Looking for advice on visting the town proper. Obviously want to see the camp, but would like to spend a bit of time in the town itself -- not just another whirlwind bus tour. I've searched the helpline, but most info is as a "day trip" from somewhere else. Are there hotels, etc. in the town?
Thanks
Other than the camps there is nothing else to do in Oswiecim. It's basically a factory town with a huge industrial facility right in the middle of the city. I'm not even sure what it produces, but your time is better spent in Krakow. Auschwitz is a important place to visit and I'm glad I did, and recommend others do it as well, but it made me sick to my stomach and I was glad to get as far away from it as possible. The notion of staying overnight in a city where millions of people were slaughtered is not something I would recommend. There is a good reason why most everyone only visits for the day.
When we visited Auschwitz, I could see fliers for hotels at the bus stop. Here's some information from Trip Advisor: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotels-g274754-Oswiecim_Southern_Poland-Hotels.html I think that staying overnight is a good idea. There's so much to see, and I felt that I missed a lot by just doing a day trip from Krakow. If I went again, I would stay overnight.
