Cracow School of Theoretical Physics - travel tips
Cracow
School of
Theoretical Physics
We recommend that you take one of the flights to Krakow (see the Krakow Airport web
page). You can also fly to
Warszawa (Warsaw) and then continue by
plane or by train to
Krakow. You can also take a direct train to
Zakopane
(preferably for those who arrive in Warsaw in the evening and wish to
take an overnight train (sleeping or couchette)
to Zakopane).
We will
provide a conference
bus
from Krakow to Zakopane on June 13 at approximately 6 p.m.
The bus will
depart from the parking lot in front of the Institute of Physics
Reymonta Street
4.
Please note that there are 2 parking lots: one in front of the main
entrance and the other one at the back entrance.
Both are well visible
from the main hall at the ground floor. If you arrive in Krakow in the
morning, please
proceed to the Institute, where you will be able to leave your luggage.
You can then walk to the city centre.
DISTANCES:
Warszawa-Krakow: appr. 260 km., 2:50 hrs by express train (once an hour)
Krakow-Zakopane: appr. 100 km., 2:30 hrs by bus (frequent bus
connections until 9 p.m.)
Flight to Krakow
There are now quite a few regular and charter flights between Krakow
and several European cities. Please consult your travel agent for
details.
From the Krakow airport you can take (see map
for orientation and Krakow airport home
page)
TRAIN
New train line operates now between the
airport and the central train/bus station. Take a free shuttle bus from
the bus stop located
at the main exit or walk 200 m. following signs to
the train stop. Tickets (PLN 6) can be purchased on the train. The
train operates
from 4:25 in the morning until midnigth (see train
time
table: right panel airport-to-train station, left panel train
station-to-airport).
BUS
The city bus 292
(former 192) to Krakowska Szkola Wyzsza (stops at the train/bus station
(3/4 hour)). You have to purchase bus
tickets,
one for you and one for
each
piece of luggage, in advance in newsstands called "Kiosk RUCH"
(located on the 1-st floor of Krakow Airport)
or on the bus and punch them on the
bus right after boarding. For the Institute of Physics get off at the
AGH bus
stop.
The citiy bus 208
will take you to Bronowice Nowe from where you have to take a tram. Not
recommended.
See also bus
info on the Krakow Airport web page.
TAXI
Alternatively you can take a taxi. The price for a
ride to the
train/bus station should not exceed PLN 60-70 on weekdays
(50% more on
weekends and at night). You may also try to negotiate an attractive
price for a
ride directly
to Zakopane
with taxi drivers at the airport; the
price
might be of the
order PLN 400-500.
From Warsaw to Krakow
The
most convenient connection between the Warsaw airport and the central
train station Warszawa
Centralna is the regular taxi.
The cabs of radio taxi company
9191 can be
found at the exit from the arrival hall. Ask for a receipt if you feel
you have been overcharged,
the fare should not exceed PLN
50 on the weekdays.
Alternatively you can take the regular city bus 175. Get off at the Warszawa Centralna
train
station, which is just opposite to the Warsaw Marriot Hotel.
There is a number of Express and Intercity trains from Warsaw to Krakow.
Look
up the timetable.
IMPORTANT: to avoid queues purchase the
train ticket at the airport "ORBIS" (Polish Travel Agency) office
located at the exit from the arrival hall.
From Krakow to Zakopane
From Krakow train/bus
station you may go to Zakopane either by the
conference bus, by regular bus, by train or you may try to negotiate
an attractive price for a ride
directly to Zakopane with taxi drivers. The price might be of the
order PLN 400-500.
We will provide a conference
bus
from Krakow to Zakopane on June 13 at 6 p.m..
If you arrive in Krakow by train from Warsaw or from the airport we recommend that you
take a taxi to the Institute of Physics
of the Jagellonian University , Reymonta str. n. 4.
You may find taxis at the parking lot located above the platforms (see TIPS
below).
If you prefer to use public transportation then
take bus 179
from the Western side of the main train (Dworzec Zachod) station in
the direction Kurdwanow.
Get off at the AGH bus
stop.
If you arrive by plane, either go by train to the main train
station, or take bus 292
in the direction of
Krakowska Szkola Wyzsza
and get off at the AGH bus
stop .
Consult the city map;
the train station=DWORZEC GLOWNY and the bus station=DWOREZEC PKS are
located in the right upper corner
Regular bus connections between Krakow
and Zakopane are quite frequent.
Here
we give timetables of two major lines
Szwagropol and Transfrej, however there are also buses of other companies and
thru busses (see
timetables,
this site is only in Polish, type Zakopane
in the box on the left, choose date, june is czerwiec, and hour; and press szukaj). The price is PLN
15-18 depending on the company you choose. The ride
to Zakopane will take about
2.5 hrs. Buses to Zakopane depart from the upper level
of the central
bus terminal located on the East side
of the main train station.
Tickets can be purchased on the bus or, if you want to buy
the ticket in advance, in the main building of the bus terminal.
Train
connections between Krakow and Zakopane are
not so
convenient,
because regular trains are
rather slow (4 hrs.),
they mostly leave not from the main station but
from Krakow-Plaszow,
and they are not so frequent.
USEFUL TIPS
When you arrive by train from Warsaw or from the airport, West is on
your right, East is on your left, South in front and North on your back.
Krakow central train station
(Dworzec Glowny) is a located within a
walking distance from the old city centre. Next to the station on the
western side there is a large shopping mall (Galeria Krakowska) that
you have to walk through on your way to the old city. If you want
to take a taxi go to the parking lot located above the platforms taking the stairs in the
South end of the platform. If you want to get to
the bus
depot that is on the East side, take the underground tunnel
located on far most North end of the platform, and then go East.
By car
Zakopane can be easily reached from Krakow by car (2 hours). Take
international road E77 (local
road number is 7 ).
See the schematic map
of Poland.
In Zakopane
Zakopane is a small town located in the footsteps of the Tatra
Mountains.
Train station (PKP) and bus depot (PKS) are located in the lower,
Northern part of the city (see the map). The
best way to get to hotel
Bankowiec
is to take a taxi.
Weather
in Zakopane in May/June is very
unstable. In the 48 year history of the School there were cases when
people did ski during the School.
If you want to hike it is absolutely
necessary that you take good trecking shoes.
Click here
to see what is the weather in Zakopane.
In Krakow
Prices and other practical information
Polish currency
called ZLOTY (PLN) divides into 100 GROSZ.
Currency rates are
approximately as follows: US$ 1 =
PLN 2.2, Euro 1 = PLN 3.6.
Some typical prices (in PLN):
- bus Krakow-Zakopane: 15-18 PLN,
- hotels in
Krakow: prices vary from approximately PLN 200 for a single room to
even PLN 500.
- Note that in the tourist season (May to September) it is
difficult to find vacancies, therefore early reservation is advised.
- The University can offer a few rooms in the Guesthouses
located in the city
center for approximately PLN 220 (single room) PLN 350 (double
room)
incl. breakfast.
- Restaurants:
typical price for a 2 course dinner PLN 50-100. Beer PLN 5-8.
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