they presumably try not to overbook the buildings themselves. There is a cafeteria at Auschwitz if your schedule means you'll need that.
Private guides are not permitted to give tours inside the camps, so that route is not a way out for your needs.
It sounds like you know it is well out-of-town from Krakow.
Wow, that busy! To think....
Anyway, Tim, thanks for all that. I just bought our tickets then. We are going in late April.
Must see the movie ZONE OF INTEREST before we go.
Thanks again. Ken
I only have the first weekend in May available for a visit. I can get tickets for the tour on Saturday but all the companies offering "tours"--meaning transportation to the camp--are sold out.
Has anyone taken the train and how difficult is it to get frome station to the camp? Or any other ideas? Perhaps having my hotel see about last minute cancellations?
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/poland/train-tickets-from-krakow-airport-to-oswiecim
I realize that there are many budget travelers on this newsboard. But our host (Rick Steves) personally recommends some private car drivers for this outing. Our 2019 trip was around 200 Euros, but I haven't found the receipt yet. Note that normally the site takes you to Birkenau on a bus, and your private driver picks you up there after your second guided-tour. (You can have free time after the tour, and even take the shuttle bus back to Auschwitz if you want.)
(Many people find Auschwitz-Birkenau so shocking and draining that they don't feel like substantial Krakow sightseeing right after their return.) My Trip Report:
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/four-cities-in-poland-2019
Has anyone taken the train and how difficult is it to get frome station to the camp? Or any other ideas.
RS suggests the bus from the Krakow bus station may be a better option than the train. This appears to be the schedule:
https://www.lajkonikbus.pl/krakow-oswiecim.html
As for trains, there are PKP trains, but also trains operated by a regional line:
https://kolejemalopolskie.com.pl/en/home-page
However, I was there today, with transportation and admission ticket provided by Discover Cracow (bought at least a month ago). The bus ride (30 person Mercedes mini-bus/oversize van) was 90 minutes each way, and I started to wonder whether the train had an advantage in terms of travel time. But then you need to get from the train station to the site.
Note that you will be on your feet virtually continuously for at least three hours, walking on uneven pavement, up and down stairs, and for today, at least, dodging puddles. We were told that we'd cover three kilometers at Birkenau alone. So it's physically demanding beyond the emotional toll. And we didn't have to deal with the logistics of getting to/from - just showed up at the meeting place at the appointed time.
Edited to add: If demand is high in the middle of April, it can only get worse as the tourist season progresses...
I just took the public bus. I suspect the train station may be quite far from the camp. My bus actually went to the camp; I believe some of them drop you off nearby, but a bit of a walk away.
Incidentally, the bus station in Krakow is sort of hidden behind the train station. Be prepared to deploy your smartphone map to find it.
As of 2018 it was possible to go out to the camp and line up in hopes of buying a ticket, but it will be a long line, and you will be standing outdoors with no cover. There are many months of the year when that might not be so pleasant, aside from there being no guarantee you'd end up with a ticket.
The Schindler Factor is also subject to sell-outs, but typically not as far in advance as Auschwitz, and perhaps not absolutely every day.
You can take the train from Krakow to Oswiecim Train station and then a bus or taxi to Auschwitz. It is a 30 minute walk otherwise. However, as others have noted, you have to be booked on a tour in advance.
Has anyone taken the public bus to Auschwitz from Krakow? On your own schedule? We want to visit the camp and we don't want to feel rushed to get back on a tour bus. Has anyone done this? What number bus did you take? Thank you.
Here again, repeated from an earlier post, are timetables for the bus and regional train from Krakow:
https://www.lajkonikbus.pl/krakow-oswiecim.html
As for trains, there are PKP trains, but also trains operated by a regional line:
https://kolejemalopolskie.com.pl/en/home-page
Additional information is available on the official Auschwitz site, although you have to dig for it:
https://www.auschwitz.org/en/links/information-for-visitors/
The bus does not have a number because it's not a municipal bus - Oświęcim is some 60km from Kraków.
Buses& trains: https://en.e-podroznik.pl/
