Which place is cheaper, Flam or Krakow?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Krakow or Flam?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Krakow or Flam? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.
Where Should I go: Krakow or Flam?
Krakow
Krakow is Poland's second largest city. It sits on both sides of the Wisla River at the foot of the Carpathian Mountains. There are more than 1.4 million residents in the metropolitan area. Krakow is known as a historical and beautiful city that is one of the country's most popular tourist destinations. Tourism makes up a large part of the city's economy, but there is also a university and several local colleges which are major employers as well. Technology has grown in recent years and the city has some notable employees including Google, IBM and Motorola. Other important industries include steel, pharmaceuticals and tobacco.
Flam
Flam is a village in Norway. The fjord village of Flam is located on the scenic inner Aurlandsfjord branch of the world's deepest and second-longest fjord, Sognefjord. Flam is surrounded by steep mountains, thundering waterfalls and narrow valleys, and during the spring and summer months you will see large cruise ships gliding in through the narrow fjord with their course set for Flam Harbor. The main attraction here is the stunning mountain railway that creeps up into the surrounding peaks and offers truly eye-popping panoramas. Unfortunately, it's far from a well-kept secret, and on the busiest summer days the tiny village can find itself swamped by several thousand visitors – it's probably best left for the quieter seasons of spring and autumn. The popular 'Norway in a Nutshell' tour also stops here.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 10-Day Tours in Poland, The Best Sightseeing Tours in Poland, The Best Adventure Tours to Norway, and The Best Sightseeing Tours in Norway.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayKrakow $64Flam $111
The average daily cost (per person) in Krakow is $64, while the average daily cost in Flam is $111. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Krakow and Flam in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personKrakow $42Flam $58
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomKrakow $84Flam $116
Compare Hotels in Krakow and Flam
Looking for a hotel in Krakow or Flam? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.
Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.
Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Krakow Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Krakow $6.40Flam $17
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Krakow
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Krakow:
- Private Transfer to or from Berlin: $929
- Private Transfer to or from Budapest: $867
- Warsaw to Luxury Private Transfer: $747
- From Gdansk or One-Way Private Transfer: $669
- Private Transfer to or from Bratislava: $619
- Private transfer! Warsaw Chopin Airport - Krakow City Center: $470
- Private transfer from Krakow to Budapest or from Budapest to Krakow: $299
- Private door-to-door transfer from Krakow to Budapest: $291
- Warsaw - Premium-Class Private Airport Transfer: $288
- Transfer from Krakow (Balice airport) to Krynica Zdroj : $283
- Private Transfer Airport to Warszawa Okęcie: $278
- Private transfer from Katowice AirPort to Krakow City: $272
Is it cheaper to fly into Krakow or Flam?
Prices for flights to both Flam and Krakow change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.
Food
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Food Meals for one dayKrakow $13Flam $36
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Krakow
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Krakow.
- Walking Street Food Tour: $22
- From Polish Folk Show with All-You-Can-Eat Dinner: $32
- Polish Folk Show and Dinner From Krakow: $40
- Folk Show & 3-Course Dinner at Jama Michalika Café: $44
- Romantic Dinner with a Cruise on the Vistula River: $47
- Brewery Dinner -center of Krakow : $49
- Krakow : Folk Show Dinner Drinking and Fun ! Book Now!: $59
- Folk Show Dinner Drinking and Fun in Krakow: $63
- Cabaret Show with Optional Dinner: $69
- Half-Day Krakow Food Tour in Old Town and Kazimierz: $83
- 4-Hour Polish Food Tour: $88
- Polish Pierogi Cooking Class with Farmer's Market Shopping: $97
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Krakow $20Flam $17
Tours and Activities in Krakow
Here are a few actual costs in Krakow for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum Guided Tour from Krakow: $64
- Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Wieliczka Salt Mine 1-Day Tour: $141
- Rynek Underground Museum Guided Tour: $25
- Rynek Underground Museum, Old Town and St. Mary's Basilica Tour: $50
- 1 Day Auschwitz Birkenau Museum Guided Tour Hotel Pick up: $44
- 1 Day Trip Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum Guided Tour from Krakow: $34
- 1-Hour Tour to Krakow's Old Town by Electric Golf Cart: $21
- 120 min Old Town Segway Tour in Krakow: $49
- 2 Days Tour in Wawel Hill, Jewish Quarter and Wieliczka with Guide and Lunch: $187
- 2 Hour Private Pinball and Arcade Museum Tour from Krakow: $273
- 2 Hours Old Town Guided Bike Tour in Krakow: $27
- 2-Hour Guided Walking Tour in The Old Town of Krakow: $25
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayKrakow $6.75Flam $3.68
Typical Alcohol Prices in Krakow
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in Krakow:
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Vodka$13
Sample the Local Flavors in Krakow
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Krakow:
- Pub Crawl with 1 Hour of Unlimited Alcoholic Drinks: $22
- Kazimierz Pub Crawl with 1-Hour of Unlimited Drinks: $22
- Pub Crawl - 1-hour Open Bar then Vip to 5 Clubs - Krakow: $24
- Halloween Pub Crawl - Krawl Through Krakow: $24
- Pub tour in Old Town with 1 hour open bar with a guide.: $25
- Kazimierz Pub Crawl + 1-hour Open Bar: $25
- Pub Crawl with Shots, Drinks & Skip-the-Line Entry: $25
- Pub Crawl of Kazimierz Jewish Quarter with a Local Guide : $25
- Three-Hour Pub Crawl: $39
- Wieliczka Vineyard: Wine tasting with local snacks: $44
- Hoppy tours - Krakow brewery tour : $56
- Krakow Wine Tasting Private Tour with Wine Expert: $176
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Krakow and Flam, we can see that Flam is more expensive. And not only is Krakow much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Krakow would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Krakow and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Flam would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Flam than you might in Krakow.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Krakow Expensive? and Is Flam Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Krakow or Flam?
