Europe > Poland > Kraków
| Please note that Carornocar.com is currently being revised and updated in preparation for the Summer 2021 (northern hemisphere) tourist season. It is expected that some social distancing rules will still apply. For additional Kraków car hire advice, please use the comments form below. |
Quick Ratings
Price band:
Kraków is in car rental price band: 4/10 (1 = cheapest car rental location)
General comment - based on price alone, is it worth renting a car in Kraków?
Sometimes. Car rental is slightly cheaper than global averages.
Volatility:
Can you expect big swings in car rental prices in Kraków between the peak and the off peak season?
5/10 (0 = stable prices)
Driving score: 3/10
Non car score:6/10
Balance: 2
(0 = car hire not advised / 10 = rental car essential)
General comment -
Why? Visiting Kraków using a hire car
Why do you need a car in Kraków ?
Why not? Visiting Kraków without a car
Why don't you need a car in Kraków ?
Ratings: How does Kraków compare?
Is it worth hiring a car in Kraków? TBC
This is based on a rough consideration of the costs of renting a car in Kraków, and how this compares with the costs of using public transport. The answer to this varies hugely from one destination to the next, based on a wide range of factors. It's based on renting a car at the airport (TBC), and driving for an average of 2-3 hours on open roads on most days.
How does this compare if:
You are travelling:
Solo / As couple / small family / larger family / senior couple etc
Does car rental make sense on different budgets?
Do you need to hire a car in Kraków? TBC
This is based strictly on whether or no we think it's possible to visit Kraków (and the surrounding area) without using a car. Of the three key questions, this one is the most likely to be a "no".
Should you rent a car in Kraków? TBC
This is a balance of all factors. Remember this is an answer to the question for people who are already asking it. That's why the answer might still be a "yes", even when public transport is good.
See global comparisons
Hiring | Driving | Parking
Trains | Buses | Local travel
Car hire basics:
Public transportation basics:
Regular bus services: YES
Coach (inter-city): YES
Tram: NO
Metro: NO
Commuter Rail:
High Speed Rail:
Rail type (end stub / through / junction / hub):
As you start ....
Does Kraków airport have a direct rail link?
(Yes - within terminal / adjacent / short walk) (Yes - bus transfer / other) No
Changelog
Has our advice for Kraków car rental changed over time, or has it been pretty constant?
2017 - 3
2019 - 3
2021 - 2
Average score - 3
Notes:
Summary
Do you or don't you need a car in Kraków ?
Our general advice is that this part of Poland has excellent public transport if you are just planning on travelling within and between the major cities, including Katowice and the world heritage site that is the centre of Kraków itself.
Many visitors to Kraków will also want to visit the infamous Auschwitz concentration camp, and this can also be done (perhaps rather chillingly) by train. From Krakow direct, it’s quicker by bus – either way, you will need to go to the town of Oswiecim first, and then take a short walk from the rail / bus station.
Looking further south and into the Tatra mountains, then this is where getting a hire car in Kraków starts to become useful, but it’s also still possible, for example, to travel to a destination such as Zakopane by utilising local train services, even if they might take twice as long as driving yourself. Kraków is also a good starting point for a road trip into neighbouring Slovakia, a country which only has a limited number of inward flights via the capital Bratislava.
For anyone considering a multicity tour of Poland, it’s also easy enough to continue onwards by train from Kraków to either Lodz or the Polish capital Warsaw, although if your aim is to travel around smaller towns to the south or to the west and to focus more on rural areas rather than big cities, then a hire car might still be useful.
When compared with Western European countries, Polish rail services are generally very cheap, with first-class tickets available for a small supplement, although the rail network as a whole is generally lacking in investment. Some visitors might prefer to make inter-city journeys by coach.
No need to travel around major cities in the region, including to Katowice.
Verdict
Should you rent a car in Kraków? On balance, our Kraków car hire advice is that there is certainly no need to get one here for the most popular urban attractions, but that a rental car might be useful for some visitors.
Europe > Poland > Poznan
| Please note that Carornocar.com is currently being revised and updated in preparation for the Summer 2021 (northern hemisphere) tourist season. It is expected that some social distancing rules will still apply. For additional Poznan car hire advice, please use the comments form below. |
Quick Ratings
Price band:
Poznan is in car rental price band: 5/10 (1 = cheapest car rental location)
General comment - based on price alone, is it worth renting a car in Poznan ?
Sometimes. Economy rental prices are average by global standards.
Volatility:
Can you expect big swings in car rental prices in Poznan between the peak and the off peak season?
5/10 (0 = stable prices)
Driving score: 6/10
Non car score:4/10
Balance: 3
(0 = car hire not advised / 10 = rental car essential)
General comment -
[james]
I briefly visited Poznan when travelling by train and ferry between Berlin and Copenhagen in 2008. As with any other large European city that was previously situated behind the Iron Curtain, Poznan has a perfectly adequate tram and bus network.[jamesend]
Why? Visiting Poznan using a hire car
Why do you need a car in Poznan ?
