I would like to travel from Krakow Airport to the city center using public transportation (not taxi). How can that be done and how much will it cost?
The John Paul II Balice International Airport opened in September 2015 and has since then turned into a giant portal for travelers coming to and from Krakow. At the airport you will find everything needed on a big international airport, and since it is so modern, you will also find easy ways to get to the city center of Krakow. Here are the three best methods.
Get to Krakow city center from Krakow Airport
The quickest way to get to the city center
The fastest way for traveling between Krakow Airport and the city center is using the airport train. This travels every 30 minutes between 04.00 in the morning and 24.00 in the evening. The full travel time is 18 minutes, making it the fastest way of traveling between the airport and the city center. You will then arrive to Krakow railway station and the price for a train ticket is 9 ZL. The train station is super central in Krakow, and you will only be minutes away from the old town.
A slower way to get to the city center
There are two buses which can be used to get from Krakow airport to the city center of Krakow. Bus 252 and bus 208 travel from the airport towards the city center of Krakow. The duration of the trip is between 40 and 50 minutes. Bus 208 has the final stop at Dworzec Główny Wschód, and will possibly stop at 27 stops before reaching its final destination.
Bus 252 will terminate at Os.Podwawelskie, and before reaching that destination it will stop at for example Cracovia Błonia, Cracovia, Jubilat, Konopnickiej and Centrum Kongresowe ICE.
It is important that you have to buy an outer ring ticket for these rides, and this ticket cost 4 ZL.
Want to get a private taxi instead?
If you feel like getting to your hotel or apartment using a private taxi instead, then you can read more about private transfers from Krakow airport to the city center right here.