HOW TO GET TO LVIV FROM KRAKOW

see also: the opposite direction

    LEGEND

    HTML - additional info in HTML.

    PDF - additional info in PDF.

    PNG - maps of the most important points en route.

    Download also all maps in one file: PDFin English, PDFin Polish, PDFin Russian, PDFin Ukrainian.



    CAUTION! MOST IMPORTANT CHANGES DURING THE RECENT YEARS

  1. Since 2008 in Lviv tram and trolley conductors replaced by ticket-stamping machines.

  2. Since 2009 in Shegini departures from the mini-bus station PNG.

  3. Since 2009 and 2010 changes in train categories in Poland HTML.

  4. Since 2010 PKP IC introduced discount ticket prices in TLK trains on the Wrocław – Krakow – Przemyśl route, so that now the price is similar as in IR trains (which are usually cheaper than TLK) – violet ticket HTML.

  5. Since 2010 a new building of Polish passport/customs control – people now have to queue outside the building, without a roof.

  6. 2010 – renovation of the railway station in Przemyśl.



    ROUTE VARIANTS: KRAKOW - LVIV


  1. By train from Krakow (Main Railway Station) directly through the border to Lviv (Main Railway Station) HTML:

    a) departure 13:40 PL, arrival 23:44 UA, price 155 PLN, no discounts,

    b) departure 14:39 PL, change in Przemyśl 18:50 PL - 19:24 PL, arrival 23:44 UA, price 155 PLN, no discounts,

    c) departure 22:39 PL, arrival 06:03 UA, price 143 PLN, no discounts.

    Total ride time: from 6,5 to 9 hours.


  2. By coach from Krakow (Regional Coach Station) directly through the border to Lviv (coach station, Stryiska St.) HTML:

    a) Eurobus coach: departure 21:50 PL, arrival 06:00 UA the next day, ticket price: 90 PLN, no discounts,

    b) Eurolines coach: departure on Thursdays and Sundays 11:30 PL, arrival 21:10 UA, prices:
          — one way ticket: full price 72 PLN, student ticket 65 PLN,
          — return ticket: full price 130 PLN, student ticket 117 PLN.

    Caution! Due to queues at the border, the coachs may be delayed.

    You can get off at the roundabout near the city border PNG and go from there to the Suburban Rail Station PNG or to the center by various marshrutkas (see below).

    Total ride time: from 7 to 9 hours.


  3. By train or coach to Przemyśl HTML PNG, then by coach directly through the border HTML:

    a) Krakow - Przemyśl - trans(s) or coach HTML PDF:

          — Krakow (Main Railway Station) - Przemyśl (Main Railway Station) - train(s):
              – ca. 20 connections per day,
              – ride time:
                 – from 3 hours 43 minutes (the fastest way - by InterRegio trains),
                 – to 5 hours 17 minutes (the slowest way - by slow trains with change in Rzeszów),
                 – exceptionally 5 hours 54 minutes or 6 hours 3 minutes (evening slow trains - arrival 00:33 PL),
                 – the trains are usually delayed,
              – ticket price: full price from 26 PLN to 94 PLN, student ticket from 16,38 PLN to 68,47 PLN,
              – in both Krakow and Przemyśl railway and coach stations are located side by side PNG,
              – for the connections with change in Rzeszów:
                 – when the first train is delayed, the other one waits for it,
                 – you should always buy a ticket for the whole route,
                 – in Rzeszów the train to Przemyśl departs usually from platform 1,
              – more about trains in Poland HTML,

          — Krakow (Regional Coach Station) - Przemyśl (coach station) - coach:
              – departure 02:10 PL from Saturday to Tuesday (doesn't operate on December 24-26 and 31, January 1, Easter period), arrival 06:45 PL,
              – ticket price: full price 40 PLN, student ticket 32 PLN [2008],

    b) Przemyśl (coach station, platform 1) PNG - Lviv (Main Railway Station or coach station, Stryiska St.) - coach HTML:
          — departures (coaches do not operate during Catholic and Orthodox Christmas and Easter):
              – 08:00 (does not operate on Sundays and holidays, operates when announced),
              – 08:10 (operates on Mondays, Tuesday, Fridays, does not operate from 23.12.2008 to 09.01.2009,
                            from 10.04.2009 to 15.04.2009 and on 01.05.2009),
              – 12:00,   13:30,   15:30,   17:10,   19:30,
          — arrival times are not indicated,
          — due to queues at the border the ride time may vary from 2,5 to 6 hours,
          — ticket price: 25 PLN (tickets are sold in the ticket window),
          — some coaches go through the railway station,
          — when the coach goes to the coach station through the ring road, skipping the railway station,
              you can get off at the roundabout near the city border PNG and go from there to the Suburban Rail Station PNG
              or to the center by various marshrutkas,
          — to get to the center you can also go to the coach station and go to the center from there,
          — to get to the railway station you can also go to the coach station and go to the railway station from there,
              but it will take more time,
          — details about how to travel through Lviv in various directions - see below.

