A couple of friends and I have a festive tradition – we go on a Christmassy holiday once a year, usually in early December. We recently realized that we’ve now done this for six consecutive years. Mainly this is down to Dan, who organizes the whole trip. We are lucky to have Dan.
This year, Dan suggested several location options, which I ungratefully rejected, including cheap flights to Frankfurt, where I go once a year for a fair. Instead, we chose Kraków, Poland. Here’s how we had a pretty great, reasonably cheap, and totally last minute Christmas getaway.
Pre-trip Spending
Flights: Wizz Air, £179pp return, London Luton to Kraków (no luggage apart from a small backpack included). Cheaper flights to other destinations were available, but we were all excited about Poland. I had never been before but knew that, once we were there, food (and, crucially, drink) was probably going to be cheap.
Accommodation: A lovely and spacious two-bedroom Airbnb apartment just a few minutes’ walk from the Old Town was £154 for three people for two nights (£51.30 each).
Friday 7am: We all made our way to Luton airport. I took the train to Luton Airport Parkway. With a railcard, this costs £16.90 for an Anytime Return from central London, plus £3.80 for the airport shuttle (also a return).
Total: £251
On the Ground
Friday
Total: 136.70zł / £27.40
Midday: Our flight landed, and we shared a taxi to our Airbnb (33.3zł / £6.67 each). We chose to have lunch right by our apartment, as we were all starving. Luckily, it was a great little cafe, and we enjoyed potato pancakes and goulash. One of us is vegetarian and had been concerned about choices in Poland, but she ordered pierogi ruskie – dumplings filled with cheese and potatoes – and they were delicious. We paid 50.7zł / £10.16 each for the meal, including a round of teas, coffees, and some soft drinks.
(NB we tipped 10% for our meals, in cash. All prices for food given here are inclusive of a 10% tip).
Saturday
Total: 267.50zł / £53.62
Midday: We told ourselves that we all work hard and have busy lives, so we allowed ourselves a little lie-in, and somehow it was after 11am by the time we got out and about. We managed to get our brunch order in just before midday at a cafe on the edge of the Old Town, enjoying a great breakfast of eggs Benedict and teas and coffees for 29.7zł / £5.95 each.
Sunday
Total: 278.30zł / £55.78 (including gifts)
11am: We enjoyed a hearty Turkish breakfast, which included Turkish tea, extra coffees, and loads of dishes to try, coming to 36.6zł / £7.33 each.
4.30pm: After enjoying local experiences, we decided it was time to catch a taxi back to the airport. This journey only cost us 26.7zł / £5.35 each. I added an expense by purchasing two bottles of Polish Bison Grass Vodka at the airport, spending 148.50zł / £29.77. Extravagant, but I regret nothing.
We are already planning our return to Poland – I hear Gdańsk and Wrocław are both wonderful places to visit.
The Final Tally
Overall spend: 682.5zł / £136.80 + accommodation and all transport (£251) = £387.80
