Krakow-Balice International Airport, or Kraków Airport for short, is located in Balice, 11 km from the centre of Krakow, Poland’s second-largest city after Warsaw. Not surprisingly, the airport is also the second busiest in the country, behind only Fryderyk Chopin Airport.
Krakow Airport is the base airport for the low-cost carrier Ryanair and consists of one passenger terminal. It is now a modern building, completed in 2016, replacing the old one. Free wireless internet (Wi-Fi) is available in the terminal complex, although only for 15 minutes.
According to the classification of the International Air Transport Association, Krakow Airport has a code ‘KRK’.
The official website of the airport is www.krakowairport.pl.
From airport to city
Passengers travelling to Krakow city centre at the airport can choose between two forms of public transport for their convenience.
The quickest way to get to central Krakow is by train. The nearest train station, called Krakow Airport (Kraków Lotnisko) is opposite the main airport building. To get there you need to take the escalator up to the arrivals hall and across the bridge to the platform. Kraków Główny Central Station, in the centre of Krakow, is less than 20 minutes away. The comfortable carriages are air-conditioned, equipped with Wi-Fi and sockets for charging mobile devices.
The fare (to the Krakow train station) is 9 Polish zloty, which is just over €2. Tickets can be purchased from special vending machines in the terminal building or on the platform, as well as from the conductor in the cabin. Trains leave every 30 minutes.
If the train is the most comfortable way to get to Krakow, the bus is the cheapest. Buses 208 and 252 stop near the airport, and at night bus line 902. All of them connect Kraków Airport with the city, stopping at the railway and bus stations. Daytime buses go every 30 minutes.
The ticket prices depend on the number of transport zones to be crossed – in this case there are two, so it only costs 4 Polish zloty. Tickets can be purchased from special vending machines in the terminal, at bus stops, in the bus cabin or from the driver for cash.
If you take a taxi, the fare will increase to 50 Polish zloty, which is €12.