How far in advance should/can I book train trips in Poland. I will be going from Warsaw to Krakow one day and a few days later I will be traveling on the night train from Krakow to Vienna. I'm not sure what time I want to leave Warsaw (depending if I see all the sights the day before or not, but I already know the itinerary for Krakow/Vienna.
A ticket from Warsaw to Krakow costs roughly $40 in second class and I would buy it at a train station or travel agency there. You can generally book the night train starting 2 months in advance of the travel date, or just a few days ahead at a train station can also work, if you're flexible about which type of sleeper or couchette compartment you'll accept. I don't see any discount on the PolRail web site (409 PLN vs $139 in a 6-passenger couchette), so you might as well book it through US agents: http://ricksteves.raileurope.com/us/rail/point_to_point/triprequest.htm. If you want to compare flights, try www.skyscanner.com.