        Total ticket price: full price from 51 to 119 PLN, student ticket from 41,38 PLN to 93,47 PLN.

        Total ride time: from 7 to 12 hours.


  4. By train or coach to Przemyśl HTML PNG, then by mini-bus, on foot through the border PNG and by marshrutka:

    a) Krakow - Przemyśl - trans(s) or coach HTML PDF:

          — Krakow (Main Railway Station) - Przemyśl (Main Railway Station) - train(s):
              – ca. 20 connections per day,
              – ride time:
                 – from 3 hours 43 minutes (the fastest way - by InterRegio trains),
                 – to 5 hours 17 minutes (the slowest way - by slow trains with change in Rzeszów),
                 – exceptionally 5 hours 54 minutes or 6 hours 3 minutes (evening slow trains - arrival 00:33 PL),
                 – the trains are usually delayed,
              – ticket price: full price from 26 PLN to 94 PLN, student ticket from 16,38 PLN to 68,47 PLN,
              – in both Krakow and Przemyśl railway and coach stations are located side by side PNG,
              – for the connections with change in Rzeszów:
                 – when the first train is delayed, the other one waits for it,
                 – you should always buy a ticket for the whole route,
                 – in Rzeszów the train to Przemyśl departs usually from platform 1,
              – more about trains in Poland HTML,

          — Krakow (Regional Coach Station) - Przemyśl (coach station) - coach:
              – departure 02:10 PL from Saturday to Tuesday (doesn't operate on December 24-26 and 31, January 1, Easter period), arrival 06:45 PL,
              – ticket price: full price 40 PLN, student ticket 32 PLN [2008],

    b) Przemyśl (near to the railway and coach stations) PNG - Medyka - mini-bus:
          — departures 24/7, no timetable (departs when all places are occupied),
          — departs from the railway station's northern exit, near to the coach station,
          — ride time: ca. 20 minutes,
          — ticket price: 2 PLN (collected by the driver),
          — you can also get from Przemyśl to Medyka by bus no. 9 (operates very rarely),

    c) Medyka - Shegini border - on foot PNG:
          — pedestrian border crossing, open 24/7,
          — on the Polish part of the crossing students/tourists are let through without taking their turn in the queue, after customs officer's permission,
          — passing time: from 10 minutes to 2 hours (+ time zone change - one hour forwards),

    d) Shegini (mini-bus station) PNG - Lviv (Main Railway Station) PNG - marshrutka no. 208:
          — departures between ca. 06:00 UA and ca. 21:00 UA every ca. half an hour, drivers know the timetable,
          — since 2009 departs from the mini-bus station - on the first crossing 50 m from the border to the left, and 50 m more,
          — ride time: ca. 2 hours,
          — ticket price: 15 UAH (5 PLN) (collected by the driver),
          — after the departure of the last marshrutka, you can get to Lviv by a "taxi" - usual price is 150-200 UAH (75-100 PLN) [2007].

        Total ticket price: full price from ca. 33 PLN to ca. 101 PLN, student ticket from ca. 23 PLN to ca. 75 PLN.

        Total ride time: from 7 to 12 hours.


  5. By car from Krakow via Korczowa-Krakovets border crossing to Lviv:

     DK94  Krakow, Wielicka Str.
     A4  Krakow-Wielicka - Szarów
     DK75  Szarów - Targowisko
     DK4  Targowisko - Korczowa
    Korczowa - Krakovets (Краковець / Краківець)
     M10  Krakovets (Краковець / Краківець) - Yavoriv (Яворів)
    — to the road sign pointing to Sudova Vyshnia (Судова Вишня)
    — it is possible go to straight towards Lviv, but the road is in very bad condition, and there are speed bumps on it
     R40  Yavoriv (Яворів) - Sudova Vyshnia (Судова Вишня)
     M11  Sudova Vyshnia (Судова Вишня) - Lviv, Horodotska Str. (Львів, вул. Городоцька)
    — caution! the section of Horodotska Str. from the railway station towards the center is in very bad condition

        Total distance: ca. 350 km.

