The British capital lies over 1,000 miles away from Krakow, a distance that lots of people are looking to cover each day. Luckily, there are lots of inexpensive flights between these two destinations, so travelling from London to Krakow is super easy these days. However, if you’re not keen on air travel, visiting this popular weekend getaway destination from London might get a little tricky.
The good news is that, there are lots of different options available for those that want to avoid planes, so there is no reason you should give up your plans. However, you will need to be patient because travelling overland takes time. So, let’s see what your best options are for travelling from London to Krakow.
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What’s in this guide on getting from London to Krakow?
London to Krakow by plane
Time: 2h15m – 2h30m
Cost: From £8
Comfort: 5/5
By far the easiest and the quickest option to get from London to Krakow is by plane. It’s also usually the cheapest way to travel between these two destinations, thanks to many low-cost connections on this route. That’s of course if you avoid flying during the peak times such as Christmas and Easter when flight prices skyrocket.
Out of six London airports, four offer direct flights to Krakow, so there is no shortage of options to choose from. Here’s more details:
London Stansted to Krakow
Flight time: 2h15m – 2h25m
Ryanair offers daily flights up to three times a day from Stansted to Krakow. It’s not uncommon that this is your cheapest option available, with prices starting from as low as £8 at times. The cost of the flight doesn’t include large baggage, so you will have to fork out extra for that.
When it comes to getting to Stansted airport from the city, it can sometimes cost more than the flight, if you manage to score one of Ryanair’s bargains. You can choose between buses such as Terravision or National Express from Victoria Coach Station and trains (Stansted express) that leave from Liverpool Street. The train takes 50 minutes and costs between £9.70 – £20.70 in standard class and the coaches usually start from around £11.
London Heathrow to Krakow
Flight time: 2h30m
You can fly directly to Krakow from UK’s biggest airport with the national carrier, British Airways. Their rates start from around £50, so you won’t be able to find similar bargains to those from Stansted or Luton. Economy tickets don’t include checked baggage either, as they once did.
That said, Heathrow is the easiest airport to reach from London. The express trains take only 15 minutes from the centre and if you book them in advance, the prices start from £8. You can also get to all terminals on the tube with either the new Elizabeth Line or Piccadilly Line.
London Gatwick to Krakow
Flight time: 2h15m – 2h30m
There are two airlines that offer low-cost connections from Gatwick to Krakow, Easy Jet, and Wizz Air. Both of these fly daily during the high season and reduce their flights to five/six a week in low season. The prices start at around £16 with Wizz Air and around £22 with Easy Jet. Both airlines charge extra for checked baggage.
The quickest way to get to Gatwick from central London is by train, which takes 30 minutes from London Victoria. The rates start from around £12.50 but tend to get more expensive closer to the date of departure. You can also get a National Express coach from £7 that takes around 1h40m.
London Luton to Krakow
Flight time: 2h15m – 2h25m
You can also fly directly to Krakow from London Luton with Ryanair or Wizz Air. Both these budget airlines offer cheap flights that start from around £10 to £15 without extra luggage. You can get to Luton Airport from the centre of the city by frequent trains that take around 25-30 minutes. You will need to take a 10-minute shuttle bus from the station, though. There are also coaches from Victoria Coach Station from £6 one way, but they take around 1h30m.
London to Krakow by train
Time: 32h+
Cost: From £100
Comfort: 3.5/5
Flying might be the most convenient way to travel between London and Krakow, but it’s not always the best choice for everyone. For those that might be afraid of flying or want to find the most eco-friendly mode of transport, trains might be the answer. Plus, there are no limits on luggage, and as overland travel goes, it’s hard to find a more comfortable option than a train.
However, there are no direct railway connections between London and Krakow, so the journey will be lengthy. It will also require some thorough planning because you have to travel through at least two other European countries before you reach Poland.
Train via Brussels and Berlin
The most direct train route from London to Krakow is via Brussels and Berlin. That’s with Eurostar to Brussels and high-speed ICE trains to Berlin with a change in Cologne. You can do this leg in one day, but there is no way you can continue onto Krakow without staying overnight in Berlin. You can catch the comfortable EuroCity train Wawel the next day at 10.39. Altogether, the whole journey takes between 32 and 34 hours. The total cost starts at around £100 (≈540 PLN) but can go well beyond that if you don’t book your trip in advance.
