I got several emails regarding my last posts and people were wondering about how easy it is to get to Auschwitz, things they should know etc. So here are a few tips for visiting the concentration camps for those who may find themselves in the region and interested in going.
Also if you want to read more about the visit there, please free to also check out my posts on Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II – Birkenau as well.
Of note, I’ve been working on a longer Visitor Guide Post to Auschwitz that is worth checking out too. Let me know what you think.
Tour Options & Transportation Options
There are many options for getting to Auschwitz, you can take an organized tour at one of the tourist agencies in Krakow or take the bus or train on your own.
If you decide to take an organized tour, note the cost and how much time you are going to have at the camps. Remember that it takes about 1.25 – 1.5 hours each way to and from Auschwitz. Generally, these tours include the museum tour although you are still going to pay significantly more than you would pay to do it independently (and you’ll have to adhere to the tour company’s schedule). But if you feel more comfortable with an organized option there are tons available and easy to book while in Krakow. A good place to book tours is the tourist info booth in the Cloth Hall in the old market square.
Visiting Auschwitz Independently
If you decide to go independently, I would recommend taking the bus. The bus and train station are near each other in Krakow and the will drop you near the entrance to the museum (while the train station is 2km away). Look for buses that say Auschwitz or Oświęcim (the polish city name).
The buses are also really cheap. It cost us 10 zł one direction and 12 zł the other.
Buses
You can get bus schedules at the tourist info booth explained above in the Cloth Hall. Make sure to get to the bus early, as they fill up pretty quickly. We got aboard about 20mins before departure and we were full about 10minutes before departure (and they even let extra people in the bus for standing, but who wants to stand for 1.5 hrs.). There are both mini-buses and regular buses and they go at different schedules so the bus at your preferred time might not have a lot of room. There are generally buses and mini-buses about every half hour (less frequently with the large PKSiS buses) until about 8pm in the high season and less frequently in the low season.
All buses back to Krakow arrive and leave from Auschwitz I. So please do keep that in mind if you are in Auschwitz II and it is getting late in the day. You still need to get back to Auschwitz I to catch your transportation back.
Buy a one-way ticket. There are multiple bus companies that service the Auschwitz route and each has a different cost (about 10-12 zł) so not buying a return ticket up front gives you some options with your return times. Also works out well in case you need to take the train back to Krakow.
Trains
There is a train option too if it is too long between buses (the train and bus stations in Krakow are near each other), but the Oświęcim train station is 2 kilometers from the museum. You should plan for the added time in your schedule.
The train costs about 15zł for each way and has a fair bit of options in terms of getting between the sites. Check here to see the latest schedule and book your train ticket.
By Car
Driving is certainly an option to Auschwitz. It takes about 1 – 1.5 hrs from Krakow to get to Oświęcim (the Polish name for the city). There is parking near Auschwitz I. You could also park in various areas on the street.
Visiting the Camps
If you want to visit the museum by yourself unguided during peak season (April 1 – October 31) you need to enter the museum before 10 am or after 3 pm. These days however you need to book through the official website for the free ticket. Select “Tour for individuals without an educator”. I understand the reason for the change but it is a bit of an annoyance (since people often book and don’t show up since it’s free).
The entrance to the museum is free, although the guided tour of the museum is 85 zł (75zł for students) and includes the film. For Polish it’s 75zł (65zł for students). Supposedly you can pay for the film separately although I swear I saw nowhere to do that. They just ended up letting us in when we asked about buying tickets for it.
Tickets can be booked up to 3 months in advance. So if you know your dates, it is recommended to book your slot as soon as you can. Times fill up regularly.
The guided tours run several times during the day. They seem to change a bit depending on the peak season, but officially the English tours run at 10:30, 11:30, 12:30, and 13:20. Polish tours run at 11:00 and 13:30. French, German, Italian, and Spanish tours run at 12:30. The film screens every 30 minutes but does alternate to different languages, so verify the language before going in.
If you want to book a guided tour at the camps, particularly during the high season, you need to book these ahead of time through the Auschwitz Museum Website. The tours can fill up fast (particularly English), so this is a good way of guaranteeing your spot. I’ve seen them start more tours (if guides are available), but this is not guaranteed.
