Europe > Poland > Kraków (KRK)
The Car or no Car advice for Kraków can be broken down into three similar questions - do you need a car in Kraków ; is it worth it (based on costs), and ultimately - should you rent one? (a balance of the two).🚆 🚌⛴️ Do we need to rent a car in Kraków ?
These scores are based on the quality of public transport and other travel options. If these are good enough to see the main points of interest, then you don’t need to rent a car.
💰💶💳 Is it worth hiring a car in Kraków?
These scores reflect the practical factors that affect whether renting a car is convenient, good value, and stress-free.
Kraków without a car 🚶♂️🚋
Kraków’s historic core is exceptionally compact and walkable. The Old Town, Main Market Square, Wawel Castle, and Kazimierz district all sit close together, and much of this area is pedestrian-friendly. Driving here would be slow, unnecessary, and inconvenient.
Public transport fills any gaps. Trams and buses are frequent, cheap, and easy to use. They connect the centre with outer districts and with key sites such as Nowa Huta, which is well worth a visit for its socialist-realist architecture. The main railway station sits right next to the Old Town, making arrival and departure seamless.
For most city-focused trips, a car adds no value at all.
Easy day trips by train and tour 🚆
Some of Kraków’s most famous excursions are better done without driving. Auschwitz-Birkenau is easily reached by train or organised coach, removing the stress of parking and navigation. Wieliczka Salt Mine is also connected by frequent suburban trains and buses.
Because these are such popular sites, public transport and tours are well organised and efficient.
When a rental car makes sense 🚗🏔️
A car becomes useful if you want to explore more rural southern Poland. Trips into the Tatra Mountains, especially around Zakopane, are possible by train or bus, but a car gives greater flexibility for viewpoints, trailheads, and smaller villages. It also helps if you are travelling as a group or planning multi-day countryside stays.
Car rental prices in Poland are generally reasonable, although city-centre driving remains slow.
Conclusion: should you rent a car in Kraków?
For the city itself and classic day trips, no. Kraków is best enjoyed on foot, by tram, and by train. For mountain regions and deeper rural exploration, a rental car becomes useful, but it is not essential for most visitors.