        Total ride time: ca. 5 hours + waiting time on the border.


  6. By car from Krakow via Medyka-Shegini border crossing to Lviv:

     DK94  Krakow, Wielicka Str.
     A4  Krakow-Wielicka - Szarów
     DK75  Szarów - Targowisko
     DK4  Targowisko - Radymno
     DK77  Radymno - Przemyśl
     DK28  Przemyśl - Medyka
    Medyka - Shegini (Шегині)
     M11  Shegini (Шегині) - Lviv, Horodotska Str. (Львів, вул. Городоцька)
    — caution! the section of Horodotska Str. from the railway station towards the center is in very bad condition

        Total distance: ca. 350 km.

        Total ride time: ca. 5 hours + waiting time on the border.



    GETTING TO THE CITY CENTER FROM THE STATIONS AND THE ROUNDABOUT NEAR THE CITY BORDER / RIDE BETWEEN THE STATIONS


  1. From the Main Railway Station PNG to the center - options:

    — streetcar no. 1 (6 stops to prospekt Svobody, 7 stops to the Main Market Square), ride time: ca. 15-25 minutes,
    — streetcar no. 9 (gets to the Main Market Square from the opposite direction, using longer route), ride time: ca. 30-40 minutes,
    — streetcar no. 6 (to Khmelnytskogo St.), ride time: ca. 15-25 minutes,
        ticket price: 1,00 UAH (0,33 PLN) (since 2008 you can buy tickets from the driver, they should be punched in the ticket-stamping machine) HTML,

    — marshrutka no. 66 (to the Opera House / "Lviv" Hotel), ride time: ca. 10-20 minut,
        ticket price: 1,75 UAH (0,60 PLN) (collected by the driver) HTML.


  2. From the Suburban Rail Station PNG to the center - options:

    — marshrutkas no. 29, 29A and others (to prospekt Svobody), ride time: ca. 15-25 minutes,
        ticket price: 1,75 UAH (0,60 PLN) (collected by the driver) HTML,

    — trolley bus no. 12 (to the end of the route - Lviv National University), ride time: ca. 10-20 minutes,
        ticket price: 1,00 UAH (0,33 PLN) (since 2008 you can buy tickets from the driver, they should be punched in the ticket-stamping machine) HTML,
        then 5 minutes walk to the proper city center.


  3. From the coach station on Stryiska St. to the center - options:

    — marshrutka no. 71 (to prospekt Svobody, on Sundays to Pidvalna St.), ride time: ca. 15-25 minutes,
        ticket price: 1,75 UAH (0,60 PLN) (collected by the driver) HTML,

    — trolley bus no. 5 (to the end of the route - Shota Rustaveli St.), ride time: ca. 20-30 minutes,
        ticket price: 1,00 UAH (0,33 PLN) (since 2008 you can buy tickets from the driver, they should be punched in the ticket-stamping machine) HTML,
        then 15-20 minutes walk to the proper city center.


  4. From the roundabout near the western city border PNG to the Suburban Rail Station PNG or to the center:

    Marshrutkas going in the direction of the Suburban Rail Station and farther to the center depart from the stop placed on the Eastern side of the roundabout ([3] on the map).


  5. From the coach station on Stryiska St. to the Suburban Rail Station or the Main Railway Station PNG:

    a) coach station, Stryiska St. - Suburban Rail Station - marshrutka no. 37 or 57,
        ticket price: 1,75 UAH (0,60 PLN) (collected by the driver),

    b) Suburban Rail Station - Main Railway Station - on foot ca. 500 m.



    ANNOTATIONS

  1. Ticket prices and timetables as of November 2009, if not marked otherwise.

  2. Student discounts for international coaches (if there are any) are applicable to students of all countries.

  3. All train ticket prices are for the cheapest places (second class, if available).

  4. Student discounts for train tickets in Poland are applicable only to students of Polish universities.

  5. In trains between Poland and Ukraine, Belarus or Russia there are no student discounts.

  6. It's possible to reduce the cost of train tickets for domestic trains in Poland by ca. 50% by buying a group ticket HTML HTML.

  7. More about trains in Poland HTML and in the former Soviet countries HTML.

  8. Information about Ukrainian immigration card HTML.