To get between the camps there is a free shuttle bus. It runs generally twice an hour and takes visitors to the gates of both camps. You can alternatively walk between the camps if you prefer.
Also, remember that traveling to Auschwitz from Krakow is a full day affair. Expect to spend a total of 6 – 8 hours for the visit. It takes about 1.25 – 1.5 hrs. each way to and from the camp, and then expect to spend at least 4 – 6 hours visiting the camps. It is an exhausting day both mentally and physically, so plan accordingly. Several people, I had met thought they would try to do several things in one day (like the camps and the salt mines) only to later realize how impractical that is.
While in the Camp
Photography
Photography is allowed in the camps. But please do be respectful. There are several places where they ask you to refrain from taking photos, and please do. Remember this a place where millions of people suffered and died, so tread carefully.
How to Dress
There is no specific dress policy for Auschwitz. However, in terms of what to wear it is recommended to dress respectfully for the location. It is a place for many people lost their lives.
Be sure to wear comfortable footwear as you will be walking around a lot, particularly on uneven ground. Birkenau can be especially muddy, so plan for that as well. Your shoes may get pretty dirty.
Be sure to also dress season and weather appropriately as you will be outdoors much of the time.
What to do with your Bags?
Small bags are permitted to be carried with you. But larger bags will need to be stored. There are lockers on-site, although they can fill up. Price for luggage lockers are 5 zł.
Other Things of Note
Food options do exist at Auschwitz I (there are no options by Auschwitz II). The cafeteria at the museum that serves some hearty (and what I thought heavy) meals. There is also a hotel nearby that also does lunch (and breakfast if you get there before the museum opens).
There are hotels in Oświęcim and at least one very close to the museum (Hotel Olecki). Although honestly, there isn’t much to do in the town in the evenings, so I would recommend staying in Krakow instead. But it is an option if you prefer to stay here or are stopping here on your way to somewhere else.
The weather in Auschwitz varies a lot throughout the year. Winters are really cold (and days short) and the summers are quite hot. Be sure to dress weather appropriately as you’ll be spending the majority of the time outdoors.
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I hope this makes someone else’s trip a bit easier when trying to plan a visit to Auschwitz while in Poland. It is a tragic and emotional place, but one that I was very glad to have had the opportunity to see and experience first hand. Also recently many folks have emailed me about recommendations on guidebooks for Poland/Auschwitz. I really like the one by [amazon asin=1631216236&text=Rick Steves]. It has a great deal of info on Auschwitz and does a good job of taking you on a self-guided tour.
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P.S. Did you find the information useful? Please feel free to share (social links at left) so others can benefit as well. If there is information you are still seeking please contact me or leave a comment below. Any other recommendations (format, additional info, changes) please let me know as well so I can continually improve the information. Also, consider supporting this site by booking through our various affiliate links here. It costs you the same and helps defer hosting costs.
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Aaron says
Thank you.
Travelling in August. Great tips.
Aaron.
NB, Canada
Vicki says
Thank you so much!!! I am visiting Auschwitz in a week and I find out they offer a one-day study tour (6hr) starting at 9 in the morning. I am interested but the duration seems a bit too long. What does the one-day study tour offer? and if I live in Krakow, do you think I can make it to the one-day study tour on time?
Anwar says
Most of the tours take awhile. You will be surprised how you might not even get to see everything in those 6 hrs. There is a lot of area to visit between the two camps.
Allison says
Thank you SO much for this information. I was looking into a private tour but the bus option seems so much more practical. Would you be able to tell me if there are food options at the site or should I pack a lunch?
Anwar says
There are food options. There is a cafe su the museum as well as a restaurant at a nearby hotel. We ate at the hotel as we found the options available better for us.
Yvette Saliba Tadros says
Thank you for the great information and website references, but I need to ask for the hotel name next to the camp, as I am arranging for the group heading from Jordan to Krakow next month and of course we will visit the camp as I need to specify the hotel name for them for lunch time.
