Kraków is well connected to the rest of Europe with regular flights, buses, and trains to over 30 countries. This overview of transport options shows direct destinations and offers suggestions for where to travel next.
Vienna State Opera at night – image © Pierre Blaché / CC0 1.0
Kraków is a beautiful city to visit, which makes a great base for exploring other Polish cities. It is also an excellent jumping off point for further explorations of Europe. Travel may be limited to the east of Poland, due to the war in Ukraine, but it borders Germany, Czechia, and Slovakia to the west, and is within easy access of at least half-a-dozen other countries to the south. Kraków offers plenty of cheap options by road, rail, and air to over 100 destinations in the EU and beyond.
This overview covers the direct routes from Kraków to other cities, with information on where to find timetables and how to book tickets, as well as the key points of departure.
What Countries Can I Travel To From Kraków?
Broadly speaking, you can reach most parts of Europe directly from Kraków. There are cheap flights to roughly 100 cities in just over 30 countries. Coach services are available to at least 175 cities, mostly across Central Europe, France, and Italy, with more limited routes to Scandinavia, Spain, and the UK. Finally, there are only a handful of international train routes from Kraków, but most of these include an overnight sleeper option, which can be a really nice way to travel. You can go to sleep en route and wake up for breakfast in a completely different country.
There are, however, barely any direct routes from Kraków to cities outside the EU – you’ll need to travel via an international transport hub – and a handful of destinations to the east of Poland are currently suspended, due to the military conflict in Ukraine.
Use a service like 12go to check flights and coaches for your chosen dates. For trains, you’ll need to use the official timetable for the Polish train service.
Be sure to secure accommodation before committing to travel, so you don’t arrive with nowhere to sleep!
Direct Flights From Kraków
Kraków is served by two airports but John Paul II International Airport is the nearest and most convenient. See our comprehensive guide to the airport for more details and information on how to get there.
The airport is well-organised and relatively stress-free. It’s only 15km from the city centre and can be reached in less than 60 minutes. There are regular trains from Kraków’s main station but booking a private transfer can make the experience even easier.
The majority of flights are run by low-cost shuttle carriers like EasyJet and Ryanair, so there are some real bargains to be had if you book in advance. The frequency of service depends on the destination but many are daily and all run at least once a week. You can check options and book flights with 12go and the airport offers a real-time departures board.
This is a complete list of direct routes from Kraków Airport to non-Polish destinations at time of writing:
- Austria: Vienna
- Belgium: Brussels
- Bulgaria: Burgas
- Croatia: Dubrovnik / Split / Zadar
- Cyprus: Larnaca / Paphos
- Czechia: Prague
- Denmark: Billund / Copenhagen
- Finland: Helsinki
- France: Lille / Lyon / Marseille / Nice / Paris
- Georgia: Kutaisi
- Germany: Berlin / Dortmund / Dusseldorf / Frankfurt / Munich / Nuremberg / Stuttgart
- Greece: Athens / Chania / Corfu / Heraklion / Santorini / Thessaloniki
- Hungary: Budapest
- Ireland: Dublin / Shannon
- Israel: Tel Aviv
- Italy: Ancona / Bari / Bologna / Cagliari / Catania / Lamezia / Milan / Naples / Palermo / Pescara / Pisa / Rimini / Rome / Turin / Venice
- Latvia: Riga
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Montenegro: Podgorica
- Morocco: Agadir
- Netherlands: Amsterdam / Eindhoven
- Norway: Bergen / Oslo / Stavanger / Trondheim
- Portugal: Lisbon / Porto
- Spain: Alicante / Barcelona / Gran Canaria / Madrid / Malaga / Palma de Mallorca / Seville / Tenerife / Valencia
- Sweden: Gothenburg / Stockholm
- Switzerland: Basel / Zurich
- UAE: Dubai
- UK: Belfast / Birmingham / Bournemouth / Bristol / Doncaster / East Midlands / Edinburgh / Glasgow / Leeds Bradford / Liverpool / London Gatwick / London Heathrow / London Luton / London Stanstead / Manchester / Newcastle
Terminal A outside Katowice Airport – image © Filips3 / CC BY 4.0
Direct Flights From Katowice
Kraków’s other airport is Katowice. It’s much further away than John Paul II and less convenient, as you can see from the brief overview on our How To Get To Kraków page. The bus takes around two hours, so your best bet is hiring a private transfer via Get Your Guide.
Many of these flights are also run by low-cost shuttle carriers like Ryanair and Wizz Air, and though there are fewer destinations, the airport offers some key additions. You can check timetables with 12go and Katowice also has a real-time departures board.
