Best Place to Exchange Money in Krakow

01Exchange

Where to change money in Kraków

Kantors (exchange offices) are Poland's usual place to change cash, but in Kraków read the board closely. Dziennik Polski's January 2026 report described one with a large euro sign at the bottom, dollar and pound signs in the middle and, at the top, the figures 4.36, 3.58 and 5.06: they looked like rates for those currencies but belonged to others, including the Albanian lek. Every currency's real rate was in small print on a sheet by the window.

• Kantors in central KrakówAsk how many złoty your notes will fetch before handing them over. The report found the small-print rates for many currencies very poor for anyone selling foreign money, and notes that local signage rules govern a board's form, size, colour and position but not its content.
• Bank branchesA bank can be the slower route: not every branch stocks foreign notes, so you may need to order ahead, and Wise's guide calls bank rates usually unfavourable, with a high spread.

02On arrival

Changing money at the airport

Interchange runs Kraków Airport's exchange desks, at the check-in counters, in the arrivals hall and in the baggage-claim hall; the check-in desk also handles Global Blue tax-free refunds. The airport's FAQ says an exchange office is open 24 hours, yet its financial-services page lists separate, shorter hours for each desk, so check that page before a night-time arrival. Pekao SA has a branch in the terminal, open 09:00 to 16:30, Monday to Friday. The bus and train ticket machines on level 0, by the arrivals hall, take cards, so you can reach town without złoty.

03Cash machines and cards

ATMs and cards in Kraków

Cash machines in Kraków raise a rate question of their own. Under dynamic currency conversion, the machine quotes your withdrawal in sterling, at a rate it sets, and shows the total. Euronet's Polish FAQ notes that this may be pricier than simply taking out złoty, and that saying yes commits you to a conversion fee; stay with złoty and your card issuer handles the conversion.

04Getting around

Paying for transport in Kraków

Kraków's trams and buses carry ticket machines that take contactless cards, phones and watches but not cash. MPK's current fare table puts a 15-minute ticket at 4 zł, a 30-minute or single-journey ticket at 6 zł and a 24-hour ticket at 25 zł, all valid in zones I+II+III; fares can change. From the airport, Koleje Małopolskie trains run to Kraków Główny for 20 zł: pay in cash or by card at the machine on the train or to the conductor, or use the KOLEO or Jakdojade apps.

05Local know-how

Good to know

• Shopped tax-free? At Kraków Airport, finish the customs formalities at the office on level 0 beside the check-in desks, then collect your VAT refund at the exchange desk in the check-in zone.
• Don't count on the authorities to step in: the report says police had no grounds for legal action, and city officials ruled out certifying honest kantors or promoting particular firms, which they said would be unlawful.