Airport terminal hall with natural light and travellers with luggage

🇵🇱 POLAND VERIFIED CARRIERSKRK AIRPORT

Krakow Airport (KRK) Transfers

Kraków Airport sits at Balice, 11 km west of the city centre, and handled a record 13.2 million passengers in 2025. Verified carriers quote per vehicle to the Old Town, the Wieliczka Salt Mine, the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial in Oświęcim and Zakopane, before you fly.

IATA Code

KRK

To the Old Town

15 km

Terminal open

24 hours

Free Kiss & Fly

8 min

View All Routes Book Transfer Now

11 km

West of the city centre

2016

Current terminal completed

13.2M

Passengers in 2025

24h

Terminal open

One covered footbridge joins the terminal to the P1 car park, the railway station and the hotel. The pickup rules are strict, and they are the part to get right.

Terminal Pickup Information

The arrivals hall on level 0, the Kiss & Fly bays in front of it, and P1 across the footbridge.

Arrivals hall

Level 0

Meeting point

In the arrivals hall with a name board, or at the car in front of it

Missing bag

The airlines' lost luggage offices are in and beside the arrivals hall

Your carrier confirms the exact point in the booking chat

Kiss & Fly

In front of the terminal, arrivals level

8 minutes free

Entry to exit, once a day, then PLN 5 per started 4 minutes

Drop-off and pick-up only

Drivers may not walk away from the car

A ticket is taken at the gate, so the clock starts on entry

P1 and the footbridge

Car park, station and coaches

P1 multi-storey

Covered, PLN 18 the first hour, where a driver who meets you inside parks

Railway station

Behind P1, along the covered footbridge

Long-distance coaches stop at shelter 2, by the footbridge

Kiss & Fly and P1 tariff

Kiss & Fly, first 8 min, entry to exitFree, once a day

Kiss & Fly, each started 4 min after thatPLN 5

Any later entry the same dayPLN 5 per started 4 min

P1 multi-storey, first hourPLN 18

P1, up to the second started hourPLN 36

The airport's own figures, paid at the kiosks. Eight minutes covers a car that pulls in as you walk out, and nothing more. A driver waiting through a delayed landing belongs in P1.

A note for anyone collecting you

The whole airport area is a no-parking zone outside the signed bays, the free 8 minutes come once a day, and cars left in the short-stay bays for more than 60 minutes can be towed. Friends who need longer should use P1.

Flight Monitoring

Your carrier monitors your flight for delays. Share your flight number when booking and your driver adjusts the pickup time to your actual landing, which, with 8 free minutes at the kerb, is what keeps the meeting simple.

Real-time monitoring Auto-adjusted pickup Share flight number at booking

Popular Routes from Kraków Airport

Compare verified carriers to the salt mine, the Memorial, the Tatras and the city.

Wieliczka, Auschwitz-Birkenau and Zakopane, both directions

Wieliczka Salt Mine

KRK Airport → Wieliczka

~27 km

~20 min

From

€45

View Details

Wieliczka to the airport

Wieliczka → KRK Airport

~27 km

~20 min

From

€45

View Details

Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial

KRK Airport → Oświęcim

~57 km

~50 min

Quote on request

View Details

Balice, the airport train, and which airport serves Oświęcim

Your driver loads the bags in front of the arrivals hall, and the A4 motorway runs right past the airport. Kraków John Paul II International Airport, IATA code KRK, handled a record 13.2 million passengers in 2025, up from just under 11.1 million in 2024, and is the second-busiest airport in Poland after Warsaw Chopin.

Balice, not Kraków

The airport is in a village 11 km west of the centre.

By road the Old Town's Rynek Główny is about 15 km and 20 minutes in free flow, and Kraków Główny station about 17 km. The airport's own guidance allows about 25 minutes by taxi.

The train, and where it goes next

The airport train runs through to Wieliczka.

Line SKA1 leaves from a station beside the terminal, behind P1 along the covered footbridge. It reaches Kraków Główny in 17 minutes for PLN 20 (about €4.60), and most trains carry on without a change to Wieliczka Rynek-Kopalnia, 44 minutes and PLN 24 from the airport. Trains run every 30 minutes for most of the day, and luggage travels free.

For one traveller with a backpack and a hotel near Główny, the train is the right buy, and we are not going to pretend otherwise. The catch is everything past its two end stations. Oświęcim and Zakopane have no train from the airport, so rail means a change at Główny with the bags, and by road the Wieliczka Salt Mine is about 20 minutes away by car, against the train's 44.

Airport Facts

IATA / ICAOKRK / EPKK

LocationBalice, 11 km west

Passengers 202513.2 million

Runway2,550 m

Terminal hours24 hours

Road to the Old Town15 km

Train to Kraków Główny17 min, PLN 20

Train to Wieliczka44 min, PLN 24

Kraków or Katowice?