Trains via Brussels and Prague
Another train route goes via Brussels and Prague. This one takes a little longer, but why not make the most of your European voyage and visit the beautiful old town of Prague? The whole trip involves five stops, so it might seem a bit confusing if you’re not a frequent traveller. The changeovers include Brussels, Frankfurt, Nuremberg, Cheb and Prague. From there, you can take advantage of a comfortable, overnight train that runs from the beautiful Czech capital all the way to Krakow. Alternatively, you can get a cheaper train that runs during the day.
The whole journey takes around three days and involves an overnight stay in Brussels. You can also extend the trip by staying longer in Prague. The total cost starts at about £120 (≈650 PLN).
Trains via Brussels and Vienna
You can also travel via Vienna. Although the Austrian capital doesn’t seem to be on the way from London to Krakow, this is probably the most cost-effective route. That’s because you can take advantage of the overnight railway journey between Brussels and Vienna, which means there’s no need to fork out extra for accommodation. Plus, you can spend a couple of hours exploring Vienna. Tempting, eh?
Like all other train options, you should start your trip with Eurostar from London to Brussels. From there, you can catch a comfortable sleeper train (Nightjet) all the way to Vienna. This train runs three times a week, on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays and takes nearly 14 hours. From Vienna, you can take an afternoon train via Katowice to Krakow. You could also spend a night in Vienna and travel to Krakow directly on the morning train.
The whole journey takes a day and a half. The prices start at £102 (≈550 PLN) if you get a seat on the sleeper train and £120 (≈650 PLN) if you opt for a bed.
London to Krakow by bus
Time: 24h+
Cost: From £65
Comfort: 1/5
If you’re not a fan of flying but find train changeovers too confusing, you could travel from London to Krakow directly by bus. There is one company that offers non-stop coach connections on this route twice a week – Sindbad. The coaches run from Victoria coach station on Wednesdays and Saturdays to Krakow main bus station. The journey takes around 24 hours and costs £125 (≈680 PLN).
To be completely honest, this would be our least favourite option, because 24h coaches can never be too exciting or comfortable. On the flip side, the price doesn’t change so it might be your cheapest option for Christmas or Easter travel. It’s also a good option if you travel with big baggage.
Flixbus is another company that offers buses from London to Krakow, but those are not direct. You will have to change in Brussels, which extends the journey by around seven to eight hours. That said, Flixbus tickets are usually cheaper, with rates as low as £65 (≈360 PLN).
London to Krakow by car
Time: 17h+
Comfort: 2/5
Probably the most unlikely way to travel from London to Krakow if you’re a tourist is by car. That said, if you like driving long distances, you could make it into a fun road trip. It also makes a lot of sense for those who are moving countries, because you’re not as restricted on baggage as you would be taking other travel options.
The most direct route from London to Krakow is 1,012 miles long (1,628.6 km) through four countries between the UK and Poland. After getting through the Channel Tunnel, you will cross France, Belgium, Netherlands, and Germany, before crossing the border into Poland. It’s a very long drive that could take anything between 17 and 24 hours without longer pitstops, so we don’t recommend it unless you make a road trip out of it.
You could visit many places along the way to make the trip more exciting. From a fairy-tale old town in Bruges to attraction-packed Cologne through to picturesque Wroclaw, there is no shortage of interesting cities you could explore along the route.
How long is the flight from UK to Kraków?
The length of your flight from the UK to Krakow will depend on your origin but on average it takes around 2 hours and 25 minutes.
Which London airports fly to Kraków?
You can fly to Krakow from the majority of London airports. You’ll find plenty of flights from London Stansted, London Gatwick, London Heathrow, and London Luton. The only two that don’t offer direct connections to Krakow are London Southend and London City.
How do I get to Kraków from UK?
The easiest and often cheapest way to get to Krakow from the UK is by flying. The majority of British airports offer low-cost connections to Poland’s second biggest city, so finding tickets shouldn’t be much of a problem. There are also direct buses and train connections if you’d rather travel overland.
This is just one part of our guide of travelling in and around Krakow
