The Ultimate Guide on Travelling from Poznan to Krakow

Whether you’re on a trip around Polish cities or planning a weekend in the former residence of royals you might be looking for the best ways to get from Poznan to Krakow. You’re in luck, there is no shortage of options, whether you want to fly or travel overland. However, which option is the fastest and the cheapest?

This guide on getting from Poznan to Krakow will talk you through the details of all transport on this route. Will give you tips on how to get the most time and cost-effective transport. We’ll also give you some insights on how to book tickets and tips for planning your trip. So, let’s delve deeper…

Time: 1h

Cost: From 42 PLN (≈€8.50)

Comfort: 5/5

The quickest and often cheapest way to travel from Poznan to Krakow is by plane. Yes, there is a direct connection between the cities thanks to a low-cost airline, Ryanair. That means you can cover the distance, which by road would take close to five hours, in only one hour. That’s of course if you don’t add the time spent at and getting to the airports on each side, which could make the journey significantly longer.

However, when it comes to travelling alone, you only need to spend an hour on the plane, so the journey is very quick and easy. That’s also the reason why we’ve marked the comfort as high. The other good news is that prices on this route are relatively low. You can find tickets for as little as 42 PLN but bear in mind that large baggage will cost you extra.

That said, you should know that the times of these Ryanair flights are far from convenient. Because the airport fees are lower early in the morning and late in the evening, that’s when these flights take off. It means you will either reach Krakow close to midnight or have to leave Poznan as early as 6 am.

Time: 4h58m+

Cost: From 24 PLN (≈€5)

Comfort: 4/5

If you don’t have a car and are looking for the most eco-friendly way to get from Poznan to Krakow, then getting a train is your best bet. Luckily, there is no shortage of trains that travel on this route, so you won’t have much trouble finding one that suits you. However, you should always check the travelling time before you book your seats because the journey can take anything between five and seven hours.

The tickets usually start at around 24 PLN but can go up closer to the date of departure so it’s worth planning your trip in advance if you can. You can purchase your tickets online or at any Polish train station no earlier than 30 days in advance. The online sale starts 30 minutes after midnight and sometimes the cheapest rates go within a couple of hours. You should also make sure that you get a reserved seat because it won’t be a very comfortable journey if you have to stand in the corridor.

Time: 6h36m+

Cost: From 59 PLN (≈€12.50)

Comfort: 2.5/5

You can also travel from Poznan to Krakow by bus, but that’s neither the quickest nor the most comfortable way to travel. It’s also not usually the cheapest, so we’d always aim for trains or planes instead. However, if you still prefer to go by bus here’s a couple of details.

On average buses on this route take around seven hours but the times fluctuate 30 minutes up and down. There are two companies that offer direct coaches, Flixbus and TELESFOR. The former is usually cheaper and offers more frequent connections. Their rates start from around 59 PLN but often can cost up to 100 PLN. That means you can usually find much cheaper trains, especially if you book your journey in advance.

Time: 4h30m+

Comfort: 3/5

The quickest driving route from Poznan to Krakow is 460 km long and takes around five hours. You can do it a little faster, but it can also take much longer depending on the traffic and the time of the day you travel (nighttime is usually the fastest). The route goes via S5 towards Wroclaw and the A4 motorway towards Krakow. Alternative routes are longer in terms of both time and distance. 

The good news is that the quickest way to drive provides a fantastic stop opportunity halfway if you’d like to split up a journey. Arguably one of the most beautiful Polish cities, Wroclaw is almost equidistant from Krakow and Poznan. It’s a city built on five rivers and 12 islands connected to the city by around 100 bridges. It’s well worth a pitstop, even if only for a few hours to grab something to eat.

There are four different ways to get from Krakow to Poznan, by plane, by train, by bus, or by car. Flying is usually the fastest and often the cheapest option, but trains are usually the most convenient if you’re travelling with larger baggage.

Poznan is over 400 kilometres away from Krakow, which means it takes at least five hours to get there by road. However, you can easily hop on a domestic flight between the city, which only takes about an hour.

The cheapest trains from Poznan to Warsaw start from 19 PLN one way but can cost as much as 149 PLN for the fastest express trains. You can book your journey 30 days before the departure, and the further in advance you plan, the more chances you have to find the cheapest fares.