For almost everything south of Silesia, Kraków.

The Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial names both Kraków-Balice and Katowice-Pyrzowice as international airports within about 50 km of Oświęcim. The table puts the two side by side, every figure a free-flow drive from each airport.

Kraków Old Town: Kraków (KRK)15 km, 20 min; Katowice (KTW)106 km, 1h 17min; ClosestKraków, by about an hour

Wieliczka Salt Mine: Kraków (KRK)27 km, 20 min; Katowice (KTW)120 km, 1h 17min; ClosestKraków, by about an hour

Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial: Kraków (KRK)57 km, 50 min; Katowice (KTW)63 km, 1h; ClosestKraków, by about 10 min

Zakopane: Kraków (KRK)112 km, 1h 40min; Katowice (KTW)205 km, 2h 36min; ClosestKraków, by about an hour

Katowice: Kraków (KRK)67 km, 43 min; Katowice (KTW)41 km, 38 min; ClosestKatowice, by about 5 min

Destination	Kraków (KRK)	Katowice (KTW)	Closest
Kraków Old Town	15 km, 20 min	106 km, 1h 17min	Kraków, by about an hour
Wieliczka Salt Mine	27 km, 20 min	120 km, 1h 17min	Kraków, by about an hour
Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial	57 km, 50 min	63 km, 1h	Kraków, by about 10 min
Zakopane	112 km, 1h 40min	205 km, 2h 36min	Kraków, by about an hour
Katowice	67 km, 43 min	41 km, 38 min	Katowice, by about 5 min

Read the margins, not the kilometres. Two rows are close calls: the Memorial goes to Kraków by about 10 minutes, and Katowice to its own airport by about 5. Everywhere else Kraków wins by about an hour.

Oświęcim, straight from a flight

Suitcases do not go inside the Memorial.

Bags larger than 35 x 25 x 15 cm are not admitted. The Memorial asks visitors to leave larger luggage in their vehicles in the car park, and it runs a paid luggage storage of 96 lockers, PLN 5 each by card. Entry is by a personalised pass, limited in number and reserved only online at visit.auschwitz.org; none is issued at the entrance. Visitors should arrive at least 30 minutes before their tour for security checks, and the standard guided tour lasts about three and a half hours.

The airport's coach list has no line to Oświęcim, and the airport train stops at Kraków Główny. Our Kraków Airport to Auschwitz-Birkenau page covers the drive, timed to a booked entry, with the car waiting through the visit and the ride back.

Zakopane and the Tatras

Zakopane is the long run south, about 112 km.

Several long-distance coach lines stop at shelter 2 in front of the terminal and run to Zakopane, all via Kraków's MDA bus station and some also via Nowy Targ or Białka Tatrzańska. They end at a bus stop. A car ends at the guesthouse, with ski bags in the boot, and our Kraków Airport to Zakopane page covers the road.

Land mid-afternoon with one bag and a hotel near the station, and the train is hard to beat.

Land late with a family and ski bags bound for Zakopane, and the car booked before you fly is the answer.

After dark

The terminal never closes.

It is open 24 hours a day, as are the security checkpoints and the car-park customer service desk in P1. Night bus 902 serves the city after the day buses, and official airport taxis are on site around the clock, though their phone line closes at 22:00. A private transfer booked before you fly waits for your actual landing, whatever the hour.

How Much Does a Kraków Airport Transfer Cost?

Carriers quote per vehicle, for your flight, your party and your luggage.

It depends on four things, and every carrier on TransferBnB prices them into one quote per vehicle before you fly:

The vehicle. A saloon for two, an MPV or a minivan for a family or a group, so nobody is split across two cars.
The party and the bags. Ski bags for Zakopane or suitcases that wait in the car at the Memorial need a bigger boot, so put them in the request.
The distance. From the short run into the Old Town to the 112 km drive to Zakopane; the route cards above carry each drive.
The waiting. A driver who waits through a delay in P1, or through a visit at the Memorial, is part of what the carrier quotes for.

The one published fare out of Balice is the official taxi's zone table, flat by distance from the airport: PLN 89 for 8 to 11.9 km, PLN 109 for 12 to 14.9 km and PLN 129 for 15 to 18.9 km, about €20 to €30. Beyond 27 km, which covers Oświęcim and Zakopane, the fare is agreed with the driver before the ride, at no more than PLN 8 per km.

Where published fares back a figure, the route card shows it as a from-price per vehicle; every other run is quoted by the carriers on request.

Get a Quote

Transport Options Compared

Every way out of Kraków Airport, side by side.

