Where to park in Krakow for free? A guide for tourists

Most tourists visiting Krakow arrive by plane and don’t have to worry about parking. However, travelers from countries like Slovakia, the Czech Republic, or Hungary often come by car and face the challenge of finding parking in the city. Where can you park for free in Krakow? Where can you leave your car for a few days? Where to park for free in Krakow Old Town? Here’s a guide to free parking in Krakow.

Parking in Krakow’s City Center

A significant part of Krakow, extending far beyond the city center, is covered by paid parking zones. Parking in Krakow isn’t as expensive as in London or Milan, but it’s not cheap either. In this article, you’ll find information about the rates in Krakow’s paid parking zones, where parking is free basicly only on Sundays.

Therefore, it’s worth considering where to park for free in Krakow.

Paid Parking Zones

Entrances to paid parking zones in Krakow are always marked with appropriate signs, but these signs can be easy to miss. Paid parking spaces are marked with the standard parking sign—a blue square with a white letter “P” and the word “Płatny” (Paid) underneath. You can also recognize them by the presence of parking payment machines nearby.

Free parking in Krakow

Where can you park for free in Krakow? The only option for free parking is outside the boundaries of the paid parking zones shown on the map above. Almost all parking spaces located outside these zones are free.

In some residential areas, you may encounter parking spaces reserved for residents with permits. These spaces are marked with standard parking signs accompanied by rectangular plates with inscriptions like “Tylko dla mieszkańców” or “Tylko dla posiadaczy identyfikatora“.

Road signs in Poland are only in Polish, so if you see an additional plate under a sign, it’s best to use the Google Translate app on your phone to translate and understand it.

Parking lots at some stores located outside the city center, such as Lidl or Obi, may require payment, but not all stores have paid parking. Avoid the paid ones. Some blogs about Krakow suggest leaving your car at shopping mall parking lots, such as Bonarka or Serenada. However, we do not recommend this solution for long-term parking.

Instead, it’s better to choose a free parking spot located near a tram or bus line, allowing you to quickly reach the city center. Alternatively, you can order an Uber or Bolt from the parking spot to your hotel or rented apartment. Many free parking spaces can be found in districts like Prokocim, Bieżanów, or Nowa Huta.

One convenient free parking spot used to be the parking lot near the Alma store on ul. Pilotów. However, the store closed in April 2024, and the future of this parking lot remains uncertain. While this option is no longer available, there are still many other free long-term parking options in Krakow. When leaving your car parked for several days, make sure it doesn’t block traffic or obstruct anyone’s driveway.

If your car has foreign license plates, it may stand out, so it’s better to choose well-frequented parking areas. However, this shouldn’t pose any major difficulties.

If we want to leave a car in Krakow for a few days for free, the only option is to park outside the paid parking zone area. Where can you leave your car for free in the center of Krakow? Unfortunately, the simple answer to this question is: nowhere. Only outside the paid parking zone.

It is worth noting that, unlike in many European countries, in Kraków, Poland, there are virtually no markings in the form of colored lines painted on the road or temporary or resident-only parking zones. Temporary parking spots are marked separately, and there are few of them. In practically every spot, once we park, we can stay as long as we want (in paid zones, of course, after paying for parking).

Key Tips for Free Parking in Krakow:

• Look Outside Paid Zones: Free parking is available outside the paid parking zones.
• Residential Areas: Be cautious of parking spaces reserved for residents with permits.
• Use Translation Apps: Translate Polish signs using apps like Google Translate.
• Avoid Shopping Mall Parking: For long-term parking, avoid leaving your car at shopping malls.
• Choose Convenient Locations: Opt for free parking near tram or bus lines for easy access to the city center.
• Foreign License Plates: Park in well-frequented areas to avoid drawing attention to your car.

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