Anwar says
Hotel Olecki is the hotel that is close to the museum (it is in the post).
Kristine says
Very useful. We are going to Krakow in May and wanted to go to Oswiecim but I was not happy to pay the extortionate prices. Definitely doing it independently now.
Dziekuje.
Mario says
Hi Anwar,
Thanks for the post. I am travelling next week and I am not sure whether it is obligatory to book tickets or not. On the official site, there is a schedule with the hours to visit without a tour-guide or with. I am planning to visit it on my own, but I dont have the option to pre-book at 10am for example. Could you please let me know about it.
Thanks
Anwar says
If you arrive before the cutoff time you can go in. You don’t need to prebook that time. Unless I’m misunderstanding your question here.
Véronique says
Hi, could you answer to my questions from May 7? Thanks
Véronique
Anwar says
Thanks. Buses are discussed in the post above. The bus station Krakow is next to the train station. You take the bus back from next to Auschwitz 1. You can buy tickets at the bus.
Sean says
Hello All,
I am traveling in Europe for the month of May 2016. I had planned on being in Krakow for three days, as seeing the camps is one of my major desires of this trip. Due to a change in train schedules I know will only be an Krakow for 2 days. I will arrive on a Monday at 7:00 am and Leave Wed @ 11:30 am.
Due to my recent travel change I am very worried about the visit to the camp and would appreciate any advice and answers to a few questions.
Would you recommend going Monday directly after arriving in Krakow or Tuesday?
I have read different information. Do I need to make a reservation to enter the Camp?
How early should I meet the bus to the Camp.
Sorry if any of you have already answered any of the questions, Again… Very anxious to to my desire to visit and my recent change in trains leaving. Any and all advice is appreciated.
Thank you,
Sean
Svetlana says
thank you very much for sharing!
Ynhockey says
Thank you for the article! For such a frequently-visited site (Auschwitz, I mean), good tips online are extremely hard to come by for some reason. Your article made sense in the mess in my head and I feel more prepared now. The fact that you need to come before 10:00 is especially valuable info, I have not read this anywhere else so far.
Cheryl says
I agree – I’m till not sure whether I want a tour or not but I think we’ll go without it based on the reviews. I actually pre-booked my self-guided tour at this site: http://visit.auschwitz.org/?lang=en. It’s a newly created website I think with a booking system that lets you book your spot !
Peter Ormond says
Thanks for your time in putting this together. I’m off there in a couple of weeks so am now prepared.
Anwar says
Have a good trip. Let me know if you have any questions or additional advice!
Rebekah says
This information was really helpful ! I will be visiting this July 2016 and it is a very important site for me. I was just wondering if anyone had recommendations though on if it was better to go independently or to take a group tour? I am staying in Krakow and generally try to stay away from guided tours because I prefer to take my time in places and not be too crowded in a tour.
Thanks so much!
Anwar says
The tours are really informative actually although they can be very crowded in the summer especially. I also enjoyed it on my own with a good written guide since it allows you more time to see the places and reflect. Some sort of guide (live or written) is highly recommended though to understand more from the visit.
F says
When in july?
The place will be closed for tourists during the international youth event.
You should check that.
Daphne says
Thanks! Really helpfull!
michelle says
Hi im visiting Auschwitz this March 2016. This has helped me loads thank you so much . I now feel a bit better with your info.
A. Friederichs says
Super helpful. Thank you for posting this!
Judy says
I just want to say that your blog answered every single question I have about going to Auschwitw, as well as information I didn’t know I needed. So thank you
Anwar says
Thanks Judy! I’m glad it was of help
Roger says
Arrived back from Krakow today, visited Auschwitz, and Birkenau yesterday, at the same time the most moving, and yet fascinating experience of my life,
If you get the chance to visit, I urge you to do so, because you have that choice, Millions didn’t!
Michael OSullivan says
Hi I’m thinking of going to auschwitz this year’s can anyone recommend a good hotel in krakow please. Also what’s the best time of the year to go.
justaguytryingtohelp.... says
june as the camp opens for a longer time
Roger says
We stayed at the “Parkside” apartments, excellent accommodation, at a very reasonable price, and within 5 minutes walk of the Main square .