Private transfer: Journey timeAbout 20 min to the Old Town, 50 min to Oświęcim, 1h 40 to Zakopane, in free flow; PriceQuote per vehicle before you fly; Door to doorYes; Where it endsYour door; Best forFamilies, luggage, Oświęcim and Zakopane

Airport train (SKA1): Journey time17 min to Kraków Główny, 44 min to Wieliczka; PricePLN 20 to Główny, PLN 24 to Wieliczka; Door to doorNo; Where it endsKraków Główny or Wieliczka Rynek-Kopalnia; Best forOne traveller, light luggage, a hotel near the station

City buses 209 and 300, night bus 902: Journey timeAbout 45 min into the city; PricePLN 8 for a 60-minute ticket; Door to doorNo; Where it endsCity stops; Best forThe cheapest seat into town

Long-distance coaches: Journey timeVaries by line; PriceSet by each operator; Door to doorNo; Where it endsKraków MDA, Zakopane and cities beyond; Best forZakopane on a budget, with light bags

Official airport taxi: Journey timeThe same roads as a transfer; PriceFlat zone fares, PLN 89 to 129 for 8 to 18.9 km, agreed above 27 km; Door to doorYes; Where it endsYour door; Best forThe short run into Kraków

Hire car: Journey timeThe same roads, plus the hire desk; PriceNo rate published; Door to doorYes; Where it endsWherever you can park; Best forA week of touring the Tatras

Option	Journey Time	Price	Door to door	Where it ends	Best for
Private transfer	About 20 min to the Old Town, 50 min to Oświęcim, 1h 40 to Zakopane, in free flow	Quote per vehicle before you fly	Yes	Your door	Families, luggage, Oświęcim and Zakopane
Airport train (SKA1)	17 min to Kraków Główny, 44 min to Wieliczka	PLN 20 to Główny, PLN 24 to Wieliczka	No	Kraków Główny or Wieliczka Rynek-Kopalnia	One traveller, light luggage, a hotel near the station
City buses 209 and 300, night bus 902	About 45 min into the city	PLN 8 for a 60-minute ticket	No	City stops	The cheapest seat into town
Long-distance coaches	Varies by line	Set by each operator	No	Kraków MDA, Zakopane and cities beyond	Zakopane on a budget, with light bags
Official airport taxi	The same roads as a transfer	Flat zone fares, PLN 89 to 129 for 8 to 18.9 km, agreed above 27 km	Yes	Your door	The short run into Kraków
Hire car	The same roads, plus the hire desk	No rate published	Yes	Wherever you can park	A week of touring the Tatras

On price alone, the train wins for one person going to Główny. With bags, a party or Oświęcim on the list, it does not.

Every public option from the terminal ends at a station or a stop: Główny, Wieliczka Rynek-Kopalnia, a city bus stop or a coach station. A private transfer starts at the arrivals level and ends at the door, for the whole party and its luggage in one vehicle.

Why Book Your Kraków Airport Transfer with TransferBnB

A driver who knows the 8-minute rule, whatever time the flight lands.

The pickup, sorted

Kiss & Fly allows 8 free minutes once a day. Your carrier parks in P1 or times the kerb pickup to your landing.

Verified carriers

Every carrier is verified by TransferBnB before it can quote on your trip.

Quote before you fly

Past 27 km even the official taxi agrees its fare on the spot. Carriers here quote per vehicle before you land.

Bags stay in the car

The Memorial admits no bag over 35 x 25 x 15 cm. Your luggage waits in the vehicle while you visit.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does my transfer driver meet me at Kraków Airport?

In the arrivals hall on level 0, or at the car in front of it; your carrier confirms which in the booking chat. The Kiss & Fly bays in front of the terminal allow 8 minutes free, entry to exit, once a day, then PLN 5 for every started 4 minutes, and a driver may not leave the car there. So a driver who comes inside with a name board parks in the P1 multi-storey across the covered footbridge, at PLN 18 for the first hour. Share your flight number and the driver times the pickup to your actual landing.

How much is the train from Kraków Airport to the city centre in 2026?

PLN 20 (about €4.60) one way to Kraków Główny, and the ride takes 17 minutes. Trains run every 30 minutes for most of the day from the station beside the terminal, reached by a covered footbridge behind the P1 car park, and luggage travels free. The train ends at Główny, so a hotel elsewhere means a walk, a tram or a taxi from there, while a private transfer ends at your door.

Can I take the train from Kraków Airport to the Wieliczka Salt Mine?

Yes. The airport train is line SKA1, and most of its trains run through Kraków Główny to Wieliczka Rynek-Kopalnia without a change, in 44 minutes, for PLN 24 (about €5.50). By road the salt mine is about 27 km from the airport and about 20 minutes by car in free flow, against the train's 44, and a private transfer drops you at the mine entrance with your bags in the car.

How much is a taxi from Kraków Airport to the Old Town?

