Travelling on a budget? Head to Krakow in Poland
A guest post by Rhian from Rhian Westbury. Rhian blogs about music, beauty, lifestyle and travel.
Poland isn’t necessarily the first place people think of when they want a city break or a long weekend away, but people’s mindsets need to change. Especially if you’re after a cheap holiday.
Krakow is a beautiful city with plenty to do and see, but not too much that you’ll have too much to cram into your 3 /4 days away. When I went I stayed at a hotel in the old town, while the rooms were pretty small they had everything that we needed, but the breakfast more than made up for it. Every morning we had a full on continental buffet which set me up on the day.
The main reason why Krakow is a fantastic place to go is how cheap it is. Over the four days I was there we had lunch and dinner out each night, and numerous drinks/ coffee stops and it was ridiculous how cheap things were. A sit down sandwich lunch with drink was about £2 and each night we had a 3 course meal, and wine, and it never came to more than £14 per person. Even going to the Starbucks there was cheap and I brought back a litre bottle of Polish vodka for £3! So if you’re on a tight budget but still want to experience lots make sure you head to Krakow. Although I have been told by a Polish friend that the rest of Poland is even cheaper! I don’t quite know if I can believe this though.
Whilst there we had a bike tour which took us around all the sites and our guide was wonderful and allowed us to stop anywhere that I wanted to take pictures, and we regularly got out to explore. You can book yourself on organised tours to various places when you’re in Krakow and the two which I would strongly recommend are the Wielizcka salt mines and the Auschwitz- Birkenau world war two camp.
If you opt to head to the salt mines - probably my favourite part of Krakow- then make sure you wear sturdy shoes as there is quite a bit of walking as you head deep into the depths of the mines. The salt mines are truly phenomenal and when you get downstairs you will be greeted by sculptures and ornaments made entirely from salt. They are all incredibly detailed and I can’t imagine how skilled the people that made them had to be. There’s even a wedding chapel down there and we were told how some couples actually get married down there.
In contrast the Auschwitz- Birkenau camp is incredible for completely different reasons and this time you might need some tissues. It is all completely set up as it would have been back in the early 40’s and as the tour guide walks you round there are some truly incredible sites. I actually went on this trip with my nan who was alive during the war so it made the trip even more emotional. Even if history isn’t your thing it’s still a worthwhile trip to make.
If you’re looking for a fun, cheap city break then head to Krakow and let us know what you think!
poland seems like a lovely place to visit, great post x
ReplyDeleteIt does seem like a lovely place, I would love to go one day.
DeleteSounds amazing! I'd never really considered Poland as a holiday destination but I might have to think about Krakow now after reading this! Thanks! x
ReplyDeleteStephanie | ouistephanie.com
I had never considered it before either but this post by Rhian really makes me want to go.
DeleteOoh, Krakow looks lovely. I really want to visit Poland at some point. The village where I live has a large Polish community nowadays and I'd love to visit their homeland and maybe even learn the language :)
ReplyDeleteLouise x
With love from Lou
The architecture looks beautiful.
DeleteI recently got back from a 2 night break at Warsaw. It cost me £100 for my flights and accommodation! The city was beautiful and we loved it. Would love to go to Krakow
ReplyDeleteThat is incredibly cheap Esther. You will have to give me some tips on how to book it so cheaply.
DeleteSuch a great mini guide - have been wanting to visit Krakow and Warsaw for a very longtime - hoping to go sometime soon
ReplyDeleteLaura x
It looks such an interesting city.
DeleteNot sure why people would want to get married down a salt mine! But Krakow looks good :)
ReplyDeleteI know Steph, I don't think I would :)
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