How to travel from Krakow to Lviv
The following is a list of ways to go from Krakow, Poland to Lviv Ukraine. I live in Krakow and go to Lviv a lot for various reasons. Many people touring Eastern Europe are fine with going to Poland and EU country but are afraid to cross out of the Schengen zone. If you are in Poland for more than a couple of days you might want to consider a trip to Lviv.
The Polish city of Lvov was once the cultural capital of Poland. Krakow was considered a smaller town in comparison. Many people speak Polish in Lviv and the city is multi national and tourist friendly.
How to go from Cracow to Lvov
The return trip is easy as once you get there you can just do the reverse.
- You can get a bus from Krakow to Lviv for 70 pln or about 22 dollars. This is the simple way, it leaves every night from the main bus station in Krakow at 8 pm. The bus often does not have a bathroom so do not drink water or ask the driver to stop the bus. I have in emergencies. When nature call you can not hang up the phone. I drank 1.5 liters of water and boarder the bus. I did this as I thought the bus came in 1 1/2 hours, but just as I finished the bus pulled up for its 12 hour trip.
- Another more complicated way which I do personally as I like day travel and trains over buses. I go from Krakow to Przemyśl, a Polish town on the Polish-Ukrainian border. You can get there in 3 1/2 hours. It costs about 15 dollars or 40 Polish złoty. At Przemysl take a Marshrootka or van to the for 2 PLN there are white vans or small buses that are everywhere, just ask someone in English. Do the same to get to Lviv once you cross the Polish boarder, they come ever 20 minutes. I have been stuck there in the middle of the night because I think they stop at about midnight and had to wait until 5 am. I slept on the grass.
- Any travel in Ukraine is much cheaper than travel in Poland, about 1/3 or less the price. For example I went 26 hours on a Ukrainian sleeper train to Crimea for about 20 dollars once. This same Polish train would cost about 200 dollars.
- You can buy a ticket to Lviv for about 50 dollars in a sleeper car. This is the most comfortable way to get to Ukraine from Poland. But it is also the most expensive (I am not talking about flying or with a private car).
- If you have tons of cash many Jewish Rabbis have a private car to Lviv and this can be arranged also at the Edan hotel in Krakow.
- I have flown once but for a strange reason, no worth it generally.
- My friend who is a girl hitchhikes, I have tried begging a ride also. My recommendation is if you do this hold up a sign that says your destination like “I am going to Lviv”. Best in the Polish language of course.
Travel issues going to Lviv from Poland
Ukrainian currency – I change currency in Poland. I look for the best rate. The worst place to change money is in the Lviv train station. Just be aware. In Lviv itself there are many places, just check the rates.
Visa requirements for Ukraine - there are none if you are European or American.
Ukrainian boarder crossing - The guards are looking for illegal trade, this does not affect you, tell them you are a tourist and you can cross the boarder in 20 minutes instead of 3 hours. Really, I flash my American or Polish passport and speak English and I am hustled to the front of the line. The line is really only for people making money going from Poland to Ukraine for economic reasons.
Where to eat in Lviv – Any student cafeteria like Rodzinka or Puzata hut (hata). Three dollars a meal.
Where to say in Lviv – Hotel Lviv, cheap (12 to 18 dollars) and unfriendly but my favorite place. I also stay in the
Kosmonaut Hostel (10 dollars), very cheap but nice.
If you have any questions on how to get from Krakow to Lviv let me know. Also let me know about your experiences if you have ever been to Krakow or Lviv.
25 responses to Krakow to Lviv
Hi,
This is an interesting site you have – and very informative, too. I have family who come from the Lubin region and were landowners in L’wow when it was part of Poland.
My question though is: Why is Krakow increasingly spelt ‘Cracow’ nowadays? Is it an anglicisation?
Thanks for the comment Andrew.
I have never liked Krakow spelled as Cracow. The spelling Cracow is the old Latin form and Krakow is more the original Polish spelling. I prefer Krakow as it is closer to Polish orthography (Kraków). However, many Poles for some reason feel the need to translate everything, they feel it is more official or something, therefore, I see a lot of tour agents marketing to the UK use Cracow.
Another example of this over translation is, I see on the menus in Krakow things like ‘dumplings and fat wieners’. I was wondering what could this be. Then I realized it was ‘pierogi and kielbasa’.
On the other hand, I prefer Lviv rather than Lwow. Why? Lviv is the Ukrainian spelling and it is a Ukrainian city. Maybe the Poles ruled in the past but now it is Ukrainian and even when the Poles were there, 90% of the people in the region, that is the Lviv – Ternopil obasts were Ukrainian. While the Poles lived in certain districts in the city. Much like Podgórsze where I live now in Kraków was the Austrian district when the Austrians rules Krakow.
