Krakow 🇵🇱

shellyvix
Jul 25, 2024
2 min read

Updated: Jun 3

1 Day in Krakow

Hotel (1 night): Hyatt Place Krakow - 5,000 points/night and located just three tram stops away from the historic Old Town

Day 1: Arrived in Krakow at 6am on our overnight train from Budapest and took a Bolt to the Hyatt Place where we were able to check into our room at 7am. We showered and headed out the door to Old Town at 8am for breakfast and coffee in the main square.

From there, we took a van to Auschwitz-Birkenau, located 1.5 hours from Krakow and one of the most powerful museums I've ever experienced. For $13 USD per person, you receive entrance including a guide who efficiently escorts all groups through thoughtfully laid out exhibits and shares just enough information to piece it all together. Groups spend 1.5 hours in Auschwitz and 30 minutes in nearby Birkenau where 90% of the over 1.1 million people were exterminated. At the end of the tour, we walked to the bus stop and headed back to Krakow for dinner using convenient public transportation.

PACKING SUGGESTIONS

Travel light: use a Samsonite Underseat Carry-On or backpack and packing cubes or vacuum sealed bags
Bring a crossbody bag, travel wallet, portable charger, toiletry bag and European travel adapter (and this small travel adapter)

GETTING THERE

We had previously spent 2 days in Budapest, arriving on Air France/KLM from Minneapolis (with a stopover in Paris) for only 20,000 points + $83 taxes per person.

From Budapest, we departed Budapest Nyugati Station on an overnight train, relaxing in a very comfortable 2 bed sleeper cabin from 7:30pm until arriving Krakow at 6am. Our tickets were booked through PolRail for 1484 PLN ($369 USD).

From Krakow, we flew on Norwegian Air to Copenhagen for $88 per person.

See Copenhagen & Sweden trip for information on how we returned home from Europe.