Witamy w Krakowie! / Welcome to Kraków!
Foursquare Europe Youth Leaders Meeting 2021
Location: Żaczek Hotel [See on map]
Details about your travel, COVID, transport, and the meeting schedule!
For any assistance please contact Travis on Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, text, or call at +48.790.415.828.
Please note that upon ARRIVAL at Kraków Airport you will enter a queue prior to baggage claim, this is where the below requirements will be inspected, please have your paperwork or digital version ready. This queue can take up to 45 mins depending on the number of arriving flights, be prepared.
All trains, busses, and tram tickets can be bought with cards (in fact it is much faster and easier), and all shops take cards as well.
Tap a topic below for more information.
BEFORE YOU FLY – Fill out the COVID-19 passenger locator form!
There is a “passenger locator form” currently required to enter Poland by plane.
You can fill this in before your flight to save you time. After you submit the form save the confirmation to show at the airport or onboard (when they try to give you the paper form). You can also fill it out on the flight in paper form.
Below is a screenshot of how to fill in the “location” information for our meeting:
COVID-19 regulations as of 5th of October (will update as needed):
The hotel is considered a private location, and generally, masks will not be required except perhaps if a large group of people is mingling in the lobby. During our meetings and meals, masks will not be required. Masks are not required outside.
If your home nation requires a negative test result to board or re-enter you may pre-book a testing time at the airport by visiting this page.
ENTRY into Poland from a Schengen member state, anyone may enter Poland without quarantine if:
- They are fully vaccinated with all vaccine doses required and 14 days have passed since their final dose was administered (counting from the day following the last vaccination date). The vaccination must be certified by the EU digital COVID certificate or another document, in Polish or English, confirming vaccination with a vaccine that has been authorised in the European Union.
- They had been infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus (so-called convalescents), no later than 6 months before the day of crossing the Polish border. Perons must present a document confirming that they had indeed been infected, issued in Polish or English; acceptable documents include the EU digital COVID certificate.
- They present a negative COVID-19 test result, confirmed with an EU COVID certificate or another document in Polish or English. Such a test must be performed no earlier than 48 hours before crossing the border.
- They are children under 12 years of age who are travelling under the supervision of adults vaccinated against COVID-19 or have a negative COVID-19 test result.
The latest travel requirements can be found here.
Please note that upon ARRIVAL at Kraków Airport you will enter a queue prior to baggage claim, this is where the above requirements will be inspected, please have your paperwork or digital version ready. This queue can take up to 45 mins depending on the number of arriving flights, be prepared.
General social life rules:
It is mandatory to cover your mouth and nose in such places as:
- in buses, trams and trains,
- in shops, malls, banks, markets and post offices
- in cinemas and theatres,
- at physician’s offices, in outpatient clinics and hospitals, in massage and tattoo parlours
- in churches, at schools and universities,
- In government offices (when going there to take care of certain matters) and other civic centres.
How to Get from the Airport to our Hotel:
From the airport take any train to the central station (Kraków Głowny), then take tram number 20 towards “Cichy Kącik” and get off at “Oleandry”. Detailed instructions below. All trains, busses, and tram tickets can be bought with cards (in fact it is much faster and easier), and all shops take cards as well.
Venue: Żaczek Hotel [See on map]
- The train is about a 20 min ride from the airport to the station (Kraków Główny) located in the city center and is 12zł (€3).
- The hotel is a 15min tram ride from the main Kraków train station which has a direct connection to the airport.
Tap a topic below for detailed information…
How To Buy Train Tickets:
- There are ticket machines in the terminal in arrivals, at the train platform, on board the train (extra fee for buying from conductor so use the machine if you can), or you can pre-purchase online here.
- When buying at the machine or online: Your starting station is “Kraków Airport (Lotnisko)”, your arrival station is “Kraków Głowny” (Also called “Kraków Main Station”).
- All tickets are valid for 3 hours based on the desired “start time” (typically the departure time of your desired train), if your flight is delayed up to 3 hours, your ticket will still be valid.
- You can search the train schedule (roughly every 30 mins) by following the link above to purchase tickets above.
Step 1: How To Take The Train From Kraków Airport to the city center:
The train station is located directly next to the terminal behind the parking garage.