Nicky says
Really useful info as we wanted to go but only had a few hours in the afternoon free so perhaps next time
John Robert Young says
Sadly I did not feel that your blog answered queries for the first time visitor. For example: Are there any provisions for food and drink. Considering that Aushwitz is a place of pilgrimage are there places to pray. And what about provisions for elderly pilgrims. Are there places to rest and meditate. If, as you suggest the high season is between April and October, it seems that the best time to visit is either February or November to understand the dreadful conditions the departed had to suffer. These are the kind of questions I and I am sure many others would like answered.
Fefe says
I agree. anyone who visited Auschwitz, is there a place when one can rest? I’m 23 weeks pregnant and will be in Krakow next week. Would love to include Auschwitz in my itinerary however, im afraid I can stay long on my legs before my back starts to hurt!
will appreciate a reply.
thanks 🙂
Anwar says
There is a cafeteria at Auschwitz I and a hotel with a restaurant nearby. There really isn’t a place to rest at Auschwitz II
Dimitris Fyssas says
Great info, thnx alot.
D,Fyssas, Athens, Greece
Terry says
Hi my partner and I wish to visit Aushwitz in 2016, we will be travelling from the UK.
I believe the best time to go is during the week so as to avoid the weekend rush, but I’m not sure which is the best time of year to visit weather wise etc, also we will be staying in Krakow are there plenty of Hotels and can anyone recommend any.
Any help with this would be grateful
Carmen Coste says
Hi Terry, my husband and I are traveling to Poland next week from Liverpool. After hours of research i found this hidden gem http://platinia.pl/ It’s close to City Center, looks really nice and it’s affordable.
Michael says
I would like to visit/tour the Concentration Camps of Poland and possibly find out more about the real Oskar Schindler for my own interest and possibly for research purposes and would like a companion male or female (preferably middle aged) to accompany me on this short break, pay own costs. I envisage doing this trip some time in 2016, dates could be mutually arranged to suit. I am based in Northamptonshire and would wish to meet up with my travel companion prior to doing this trip to make sure that we are compatible.
Reggie Wlodarczyk says
Thank you for this info! 😀
Pete says
Thank you so much for this blog. I am visiting Aushwitz in two weeks time and staying in Krakow, so this has been a great help!!
Terry says
Hi my partner and I wish to visit Aushwitz in 2016, we will be travelling from the UK.
I believe the best time to go is during the week so as to avoid the weekend rush, but I’m not sure which is the best time of year to visit weather wise etc, also we will be staying in Krakow are there plenty of Hotels and can anyone recommend any.
Any help with this would be grateful
Don Featherstone says
Hi Anwar,
I found your blogs extremely interesting and informative.
My Wife and I will be visiting Krakow next year and we will be paying our respects on a visit to Auschwitz.
We are flexible with dates, and I am considering planning my visit to be there for National Holocaust Day on the 27th January.
I welcome your thoughts.
Kind regards, Don
Rudolph.A.Furtado says
Hi Anwar,
As a traveller and blog writer myself thanks for this excellent tour blog of “Auschwitz”.Fellow travellers have also given their own experiences especially Marck-V.I will be visiting Krakow in September 2015 and hope to visit the “Salt Mines” and “Auschwitz concentration camps”.Had visited the “Choeung Ek Genocidal center(Killing Fields)” and the “Tuol Sleng Genocidal” museum in Phnom Penh(Cambodia) in December 2013..Was fortunate to meet Mr Bau .Meng one of the only 3 survivors of “Tuol Sleng S-21” prison in Phnom Penh..I just couldn’t believe that over a million people were systematically executed in Cambodia during the “Pol Pot Regime”., worst genocide after the Jewish genocide in World War-2..As a student of history am well versed with “Second World War” and the “Concentration Camps” genocide although as a Indian living in Mumbai have no connection with “World War-2” although Indian troops did fight for the British as India was a British Colony..India had its own genocide during the partition of the Country into two separate nations India and Pakistan by the British in 1947..None of the Indian Jews suffered the horrors of the “Concentration Camps” as did the “European Jews” and hence the creation of Israel after World War -2. Hope to understand Jewish history during my tour.although i am a Catholic with no Jewish relatives .How could humans be so cruel against other humans in trying to extinguish a fellow human race ?