This is a complete list of direct routes from Katowice Airport to non-Polish destinations at time of writing:
- Austria: Graz / Vienna
- Bulgaria: Burgas
- Croatia: Split
- Cyprus: Larnaca / Paphos
- Georgia: Kutaisi
- Germany: Cologne Bonn / Dortmund / Frankfurt
- Greece: Athens / Corfu / Heraklion / Rhodes
- Iceland: Reykjavik
- Ireland: Dublin
- Israel: Tel Aviv
- Italy: Bologna / Catania / Milan / Naples / Rome / Trepani / Venice
- Malta
- Montenegro: Podgorica
- Netherlands: Eindhoven
- Norway: Bergen / Oslo / Stavanger
- Sardinia: Alghero
- Spain: Barcelona / Castellón / Fuerteventura / Malaga / Tenerife
- Sweden: Malmö / Stockholm
- Turkey: Antalya
- UAE: Abu Dhabi
- UK: Birmingham / Bristol / Doncaster-Sheffield / Edinburgh / Liverpool / London Luton / London Stanstead / Manchester
Direct Bus Routes From Kraków
If you’re looking to travel to more localised countries, there is an extensive coach and bus network from Kraków to at least 175 destinations. Central Europe is comprehensively covered, as are France and Italy. With various companies competing for customers, ticket prices can be very low. Direct routes to Scandinavia, Spain, and the UK are more limited, due to lengthy travel times, and travel to Eastern Europe is currently problematic due to the war in Ukraine.
The majority of coaches will leave from Kraków’s busy Dworzec Autobusowy, tucked just behind the main train station and the Galeria Krakowska shopping mall. See the By Coach section of our How To Get To Kraków page for more information.
Timetables are subject to change and there are too many routes to list here. However, it’s very easy to plan a trip with 12go, which will work out the best options for your route, including prices and travel times. We’ve also listed the main service providers in the region, so you can see which routes they offer:
- Eurolines: Consortium of European bus services with over 150 destinations from Kraków
- FlixBus: German coach service offering almost 175 routes from Kraków
- Sindbad: Polish coach service catering to over 420 cities across Europe
- RegioJet: Smaller Czech bus and train service with a fleet of 210 coaches
Direct Train Routes From Kraków
The range of direct train routes from Kraków is limited compared to flights and bus options. However, it can still be a rapid and cost-effective way to travel to neighbouring countries. What’s more, most of these routes provide overnight services with comfortable sleeper cars. The cost of offsetting a night’s accommodation can make this a very competitive way to travel, leaving you refreshed as you arrive in a new city the next morning. Otherwise, you can travel by day and watch a new country slide into view.
Polish trains are modern and comfortable, with food and drink facilities on board. Sleeping compartments come in a range of options, usually from two to six berths. The deluxe version includes a shower.
All trains leave from Kraków Główny, the city’s main station, attached to the Galeria Krakowska shopping mall, just to the north of the Old Town. See the By Train section of our How To Get To Kraków page for more details.
You’ll find a real-time departures board at the Polish national rail site – use KRAKÓW GŁÓWNY as the point of departure. You can also use this to book tickets.
This is a complete list of direct routes from Kraków Główny to non-Polish cities at time of writing:
- Austria: Vienna
- Czechia: Prague
- Germany: Berlin
- Hungary: Budapest
- Slovakia: Bratislava
Things To Do In Krakow
Start Planning Your Kraków Trip Now!
:: Find available Kraków hotels on Booking.com - usually you can reserve a room with no upfront payment. Pay when you check out. Free cancellations too.
:: Wondering where to stay in Krakow before you book your hotel? See our comprehensive guide to the city's most convenient areas for visitors.
:: Find the cheapest flight to Kraków with 12go - one search will show you the prices and times from scores of airlines for your trip. A real timesaver.
:: Book an airport transfer to take you hassle-free direct from the airport to your hotel with the driver meeting you in Arrivals.
:: Find out how to get your phone set up with a SIM card in Kraków.
:: Make sure you don't forget to bring any of the essentials with our comprehensive Packing List For Kraków.
:: World Nomads offers simple and flexible travel insurance. Buy at home or while traveling and claim online from anywhere in the world.
:: Get a KrakowCard 2- or 3-day pass that gives entry to almost 40 of the Kraków's fantastic attractions and unlimited use of the city's bus and tram network.
:: Need inspiration? Check our Kraków Itineraries for two-day, three-day, and four-day trips, as well as our Things To Do In Kraków guide for ideas of where to do and what to do.