The official airport taxi charges flat fares by distance zone from the airport, whatever the time or day: PLN 89 for 8 to 11.9 km, PLN 109 for 12 to 14.9 km and PLN 129 for 15 to 18.9 km, about €20 to €30. The Old Town is about 11 km from the airport as the airport measures it and about 15 km by road, so the fare lands in one of those bands. Beyond 27 km, which covers Oświęcim and Zakopane, the fare is agreed with the driver before the ride at no more than PLN 8 per km. A private transfer is quoted per vehicle before you fly.

Which airport is closer to Auschwitz-Birkenau, Kraków or Katowice?

Kraków, by about 10 minutes of free-flow driving. The Memorial's entrance in Oświęcim is about 57 km and 50 minutes from Kraków Airport, and about 63 km and an hour from Katowice Airport at Pyrzowice. The Memorial itself names both as within about 50 km. From Kraków, a private transfer takes you from the terminal to the main car park on Więźniów Oświęcimia Street.

Can I go from Kraków Airport straight to Auschwitz with my luggage?

Yes, as long as the suitcases do not go inside. The Memorial admits no bag larger than 35 x 25 x 15 cm, asks visitors to leave larger luggage in their vehicles, and runs a paid luggage storage of 96 lockers, PLN 5 each by card, for bags up to 30 kg. Entry is by a personalised pass reserved online at visit.auschwitz.org, with none issued at the entrance, and visitors should arrive at least 30 minutes before their tour for security checks. The standard guided tour lasts about three and a half hours. Agree with your carrier that the car waits with the bags for the length of the visit.

How long is the drive from Kraków Airport to Zakopane, and is there a direct bus?

About 112 km, about 1h 40 in free flow; weekend and holiday traffic on the road south adds to that. There are direct coaches: several long-distance lines stop at shelter 2 in front of the terminal and run to Zakopane, all via Kraków's MDA bus station and some also via Nowy Targ or Białka Tatrzańska. The airport train does not go there. A private transfer leaves from the arrivals level and ends at your guesthouse door, with ski bags in the car.

How far is Kraków Airport from the city centre?

The airport sits in the village of Balice, 11 km west of the centre as the airport measures it. By road the Old Town's Rynek Główny is about 15 km and 20 minutes in free flow, and Kraków Główny station about 17 km. The train covers the airport to Główny in 17 minutes; a private transfer goes to your hotel door.

Is Kraków Airport open 24 hours?

Yes. The passenger terminal is open 24 hours a day, and so are the security checkpoints and the car-park customer service desk in P1. Official airport taxis are on site around the clock, though their phone line is open 06:00 to 22:00, and after dark the city is served by night bus 902. A private transfer booked before you fly waits for your actual landing, whatever the hour.

How long can a car wait at Kiss & Fly at Kraków Airport?

8 minutes free, counted from entering the airport road system to leaving it, once a day. After that it is PLN 5 for every started 4 minutes, and every later entry the same day is charged from the first minute. Drivers may not walk away from the car, and vehicles left in the short-stay bays over 60 minutes can be towed. Anyone collecting you who needs longer should use the P1 multi-storey, PLN 18 for the first hour.

What our customers say

Thomas B. — London, UK

Driver was already outside arrivals when we landed in Geneva - he'd tracked the flight and knew we'd come through early. Three sets of skis loaded and we were on the road to Chamonix before most passengers had cleared customs.

Marta R. — Munich, Germany

Good experience. Chose from three offers for Munich Airport to Kitzbühel, picked the one with the best rating. Straightforward.

Olivier D. — Lyon, France

Four of us split the cost from Zurich Airport to St. Anton and came out cheaper than the shared shuttle per person - plus we went straight to the chalet door instead of stopping at every hotel in the valley. Hadn't expected it to work out that way but it did.

Sarah K. — Dublin, Ireland

Travelled with two small kids and a lot of luggage from Rome Fiumicino. I mentioned the stroller in the booking notes and the driver showed up with a large estate. No fuss.

Pieter V. — Amsterdam, Netherlands

Eight people, Geneva to Verbier, all ski gear. One minibus, one price, door to chalet. We paid less per person than the shuttle and didn't have to share with anyone else.

Anna-Lisa M. — Vienna, Austria

I book private transfers for work fairly regularly across different platforms. What TransferBnB does differently is that you get the driver's name, direct number, vehicle, and plate before you travel - not just a confirmation number. For business trips where timing matters, that's the part that actually counts.

Book Your Kraków Airport Transfer

Compare verified carriers, choose your vehicle, and leave Balice for the Old Town, Wieliczka, Oświęcim or Zakopane, whatever time you land.

Compare Carriers & Get a Quote

Quote before you fly Verified carriers Free cancellation (terms apply)