The short answer
- Simplest: the direct EuroCity, three departures a day, about 7 hours.
- Cheapest: a Sparpreis from €27.99 (second class), booked early.
- Departure station: Berlin Lichtenberg until 12 December 2026 (Stadtbahn works), then Berlin Hbf; trains may also stop at Gesundbrunnen.
- Border: Germany and Poland are both in the Schengen area, so in principle there is no systematic check.
Comparing the options
| Mode | Duration | Price seen | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| EuroCity train (Oder, Wawel, Galicja) | about 7 h | Sparpreis from €27.99 (2nd) or €37.99 (1st), Flexpreis about €80 or €128 | three departures a day, Polish restaurant car |
| Bus (Flixbus) | about 8h20 | PLN 110 to 270 on one listing | about one departure every 4 hours, to confirm |
| Plane | about 1h20 flying (estimate) | varies | direct flights possible depending on the season, to compare |
| Car | about 6h30 to 7h (estimate, about 600 km) | fuel and tolls | by motorway to Frankfurt (Oder) then Poland |
Prices and times come from the 2026 Seat61 page and comparison sites (bus and plane): confirm them on int.bahn.de or the operator's site.
Train times
From 13 December 2026, departures from Berlin Hbf are at 08:50, 12:50 and 16:50, arriving in Krakow around 16:04, 20:12 and 23:32. Until 12 December trains leave from Lichtenberg: to sleep there or get there, see our guide to Lichtenberg and Berlin's main station. Tickets are booked on int.bahn.de with a free seat reservation; under-6s travel free, and under-15s too with a parent on a Sparpreis.
Other links from Berlin
For Warsaw, see Berlin to Warsaw by train. For a shorter trip into Poland, Berlin to Szczecin is covered in another page.
Where to sleep in Krakow
To sleep there, compare hotels in Krakow on your dates, and choose an area near the old town or the station.
