KrakowInformer.com

Krakowski Tramwaj Wodny is a river boat adapted to take twelve passengers cruising on Krakow's Wisla river. It starts at Galeria Krakowska stop at 10, 1.30 and 5 pm every day, goes by Podgórze and Wawel and then to Benedictine monastery in Tyniec. The return trip from Tyniec starts at 12, 3.30 and 7 pm. The cruise lasts 1.5 hour and costs 20 PLN.

At present the river boat’s launch is a trial programe till mid-September. In the future the city plans to increase the number of stops from five to ten and make it an alternative to ground transport. However, the opinions of Krakowians are far from positive due to uneconomic fees and the time the boat needs to cover its route. It seems that the new facility is more suitable for tourists wanting to get to Tyniec in an attractive and comfortable way or just admire the city from a different perspective.

The new ferry will make it's way along the Wisla

"This is more a tourist attraction than a regular transportation means" says user ‘havi’ on forum.gazeta.pl. – For them it is much better to take the river boat to Tyniec than try to catch a bus that goes there. For us it’s not practical because it runs too rarely. Well, maybe on weekends with the kids..." he says.

"For that price I’ll rent a pedal boat and reach my destination faster" echoes ‘gość’ ironically.

Krakowians are disappointed, because two years ago the company that started negotiating with the officials the setup of the regular river boat line promised that the price would be less than a tourist ticket (namely 12 PLN) and the distance between Wawel and Tyniec could be covered in around 20 minutes. Krakowians aptly note that in a tourist boat one can negotiate a price lower than 20 PLN and predict that the whole initiative will fall.

In Bydgoszcz, a city north off Warsaw a river boat is a true alternative to a ground transport. It costs exactly the same as a bus or tram and takes 28 people aboard. It seems for now though that on Krakow’s newest facility it is more likely to be a season draw for sightseers than a practical alternative to other forms of public transport.

A map outlining the Krakow Ferry's current route