Cheap flights from Vienna to Krakow

October is the cheapest month on this route, and the price calendar here shows what each month of the year looks like. Late autumn and the stretch between New Year and spring are usually quieter, while summer and the run-up to Christmas push fares up. Flying midweek tends to cost less than a Friday evening or a Sunday return. Watch Austrian and Polish public holidays too, since long weekends in either country fill the early departures fast, and booking a few weeks ahead leaves you more room to move.

The route has direct flights, and Ryanair is the low-cost name you will see most often on it: the fare covers a seat and a small cabin bag, and everything else is an add-on. Austrian and LOT Polish Airlines sell the trip as full-service, where a checked bag and a drink are normally part of the ticket. Norwegian, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and its regional partner KLM Cityhopper, Air Dolomiti, Air Serbia, Lufthansa Cityline and Swiss appear mainly on connecting itineraries through their own hubs, which take longer and hand baggage rules to whichever carrier operates each leg.

Krakow is served by Balice, the city's commercial airport, which sits outside town to the west. The run into the centre is short by air-travel standards: a train link and a bus both connect the terminal with the main station area, and taxis and ride-hailing cars wait outside arrivals. Allow extra time on winter evenings, when fog and snow can slow the road in. If you land late, check the last train and bus of the day before you commit, because both stop running overnight.

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

• Vienna has a single main airport, Schwechat, so there is no wrong-airport trap on departure, but check the terminal on your ticket.
• On Ryanair, decide at booking whether you need a checked bag, since adding one later costs more.
• If your itinerary connects through a hub, keep both legs on one ticket so a delay does not leave you stranded.
• Check that your passport or ID is valid for travel to Poland and matches the name you booked under.
• Compare October against your own dates, because that is when fares on this route tend to sit lowest.
• Look at the departure time rather than the headline fare, since the earliest and latest flights can leave you paying for a night at the airport.