5 Things that Krakow Reminded Me about Travel

1. Things Change
You never travel back to the same city that you've been to before. Whether it has been a few months, a few years or a few decades places are alive. The city you remember will grow and change and continue to live while you are away. From shopping centers popping up like mushrooms to a blossoming tourist trade in a once quiet main square, things change....

2. Take is lying down:
Overnight trains are a great way to save time, save money and save sleep! It was so easy to reserve a sleeping compartment with our own little sink with fresh linens and towels. If you have a long journey ahead of you and you can do it overnight, sleeping peacefully to the lull of train tracks, do!

3. Google it:
I don't always read the accommodation reviews on Google Maps, but I did this time and was pleased I did. We stayed in The Secret Garden Hostel , which I chose over a hostel I'd stayed in before based on its overwhelmingly good reviews. The service was friendly, the breakfast was tasty, the location was amazing. Way to go Google!


4. Trust the Locals:
I love you, Lonely Planet. But what I discovered in Krakow is that if you can find a guide that is published locally, it's worth the few bucks it might set you back. We used the "In Your Pocket" guide, which publishes local guides to cities across the world. It is cheap and gives you inside and up-to-date tips on all things local. We found some hidden goodies using our "In Your Pocket: Krakow". (Tasci's tip: If you are scrimping on money, see if your hostel will give you an out-of-date guide for free, as most are published quarterly. It might not have that festival going on down by the river in it, but the basics will all be there.)

5. Weather the weather:
Some say weather makes the trip, that may be true but it doesn't have to be negative. Saturday we had gorgeous weather and I enjoyed the sun, took photos, meandered through parks, ate ice cream. Sunday it drizzled on and off all day. With our handy "In Your Pocket" we discovered that many of the museums are free on Sundays. I wasn't expecting to find a new favorite artist, Stanislaw Wyspianski, nor to see a mummy in a sarcophagus from 2000BC at the Archaeological Museum...but I was lucky enough to have a day of rain to show me both.