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logo of the 15th International Symposium on Tardigrada in Kraków, Poland, 22nd-26th of August 2022, showing an individual of Doryphoribius dawkinsi, a yellow parachelan eutardigrade with dorsal gibbosities, breathing fire, stylised as the statue of the Wawel Dragon at the foot of the Wawel Hill in Kraków. Font and flame colours represent the colours of the Jagiellonian University logo. Concept and design: Łukasz Michalczyk, artwork: Kamil Janelt (Silesia University) & Łukasz Michalczyk (Jagiellonian University). CLICK TO ENLARGE THE IMAGE

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Getting to Kraków

Visas

Before planning your trip, please check whether you need a visa to enter Poland and, if you do, what kind of visa it is – one that you can get at the Kraków Airport or one that you need to apply for in advance. If it’s the latter scenario, please apply for your visa as soon as possible. Information on visa types can be found on the website of the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

 



Getting to Kraków

Depending on the distance between your residence and Kraków, you can get to the Royal City by aeroplane, train, or coach/bus.

There are three most important transportation hubs you should get acquainted with prior to coming to Kraków:

•    The Kraków Airport (IATA code: KRK), also known as the Balice International Airport or John Paul II International Airport (in Polish: Port Lotniczy im. Jana Pawła II or simply Lotnisko w Balicach), which is situated ca. 15 km from the Symposium Venue that is located in the Old Town (City Centre) and can be reached by the SKA1 Train, Airport Taxi, Uber/Bolt or City Bus (see below for more details on how to get from the airport to the Kraków Old Town). The Kraków Airport has good and frequent connections with larger European airway hubs, such as Frankfurt (Germany), Amsterdam (the Netherlands), or London (UK).
•    The Main Train Station (in Polish: Dworzec Główny Kraków or simply Kraków Główny) is located in the immediate vicinity of the Main Coach Station and both are located close to the Old Town (ca. 1.5 km = within walking distance).
•    The Main Coach Station (in Polish: Małopolski Dworzec Autobusowy or simply Dworzec Autobusowy) is located in the immediate vicinity of the Main Train Station and both are located close to the Old Town (ca. 1.5 km = within walking distance).

 



Getting from the Airport to the City

TRAIN

•    This is the easiest, fastest and the second cheapest way to get to the Main Train Station in Kraków.
•    We suggest it if your accommodation is within walking distance of the Main Train Station.
•    There is only one train line (SKA1) going from the airport to the city, so there is no risk of getting on a wrong train.
•    Sometimes the train terminates at the Main Train Station in Kraków and in such cases the destination is “Kraków Główny”, but some services terminate further, at the Wieliczka Salt Mine. In such instances, the destination is “Wieliczka Rynek-Kopalnia” or simply “Wieliczka” and you need to make sure to get off the train at the right station 😉 (the Main Train Station is the seventh stop, with the initial Airport stop being the first stop).
•    The timetable can be accessed here.
•    A one-way ticket costs 16 PLN and can be bought on the train from a ticket machine (you can pay with a debit/credit card or a smartphone with the paypass/NFC function on) or from the conductor (cash only) who passes through the train and punches the tickets during the journey.
•    Please remember that passengers travelling on public transport in Poland must wear face masks covering the mouth and nose at all times.
•    The ride takes ca. 15 min and the route looks like this:

...

 

UBER or BOLT

•    Easy to book (you need to install the appropriate application on your smartphone) and will take you directly to your accommodation.
•    It takes ca. 20–40 min to get to the city, depending on traffic, which depends on the day of the week and time of day). If you choose to fly in on Sunday the 21st of August (which we recommend), the traffic shouldn’t be too high.
•    Prices vary depending on the demand, car quality, and traffic, but usually they are within the range of 25–75 PLN.
•    Given that payments are processed via smartphone apps, you will pay with your own currency (smartphone apps will do the currency exchange automatically for you).
•    Please remember that passengers travelling by Uber/Bolt in Poland must wear face masks covering the mouth and nose at all times.

 

TAXI

•    The Kraków Airport offers official taxi service.
•    It takes ca. 20–40 min to get to the City (depends on traffic, which depends on the day of the weak and time of the day). If you choose to fly in on Sunday the 21st of August (which we recommend), the traffic shouldn’t be too high.
•    You can take the taxi in front of the Airport or book it online in advance.
•    It should cost you ca. 90–100 PLN, depending on where your accommodation is (in this Airport Taxi Service world, the Kraków Old Town lies in “Zone 4”).
•    Please remember that passengers travelling by taxi in Poland must wear face masks covering the mouth and nose at all times.

 

CITY BUS (MPK)

•    Although public transportation in Kraków (buses, trams and river trams – all operating under the city-owned MPK company) are generally reliable, run frequently and there is a dense connection grid, getting from the Airport to Kraków by city bus is not the best choice.
•    Even though it is the cheapest, it is also definitely the slowest way to get to the Main Train Station in Kraków. Thus, we do not recommend it, unless there really is no other option available.
•    The tickets can be bought from ticket machines at the airport and in the buses.
•    You must get a 60-minute ticket for 6 PLN and punch the ticket as soon as you board the bus.
•    Please remember that passengers travelling on public transport in Poland must wear face masks covering the mouth and nose at all times.

 



If you want to use cash, we suggest bringing ca. 100–300 PLN for starters with you or exchange a small amount at the Kraków Airport (we don’t recommend exchanging larger amounts at the Kraków Airport, as the rates are not the best). In the section Polish Essentials, we will give you some tips on where to best exchange your currency.

 



In order to make your arrival as comfortable and as smooth as possible, our Student Volunteers, dressed in yellow Symposium t-shirts (to make them easy for you to spot), will be at the Airport throughout Sunday the 21st of August (exact times to be confirmed depending on your arrival times) to help you choose and get on the means of transportation of your choice:

 

Yellow Symposium t-shirt to be worn by Volunteers at the Kraków Airport.

We cannot wait to see you all in Kraków this summer! 😊