Krakow has a larger population, and is about 1510 times larger than the population of Flam. When comparing the sizes of Krakow and Flam, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.
When is the best time to visit Krakow or Flam?
Both places have a temperate climate with four distinct seasons. As both cities are in the northern hemisphere, summer is in July and winter is in January.
Should I visit Krakow or Flam in the Summer?
Both Flam and Krakow during the summer are popular places to visit. Furthermore, the summer months attract visitors to Flam because of the hiking, the small town charm, and the family-friendly experiences.
In the summer, Krakow is a little warmer than Flam. Typically, the summer temperatures in Krakow in July average around 19°C (67°F), and Flam averages at about 15°C (58°F).
Flam gets a good bit of rain this time of year. Krakow usually gets less rain in July than Flam. Krakow gets 86 mm (3.4 in) of rain, while Flam receives 148 mm (5.8 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Summer Average Temperatures JulyKrakow 19°C (67°F)Flam 15°C (58°F)
Should I visit Krakow or Flam in the Autumn?
The autumn attracts plenty of travelers to both Krakow and Flam. Furthermore, the hiking trails, the shopping scene, the small town atmosphere, and the natural beauty of the area are the main draw to Flam this time of year.
In October, Krakow is generally a little warmer than Flam. Daily temperatures in Krakow average around 11°C (51°F), and Flam fluctuates around 9°C (48°F).
Flam receives a lot of rain in the autumn. In October, Krakow usually receives less rain than Flam. Krakow gets 45 mm (1.8 in) of rain, while Flam receives 271 mm (10.7 in) of rain each month for the autumn.
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Autumn Average Temperatures OctoberKrakow 11°C (51°F)Flam 9°C (48°F)
Should I visit Krakow or Flam in the Winter?
The winter brings many poeple to Krakow as well as Flam. Additionally, many travelers come to Flam for the shopping scene and the cuisine.
Be prepared for some very cold days in Flam. It's quite cold in Krakow in the winter. Krakow is much colder than Flam in the winter. The daily temperature in Krakow averages around -2°C (29°F) in January, and Flam fluctuates around 2°C (35°F).
It's quite rainy in Flam. Krakow usually gets less rain in January than Flam. Krakow gets 34 mm (1.3 in) of rain, while Flam receives 190 mm (7.5 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Winter Average Temperatures JanuaryKrakow -2°C (29°F)Flam 2°C (35°F)
Should I visit Krakow or Flam in the Spring?
Both Flam and Krakow are popular destinations to visit in the spring with plenty of activities. Also, many visitors come to Flam in the spring for the small town charm and the natural beauty.
In the spring, Krakow is much warmer than Flam. Typically, the spring temperatures in Krakow in April average around 10°C (50°F), and Flam averages at about 6°C (43°F).
It rains a lot this time of the year in Flam. In April, Krakow usually receives less rain than Flam. Krakow gets 49 mm (1.9 in) of rain, while Flam receives 114 mm (4.5 in) of rain each month for the spring.
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Spring Average Temperatures AprilKrakow 10°C (50°F)Flam 6°C (43°F)
Typical Weather for Flam and Krakow
| Krakow | Flam | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | |
| Jan | -2°C (29°F) | 34 mm (1.3 in) | 2°C (35°F) | 190 mm (7.5 in) |
| Feb | 0°C (32°F) | 32 mm (1.3 in) | 2°C (35°F) | 152 mm (6 in) |
| Mar | 5°C (40°F) | 34 mm (1.3 in) | 4°C (38°F) | 170 mm (6.7 in) |
| Apr | 10°C (50°F) | 49 mm (1.9 in) | 6°C (43°F) | 114 mm (4.5 in) |
| May | 15°C (59°F) | 83 mm (3.3 in) | 11°C (51°F) | 106 mm (4.2 in) |
| Jun | 18°C (64°F) | 96 mm (3.8 in) | 14°C (56°F) | 132 mm (5.2 in) |
| Jul | 19°C (67°F) | 86 mm (3.4 in) | 15°C (58°F) | 148 mm (5.8 in) |
| Aug | 19°C (66°F) | 85 mm (3.3 in) | 15°C (58°F) | 190 mm (7.5 in) |
| Sep | 15°C (60°F) | 52 mm (2 in) | 12°C (53°F) | 283 mm (11.1 in) |
| Oct | 11°C (51°F) | 45 mm (1.8 in) | 9°C (48°F) | 271 mm (10.7 in) |
| Nov | 5°C (41°F) | 45 mm (1.8 in) | 5°C (41°F) | 259 mm (10.2 in) |
| Dec | 1°C (33°F) | 40 mm (1.6 in) | 3°C (37°F) | 235 mm (9.3 in) |
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.