Finding a good parking spot in the city center of Krakow can be a bit tricky, especially with the narrow streets and the area’s popularity. During the festive days, it turns into the Mission Impossible, so don’t blame yourself if you don’t have luck with that.
Upon asking the seasoned local drivers, KrakowHub has collected several tips for you. They will save you a ton of nerves and money, especially if you are a foreigner who has arrived in Krakow for the first time.
Street Parking
There are several places close to the Old Town where you can park. Remember, in Krakow you always pay for parking time unless it is later than 8pm, earlier than 10 am, or it’s Sunday (full day)! Go to the parking machine, press a green button to activate it, enter your the number from your number plates, and select the time you plan to stay. Yessss, I know it is hard to think forward about how much time you’ll need. Unlike Prague or other grand cities of Western Europe your time on the parking lot in the center is not limited as long as you pay for the service.
Prices are: Zone A (city center) – 6PLN/1hr, Zone B – 5PLN/1hr, Zone C – 4PLN/1hr. Usually, you can pay by card, but KrakowHub strongly recommends having some change (10-12PLN in coins) for the cases when card payment glitches.
Some people suggest parking in Zone B and getting a tram to Zone A. Well, if it’s just for an hour then math won’t be working, as in this case you’ll spend 5PLN for parking and 4PLN for each person taking a tram. For a family of three, it is 6PLN (Zone A) vs 17PLN (Zone B+tram).
How to pay for street parking in Krakow?
If you are a foreigner, we bet you won’t like to bother with local mobile applications (not to mention some of them aren’t installable because your App Store/Google Store is tied to a different country). Using a parking machine is the most secure option: you pay, you insert a ticket under your window and go exploring Wawel.
If you have someone from Poland accompanying you, you may ask them to pay for your parking in their banking app, and then reimburse them (or not).
Don’t park until you’ve read the description on the road sign!
You can find a spot right at the entrance of your favorite cafe on Kazimierz. Don’t rush there! Read what’s written below the sign (use GoogleTranslator for that). The sign may say:
- The spot is only reserved for the service cars and allows only a short stop to offload the goods;
- The spot is reserved specifically for people living in the building.
In the second case, you may feel the tickle to leave your car because who knows – do you live in this building or not? Trust me, they know. The officer checks your number plate, and if it’s foreign it automatically means that you don’t have meldunek (or registration) in this building.
These are the cases, when even if parked under the parking sign, you will still get a fine or even your wheel blocked. The fine is about 300 PLN. You could have about 3 nice dinners for this money.
Use Underground Parking Garages
There are several underground parking garages in the city center. They can be a bit pricey, but they offer security and are close to the main attractions. Look for ones near Planty or the Wawel Castle.
Their addresses are:
- plac Na Groblach 24 – Wawel Castle
- Lubicz, 17 – Planty, Railway Station
Besides underground garages, Krakow has paid outdoor parking options close to the center (up to 10 10-minute walk), which can be pricey, especially if you leave a car for several days in a row. Their addresses are:
- Poselska 7
- Mikolaja Zyblikiewicza, 2
- Floriana Straszewskiego, 14
- Karmelicka, 21
The fee per hour is 6-10PLN or about 60-80PLN a day. You can pay by card.
Use Parking Areas of Shopping Malls
It is a wise decision to park your vehicle at the shopping mall parking. The best option for the Old Town is Galeria Krakowska (8 minutes walk to the Old Town) and for Kazimierz it’s Galeria Kazimierz (10 minutes walk to the Jewish district).
Galeria Krakowska charges 2 PLN for the first hour and 5 PLN later, while Galeria Kazimierz allows 1 hour for free (or more if you go to the cinema hall there) and after – 5PLN. It will cost you 1PLN less than normal street parking, which for zone A is 6 PLN/1hr. You can pay by card.
Remember, the city is constantly evolving, and new parking solutions might pop up. It’s always a good idea to stay updated with local news or ask fellow drivers for the latest tips. Good luck and happy parking!
