Bus tour company recommendation for trip from Kraków to Auschwitz

My husband took the bus to Auschwitz from Krakow. We bought the admission ticket online about a week in advance (2021, I think). We purchased the bus tickets at the bus station across from the Krakow train station. I do all the vacation planning and navigation, and yet he had no problem getting to Auschwitz on his own. My memory is a bit fuzzy on the details, but we followed directions from the Rick Steves Guide and the forum, mostly Acraven. I did a search and found this query from a few months ago. I was happy to see Acraven was one that provided information. You will have no problems with her directions:

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/poland/auschwitz-birkenau-tour-planning-recommendations

There is a shuttle bus between Auschwitz and Birkenau, that was easy to find. My husband had no issues finding the shuttle and getting around. He is fairly shy, especially in regards to trying to communicate with folks that speak a different language.

I just double checked with my husband. He said there is a tour provided with the ticket. Even those that used a tour company to get to Auschwitz, were put into the same tour. So if you pay for a tour company to take you to Auschwitz, really what you are getting is a ride to Auschwitz. He also commented that the bus goes to Oświęcim, which is the town closest to Auschwitz. The bus made multiple stops, and he knew to get off at Oswiecim, we got that info from Acraven. Maybe it sounds complicated, it is not. Very Easy.

Via the link provided above you can read my favorable review of Discover Cracow, which I used to book a package that included a mini-bus ride to/from the Memorial and a tour of both Auschwitz and Birkenau, with a guide provided by the Memorial.

The same link will also offer directions for riding public transportation - note that in this case you will have to book your own tour on the Memorial's website - well in advance - and then time your transportation to coincide with your tour.

You may find the Jakdojade app useful for buying - or at least researching - train or bus tickets for this trip, and also for local transportation within most cities in Poland. Be prepared for a long day.

As an alternative…with your small group and including the children it may just be easier to arrange a door to door tour through a minivan and guide recommended by your hotel. We practically never take arranged tours but this was convenient, informative and all arranged by the hotel desk clerk who made the call for us. I don’t know the company’s name but it was handled by the excellent staff of the comfortable, immaculate, well located and reasonably priced Hotel Wielopole. Safe travels

All tours at Auschwitz are conducted by camp personnel. If you book a commercial tour, you will get transporation via a tour bus rather than a (cheaper) public bus. There may also be a guide on the bus who provides backgound information on the way to the camp. That guide will not be with you for the tour of Auschwitz.

At the time of my 2018 visit, some of the public buses stopped very near the camp.

Online tickets for the camp/memorial sell out well ahead if time. Be sure you have that ticket nailed down early if you don't buy a package tour that includes the camp entry.

Thanks, everyone, for your replies and suggestions. We’ve decided to be adventurous! We bought our tickets for the Auschwitz Museum directly and will either take a train or bus there.