Krakow Extension

Don't fail to pre-book Auschwitz. It's not directly on the way to Prague, but do you intend to visit Cesky Krumlov?

Wrocław is not a must-do, but you might consider it. It also has local daytrips, like the UNESCO WHS Churches of Peace.

You need a reservation for an English speaking Auschwitz tour. There are all inclusive tours from Krakow. We spent at least a half a day there and were emotionally exhausted after it. I can’t see how you’d be able to visit it on the way to somewhere else.Or are you planning to stay overnight at Auschwitz?

Krakow has plenty of attractions for three days. Afterwards you might check out the High Tatra mountains in Zakopane, Poland or— even better— Stary Smokovec or Strbske Pleso in Slovakia. They are about 2.5 to 3.5 hours away from Krakow by bus.

Krakow certainly has much in terms of sights and day trips to last a full week easily.

As an off the beaten path daytrip from Krakow, I would recommend a trip to Pszczyna, an old baroque town. It's dominated by a large von Pless chateau. The interior is very well preserved and many of the original furnishings are all still there. It is also historically important as this is the place where Kaiser Wilhelm II had his HQ for the eastern front during WW1.

Another good daytrip is the Eagle's Nest Castle Trail, a string of 25 medieval castles and fortresses, built by King Casimir the Great of Poland in the 14th century, as a bulwark against the encroaching Kingdom of Bohemia. The castles are located in a protected area called the Polish Jurassic Highlands, a hilly landscape of Jurassic limestone cliffs and valleys, dotted with many charming villages and dense forests.

Outside of Krakow, one can also spend a day or two in the spa town of Zakopane and use it as a base to explore the Tatra Mountains.

Additionally you can head west to Wrocław (my favorite city in Poland) spend a few days there instead and then head south to Prague, by train or bus, about 4 hrs.

Thank you for the suggestions. After the tour doing a few side trips or spending an overnight in the spa town of Zakopane sounds wonderful. I will also checkout Wroclaw, Carlos, just wondering why it's your favorite city in Poland. I like the idea of breaking up the trip before Prague.

I have traveled to other countries and have toured a concentration camp and viewed and read many stories on the Holocaust and I know how exhausting, overwhelming, and sad you can get when touring these camps. If I decide to go I will join a day tour but at this point I am undecided because of my previous travels.

@pattyrose3 - yes, Krakow and her environs do offer quite a menu of experiences to choose from!

Regarding Wroclaw, I have been there three times already and most recently in April 2022, there are 3 reason why it's my favorite city in Poland (in no particular order):

1. The Weather - it has consistently the best weather in Poland, whenever I go there its always sunny and pleasant, I believe the lower Silesia region (where Wroclaw is the capital of) has the most sunny days of any region of Poland.

2. Unique multi-cultural history - At various times, Wroclaw has been part of the Kingdom of Poland, Bohemia, the Habsburg Monarchy, the Kingdom of Prussia, the German Empire, and finally back to Poland after WWII. The architectural eye candy around the old center reflects this unique history, as it incorporates a little of every country that has ruled the city - from Polish Gothic to Austrian Baroque and German Modernist. Both the local cuisine and culture reflect this multi-layered history too.

3. Fascinating Day trips - Outside of Wroclaw, the Silesian region is a fascinating area to travel around, full of time-warped old castles, 19th century spa towns, Prussian fortresses, giant wooden Protestant churches, and rumours of hidden Nazi gold. In and around Wroclaw there are 3 UNESCO Heritage Sites.

Every time I get back to Wroclaw I always discover something new and interesting to experience. Here is one of my trip reports (with photos) of the area - https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/general-europe/vicarious-travel-poland-2017-wroclaw-silesia

It isn't necessary to take a bus tour to Auschwitz, though they certainly are available (and I would guess not terribly costly). You can take a public bus from Krakow to the camp/memorial. Your ticket for the camp (definitely do buy early; tickets were sold out for 8 days in a row back in 2018) includes a tour of the camp by camp personnel; the same will be the case if you pay extra and take a bus tour, because all tours are conducted by camp employees. English tours are available.

I felt it was an advantage to be able to make my own decision about what time to return to Krakow from the camp rather than being tied to a bus tour's schedule. I've never seen a bus tour that allowed as much time at a sight as I wanted to spend there.

I will throw my hat into the ring re Wroclaw, above - beautiful city, beautiful setting.

Again thanks. One more question since I won't be driving is it easy to access these outlaying areas by bus?

One more question since I won't be driving is it easy to access these outlaying areas by bus?

Yes by bus or train is possible with varying levels of ease. I've used public transport to get to Zakopane, Wroclaw, and Pszczyna with no difficulty. Zakopane has a direct train connection with Krakow.

Thanks for starting this thread. Bookmarking with all the great ideas!

I limited my answers to places on the way to Prague. But we also found a one-day visit to Lodz worthwhile. Details in Trip Report:

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

Again, a question. We decided to spend two nights in Wrocław and will be taking the bus. I’m wondering if anyone has suggestions for a hotel. I prefer being in the center but if there is great transportation in the city I’m not intimidated by taking public transportation to get around since we won’t have a car. I’ve been online looking at choices but if someone has suggestions we can narrow it down

Glad you figured it out.

My suggestion would have been the $16 (starting at) 1 hour flight to Budapest followed by the $16 (starting at) 1 hour flight to Prague.

You'll love Wroclaw!

I stayed in Hotel Mercure Wroclaw Centrum the 3 times I have been, it's modern and stylish but very reasonably prices, around 70 Eur (300 PLN), and close to the centre of the action. The best part the views of the Cathedral.

You can see the view from my room in my recent trip photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/KM3KkkTsLakrsBm48