Cheap flights from Riga to Krakow

October is the cheapest month on this route, and the price calendar here shows fares for the months around it, from September through to July. Late autumn and the weeks after the New Year are quieter, while summer and the run-up to Christmas push fares up. Midweek departures, Tuesday and Wednesday in particular, usually undercut Friday and Sunday flights. Watch Polish public holidays and school breaks in both countries, when Latvian travellers head south and seats fill faster. Book a few weeks ahead for autumn and much earlier for summer, when the direct seats go first.

The airline mix between Riga and Krakow runs from low-cost to full-service. Ryanair and Air Baltic typically sell a bare fare with a small cabin bag included and charge extra for checked luggage and seat choice. Norwegian International, Scandinavian Airlines and Finnair sit closer to the middle, with fares that often bundle a bag. LOT Polish Airlines, Austrian, Lufthansa, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and Nordic Regional Airlines mostly appear on connecting itineraries through their own hubs, which can beat a direct seat on busy dates but add hours and a second airport to the trip. On those tickets, check whether the whole journey sits on one booking.

Krakow is served by Balice, which sits outside the city rather than in it. A train and a bus both run between the terminal and the centre, and taxis and ride-hailing cars wait outside arrivals, so getting in is quick whichever you choose. Riga is simpler on the way out: one airport, no doubt about which terminal you need, though it gets busy on early-morning departures. If you land late, check the last train and bus times before you fly, because they do not run all night.

Currency

PLZ (zł)

Power sockets

Type C, E · 230 V

Language

Polish

Emergency number

112, 986, 997

Driving side

right

Calling code

+48

Internet domain

.pl

EU / Schengen

EU member, Schengen area

Population of Krakow

804 k (2023)

Time zone

UTC+01 (Europe/Warsaw)

Country facts: Wikidata

• Check that your ticket leaves from Riga Airport, the city's only one, so there is no last-minute doubt about where to go.
• On low-cost fares, confirm what the cabin bag allowance actually covers before you add a checked bag.
• If you book a connection on separate tickets, leave a generous gap, since a missed leg is your problem, not the airline's.
• Carry a valid passport or ID card for Poland and check the entry rules that apply to your nationality before you fly.
• Book early for summer and December travel, and look at October if your dates are flexible.
• Compare a direct seat with a cheaper connecting fare through a hub, and count the extra hours before you decide.