Allison says
Thank you for all of your helpful information! Visiting Krakow with my family and needed additional information. Thanks!
Merreck says
Thank you so much for this! I am backpacking europe and booked a guided tour online a week ago but had trouble finding out how to get there, where to stay, all that. Very helpful. Take care 🙂
Marko-V says
Just thought to share my personal notes about visiting Auschwitz-Birkenau from Krakow, which I did last week. I wanted to go on a ‘solo-mode’, meaning no guides no tours, some hassle but maximum personal freedom. I wanted to go there early so that I can get in for free and by myself without having to walk in group like school kids on a field trip. Don’t get me wrong, guided tours are probably very professional and they tend to be more informative than just wandering around by yourself. But still, some of us like to walk alone. Museum web page suggests you to purchase yourself an entry pass (which you anyway have to get before entering the area… from a ticket office I think) beforehand because of limited amount of people getting in per hour (I really disliked the idea of getting there and finding myself in situation where the maximum visitor limit for that particular time was already reached). I created account at their web page and purchased myself an entry pass for 09:45. Don’t worry, it is free but you have to decide at which time you are going in. Print the entry pass and bring it with you. There is a code on the pass so I think showing it from your mobile device will do just as well. OK, so far everything’s fine. Now getting to the museum from Krakow by public transport…
First of all, finding a bus timetable at internet was near impossible (all links being dead or written only in Polish or being otherwise a mess) so I walked to Krakow bus-station the day before my visit just to check out the places and times for departure. Timetable at the station wall was big, kind of messy but still easy to understand with departure lanes etc. I noticed that ticket counters (all two of them) were open and the queue wasn’t that bad so I wrote magic words “Auschwitz bus tuesday 2 June 07:10” to a piece of paper and showed it to ticket-sales woman when it was my turn after 10 minutes queing. Writing that to a paper minimized the possible hassle and need to verbally communicate with a not-so-friendly-looking sales person through a hole in a protection glass because I was not quite sure about their english skills (or my ability to understand their accent). One-way ticket cost 12 zł. I strongly suggest you buy your ticket before-hand and check where the bus leaves and how to get there. Buy two-way ticket only when you are sure when you will be coming back (few of us are).
If you are approaching the station from direction of old town, you can walk straight through the shopping mall Galeria Krakowska and underneath the train station, or if shopping mall is still closed (as it was at 7am) you can walk past it from a south side and walk between mall and old train station to get to bus station entrance.
I gladly noticed that my bus was a mini bus and it was already waiting there 10 minutes before departure (something I rarely experience on my travels nowadays). The bus was only half full, allthough along the way there was much more people coming in. Hassle warning: you are better off not trying to communicate with bus drivers. At my experience they hardly speak english (they hardly speak at all!) so leave your questions about driving route, air conditioning etc. to yourself. Ride to Auschwitz took approximately 1½ hours, maybe less. Bus did get a little crowded in the halfway of ride. Only about 1/4 of passengers were actually going to Auschwitz, most of people were local working men/women and school kids. Mini bus left us at the back gate of Auschwitz and gave us a time-table for their returning rides. There was a signed walkway to the museum entrance.
OK, now I am almost in… but not quite… and I’m hungry and I have no food or drink… and there is a lot of people queing or just standing in crowds in front of entrance. Luckily there is cafeteria-restaurant by the entrance. It is nothing special but you can get there everything you actually need at this point. Besides I have an hour to spend. Remember, I had a entry pass for 09:45. Besides I was wondering do I really have to queue with all these senior and school crowds obviously going for guided tours? Luckily there was an information point just by the entrance and they told me I can walk straight in and I did not even have to wait for an hour but I could walk right in! Now that’s a smooth service.
