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Communication in Krakow 

 Tourists should have no problems with communication in Krakow, provided they have one asset: the knowledge of the Polish language. Don’t worry, though – there’s hope for those who don’t have enough time to attend a two-year course in one of the Krakow Language Schools. More and more Krakow inhabitants speak English, and students and generally young people usually have at least a basic knowledge of the language. Since about one in five Krakowians studies in one of the Krakow Universities, you should have no problem finding someone to share your thoughts with.

The thing one could be worried about is the pronunciation in the Polish language – it’s not too complicated, but it seems the Polish can bend their tongues in ways that are unavailable to some other nations – and the rules, though simple, can be tricky. Whenever you have any problems with communication – for example with telling a taxi driver where you want to go – just write your destination on a piece of paper in capital letters.

Below is a short guide on how to find in Krakow the means of communication that are more technologically advanced than speech.

Telephones in Krakow

Mobile phones that work in the rest of the EU should also work in Poland. If you’re afraid of big bills, you can buy a pre-paid phone starter set for less than 20 zloty in virtually any bigger shop or newspaper stand and put a Polish sim card into your phone. It should work provided that your telephone isn’t locked. Finding a public phone in the Krakow city center shouldn’t be hard, although it may take a few minutes. Most public phones in Poland need telephone cards that can be bought in most newspaper stands and post offices. To call any Polish phone use the country code +48, and for Krakow, use the area code 12.

Internet in Krakow

All of the Krakow Rynek, as well as parts of the streets that start there, and Szeroka Street in Kazimierz have wireless internet connections available. Free Wi-Fi internet is also available in some of the Krakow cafes, pubs, hotels and hostels – it is usually marked on the entrance. If you don’t have your own computer, you can use one of the Krakow Internet Cafes. The price of using the internet for one hour is about 3-5 zloty.

Krakow Post Offices

Apart from buying stamps and sending letters, a post office might be useful if you want to buy a telephone card or send a fax. There are a few Post Offices (called “Poczta” or “Urząd Pocztowy” in Polish) in the area of the Krakow Old Town, including the Main Post Office (Poczta Glowna) on 20 Westerplatte Street, and smaller ones on 4 Lubicz Street (near the Krakow Train Station), 9 Plac Wszystkich Swietych (near the Franciscan Church) and on 16 Retoryka Street. The stamps in Poland are fairly cheap (2,40 zloty for Europe and 2,50 zloty for the rest of the world for a standard postcard or letter), but the desperate can try catching one of the Krakow Pigeons and send mail the old-fashioned way.