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Driving in Krakow  

While walking is certainly the best way to experience a slow-paced city like Krakow, where most of the landmarks are within walking distance, some find a car their vehicle of choice. Driving in Krakow doesn’t differ much from other European cities – the traffic is high in the rush hours and finding parking space in the Old Town can be really frustrating. Most of the historical sites can be easily reached by public transport and the near-Krakow attractions are best available by train – but still driving your own car has the advantage of being independent and relatively quick to get anywhere in Krakow and its surroundings. Below you will find some information on driving in Krakow and Poland.

Krakow Driving – the Basics

As most of the EU, Poland has right hand traffic. Headlights should be kept on at all times, and all the passengers should have their seatbelts buckled, both at front and in the backseat. The speed limit inside city boundaries is 50km/h during daytime and 60km/h between 11p.m. and 5a.m., while outside city boundaries it is 90km/h. Motorways (the nearest being the A4 between Krakow and Katowice) have speed limits of 130km/h. Drivers can’t use cell phones unless with a hands-free device. Poland has a zero-tolerance policy towards drunk driving, and a blood alcohol level as small as 0,2 per cent means a felony – while 0,5 per cent is a criminal offence.

Driving from Krakow to…

Most of the near-Krakow attractions, like Auschwitz, Czestochowa, Wadowice, Ojcow, Wieliczka or Zakopane, are easily reachable by car. For the exact directions, take a look at our maps or any of the above links.