Getting to Krakow by Car
Getting to Krakow by Car
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Poland uses standard international traffic signs. Major routes have the prefix 'E' and motorways 'A'. Speed limits are 130kph (81mph) on the motorways, 100-110kph (62-68mph) on main roads and 60kph (37mph) in built-up areas. Traffic drives on the right. Seat belts must be worn. Vehicles should be equipped with a first-aid kit, fire extinguisher and warning triangle, and headlights must be on at all times from 1 October to 1 March. The legal maximum alcohol to blood ratio for driving is 0.02%.
International Driving Permits and European and US national driving licences are accepted for the first six months in Poland. Drivers should carry their vehicle registration documents and Green Card insurance. Information about road travel can be obtained at border crossings and from the Polish Motoring Association (PZM), ulica Jozefa Dietla 67 (tel: (012) 422 0215; fax: (012) 421 0732).
Emergency breakdown service:
PZM 981 (9637 outside Krakow).
Routes to the city: The north-south E77 links Krakow with Gdansk and Warsaw, continuing south to Zakopane and the Slovak border. The E40 arrives from Lviv in Ukraine, to the east, to the west it connects to Dresden in Germany and passes through Wroclaw and Katowice (part of which becomes the A4 motorway) before reaching Krakow.
Approximate driving times to Krakow: from Wroclaw - 4 hours 30 minutes; Warsaw - 5 hours 15 minutes; and Prague - 9 hours.
Coach services: The Dworzec PKS (Central Bus Station) is on ulica Worcella, opposite the main railway station, northeast of the Old Town. Information on coach services is available (tel: (012) 9316). The main carriers are the state-owned PKS and Polski-Express. Services are available throughout Poland and from European destinations, such as Berlin, Lviv, Prague and Vienna.