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The A4 motorway in Kraków — a typical hire-car road in Poland

Photo: Jakub Hałun / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0

Krakow Airport · KRK · Balice

Compare car hire at Krakow Airport (KRK)

Touring southern Poland by car starts at Krakow Airport (KRK) in Balice. Compare the total price — excess, deposit and whether you collect in the terminal or by shuttle — before you reach the desk. Book on DiscoverCars. Book Your Trip is not the rental company. A city-only weekend usually does not need a car.

Compare KRK airport cars

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Or pick an airport

WAW ChopinGDN Gdańsk

If the trip leaves Kraków — the Tatras, more than one city, a week in southern Poland — pick up at Krakow Airport (KRK) in Balice. Compare the total price on DiscoverCars before you reach the desk: excess, deposit and whether the supplier meets you in the terminal or by shuttle. Book Your Trip is not the rental company. The button above opens the KRK airport page with no pickup or drop-off dates filled in.

A first weekend in the Old Town or Kazimierz does not need that car. It sits in a paid zone. Take the train or bus into the city, book Auschwitz and Wieliczka as tours, and hire on the morning you actually leave. Warsaw Chopin (WAW) and Gdańsk (GDN) stay on the chips when you land there instead. Prices jump in school holidays, the May long weekend and around big concerts.

Why book this

  • Airport pickup

    KRK, WAW and GDN have desks and shuttle vans at the terminal. Book before you land — a walk-up in July at Balice is not a bargain.

  • City versus leaving town

    You do not need a car for the Main Square and Kazimierz. You do for the Tatras, Zalipie, Ojców or a Kraków–Wrocław hop. Do not pay for city-centre parking “just in case”.

  • Free cancellation on most deals

    Hold a car against your flights, change dates when the plan moves. Always check the cancellation window on the specific offer.

What’s included

  • Comparison of local and international hire companies in Poland
  • Pickup at KRK (Balice), WAW (Chopin) and GDN (Lech Wałęsa)
  • Filters: automatic, second driver, deposit, fuel
  • Most deals: free cancellation up to 48 hours before pickup

Before you go

Insurance that actually matters

Third-party cover is included. The decision is collision waiver and the excess. A cheap day with an 8,000 zł excess is not cheap. Read what is excluded (glass, tyres, underbody).

Tolls and the A4

The A2/A4 have booths or e-toll. Check whether the car has video tolling or you pay yourself. A missed-toll fine lands on the contract, not on “I did not know”.

In winter and into the Tatras

On DK7 to Zakopane in winter you want winter tyres in the contract, not “it will be fine”. Parking by Krupówki is expensive and tight — plan park-and-ride or a hotel with a space.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a credit card to hire a car in Poland?

Most suppliers place a deposit hold on a credit card in the main driver’s name. Debit cards are sometimes accepted, often with a higher hold or extra insurance. Card rules sit on the specific DiscoverCars offer — read them before you pay.

How does the hire-car deposit work?

The deposit is usually a card hold, not a separate upfront fee. The amount depends on the company, car class and whether you buy excess waiver. The figure, when the hold lifts and what raises it are on the offer — we do not invent rates here.

What insurance is included in the hire?

Third-party liability is standard. The decision is collision damage waiver and the excess: a cheap day with a high excess is rarely cheap. Check exclusions (glass, tyres, underbody) and whether winter tyres are in the contract before you confirm.

Where do I pick up at Krakow Airport (KRK)?

Balice has one terminal. Some suppliers have desks on level +1. Others collect you by van for a nearby lot, often the Medweckiego car park. The meeting point is on the DiscoverCars confirmation. Allow 30–60 minutes after landing before you are on the road.

Do I need a car for Auschwitz or Wieliczka?

Not for a city-based trip. Auschwitz is a full day with a guided ticket about 70 km away — book a transfer tour. Wieliczka is half a day and works as a pickup tour or by train. Hire at KRK when you are staying out of Kraków, including an overnight in Zakopane.

Does the compare link fill in pickup dates?

No. The Krakow Airport button opens the DiscoverCars KRK page with the affiliate id only. You choose dates on DiscoverCars. Book Your Trip is not the rental company.

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