Useful tips

1. SOUVENIRS
There are lots of things that you can buy as souvenirs. The most popular is the Polish vodka considered to be one of the best in the world. Many people buy salt from Wieliczka in special cloth bags or a doll dressed in Cracovian folklore clothes called “krakowianka”. There is a lot of silver jewellery with the amber which can be found only in the Baltic Sea and that’s a perfect souvenir for a woman. In Cracow there are also many art galleries and you can buy some handmade masterpieces in them.

2. CITY TRANSPORT
You can go everywhere within the city borders by a bus or a tram. There are usually maps of the public transport at tram and bus stops. The basic ticket for an adult costs 2,70zl and you can go for 30 minutes after validating it on the first bus or tram if you change the lines or to the end of the route if you go only by one means of transport, no matter how long it takes. There is also one hour ticket for adults which costs 3,60zl. A student’s ticket is 1,40zl for 30 minutes and 1,80zl for one hour ticket.

3. SHOPPING
There are three big shopping galleries in Cracow – Krakowska Gallery, Kazimierz Gallery and Bonarka Gallery. They sell almost everything – from clothes and shoes to the electronic equipment. There are also many bigger and smaller shops situated at the Market Square and in every street that goes to it. Remember that shops in the centre are usually the most expensive. If you want to buy clothes or shoes, go to Stradom and Krakowska Street where lots of smaller shops offer prices lower than near the Market Square. As for jewellery, you can buy it at jeweller’s in every street in the centre and there’s a great choice of modern and traditional patterns.

4. SAFETY
Cracow is a very safe city, but of course you must follow some rules. Pay attention to your bags when in a crowded place and don’t put passports and money in your back packets. Don’t walk alone at night outside the Market Square and main streets. If you want to admire the beauty of the city alone when it’s dark, choose places where there are people. It won’t be difficult as the city is very lively at night, too. Always have the name and the address of the place you are staying at written on a piece of paper in case you get lost. Then you can show it to passers – by or a taxi driver and get the directions how to find this place. The Polish names may be difficult to pronounce so it’s better to have it written.

5. LANGUAGE
Don’t worry, most people in Cracow speak at least some English. If you want to ask about something, try to find somebody younger than 30 years old. Older people didn’t have English at school so they might not understand you. You won’t have any problem at pubs and restaurants, usually all the staff speak English. People in Cracow are very friendly and surely they will help if you ask them.

6. TAXI
There are many taxi companies in the city and they have different prices. The cheapest company is iCar Taxi. All their drivers must have GPS and when you give the destination address, they check how many kilometers it is and must tell you how much it is.