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Why is everyone going to Krakow?

Passepartout

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Beautiful city, but they're late, I went there 20 years ago, when it was still considered 'Eastern' Europe. Home of John Paul II.
 

Ken555

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I spent almost a week there last year and it was fantastic. I want to go back for longer...


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mjm1

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Thanks for sharing this article. We are headed there next year for the first time. We are planning three nights, which sounds like it may not be enough. It may work out OK since we are planning to take an overnight train from Prague and will arrive early in the morning. So we will have three full days. Looking forward to it.

Best regards.

Mike
 

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Krakow is one of my favorite cities. It was never destroyed during World War II so it retains its charm. BTW the overnight train from Prague is a slow milk run. We had a compartment- good luck with the top berth LOL

Auschwitz if only about 30 miles away and is worth a trip if you don’t mind being depressed on your vacation and Schindler’s factory is available for tour in downtown Krakow.
 
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mjm1

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Krakow is one of my favorite cities. It was never destroyed during World War II so it retains its charm. BTW the overnight train from Prague is a slow milk run. We had a compartment- good luck with the top berth LOL

Auschwitz if only about 30 miles away and is worth a trip if you don’t mind being depressed on your vacation and Schindler’s factory is available for tour in downtown Krakow.

Thank you for your insights.

Would you please expand on what you mean by the train being a “slow milk run?” I am not familiar with that phrase. We plan to get a double compartment. Does that mean we will have an upper and lower berth? Is their more side to side motion in the upper oris it just harder to get into? Our main reason for taking the night train is to gain more time in Krakow. We hadn’t heard about Schindler’s factory, so we will add that to our list. Auschwitz is definitely in our plans.

Best regards.

Mike
 

Ken555

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Schindlers factory is now a modern museum. You will see little of the actual factory, even though it’s in the same building. I thought it worthwhile, but my expectations were set incorrectly. FWIW, I bought a combination ticket for the factory, the old synagogue, and a couple other museums all of which can be done independently in one day (or afternoon).

If you want a real tourist experience, I’d suggest a tour of the salt mine. That was worthwhile and enjoyable.

Auschwitz, of course, is an essential part of any visit to Kraków. Frankly, I can’t imagine anyone visiting the city and not going there.


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Jimster

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As to the train, a milk run is one that stops at every station- very slow. It is not that far from Prague to Krakow but it takes a long time. If you go to Auschwitz, it sets the stage- obviously much much worse for the people in WWII but it gives you an Erie feeling since you are arriving by train.
THe upper berth is about 15 inches from the top of the compartment. Initially, i had all sorts of bad. Thoughts of falling out and hitting my head on the sink. Later i did wedge myself in and got a little sleep. It is hard to get in and out and the bathroom is down the corridor. One advantage is that it does save you 1 night lodging.
Arriving at Krakow, i found it a very nice train station and surprisingly several places open at that time. I stayed at Crystal Suites Old town. I have been in the hospitality business and i was intrigued because this hotel had a 100% excellent rating- i have never seen that before especially with a large number of responses. I was not disappointed. I could have stayed for free on hotel points elsewhere in Krakow but i chose to pay to experience this hotel. I got to the hotel at about 8 am hoping to leave my luggage until check in. To my surprise, the night security said your room is ready and gave me the keys to our “apartment.” It was gorgeous with 15 foot ceilings, heated tile in the bathroom etc. It was an old building but well kept and consistent with an old world site. It was within walking distance of the cloth market. I gave it an excellent rating too and i have stayed in many 5 star hotels around the world.
I hired a private car to take me to Auschwitz. I would recommend that. It was door to door service. Also bring comfortable shoes because Auschwitz is very large and involves lots of walking. It is actually two camps. It does have several gruesome spots on the tour-my wife quit the tour part way through. I think you must use their guides through the complex or a tour company must have guides certified by the site.
 
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vacationhopeful

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I went twice to Germany and Poland the 2 years just after 'the wall' came down.

The first fall trip was a society with the 'old world' feel. The next year, I could have been in many Western Europe cities. Same 'junk' trinket stores ... way higher prices and lots of spoken English tourist pitches.
 

mjm1

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As to the train, a milk run is one that stops at every station- very slow. It is not that far from Prague to Krakow but it takes a long time. If you go to Auschwitz, it sets the stage- obviously much much worse for the people in WWII but it gives you an Erie feeling since you are arriving by train.
THe upper berth is about 15 inches from the top of the compartment. Initially, i had all sorts of bad. Thoughts of falling out and hitting my head on the sink. Later i did wedge myself in and got a little sleep. It is hard to get in and out and the bathroom is down the corridor. One advantage is that it does save you 1 night lodging.
Arriving at Krakow, i found it a very nice train station and surprisingly several places open at that time. I stayed at Crystal Suites Old town. I have been in the hospitality business and i was intrigued because this hotel had a 100% excellent rating- i have never seen that before especially with a large number of responses. I was not disappointed. I could have stayed for free on hotel points elsewhere in Krakow but i chose to pay to experience this hotel. I got to the hotel at about 8 am hoping to leave my luggage until check in. To my surprise, the night security said your room is ready and gave me the keys to our “apartment.” It was gorgeous with 15 foot ceilings, heated tile in the bathroom etc. It was an old building but well kept and consistent with an old world site. It was within walking distance of the cloth market. I gave it an excellent rating too and i have stayed in many 5 star hotels around the world.
I hired a private car to take me to Auschwitz. I would recommend that. It was door to door service. Also bring comfortable shoes because Auschwitz is very large and involves lots of walking. It is actually two camps. It does have several gruesome spots on the tour-my wife quit the tour part way through. I think you must use their guides through the complex or a tour company must have guides certified by the site.

Thanks Jimster. Sounds like I will be getting the upper berth. I look into that hotel as well.

Best regards.

Mike
 
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