Yes, absolutely. Krakow is jam packed full of museums, theatres, galleries, restaurants, cafes and bars. The nightlife is pretty good too: find more information, including a calendar of events on Krakow.pl the official tourism website.

InYourPocket.com – Krakow City Guide as well has a good tips for tourists.

Free walking tours Krakow offer daily trips in English, German, Spanish and Polish language to the Old Town, and Jewish Quarter. Booking necessary on: freewalkingtour.com

The old town city centre consists of the main market square (Rynek Główny) and the Jewish quarter (Kazimierz)

Minimum 3. After the third day you can start to explore sites close to the city centre: Kopiec Kościuszki, Błonia, Zakrzówek Park, im. Henryka Jordana, Tyniec Monastery, Botanical Gardens, Polish Aviation Museum, and further afield: Auschwitz-Birkenau, Wieliczka Salt Mine, Ojców National Park, Zakopane

66 kilometres west of Krakow. Auschwitz is the German name, while in Polish it is called Oswiecim

No, you can just turn up. If you want to go with guide then you should book this in advance on the website: visit-auschwitz.org

An Uber from Krakow airport (John Paul II International Airport) in Balice to the Old Town will cost you 35 PLN (depending on traffic), while a normal yellow cab 60 PLN

Krakow has an excellent public transportation system and is served by buses, trams and e-scooters (Bolt, Lime etc.). Jakdojade.pl is a great website for planning trips by public transport

Tickets are available for purchase at vending machines beside stops or inside most bus/trams. Vending machines accept cash and card payments

P.S. Yes I know, the E-scooter (hulajnogi in Polish) isn’t actually a mode of public transport, but they do come in handy when you need to get quickly from A to B

No, not really. Poland ranked 99th out of 197 countries for cost of living. Krakow is cheap for foreigners. For example, packet of Marlboro cigarettes 18 PLN, beer in a bar 12 PLN, 24 hr transport pass 17 PLN, and cinema ticket 25 PLN

Yeah it’s cheap. A big bottle of a water in a shop 3.50 PLN, a good loaf of bread 6 PLN, good quality doughnut in a delicatessen 5 PLN, a large bottle of vodka 50 PLN. If you’re thinking of going out, a cappuccino and cake in a cafe will cost you about 18 PLN, while a cocktail in a bar 20 PLN.

A good meal in a restaurant for 2 people will set you back 120 PLN (without alcohol). A meal in a local restaurant might go for as little as 40 PLN. Polish and foreign food can be bought from street vendors across the city for as little as 15 PLN. The Krakow restaurant scene caters for all tastes and budgets

Krakow has literally hundreds of bars and clubs to choose from. There is a vodka bar and beer garden on every street corner in Krakow. Poles love going out dancing and drinking. So you will be in good company.

A local beer in a pub will set you back about 12 PLN. If you are into drinking at home, then you are in luck, because a good craft beer in a supermarket can go for as little as 3.50 PLN.

The city comes alive in the summer with outdoor dining and drinking everywhere. The winter in Poland is also beautiful with the Christmas markets, lights and snowfall. You need to experience both!

Well, I’m going to recommend you the quarter where our apartment is: Zwierzyniec. It’s in the centre, just outside the old town square – 10 minutes on foot. It’s a residential quarter where normal Krakovians live and work, full of parks, bars and restaurants where locals go to. Avoid accmomodation in the choas of the city centre and mix with welcoming locals down the road! 

January and February are normally the coldest months. The temperature in January has an average low- of -5°C – brrrr

Fear not though, all Polish houses are very well insulated and warm, so even if it’s minus 5  outside……in our apartment you’ll be in shorts and a T- shirt

Safe. Poland is a highly policed country, and Krakow is no exception. Poland wants to attract foreign tourists (including yourselves) and makes every effort to ensure visitors feel welcome and safe. You can comfortably walk around Krakow town day and night. Obviously common sense applies

According to a survey carried out by the EU statstical agency, tap water quality in Krakow ranks second best in the world. 6 out of 10 Krakovians drink water directly from the tap

Just as a precaution, we have a fridge freezer with a water dispenser in our kitchen. The filter is regularly changed, so you can be extra sure that you are drinking clean filtered water

No, they are not. The national currency is Polish Złoty. So unless you bring with you some EURO cash to exchange in one of the many money changing vendors in town (Kantor in Polish), your EUROs won’t be of much use

A note of advice, DO NOT exchange foreign currency in the money vendors in the old town square, or any of the avenues close to it. They offer horrendously bad exchange rates

Card payments are accepted in most shops, restaurants and bars. Tip: when you go to pay, always remember to select the foreign currency (PLN), as the home currency option is a scam involving an intermediary currency exchange company whose aim is to make money off your transaction

This scam is called Dynamic Currency Conversion. Your home bank will always offer you a better exchange rate. According to the National Bank of Poland, the average exchange rate for 2021 was 1 EUR to 4.55 PLN

Poles in Krakow by and large do speak English

You may have a problem communicating with the older generation working in shops, bakeries, and railway stations, but nothing that a smile and some humour won’t overcome

(as long as you are not waiting in a long line to buy a ticket in a railway station, then tempers can quickly flair – so my advice here would be to buy your tickets from a vending machine)