Poles do not like this either, but hey they had the same experience with the Germans and the Austrians. I am not going to call Gdansk, Danzig etc. I believe in the political process and for the last 70 years Lviv has been Ukrainian and Wrocłow has been Wrocłow in Poland. I am a Pole and a patriot but I believe in peace and love and more of a Christian than a nationalist.
Therefore, your question was great at it brings to the surface a lot of subtle historical issues. I am a history buff as you can tell.
My family is from the Lublin area and Western Ukraine also. Where in the Lublin area are they from? My family is from the famous and infamous city of Frampol (as mentioned in Issac Singers novels and for other reasons). But my family ultimately comes from the Biernats of Lubin of course. Biernat z Lublina was one of the fathers of the Polish language.
I know that the Ukraine and Poland have had a very turbulent history together, especially during Poland’s third republic period. One of my relatives even said (to my aunt) how the Ukrainians she employed on the estate told her from time to time that the “Poles would get their come-upannce” and were all happy to welcome the bolsheviks and na__s because of the universal anti-Polish sentiment…
All that said, I personally don’t have any animosity for the Ukraine since I consider them fellow Slavs and because the past is, well, the past. I really just said L’wow for fun.
Have you never read books by a Polish-American called WS Kuniczak? Look for a book if his called Valedictory which is about a Polish nobleman, turned RAF fighter pilot, whose family estate was also in the Lublin/Ukraine area. It’s very well written and incredibly atmospheric. It’s part of a trilogy about Poles in the second world war.
I’m looking forward to returning to the area sometime this summer, actually. I’m going to visit Krakow and want to see everything, especially Wawel Castle, since my cousin said it was the biggest castle in all continental europe – though I wonder if that was just a bit of Polish exaggeration?
Actually I kind of knew you said Lwow for fun and when I am in Poland this is how I say it and spell it. Not for political reasons or anything but, that is the Polish spelling. The Polish spelling of Warsaw is Warsawa, I use this too
And Filadefia, for Philly. I thought I would rant on as it was topic.
You have to come out here and find your relatives towns and villages and history. It is an very interesting place. If you have any questions about travel or anything just ask, I have lived here a long time.
I an kind of a pan-Slav also, I think Slavic culture is very interesting and my world is anything East of the Oder river.
Hi, and thank you for this great and informative article.
I’m visting a friend in Lviv, then will have to catch a flight from Krakow to Canada (through Frankfurt). My flight from Krakow is at 10:00 AM. So I thought of taking the fast night train from Lviv to Krakow.
Does that sound a good plan? Does the train stop at the border for checking? I heard else where that crossing borders by car of bus can take very long time. Does that apply to the train as well?
When I get to Krakow, is it an easy ride from the train station to the airport?
I’m sorry for asking so many questions, but at first I thought it is a straightforward thing, but after reading few posts I started to panic.
Thanks!
The train does not stop like a bus or car at the boader, rather the boarder guards board the train and check it this way during transit from Lviv to Krakow or Krakow to Lviv. When the train gets into Krakow station, they have a direct express to the airport which leaves every 20 minutes or something. So go right from the Lviv train to the aiport express. You can take a taxi if you want but the train is faster.
You will be cutting it close but you should make it. Polish trains are pretty much on time. I think the bus gets in about 8am in the morning even with the boarder crossing. Check the time the train arrives in the station at Krakow. The Krakow aiport is very small and once there you can board pretty easy.
Omar, My question is what passport will you be traveling with, if you have a US or Canadian it should be OK? If you are travelling with a non EU passport or a non US passport, expect the Polish army to check you out, I have seem them arrest people many times as they are very strict with rules with Schengen visa and entering the EU. Since the Polish Army has is a border country on the Schengen border from east to west they are very strict. Also if you have a Ukrainian passport you should be OK also. Just have you papers in order if you do not have a US or EU or Canadian passport or you could miss you flight.
Hello,
I was thinking of doing the trip between Krakow and Lviv, I am only in Krakow for 5 days but would like to try and see Lviv for a day, is this a good idea? Van you give me some idea of the price of the train and how long it will take, I imagine it will be easier to take the direct, is the other train route more complicated?
There are many one day trips to Lviv arranged and on your own. I wold go on my own. You do not need a hotel as they are night trips. You get there in the morning like 7 am and have until 8 pm to see the city.
How you got from Krakow to Lviv depends on if you have money. I would take the train ( 65 dollars) to Lviv if you have money and a bus for about 25 dollars if you do not. It is a night bus and train so you can sleep.
I would go to Lviv. You only live once and might as well see it all. They have a old town larger than Krakow. I go to Lviv a lot. Its a nice city.