Remember, “the maximum size of bags and backpacks allowed to carry on the museum grounds is 30 x 20 x 10 cm”. I was just carring a small shoulder bag so I got in through safety inspection without having to put my bag in safe locker. Once you’re in you still have the opportunity to buy yourself a small guide book from the book shop inside the walls if you forgot to buy one from the outside stores (which I strongly suggest getting… I ended up buying also a hard cover book ‘Auschwitz A History In Photographs’). You can buy there also drinks but no food. I remember seeing there a sign for toilets but I never had a need to visit there, using toilets outside the entrance cost 1 zł.
Now you’re ready to roam the site yourself but still you are practically forced to queue in the barracks because there is a lot of guided crowds after crowds visiting them. so be patient and be polite. You really do not need to walk the suggested route which you can see in the guide book. I was there so early that none of the groups have yet found their way into the gas chamber and crematorium so I had an eerie time spending there all by myself.
When you’ve seen enough for Auschwitz I it is time to go to Birkenau (= Auschwitz II). Go to the car parking lot. By a snack kiosk there is a place where a shuttle bus between these two camps stop. Hop in and it is just a 5-10 minutes drive to Birkenau. Walking there should be no problem if you are a walky person like me, but believe me… there is a plenty walking still ahead. For me it was a bit surprise how small Auschwitz I grounds were. I thought it would be bigger. But Birkenau was a surprise. I knew it was going to be bigger than Auschwitz I but little did I know that it was going to be this big. Walking in there is a easy as 1-2-3. No entry passes, no security checks, no waiting in lines. Whenever finished there, just hop into a shuttle bus once again and you will be back in Auschwitz I parking lot. At this time I was hungry again (it takes a lot of time to visit these two camps) but I did not feel like going to museum cafeteria for a third time. Fortunately there are at least two restaurants just across the road so I visited one of these. Nothing special but it served the need.
OK, now I’ve visited the camps, had the food and a ‘shock-beer’ (that’s how I explained it to myself). Now I have to find myself back to Krakow. I read somewhere that “just walk around the parking lot and search for a bus with a sign Krakow”. Hell, yeah… I walked about half an hour and found nothing. Mini-bus timetable which I was given in morning was useless because I saw none of them around. Maybe they left from the same place where they left us (i.e. the back gate), as someone somewhere suggested. Luckily I noticed a sign and timetable for departing buses to Krakow at the same place where the shuttle buses stop. Oh, 15 minutes… so I can visit the toilet while waiting. Coming back, the bus (big one this time) was already there… just like a huge crowd of people attempting to get in! Where the hell did they come from? Were they lurking in bushes, behind the trees or what…? After standing in line for what seemed like ages I managed to get in (ticket price was this time 14 zł) and I was probably the last lucky one to get a seat. All the rest had to stand for the whole journey in an non-air-conditioned, hot & sweaty bus.
All-in-all. Well worthy visit. Take your time, don’t rush. If you are on a budget, you can visit there for very cheap. Bus ride can be an enjoyable sight-seeing ride through country or it can be a sweaty nightmare. If you feel like taking it the easy way, there are dozens of companies in Krakow to offer you trips there (which cost somewhere between 75 and 90 zł). You can also take the train but I have no information about their operation.
Some photos I took there at:
http://ikuinenkaamos.blogspot.com/2015/06/auschwitz-birkenau.html
Cathy says
Marko V – thanks for a really useful blog post! Exactly the details I needed. Travelled to Auschwitz by myself on a Friday two weeks ago, glad to avoid a tour and take at my own pace since I was very short on time but really wanted to visit even so.
For anyone else’s info, i booked an online ticket in the morning for 4pm ish entry, got the 1.30pm bus from Krakow bus station (pretty empty, 14 zl), showed my tablet ticket at the info kiosk on arrival at Auschwitz and they printed it out for me. Queued for about 30 mins to get in. Shuttle buses to Birkenau every 5 or so mins. Came back to krakow on the 18.30pm bus (packed, queue early at the stop). Recommend taking much more time than I did, but it is possible to visit on the day if necessary.
