How to get to Auschwitz from Krakow. Best way in 2025

The Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum, located in Oświęcim, is one of the biggest tourist attractions near Krakow. Many people who come to visit the capital of Lesser Poland wonder how to get to Auschwitz from Krakow. How to get there by train or bus? How to use public transport? What is the most convenient and cheapest way to get to Auschwitz from the center of Krakow? Here are the best ways to travel to Oświęcim to visit the remains of the former concentration camp. How do I get to Auschwitz from Krakow by public transport?

The Auschwitz Museum in Oświęcim is located near Krakow, and the journey from the Old Town to the Auschwitz Museum is very simple and very cheap. There is no need to purchase expensive tours because public transport is efficient and cheap and takes you from the center of Krakow almost directly to the museum.

Traveling by bus from the center of Krakow to Auschwitz

The easiest way to get from Krakow to Oświęcim (Auschwitz) is by bus. Buses operated by Lajkonik, which go to Oświęcim from the very center of Krakow via Chrzanów, arrive at the parking lot directly in front of the Auschwitz Museum. It runs approximately every 1-2 hours from Krakow city centre. The buses depart from the MDA bus station located at Bosacka Street, right behind the main railway station and the Galeria Krakowska shopping center.

The Lajkonik bus reaches Oświęcim in about 1.5h and the buses of the other carriers in about 2 hours. The cost of a regular ticket is 22 PLN one way. Tickets can be purchased on the official website of the carrier at lajkonikbus.pl. Buses from other companies also go to Oświęcim, which are cheaper but take a bit longer.

For buses stopping at the Oświęcim PKP train station, which is very close to the museum, tickets cost even less, only 12 PLN. Check the timetables on the official website of MDA bus station.

This means that the total cost of traveling to Auschwitz and back to Krakow by bus will be 44 PLN (10.50 EUR, 8.75 GBP, 10.85 USD) if you choose the Lajkonik carrier or 24 PLN (5.75 EUR, 4.77 GBP 5.95 USD) if you choose other bus carriers.

It is worth remembering that Auschwitz can be visited without a museum guide completely free of charge.

Traveling by train from the center of Krakow to Auschwitz

The second option for traveling from the very center of Krakow is taking the convenient SKA3 train from Kraków Główny station to Oświęcim. The train journey from Kraków Główny station to Oświęcim station takes, depending on the train, between approximately 1 hour to 1 hour and 30 minutes. The cost of tickets for a direct Regio train is 15 PLN for a standard ticket.

The SKA3 train (best train to get to Auschwitz) operated by Małopolska Railways costs 16.50 PLN (3.93 EUR, 4.06 USD, 3.30 GBP). Tickets can be purchased through the official PKP website, which also provides schedules at portalpasazera.pl. Tickets for the SKA3 train can also be purchased on the official Małopolska Railways website, at ticket machines at the Krakow station, from the conductor, or directly from the ticket machine on the train. Unlike the bus, there is no need to reserve tickets for the SKA3 train.

The SKA3 train reaches Oświęcim faster than a car or bus, with a travel time of about 60 minutes. Check timetables on the official website of Koleje Malopolskie. The train station where the train terminates is located near the museum, and from there, you can take the aforementioned shuttle bus directly to the museum.

Other ways to get to Auschwitz

Of course, there are other ways to get there. Among them are very expensive tours that can be booked in Krakow at various locations. You can also take a Bolt or Uber. How much does Bolt or Uber cost from the center of Krakow to Oświęcim? The price for such a ride is around 200 PLN (48 EUR, 50 USD, 40 GBP) one way. How much is taxi? A lot more expensive.

For those with a driver’s license, renting a car is worth considering. In Krakow, there is Traficar carsharing and many car rental companies. The price of renting a car in Krakow for 24 hours is around 130 PLN (31 EUR, 32 USD, 26 GBP) for a city car like a Toyota Yaris or Renault Clio. To the rental cost, you need to add the price of gasoline needed to cover approximately 130 kilometers, which is around 62 PLN.

It’s worth remembering that in Oświęcim, you don’t have to park at the expensive parking lot near the museum. You can park a bit further away, completely for free on a normal parking space, outside the paid parking zone.

Therefore, a round trip to Auschwitz by rented car will be cheaper than a one-way trip with Uber or Bolt. However, it will still be several times more expensive than traveling by bus or train.

How to get to Auschwitz from Krakow 2025

The popular Auschwitz Museum in Oświęcim is very easily accessible via public transportation in the form of very cheap buses and very affordable and comfortable trains. Traveling by train may be faster than by car or bus because because the train won’t get stuck in traffic.

Therefore, visiting Auschwitz is easiest to organize independently by booking paid or free tickets on the official museum website https://visit.auschwitz.org and choosing any means of transportation to get to the museum.

It’s worth remembering that a significant part of the tour of the Auschwitz Museum takes place outdoors. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes. It’s also a good idea to check the ticket prices for the Auschwitz tour. Traveling between the Auschwitz and Birkenau sections during the visit is done via a free shuttle bus.

For those planning to visit Auschwitz, we remind you to bring a photo ID.

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