Travel - Getting around Krakow
Krakow by Taxi
Reliable and fair play taxi drivers from the airport or for a longer transfer should be booked in advance by the internet.
For instance krakow airport transfer to krakow costs around 70PLN. During the day, most fares will be around 20PLN. All taxis should have a 'Taxi' sign on the roof and a sticker on the rear passenger window with prices. There is an initial charge of about 5-7PLN, plus 2-3PLN per kilometre. Price list should be shown on the passenger side door.
Car services such as iCar are almost always less expensive than taxis, and will quote you the prices in advance (based on the real distance between you and your destination). An 8km ride will run you about 14 PLN.
There are instances where drivers will overcharge tourists, especially those who don't speak Polish. Check on a map in advance how much it should be and if it goes much above that, debate the price.
When using a taxi always ask for a price for your journey before you leave. Scam taxis have been found to operate near to the main railway station. They are legally registered as "transportation services" and charge 20 euros/1km. With regular taxis prices are limited by law, and the pricelist is easily visible. It should be around 2,30 PLN per kilometer, with an initial fee of 7,00 PLN (first kilometer included in price). Reliable licensed taxi companies include: Taxi Barbakan, Taxi Dwójki and Lajkonik.
Krakow by Car
Don't bother driving in the city centre. There's often a lot of traffic, parking spaces are scarce and can be expensive, and Polish driving takes a lot of getting used to. There are also rules around local 'driving zones' that confuse even long time residents. The taxis are cheap and it makes more sense to use them.
Krakow by Bike
Another option is to hire a bicycle. It is easy to get around the centre on two wheels, as there are special bike lanes everywhere, including through the 'Planty' that surrounds the Old Town. One cheap place to rent from is in Kazimierz by the Old Synagogue. It costs around 20PLN per day, with a small deposit — much cheaper than those in the centre. For those who are prepared to spend more, you can do a downtown Krakow tour using a rented Segway.
In 2008, Kraków introduced BikeOne - a reasonably priced system of public municipal bikes. You need to register and pay and you will be supplied with a personal PIN code that allows to grab a bike from self-service rental stations. Currently, there is about 15 such stations (mostly around Kraków's center) but the network will grow. The nice thing about this system is that you don't need to return the bike to the same station you rented from - just grab a bike for a few minutes to transfer from one point to another and drop the bike at any station you want. Bikes are not available during winter.
Krakow by Public Transport
During the day, there is an excellent system of public transport in Krakow, covered by trams and buses (but remember, you can spend a lot of time in traffic jams!). The rush hours are mostly between 7AM-9AM and 3PM-5PM.
Buy tickets before you get on board. Ticket inspectors are fairly common and though the fines are not steep, they are not worth the hassle. Single, one-hour, daily, weekly, and monthly tickets are available and can be bought from news agents and kiosks. For single tickets, as soon as you get on, punch the ticket in the machine. A ticket must be punched or it is not valid. Daily tickets and one-hour tickets need to be punched the first time you get on, but do not do it again after that. Do not punch weekly and monthly tickets.
Ticket prices: single 2.50PLN, one-hour 3.10PLN, 24-hour 10.40PLN, 48-hour 18.80PLN, 72-hour 25PLN, 7-day 39PLN, family ticket (Sat-Sun only, unlimited daytime travelling) 10.40PLN, monthly pass 94PLN.
ISIC and Euro26 student holders that study outside Poland can use discount tickets, but not the full, 50% discount student tickets. They can use "gminny" fare, which means: single 1.35PLN, one-hour 1.65PLN, 24-hour 5.70PLN, 48-hour 11.50PLN, 72-hour 15.60PLN, 7-day 23.60PLN, monthly pass 41.70PLN.
When travelling to neighbouring villages and to the airport you need an agglomeration ticket, that is just 0.30PLN more expensive. Keep in mind you need it even if you have any sort of valid time pass mentioned above (as they cover just the city area). The agglomeration ticket is green.
Single ticket prices are the same during the night exept for night busses witch are indicated with a black sign, they cost 5PLN single fare, or you can use a 24 / 48 / 72-hour ticket wich is valid to. Tram and bus stops show routes and most kiosks will be able to advise you on route numbers.