How do I get around Krakow?

Kraków's Stare Miasto fits inside the Planty, a 4-km loop of chestnut trees and gravel paths that traces the demolished city walls. The entire Old Town core runs about 1 km north to south. From Rynek Główny (the main market square, laid out in 1257 and still Europe's largest medieval square at 200 m per side) to the bars of Kazimierz takes 15 minutes on foot along ul. Grodzka and ul. Starowiślna. The cobblestones are worn smooth in places, ankle-turners in others. Pack shoes with real soles. In summer the limestone facades hold warmth well past 9 PM, and the smell of fresh obwarzanki (the twisted bread rings sold from blue carts at every intersection, 3 PLN each) follows you through every block. You won't need transit for anything inside the Planty. Wawel Castle, founded in 1001, sits at the ring's southern edge, a 10-minute walk from the square.

For anything outside walking range, MPK Kraków's tram network is the right call. Lines 1, 3, and 50 connect Kraków Główny station through the center to Kazimierz and south to Podgórze, where Schindler's Factory sits on ul. Lipowa 4. A 20-minute ticket costs 4.60 PLN (~$1.25). A 50-minute ticket runs 6 PLN (~$1.60). If you plan more than 3 rides in a day, buy the 24-hour pass for 17 PLN (~$4.60). Ticket machines at every stop take contactless cards, no coins needed. Download the Jakdojade app before arrival for real-time tram positions and route planning. It works offline too. Nowa Huta, the Soviet-planned district 10 km east, is a 30-minute tram ride on line 4 from the center. The wide Plac Centralny there feels like stepping into a 1950s architectural model, and the ride out passes through neighborhoods where you hear Polish radio through open kitchen windows instead of restaurant chatter.

Bolt and Uber both operate in Kraków. Bolt tends to cost 10-15% less. A Bolt from Stare Miasto to Nowa Huta runs about 25-30 PLN (~$7-8). Licensed taxis carry the city's coat of arms and a lit TAXI sign. The meter rate is roughly 8-9 PLN flagfall plus 3 PLN per km. That said, street-hail taxis near Rynek Główny and Wawel still quote tourists flat rates at 2-3x the metered fare. Use Bolt instead. The one exception is late-night weekend returns from Kazimierz's bars around 3 AM, when app surge pricing can push above a metered taxi. Walk to ul. Dietla and flag a cruising cab there. It's a main artery where working drivers pass, not the tourist-trap rank by the Mariacki trumpeter's tower.

For Wieliczka Salt Mine (13 km southeast, continuously operating since 1300), take the 304 bus from the stop near Galeria Krakowska. It leaves every 15-20 minutes, takes about 35 minutes, and costs a standard 6 PLN ticket. Tour operators on Rynek will sell you a private shuttle for 40-80 PLN. The bus drops you at the mine entrance. For Ojców National Park (established 1956, 24 km northwest), you need a car or the summer-only 206 bus. Skip rental scooters in the Old Town. The cobblestones on ul. Floriańska rattle your wrists raw, and the pedestrian zones mean you will carry the thing more than ride it.