We are travelling to Lviv to visit my girlfriends father next week and I just have a few questions to ask.
How many trains a day travel to Lviv from Kraków train station?
How long are we looking to be on the train until we arrive at Lviv?
Does the train change wheels at the border of Poland? resulting in few hours wait?
any reply to any of these questions would be really helpful.
Bus every night to Lviv, however, train I think most but not all nights. There is no wait at the boarder on a train, if you do not mind paying extra get a sleeper car.
If you want simple take a train to the boarder to Przemyśl Polish trains go there several times a day.
Its a very easy trip with many options. Here is the Polish train site rozklad-pkp.pl they have it in English also.
We are planning to stay in Krakow for 4 days and going to Lviv for one day. Please tell me which one is the most recommended way to go to Lviv-no matter the cost-and the most safe way. Also please tell me what is the “Jewish Rabbis” matter in Edan Hotel. Thanks a alot.
Well you can go to the Eden hotel and they can arrange a trip for you by car. But that is really pricey. I recommend a night train. It is very safe. The USA is not safe. Poland is safe. I am an American and live in Poland and go to Ukraine. Unless you have a sign on your back that says please hit me, there is no reason you will have any problems on a night train, you can even get the whole compartment.
I need some advice, I arrive at the airport in Krakow at 8:45, what would be the best way to go to Lviv? Thank you very much.
Olena, in my opinion to land and then get your bags, then go to the bus or train station you will not make it that night to Lviv. There is a train directly from the airport to the center but still I do not think you could make the train to Lviv that night. So you will have to do it the next day. If you have cash just buy a ticket at the train station to Lviv. If you have less cash do some of the things I advice in this post.
Hi,
Is there any problem if we buy a train ticket from Krakow to Lvov (sleeper train) just the day before? We plan to do this on the 2nd or 3rd of August and we are afraid about all the tickets sold by the time we arrive in Poland….
We found a travel agency who offers to buy it in advanced but ask us 90 euros each (in two people department) but I find it still too expensive…am I rigth?
Thanks a lot for all the information and for this very interesting article,
Nuria
Hey! I arrive at 9.50 to the airport of Krakow, and then i want to go to Lviv as soon as possible. What should I do? There´s a bus at 11.30 to Lviv, do I have enough time to get to the bus station? or maybe you can advise me something else?
Thank You so much.
The train does not run on every night. 90 euro is too much I think. I would work with Orbis or you can even check PKP the Polish train website, it is in English. But to answer your question, I have never had a problem going to Lviv. If I can not get a train, I take the bus or take a train to the boarder.
Take a bus – it leaves every night and it is very cheap, always room on the bus. You buy it right from the main bus station.
Your saying there is a bus at 11:30 at night or day? If your plan is on time and it is day, no problem. But at night when everyone is tired and things are closed down I would not do it.
However, I speak Polish and have done this before so I could make it. But that is me, I live here. You as a tourist might be stressed.
But if it is a day bus, it is OK. Plus there are local trains to the boarder all the time. Walk across the boarder and you are all set.
In my opinion it is all very safe.
Hi Mark
I just found your site through a search.
I hope you can help me.
I am travelling with a group of about 12 people
from Krakow to Lviv next month.
We are planning to travel on the overnight sleeper train which leaves Krakow Glowny at 10:34pm and arrives in Lviv about 5:20am the next morning.
What I am trying to find out is..
Can we pre-book our train tickets in advance online?
(If so can you please tell me which site I can book on please)
Will we need to be present at the train station early to make sure that we all get a place on the train?
What time would you recommend we arrive at the station?
Can we get a group discount?
Hope you can help…
Thank you
pkp.pl/cop/biletprzezinternet they have an English version if you navigate it. But this is ‘by train tickets though the Internet’. In English it has all the information, but I have never heard of a group discount on 12 people to Lviv. Just normal people go there every night. I arrive at the station 1/2 before it leaves to get all set. It is easy, you go under this tunnel. There are 5 train platforms with two sides each. Everyone under 30 speaks English (almost). I do not recall which number is for Lviv. If it is too complex try Orbis in Krakow they book these and are pretty fair.
But the reality is it is very easy and clear.
I will fly to Krakow soon and I would like to learn that what is the earliest way to go to Lviv ?
Because I will sleep in a hotel in Krakow and I have to go to Lviv in the earliest time next morning ? Train or bus? I hope there are some buses in the morning or trains.
Thank you .
Take a Polish PKP train to the boarder and then walk across, then take a van. I have done this. There are no direct connections from Krakow to Lviv in the morning. You can check the PKP website here (rozklad-pkp.pl), it has an English version. Go to the Polish town Przemyśl. There are many trains that go there.
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