Christiana de Muro says
Hi Marko, I went to the museum website, but there was no option to buy a ticket without being part of a guided tour. Any suggestions?
I will be arriving in Krakow very early in the morning (around 4 AM) on August 15th, So I was thinking of catching an early bus and arriving at Auschwitz at around 8 AM, Do you think this is feasible? Could I then buy my ticket at the entrance, since there was no option to buy it at the website?
Many thanks,
Christiana
Véronique says
Hi,
To go there on your own, without a guided tour, you have go buy a ticket. It’s in the section “reservation”, then you click on individual without a guide. If this doesn’t appear, then its because there is no place left for that day. Don’t forget what it written on the website “Please note that from April 1 to October 31, between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., entry is permitted only with a Museum educator.”
rob says
thank you for answering some questions. we plan on visiting in late sept.
was going to do a tour but I want to be able to spend more time if wished so your advice about getting a bus from the market square sounds good to me. a lot of people have read Anne Frank but another equally touching book is Hannah’s suitcase.
thanks again
Victoria says
I would always advise that people DO stay in Oświęcim. It is the most visited place in Europe (Auschwitz-Birkenau that is), yet tourists give all their money to chain tour groups in Kraków and Oświęcim remains poor. It is a beautiful, authentic Polish town. There are the remains of the Jewish cemetery, the Auschwitz Jewish Centre with a reconstructed synagogue and an exhibition about the town’s once thriving Jewish community (and an app one can use to explore the old Jewish sites). There is also a castle.
Please can I urge people to travel responsibly and give to the local economies.
Anwar says
Please, I would love to hear more about folks who stay in Oswiecim and what they end up doing there and their enjoyment of the town. Also one of the things I was helping people with was trying to do the trip independently (particularly those who don’t want the tour or for affordability, or for desire for more time) which forces them to use local transportation and such. My goal has been to give them advice as well as show them the options available to them.
M-V says
http://visit.auschwitz.org/faq.html seems to tell that:
“For reasons of safety and ease of access, a maximum number of people who can enter the site of the former Auschwitz I camp per hour has been set. That is why, during the reservation process, every visitor now receives an individual entry pass. This is the only document which authorises entry into the Museum. The pass is given both to individual visitors and those who visit the Memorial with an educator.”
If I understand right, you still need an entry pass to get in (even though it is free to enter the site without taking a guide)??? Does anybody have any idea is it really necessary to book your entry pass in advance?
Thanks for a very useful information.
Eric says
Hi Anwar,
First off, thanks for the informative blog, really great stuff! My girlfriend and I were originally planning on taking an overnight train from Prague to Krakow as we backpack through Europe… although now I’m thinking that it might be best to take the overnight train from Prague to Oswiecim then take the cheap bus into Krakow after visiting Auschwitz-Birkinau. In my mind this would save us a little bit of time since we will only be spending 3 days in Krakow. I have a couple concerns with this option however:
1) Are you aware of any safe storage areas for large packs (lockers, front desk etc.)?
2) We will be arriving very early in the morning before the museum/grounds are open (5:00 am), are there any restaurants by the train station in Oswiecim that are available for breakfast?
Thanks again!
Eric
Anwar says
Enjoy your trip there. yes there are lockers and such at the train station for left luggage. I believe there are lockers at the camps too.
I don’t know of any restaurants open that early by the train station but there is a hotel near Auschwitz one that does do breakfast. We ended up eating there ourselves.
Cynthia says
what was name of the hotel where you ended up eating breakfast? We plan to take the night train from Budapest and the train arrives at Auschwitz around 5am.
Cynthia says
im arriving in Auschwitz early morning. What is the name of the hotel where you were able to get breakfast?
Anwar says
It was hotel Olecki.
Daisy says
Hi, your blog is very helpful. We are renting a car in Kraków for a whole day and planning to visit auschwitz then drive to Lublin in the afternoon. You did not give tips for those driving themselves, is it not advisable to drive on our own?
IVonne says
This is extremely helpful, with on-the-nail practical tips. Thank you for the effort, many travellers benefit from this 🙂