How to get to Wieliczka Salt Mine from Krakow? Easy way

Krakow is a popular tourist city, but compared to big tourist cities like Prague and Budapest, the attractions in Krakow are few. There are, however, attractions just outside Krakow such as the Salt Mine in Wieliczka. Many people who come on holiday to Krakow also visit the Wieliczka Salt Mine. How to get to the Salt Mine from Krakow? How much does it cost? What is the best way to get from Krakow to the Wieliczka Salt Mine. How to get from Krakow to Wieliczka?

Getting to the Wieliczka Salt Mine from Krakow

For tourists coming to Krakow, there is in practice only one and only one most appropriate way to get from the centre of Krakow to the Wieliczka Salt Mine in small town of Wieliczka next to Krakow. It is a direct cheap train from the centre of Krakow practically to the mine itself. This is the fastest and best way to get there.

Getting to the Wieliczka Salt Mine by train

From the main railway station located right in the centre of Krakow, it is possible to take a direct commuter train to Wieliczka. There is a direct train SKA1 from the “Krakow Glowny” railway station. This is the same train we used to come to Krakow from Balice airport. It finishes at the Wieliczka Market Mine station which is about 400 metres (about 5 minutes) walk from the Wieliczka Salt Mine.

The direct train from the centre of Krakow to the Wieliczka Salt Mine takes 20-25 minutes and avoids traffic jams. It is the fastest way to get there, faster than your own car and the most expensive “private transfers”.

The train costs PLN 7 (EUR 1.65; USD 1.69; GBP 1.39) and departs from Krakow Główny station at intervals of between 30 and 60 minutes. The timetable is available at https://kolejemalopolskie.com.pl/. You can buy tickets in the vehile, online or at the train station. There is no better way to get from Krakow to the Wieliczka Salt Mine but we will describe others just in case. You don’t need to book the tickets for that train.

Uber or Bolt

The salt mine is located in Wieliczka just outside Krakow. So we can go to the town by Uber and Bolt. It doesn’t make much sense because the train is faster and cheaper but it is possible.

An Uber from Hotel Stary near Krakow’s Main Market Square to the Wieliczka Salt Mine on Daniłowiza Street costs around 40-50 PLN one way. Driving by car or the much more expensive “private transfer” in traffic jams can take about an hour so the train is definitely better.

Taxis will also be more expensive than Uber and Bolt. In Krakow, don’t get a taxi standing at a standstill, always order through the head office or just the cheap and reliable Uber and Bolt.

Public transport bus

Public transport in the centre of Krakow is fine, outside the centre less so. From the centre of Krakow to the Wieliczka Salt Mine from the area around Galeria Krakowska and the railway station there is a sped-up bus number 304. Get off this bus at the Wieliczka Kopalnia Soli bus stop.

Note that for the 304 bus to Wieliczka we need an agglomeration ticket, not a regular Krakow public transport ticket. The ride takes about an hour, so it is completely unprofitable as it costs practically the same as the train.

In Krakow we can also rent cars from the carsharing service Traficar or simply choose a car from a rental company, but using this method of travel to get to the salt mine in Weiliczka near Krakow does not make the slightest sense.

How to get from Krakow to the Wieliczka Salt Mine?

The only right way to get there is by taking the SKA1 train from Krakow Główny or Krakow Grzegórzki stations to Wieliczka Rynek Kopalnia station. This is the fastest and cheapest way to get from Krakow to the only attraction in Wieliczka.