Auschwitz -- private driver vs group tour

We visited Auschwitz-Birkenau in April. I reserved the "Auschwitz-Birkenau Best Value Shared Tour" through Cracow Local Tours. Our transportation was in an 8-passenger van; six passengers were picked up at one stop and two at another so that didn't eat up a lot of time. The driver was strictly that-he was not a licensed tour guide so we didn't have a narrative on our way to and from the memorial. We were taken to the Auschwitz entrance. After our tour with the official guide we had a short (15 minute) break, during which we had a light lunch (lunch box ordered in advance/provided by our driver). Then our driver drove us to Birkenau, where our guide met us and continued the tour.

We were very satisfied with the travel arrangements. You do need to be aware that you may not get the tour time that you request. Tickets are not released to tour providers far in advance, so they can only approximate reservation times. We were notified of our confirmed tour time two days in advance. We had requested early morning, but ended up being picked up in Krakow at 11 and didn't return until around 6. It worked well for us-just don't make any other advance plans for that day until you receive the official confirmation.

Keep in mind that if you go on your own during the portion of the day where guided tours are required, you will be put with a group of 20-30 people anyway, based of the time of your admission ticket. You would also have the option to obtain a free ticket to enter and tour Auschwitz on your own later in the afternoon after the time that the required guided tours expires.

I chose a tour with Discover Crakow - transportation was on a 30 person mini-bus that I boarded just outside Krakow Glowny. We were handed over to an official Auschwitz guide when we reached the site. After Auschwitz were were transported to Birkenau where we again met up with our guide for that portion of the tour.

The main advantage of a private driver is that you have the comfort of the 90 minute trip each way in a car rather than a bus or van. The driver may share background information regarding the camp, the war, etc. during the trip.

Your time at Auschwitz is controlled by the guide. You may take additional time at Birkenau after the guide leaves you, but the site is vast, and you may not want to make the effort to retrace your steps.

It's all covered quite well in the RS guidebook.

How long are the tours inside Auschwitz-Birkenau?

Also, I hope people were quiet, and respectful in dress and demeanor.

We were at the memorials for about four hours; this included a break/transportation between the two sites. I would say the tours lasted a little over three hours.

When we visited in mid-April there were many Polish school groups (high school aged) visiting. I felt all visitors were very respectful. Temperatures were in the mid-40's; when we arrived at Birkenau the skies opened up and it poured. It seemed very fitting.

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/four-cities-in-poland-2019

(Page down in this TR, or search for "Auschwitz" report)

Thank you, Tim. What a great trip report! I have copied the Krakow portion into a file so I can give it a thorough reading.

If I were with my husband instead of my granddaughter, I would buy a ticket and hop on the bus. With her, I tend to be more cautious as far as things going wrong. But private guides are quite expensive ... $160. I guess that is reasonable when you consider the number of hours!

Again, thanks for the link.

Thanks, Tim. Well done!

When I went to Auschwitz a few days ago, it was an afternoon tour (left Krakow around 2 pm, got back around 9 pm). A guide told me that in the spring and summer, nearly all of the tour companies taking groups to Auschwitz get either super early-morning or afternoon tour times. I think the better times are mostly for the school groups.

Thanks for replying, Melissa. I decided to hire a driver (recommended on this site) and buy my tickets. It costs more, but I need simplicity. Now, I have a set time for pickup and a set time to enter Auschwitz.

I also live in NC!

Please give us a few paragraphs about your experience with the driver and your reservations. Would you recommend the same approach to others? How long was your day? Approximate cost per person? Many thanks.

Hello --

I wish I could give you info on my experience, but unfortunately, my teen granddaughter had a 2-day migraine and we had to cancel. I had everything worked out ... tickets bought and driver hired .... but sometimes things do not go as planned.