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Kraków
,→South and southwest towards Rabka-Zdrój, Ružomberok (SK) {{National Road Number Poland|7}} {{E|77}}, Zakopane {{National Road Number Poland|47}} and Bielsko-Biała {{National Road Number Poland|52}}
|state = Lesser Poland (Voivodeship)
|map = <map lat='50.05405277962895' lng='19.955291748046875' zoom='10' view='0' float='right'/>
|pop = 754 624762,500|plate = KR, KK
|motorways = {{Apl|4}}
|expressways =
'''Note:''' Don't go towards Katowice if your destination is the Czech Republic. You risk getting stuck in Katowice's large urban agglomeration. Instead, follow the instructions below for [[Bielsko-Biała]].
From main railway station (Dworzec Główny Wschód) take bus 208 or 292 direction ''Port Lotniczy (Airport)''. If you take bus [http://rozklady.mpk.krakow.pl/aktualne/0208/0208rw01.htm 208] get off at '''''Balice Autostrada (NŻ)''''' (you have to press the stop button otherwise the bus won't stop). Walk back for about 30m and turn left (west). Continue walking, go over the motorway by the bridge from which you will see the toll booths. Here's the [http://www.pkt.pl/finddirections.ds?location=50.08418%2C19.80726&location=50.084%2C19.79184&routeStyle=PEDESTRIAN&tab=directions&locationType=latlng&locationType=latlng route] It's a bout 1.5km walk.
If you take the bus [http://rozklady.mpk.krakow.pl/aktualne/0292/0292rw01.htm 292] you have to walk a bit more (about 3km). Get off at the airport and follow this [http://www.pkt.pl/finddirections.ds?location=50.07193%2C19.80054&location=50.084%2C19.79184&routeStyle=PEDESTRIAN&tab=directions&locationType=latlng&locationType=latlng route].
[[File:Krakow to ukraine.JPG|thumb|left|200px|Hitching from Krakow to Ukraine]]
'''4 Take a train for about 40km to a good spot'''
For a bit more than 10 ''złoty'' you can take a train from Krakow to the small town of '''Trzebinia'''. An even cheaper option is the minibus from the station behind the shopping mall next to the train station. Leave the train station, turn left, cross the bridge and follow ''road 79'' direction southwest. It's just another 1.5 km to get to the motorway junction and you can try hitching with a sign "Katowice" already, because a lot of traffic goes towards the motorway and you are already outside of Trzebinia. It takes about one hour to get from Krakow main station to Trzebinia.
=== North towards [[Warsaw|Warszawa]], [[Gdańsk]] {{National Road Number Poland|7}} {{E|77}} ===
=== East towards [[Sandomierz]], [[Rzeszów]], [[Przemyśl]], [[Lviv]] ([[Ukraine|UA]]) {{National Road Number Poland|4}} {{E|40}} ===
For '''Sandomierz''' take tram number 10 or 21 till the last stop ''Pleszow''. From there you can start hitching along national road 79.
Another option is an unused bus stop on Tadeusza Śliwaka street, right before the road junction leading to {{National Road Number Poland|4}} {{E|40}} going east, the GPS coordinates are: 50°02'15.0"N 20°03'34.0"E. Use https://krakow.jakdojade.pl/ to check the buses going near that spot, preferably use a connection that will end up at bus stop '''Przewóz''' (Bus 158), as it's the nearest one to the spot. This bus stop is right behind the traffic lights, with a lot of space for even a big truck to stop and You will be easily visible. It is not the most popular road leading out of Cracow to the east however, so waiting times may vary. If You are going to Ukraine, bear in mind that recently finished {{National Road Number Poland|4}} {{E|40}} highway leads to '''Korczowa-Krakovets''' border crossing, where You '''cannot''' cross the border on foot (it is permitted only '''Medyka-Shehyni'''). Also there are very, very few cars stopping at the gas stations and rest areas on highway east of [[Rzeszów]], so before You pass it, either enter a car going straight to Korczowa border crossing (and wait a long time in the car queue), or go straight to Przemyśl, where You can easily access Medyka-Shehyni crossing, avoid rides to towns like Łańcut or Przeworsk, as most likely You will get stuck there. === South and southwest towards [[Rabka -Zdrój]], [[Ružomberok]] ([[Slovakia|SK]]) {{National Road Number Poland|7}} {{E|77}}, [[Zakopane]] {{National Road Number Poland|47}} and [[Bielsko-Biała]] {{National Road Number Poland|52}} ===
Take tram no. 8, 19, 22, 23, 40 (operating only on Sundays and day offs) from the centre to the last stop ''Borek Fałęcki''. There is a small bus station here. You can either walk south for a couple of kilometres until you go under the highway overpass, or take bus 175, 235, 245, 255, 275, 285 and get out at the stop ''Opatkowice'' immediately after the highway overpass. You can hitch from the ''Opatkowice'' bus stop.
Alternatively if you start out early in the morning, you can take the above mentioned bus '''285''' much farther away from the city to a much better spot. Get off at Mogilany Ośrodek Zdrowia. This is a bus stop on the highway, hitch from here. Excellent spot! <br/>(In case nobody speaks English and you don't know where to get off, if you are in the front of the bus near the driver, you will see a red bridge from the distance, this one: [https://www.google.com/maps/@49.939466,19.894601,3a,75y,172.78h,92.74t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sG-2qOxM2yscYZqcBJ-67hg!2e0 Mogilany Wiadukt]As soon as you see the bridge in the distance, get off immediately. In case you miss it, no worries, you can get off after the bridge and walk back maybe one kilometer)
'''WARNING''': the bus operates very rarely (and '''doesn't''' go on Sundays!), so you should check the timetable here:
[http://rozklady.mpk.krakow.pl/aktualne/0285/0285t001.htm 285 bus timetable]
If you are going towards [[Bielsko-Biała]], tell your driver immediately so that he knows to leave you at the fork in the road a few kilometres south of Krakow.
If your are heading to Slovakia, the road splits towards SK in [[Rabka-Zdrój]]. At the fork in the road itself there is a good spot to hitchhike, though there is mainly local traffic and it may require a couple of lifts to reach the Slovak border. Alternatively, if you don't want to hitchhike in Krakow or save some time, you can take a bus to this spot for 9 PLN, which is not that pricier from what would you pay for public transport in Krakow. Bus stop is called ''Skomielna Biała, skrzyżowanie''. You can use [http://www.busy-krk.pl/en/rabka-zdroj-krakow.php this site] to check timetables. You can also take a similar mini-bus to Jabłonka (which is right at the border) for about 20 PLN.
== Public Transport ==
There is a good very useful and simple to use [http://krakow.jakdojade.pl/Welcome.jsp?locale=en website] showing you how to get from one point to another by public transport in major Polish cities (in Polish and English).
== Sleeping ==
The central station (Dworzec Główny) is open during the night, but guards patrol the station constantly and wake up anyone who tries to sleep (even people waiting for trains). Better to find a host from a hospitality exchange service or camp outside the city.
You can sleep in "student academic" which is on Czarnowiejska/Reymonta street and there are sleeping students from AGH ( Academy of Science and Technology ). It's like 30 zloty ( ~8 euro ) for one night.
== Nomadwiki & Trashwiki ==
{{nomadwiki}}
[[Category:Poland]]
[[pl:Kraków]]