Kraków Essentials: Money, SIM, Safety and Practical Tips

A few practical things are worth knowing before you arrive in Kraków — how to pay, how to stay connected, who to call in an emergency and where to get help. None of it is complicated, and this guide pulls it together so you can spend less time worrying and more time enjoying the city. For the wider picture, see our Kraków travel guide and things to do in Kraków.

Money and paying

Poland uses the złoty (PLN), not the euro. Card payments — including contactless and phone wallets — are accepted almost everywhere, from museums to market stalls, so you need very little cash. If you do withdraw money, use a bank ATM and decline the machine’s offer to “convert” to your home currency (dynamic currency conversion gives a poor rate); choosing to be charged in złoty is almost always cheaper. Keep a little cash for tips and the occasional small vendor.

Staying connected

Kraków has good mobile coverage and widespread free Wi-Fi in cafés, hotels and many public spaces. If you are visiting from within the EU, your home data plan works at no extra cost. From outside the EU, a local prepaid SIM or an eSIM is cheap and easy, and keeps you online for maps and tickets.

Everyday practicalities

• Tap water is clean and safe to drink straight from the tap.
• Tipping is customary but modest — around 10% in restaurants for good service; round up for taxis and cafés.
• Opening hours: shops and sights keep normal daytime hours; many museums close one day a week (often Monday) and some churches limit tourist visits during Mass.
• Pharmacies (apteka) are everywhere, and at least one in the city is open around the clock.

Staying safe

Kraków is a safe city by European standards. Take the ordinary care you would anywhere with crowds — mind your belongings on busy trams and in nightlife areas — and you are very unlikely to have trouble. The Europe-wide emergency number is 112, which reaches police, ambulance and fire and is answered in English.

Tourist information

The city’s official InfoKraków network runs several tourist information points around the centre, including on and near the Main Market Square. They hand out maps, sell tickets and public-transport passes, and can answer questions in English — a good first stop if you want your bearings or help planning a day.

Practical tips

• Pay in złoty. Always decline “pay in your home currency” at card terminals and ATMs.
• Carry a little cash. Mostly for tips and the smallest vendors; everything else takes cards.
• Validate transport tickets. Buy via app or machine and check the rules; see our public transport guide.
• Save 112. One number for all emergencies, answered in English.

Frequently asked questions