All trains leave from the airport to the city center train: “SKA 1” direction “Wieliczka Rynek-Kopalnia” or “Kraków Główny” – there are no other trains, so you can’t get on the wrong one.
- From arrivals take the escalator (moving ramp) to the upper level.
- Turn left into the covered footbridge and walk to the end.
- At the end go through another pair of doors and down the escalator to the train platform.
Step 2: How To Get to the Tram stop:
[See location and address on Google Maps for live walking directions on your phone]
- From the platform take the stairs, elevator, or escalators DOWN.
- Follow signs for “Old Town – Stare Miasto” (towards platform 1) or “Galeria Krakówska – Shopping Center/Mall“. (do not go through the exit to the bus station)
- Go through the double-set of doors into the shopping center.
- When you get to the escalators going up, turn LEFT
- Go all the way to the other end of the mall until you get to more escalators, go UP
- Turn left and go around the escalators past Zara, exit the shopping center on your RIGHT
- Walk across the plaza and past the “Vienna House Hotel”
- Follow the path to the left past Starbucks
- The tram stop (Named: “Teatr Słowackiego”) should be in front of you (do not go under the street) (see map below) – Buy tickets at the tram stop, be sure to validate your ticket when you get onboard the tram with the ticket validator at each door.
Step 3: Take the tram to our hotel
[See location and address on Google Maps for live tram schedule and directions on your phone]
- Buy your tram ticket at the platform ticket machine, a single “20 minute” ticket is good (4zł, 1€) (you can buy on the tram, but not all trams take cards), be sure to validate your ticket when you get onboard the tram with the ticket validator at each door.
- Take tram number 20 towards “Cichy Kącik”
- Ride for 5 stops, and get off at “Oleandry”
- Walk to hotel (80 m). The hotel is next to the tram stop, see map below.
- See list of stops below:
Meeting Schedule: (Thursday is check-in and free time, meals on our own)
– FRIDAY
07:00-09:00 – Breakfast
09:00 – Meeting 1 (Updates & Prayer)
12:00 – Lunch in the center
13:30 – City tour
15:00 – Meeting 2 (FYI Vision / Strategy)
18:00 – Dinner
19:30 – Free time / fellowship
– SATURDAY
07:00-09:00 – Breakfast
09:00 – Meeting 3 (Conference Conversation)
12:00 – Lunch
13:00 – Meeting 4
14:30 – Leave for Schindler’s Factory (tour at 15:30)
17:30 – Dinner in the Jewish quarter
– SUNDAY
07:30-09:00 – Breakfast
09:00 – Worship/Word/Communion
12:00 – Lunch & Conclude
Getting around the city center and recommendations:
On Friday evening or if you have extra time after our meetings, here are some tips for getting around the city center.
- The center is very walkable, from the hotel it is only about a 10 min walk to the main square and the center of the medieval city.
- Trams and busses are frequent and a great way to get around, you can use Google Transit directions to get exact platforms and specific directions for any place in the city. Face masks must be worn while riding trams or busses.
- Tickets can be purchased at most platforms with cards, and on most newer trams/busses cards can be used (contactless) or coins can be used on all trams/busses. Tickets are “time based” and expire based on the chosen time.
- To get to the Jewish quarter you can walk about 30 mins or take a tram.
- Tram 6 from right in front of the hotel, in the direction towards the city (Kurdwanów P+R)
– Recommendations
- Medieval Main square (must see) – MAP
- Medieval Royal Castle Wawel – MAP
- Floriańska Street and city gate – MAP
- Cloth Hall (local Polish souviners) – MAP
- Jewish quarter (take tram or 20 min walk, see “getting around” above)
- “Planty” park for a walk, it surrounhds the entire old city – MAP
- “Viva La Pinta” pub for craft beers – MAP
- “Pijalnia Czekolady” chocolate cafe (chocolates, coffee, drinks, and assorted other things) – MAP
- “METRUM Restobistro” rooftop restuarant cafe/bar, open until 20:00 – MAP
- St. Mary’s Basilica – Gothic catholic catherderal and landmark – MAP
- Saints Peter and Paul Church (and nearby square) – Baroque style catholic church – MAP
- For reference, main train station (to/from airport) – MAP
- For reference, tram stop “Oleandry” (stop net to our hotel) – MAP