Krakow

[Brokenfurnitureandroses]

Hi
We are thinking about having a family holiday in Krakow next summer. Hoping to explore the area, do tours (including Auswitz), rent a car, etc. Children will all be just under 10. Probably stay in a holiday rental. Has anyone any experience of this area? What would you recommend to do there? Is it a little cheaper than Ireland (or UK) to eat out, do activities, etc? Any advice or recommendations welcome! TIA!

Absolutely love Krakow and have been several times for holidays. Auschwitz might be a bit much for youngsters to be honest. A visit to the Salt Mines is a must,get there early. Wawel castle is huge, or take a boat trip. There is an amazing museum under the main square. Tricky to find but excellent. Eating out is incredibly cheap..which is why we have family holidays there! We have always stayed Air BnB and had no problems

If you are staying in Krakow, I don't think you will need a car. The centre is very compact and easy to walk round.
Plus it is very easy to book tours to places like the Salt Mines, Zakopane and the mountains.

I also think your DCs are too young for Auschwitz or the Holocaust sites in Krakow like Schindler's Factory. They aren't designed for children and a lot of the other visitors will have been personally affected, there are a lot of Jews and people of Jewish heritage from all over the world doing pilgrimages back to Krakow to learn about where their families were from.

Brilliant, all good to hear. Have you ever been in August? What has the weather been like - is it similar to the (usual) UK and ireland temperature or much hotter? Thanks for your response.

We went to Krakow over new year, so in the dead of winter. It's a fantastic city and we've always said we want to go back in summer.

I'd delay the trip until DC are older if you're visiting Auschwitz. It's a place that's harrowing and emotional and I don't think its a place for young kids.

If you want to do it, and take out what is intended your DC would need to be older.

I wonder if I were to visit Auswitz, would there be somewhere relatively nearby for the children to go to with their Dad? Or is it very far from Krakow?

Is it not too close to Russia/Ukraine and all that’s going on? Family holiday near a war zone? I was planning a trip until lockdown but imagined I’d have to wait a bit longer.

If you wanted to go to Auschwitz especially, and Dad didn't, I'd just go on a tour and leave him doing something else with the kids back in Krakow.

Most people go on an organized tour, plus you really need someone there to explain everything. It's the whole day if you go to Birkenau as well, which you should.

There isn't really something to do nearby, I got the bus there (not recommended) and the taxi back and taxi driver was explaining the area - it's in the middle of nowhere for a reason.

A friend had the same thoughts about holidaying in close proximity to a war zone until someone told her that they really needed the financial boost to the economy to help with supporting the influx of refugees etc etc

That’s a good idea - leave the kids in Krakow with their Dad and do a tour of Auschwitz myself. Thanks for that. Makes sense as well to have someone to explain it all instead of doing it myself.

Hi OP, just back from Krakow with similar age DC. Weather wise, August is usually around 22-25 degrees and sunny, you may have a bit of rain here and there and may have an odd hotter day.

Things to see and do:
Wieliczka Salt Mine is great and interesting for kids.

Zamek Krolewski with Dragon’s cave. You can just get tickets for the parts of the castle you want to see and still explore outside, depends what your DC are into.

Park Lema has absolutely amazing physics inspired playground, there is a small fee to get in but well worth it. You can easily spend half a day in there. The rest of the park is free and huge, with playgrounds and so on. Everything very well maintained, clean and safe.

You can take a cruise on the Wisla (Vistula), have a stroll around the Old Town, Kazimierz, although Kazimierz may not be so exciting for kids.

To eat, stick to the side streets coming out from the Old Town and avoid places with ppl dressed in traditional outfits. Mediocre food and really expensive.

Outside of Krakow are some amazing adventure parks: Energolandia, Rabka (which is a very interesting town on its own), water parks in Bialka Tatrzanska, Bukowina and Chocholow. You can take a bus or train to any of these from Krakow. If you have time take a whole day trip to Zakopane or Pieniny.

I would not advise to drive in Krakow or nearby. Public transport is very efficient and easy to navigate and really cheap. A tram/ bus ticket for me and DC cost £1 (includes bus from Krakow to Wieliczka).

Krakow is nowhere near the war zone 🙄there are plenty of Ukrainian refugees, which l very much doubt you would be able to distinguish from native Poles, and signs are in 2 languages but that’s about it.

Krakow is beautiful, very clean, very safe and still relatively cheap but inflation in Poland is growing at much faster rate than in the UK, not sure how good a deal it will be next year.

I have been to Krakow and surrounding areas many times, happy to recommend any other places. There is so much to do there!

This is all wonderful advice, thank you so much. 🙂

you could do the early Auschwitz tour and be back in Krakow for about 1-2 pm.
Do the guided tour, lots of information. Buy the cheapest tour as you all go on a mini bus then put in language specific groups for the tour.
definitely not suitable for your kids.
www.viator.com/Krakow-tourism/d529-r26993597051-s384277691?m=64814&supag=96545569093&supsc=kwd-395260424117&supai=421160040637&supdv=c&supnt=g&suplp=9045989&supli=&supti=kwd-395260424117&tsem=true&supci=kwd-395260424117&supap1=&supap2=&gclid=CjwKCAjw9NeXBhAMEiwAbaY4lqhdSFrjW7e9GMsMjVHysmu_k4BBba2oBplh8qAoUKdj_-uKCSbmWxoCLYsQAvD_BwE