Practical Information for visiting Lesser Poland

Coverage for mobile networks is comprehensive, with 5G in Krakow and strong 4G across the region from Orange Polska, Play, Plus and T-Mobile. Signal weakens in the Tatra valleys and is absent in parts of the high range.

EU and EEA roaming applies at domestic rates; prepaid SIMs are cheap for everyone else.

Wi-Fi is free and fast in hotels, cafes and on intercity trains. Krakow has a large student population and a strong cafe-working culture.

Download offline maps before walking in the Tatras, where signal is unreliable and the weather can close in quickly.

Contactless payment works essentially everywhere, including mountain huts.

The region is safe, and crime affecting visitors is mostly petty. The genuine dangers are in the mountains.

• The Tatras are serious terrain. People die there every year — from falls on exposed sections like Orla Perc, from lightning on the ridges, and from being caught out by weather. Do not attempt the chained routes without a head for heights, check the forecast, turn back early, and note that the high trails are closed in winter conditions without proper equipment.
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• Avalanches in winter and spring; the TOPR mountain rescue service publishes a daily bulletin.
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• Pickpocketing in Krakow’s market square and on crowded trams.
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• Stag-party related trouble and overpriced bars in the centre; check prices before ordering.
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• Winter smog in Krakow.
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• Ticks in the forests and foothills, carrying encephalitis and Lyme disease.

Healthcare is good, with major hospitals in Krakow and a strong private sector. EU and EEA visitors are covered by the European Health Insurance Card; others need insurance, and anyone walking in the Tatras should check it covers mountain rescue.

Vaccinations: routine cover, plus tick-borne encephalitis, which is worth considering for a walking trip — southern Poland is an endemic area and Lyme disease is common. Check for ticks after every walk.

Mountain risks: exposure and hypothermia rather than altitude, since Rysy is only 2,499 metres. The weather is the danger.

Winter air quality in Krakow can be genuinely bad for asthma; check the index, which the city publishes.

Tap water is safe.

Pharmacies — apteka — are well stocked, with a duty rota posted for out of hours.

At Auschwitz-Birkenau: this is the most important etiquette point in Poland. It is a place of mass murder and a cemetery. Dress modestly, keep your voice down, do not eat or smoke on the site, take no photographs of yourself, and follow the museum’s rules exactly. Large bags are not admitted.

Churches are in active use and this is a devout region. Cover shoulders and knees, remove hats, stay quiet, and do not walk around during mass.

Greetings: dzien dobry on entering a shop or a lift. Poles are formal with strangers and use titles.

On mountain trails, greet people you pass, give way to those coming uphill, and stay on the marked route — it is a legal requirement in the national park.

Flowers: odd numbers, never chrysanthemums, which are for graves.

Alcohol in public is prohibited and fined.

Emergency numbers: 112 across the EU, or 999 for ambulance, 997 for police, 998 for fire.

Mountain rescue in the Tatras is TOPR, reached on 601 100 300 or 985, and they are among the most experienced rescue services in Europe. Rescue itself is free in Poland, but evacuation and treatment costs are not, so check your insurance. Register your route with your accommodation or the hut, and carry the TOPR app, which transmits your position.

Avalanche bulletins are published daily in winter and should be read rather than skimmed.

Medical. Krakow’s university hospital is the regional referral centre. EU visitors should carry an EHIC; private clinics are quick and inexpensive.

Consulates: several countries maintain one in Krakow; embassies are in Warsaw, under three hours by train.