Poznan also has a very traditional urban core and some fantastic historic buildings. Visitors will probably also want to get out a bit beyond the city and start exploring further afield. For this, we think that a hire car generally makes a lot of sense.
Why not? Visiting Poznan without a car
Why don't you need a car in Poznan ?
Ratings: How does Poznan compare?
Is it worth hiring a car in Poznan ? TBC
This is based on a rough consideration of the costs of renting a car in Poznan , and how this compares with the costs of using public transport. The answer to this varies hugely from one destination to the next, based on a wide range of factors. It's based on renting a car at the airport (TBC), and driving for an average of 2-3 hours on open roads on most days.
How does this compare if:
You are travelling:
Solo / As couple / small family / larger family / senior couple etc
Does car rental make sense on different budgets?
Do you need to hire a car in Poznan ? TBC
This is based strictly on whether or no we think it's possible to visit Poznan (and the surrounding area) without using a car. Of the three key questions, this one is the most likely to be a "no".
Should you rent a car in Poznan ? TBC
This is a balance of all factors. Remember this is an answer to the question for people who are already asking it. That's why the answer might still be a "yes", even when public transport is good.
See global comparisons
Hiring | Driving | Parking
Trains | Buses | Local travel
Car hire basics:
Public transportation basics:
Regular bus services: YES
Coach (inter-city): YES
Tram: NO
Metro: NO
Commuter Rail:
High Speed Rail:
Rail type (end stub / through / junction / hub):
As you start ....
Does Poznan airport have a direct rail link?
(Yes - within terminal / adjacent / short walk) (Yes - bus transfer / other) No
Changelog
Has our advice for Poznan car rental changed over time, or has it been pretty constant?
2017 - 6
2019 - 6
2021 - 3
Average score - 5
Notes:
Is it worth hiring a car in Poznan? A rental car here is far from essential, and there certainly no need for one within the city centre, but it will probably come in handy for travelling further beyond.
Summary
Do you or don't you need a car in [table “1” does not have that cell /]
?
Europe > Poland > Warsaw
| Please note that Carornocar.com is currently being revised and updated in preparation for the Summer 2021 (northern hemisphere) tourist season. It is expected that some social distancing rules will still apply. For additional Warsaw car hire advice, please use the comments form below. |
Quick Ratings
Price band:
Warsaw is in car rental price band: 5/10 (1 = cheapest car rental location)
General comment - based on price alone, is it worth renting a car in Warsaw?
Sometimes. Economy rental prices are average by global standards.
Volatility:
Can you expect big swings in car rental prices in Warsaw between the peak and the off peak season?
5/10 (0 = stable prices)
Driving score: 3/10
Non car score:4/10
Balance: 2
(0 = car hire not advised / 10 = rental car essential)
General comment -
Why? Visiting Warsaw using a hire car
Why do you need a car in Warsaw ?
Why not? Visiting Warsaw without a car
Why don't you need a car in Warsaw ?
Ratings: How does Warsaw compare?
Is it worth hiring a car in Warsaw? TBC
This is based on a rough consideration of the costs of renting a car in Warsaw, and how this compares with the costs of using public transport. The answer to this varies hugely from one destination to the next, based on a wide range of factors. It's based on renting a car at the airport (TBC), and driving for an average of 2-3 hours on open roads on most days.
How does this compare if:
You are travelling:
Solo / As couple / small family / larger family / senior couple etc
Does car rental make sense on different budgets?
Do you need to hire a car in Warsaw? TBC
This is based strictly on whether or no we think it's possible to visit Warsaw (and the surrounding area) without using a car. Of the three key questions, this one is the most likely to be a "no".
Should you rent a car in Warsaw? TBC
This is a balance of all factors. Remember this is an answer to the question for people who are already asking it. That's why the answer might still be a "yes", even when public transport is good.
See global comparisons
Hiring | Driving | Parking
Trains | Buses | Local travel
Car hire basics:
Public transportation basics:
Regular bus services: YES
Coach (inter-city): YES
Tram: NO
Metro: NO
Commuter Rail:
High Speed Rail:
Rail type (end stub / through / junction / hub):
As you start ....
Does Warsaw airport have a direct rail link?
(Yes - within terminal / adjacent / short walk) (Yes - bus transfer / other) No
Changelog
Has our advice for Warsaw car rental changed over time, or has it been pretty constant?
2017 - 6
2019 - 7
2021 - 2
Average score - 4
Notes:
Do you need a car in Warsaw? Since Warsaw is the natural starting point for a longer trip around Poland, especially for visitors arriving from further afield, we think a hire car is something that might be worth looking into.
Summary
Do you or don't you need a car in Warsaw ?