Private drivers in Poland

I'd still contact Andrew's company. He has several drivers working/sub-contracting for him. Our driver, Karol, was our replacement and was great.

Maybe also try contacting Mr. Shuttle. While they focus on full-package-with-admission trips, they might be able to get you just there and back. They had no issue getting us back to our Krakow hotel when we when my spouse and I were the only 2 of 29 not going to the salt mine after Auschwitz; one of their staffers met us at a truck stop & we had a great chat on our return.

Your hotel will likely have people they know. If a bus tour is acceptable, the hotel can set you up as well.

We just returned. FYI. We used DiscoverCracow.com for bus and tickets...they offer different packages. I highly recommend. easy meeting spots or they will pick you up. clean air conditioned bus. only 26 people on our bus.

If in fact, Andrew is no longer driving that's a shame, because he is the best guide ever. I would recommend that you contact Andrew anyway and ask him for a recommendation. He is a wealth of knowledge for that area.

We had Andrew take us to Auschwitz last December. He was so good, we retained him to take us around for the next three days. A very interesting man, very knowledgeable and pleasant. I would contact him for a recommendation.

Wondering if you found good private driver. I am doing the same thing in September.

Andrew did get back to me. He is still driving people but said he is completely booked for July. So he is sending us an associate Steven instead. I think if you plan to go in September, you should probably contact him now well ahead of time. His contact info is still the same as in Rick Steves 2019 book on Krakow.

Hello! My husband & I are deciding between Poland & Austria in October. If we pick Poland, we'll definitely visit Auschwitz.
Just to get an idea, how does this private driver thing work and how much does it cost? Does he pick you up and stay there the whole time while we tour? Or, does he come back for us at a pre-arranged time? Also, roughly how much does it cost per day?

Also, since were on the topic, is the 6 hour tour just as good as the 2 day-4 hour tour?

Thank you!

We had a wonderful trip to Poland in July. The driver worked well as Steven picked us up directly from our Airbnb, drove us to Auschwitz and waited there in the parking lot until we were done. We were glad to have the convenience of a driver as it was raining and rush hour traffic on our way back. Steven however was very shy and quiet and we were hoping for someone who would talk to us about life in Poland. I have heard that Andrew is the opposite so pick accordingly if you can. I think the next time we would take the train and walk the short distance to the camp. As far as the actual Auschwitz camp … consider how interested you are in the history. My dad was an Auschwitz survivor and I found that emotionally the one day tour was enough for me. It’s pretty intense. The guides are excellent so definitely get a guide. I think it cost us about $20-25 per person for the guided tour. Hope this helps and you have a great trip! The private driver was about $170 (cash).

Unless something has changed recently--and I haven't read anything to that effect--you can only tour the Auschwitz I area on a tour conducted by camp employees. You're basically on your own in the Birkenau (Auschwitz II) section, I believe.

There's bus service to the camp from the Krakow bus station (located near the train station), so once you have purchased your ticket for the camp/memorial (those sell out well in advance at busy times), it's not a problem to take a public bus to the site.

There are bus tour companies that will pick you up and bring you back. Can be arranged through the hotel. Do not skip the Birkenau visit - its a couple of miles from the main camp, but what you will see will be instantly familiar.

appleannie - God bless your father. And God bless you for your courage to visit this very haunting place.

acraven/appleannie/stan -- thank you all for your advise. lots of options to choose from. thank you.

Here's a question: do I tip my private driver in Poland? Or not? I welcome any advise. Thank you!

Does anyone have a website or telephone number for Andrew Durman? The old website is no longer valid.

Thanks!
Lou

Re: tipping-- my opinion: if a routine drive/shuttle trip, I'd tip as I might a taxi driver (a modest add-on/rounding to the fare). Our private driver did a lot more for our trip to villages 2.25 hr from Kraków- 11-hr day total. (Late May '23.) He stopped upon request, engaged several locals to find buildings and people that could be connected to my ancestors. We gave him about a 20% tip in addition to the fee for the trip.

I contacted our driver, Karol, two weeks ago to ask about his availability for others and about Andrew, but received no reply. Will post if I get any worthwhile update.

We used Poland Shuttle/Mr. Shuttle for our trip to Auschwitz-Birkenau and were pleased. Driver was Tomasz.

LOU -- Andrew Durman's email address is andrew@tour-serivce.pl. This is right out of Rick Steves' guide book, so it's legit.
I just got in touch with him and will be using his services (well, his associate's; to & from airport and trip to Auschwitz).

Got it! Thanks, Polo Marker. That is helpful to know.

I just got back from Rick Steves' 10 day Poland tour.

I had contacted Andrew Durman a few weeks ago. He couldn't drive us, but arranged for Stephen to drive us from the hotel to Auschwitz.

Stephen was very pleasant but not as talkative as Durman is said to be. He drove a beautiful, large, black Mercedes. The trip took about 90 minutes each way. He picked us up at the hotel and drove us to the entrance of Auschwitz and made sure we got into the museum. Outside guides are no longer allowed at Auschwitz, so he did not accompany us inside. An official Auschwitz guide led us through both sites.

We toured Auschwitz One, took the shuttle bus to Birkenau, toured it, and then returned to Auschwitz One on the shuttle. Stephen was waiting for us in the parking lot when we returned.

The cost was 600 zloties, but he gladly accepted $150 in U.S. dollars. It would probably have been cheaper to take the train, but it was very convenient to use Stephen's services.

Stephen's card:
SZCZEPAN KEKUS
mobile: +48 601 49 49 50
email: s.kekus@gmail.com

Note: Polish spelling is VERY different from English. Stephen in Polish is written SZCZEPAN.

RE: Private drivers in Poland
I was recently in Krakow as a solo traveler from Sept. 12-18, 2023, and my visit was greatly enriched because of Andrew Durman and his driver Karol. Following up on Rick Steves' recommendation i contacted Mr. Durman by email about a month before traveling. He responded immediately to confirm the availability of his driver services and provide a price quote. For my own safety and comfort before my departure from my home airport i sent Andrew a foto of myself and requested a foto of the driver who would be meeting me. I immediately received back a foto of Karol who was waiting at KRK for me to arrive despite my flight being very delayed. I needed to make two stops before being taken to my hotel and Karol was very helpful with this too. I also requested a day trip to Zalipie, the painted village, and Karol was a great help for that experience.
At all times Karol was very polite and respectful, always on time, helpful and courteous, cheerful, patient and accommodating. It was a pleasure to spend time in the car together on our journey to Zalipie. To return to the airport Gosia was my driver, and she too was very prepared and very professional, as well as being accommodating and knowledgeable. In summary, I highly recommend Andrew Durman and his drivers and am grateful for the opportunity to have received the benefit of their services.

As of 11/22/23, the contact info for Andrew posted above (andrew@tour-serivce.pl) is not valid. It bounced back as undeliverable.

You mat also contact Tomasz, he has good guides-drivers with cars, vans and he can arrange very good tours around Poland and Central Europe. Email address to Tomasz is office@greetingsfrompoland.com

I used Andrew Durman on 1-2-24, to tour the National Park outside Krakow, and Auschwitz. I contacted him at andrew@tour-service.pl.

He is a kind and caring gentleman. He was a highlight of our trip. He advises he particularly enjoys helping locate one's Polish ancestors.