I'm going to Krakow by plane and then leaving Krakow by PolskiBus bus (from Małopolski Dworzec Autobusowy) as soon as possible.
I need to book the bus in advance, so I need to know when will I be at the bus station. If my plane arrives in Sunday at 14:05, what is the best way to get to the bus station and how long will it take?
Passenger transport between the Kraków bus station and the John Paul II Airport in Balice runs via a dedicated railway line on the route Balice Airport - Main Station (departures approximately every half-hour, travel time 15 min) or by bus line no. 292 (travel time approx. 40 min)
http://www.mda.malopolska.pl/en.port_lotniczy_balice.html
This train calls Balice Ekspres. But since 1st February 2014 it is not worked because of modernisation railways.
So the best way is take a bus 292 or taxy. There you can find timetable of 292 bus from T1 terminal of Krakow airport: http://rozklady.mpk.krakow.pl/aktualne/0292/0292rw02.htm
Distance between the Balice Airport and the Małopolski Dworzec Autobusowy (also known as Dworzec Główny) is from 17 to 20 km (~10 to 12 mi), depending on the road you will choose. With moderate traffic, it takes about 30 mins. to get to Dworzec Główny. The shortest and fastest path is via "A4" highway. However, it is sometimes problematic because of accidents and traffic jams. If you want to minimize a risk, take a taxi and tell the driver that you don't want to go by a highway. Alternatively, you may check for the current traffic on Google Maps, which is pretty accurate in Poland.
You can get to Dworzec Główny by:
There are plenty of Taxi companies in Kraków. The prices are very different, and one company may have a double price than another. The cheapest taxi service from airport would be provided by one of this company:
You may check for current rates which may depend on the date and/or time. There is a Kraków Airport Taxi service, but it is much more expensive.
The Balice-Kraków line is provided since September, 2015 and is provided by Koleje Małopolskie (KMŁ). This is the fastest way to get to Dworzec Główny (approx. 17 mins.)
The timetable is provided as a PDF file here: http://www.malopolskiekoleje.pl/index.php/routes/krakow-airport-krakow-main-railway-station. Alternatively, you may use JakDojade.pl search engine.
Here is the information about train from the airport official website (source):
We encourage all passengers to make use of the possibility of traveling to/from our airport by train. The new Kraków Airport train station is located near the passenger terminal, at the rear of the multi-storey car park. The connection is operated by Koleje Małopolskie (regional railways company operating in Małopolska Region). Travelling by train is the fastest way to get from the airport to the city center (the journey takes about 17 minutes). Trains are equipped with air conditioning, power outlets, Wi-Fi and ticket machines. All trains also have spaces for disabled passengers and persons with reduced mobility (PRM).
All trains operates 7 days a week.
Current timetables available here.
Kraków Airport train station is fully adapted to the needs of passengers with disabilities, so that the disabled person /PRM will receive our assistance from the exit of the train, to take a seat on the plane.
For more information regarding assistance for disabled passengers and persons with reduced mobility (PRM) - click here
TICKETS AND FARES:
- Kraków Airport - Kraków Main Train Station: PLN 8,00
- Kraków Airport - Wieliczka Salt Mine: PLN 11,00
- luggage: free of charge
- dogs: PLN 3,00
More information - click here.
WHERE TO BUY A TICKET:
- passenger terminal - arrivals hall, level 0 (ticket machine)
- train station (ticket machine)
- train (ticket machine or train conductor on board)
PAYMENT IN CASH OR WITH CREDIT/DEBIT CARDS.
Public bus service is provided by MPK (Miejskie Przedsiębiorstwo Komunikacyjne) Kraków.
You may choose between two regular lines: 208 and 292, plus one night line: 902. You may check for current timetables at official website:
Alternatively, you may use JakDojade.pl search engine.
Talking about tickets (source):
Tickets can be purchased from:
- the ticket machine at the passenger terminal - arrivals hall, level 0
- the ticket machine at the bus stop (payment in cash or with credit/debit card)
- the authorized ticket machines found on 292 line buses (payment in cash – coins only)
- the bus driver, in case of lack or failure of ticket machine (single tickets only, payment in cash - the exact amount of money).
Note: The ticket must be validated when getting on the bus.
These are "Agglomeration" bus lines, so there's a different ticket price.
Here are several hints for your journey.
If you plan to go by either public bus or train, I'd suggest to use JakDojade.pl service which looks for buses and trains, calculates time of arrival, price, and all changes. It doesn't however takes current traffic into account.
Example of search:
For public transport, you may use several mobile payment services:
You may also want to use an alternative way of transport (minibus, hired car). For more information, visit Kraków Airport: How to get to Kraków Airport http://www.krakowairport.pl/en/passenger,c70/transport-parking,c76/how-to-get-to-krakow-airport,c77/
