Cheap flights from Krakow to Beijing

The cheapest month on this route is November, and fares are listed right across the year, from September through to August, so you can compare a full cycle before committing. Late autumn and the quieter weeks after the New Year holidays usually sit below the summer peak, when school breaks push long-haul fares up. Midweek departures from Balice tend to cost less than Friday and Sunday flights. Steer clear of the Lunar New Year travel rush into China and the Christmas window in Europe unless you book well ahead.

Every flight from Krakow to Beijing involves at least one connection, so the airline you pick shapes the whole journey. Wizz Air is the low-cost name in the mix, handy for the European leg but with bags and seat selection charged on top. The rest are full-service carriers — Emirates, Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways, British Airways, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Finnair, Scandinavian Airlines, Aegean Airlines and Air China — and they route you through their own hubs, with checked baggage and meals usually included on the long haul. Air China is the Chinese carrier in the list; the Gulf and European names differ mainly in where you change planes and how long the layover runs.

Beijing has two airports, Beijing Capital International Airport and Beijing Daxing International, and they sit on opposite sides of the city, so check which one your ticket uses before you plan the last leg. Both are a fair distance from the centre. The airport express train and the metro are the quickest way in when traffic is heavy, while taxis and ride-hailing are easier with luggage but slower at peak times. A transfer between Capital and Daxing eats a big part of a day, so avoid any itinerary that switches airports. Have your accommodation address written in Chinese for the driver.

Currency

CNY (¥)

Power sockets

Type A, C, I · 220 V

Language

Putonghua

Emergency number

110, 119, 120

Driving side

right

Calling code

+86

Internet domain

.cn, .中国

Population of Beijing

21.9 M (2020)

Time zone

UTC+08 (Asia/Shanghai)

Country facts: Wikidata

• Check which Beijing airport your ticket lands at, since Capital and Daxing are far apart.
• Confirm whether baggage is included, especially if any leg is flown by Wizz Air.
• Make sure a self-transfer between two separate tickets leaves room for a missed connection.
• Check the visa and transit rules for China before you book.
• Krakow flights leave from Balice, so plan your journey to that airport and allow time for the drive in.
• Compare November against the summer months, when school holidays push fares up.