TRAVELER @ nationalgeographic.com

Deciding When to Go
Most travelers come in July or August. To escape the crowds, visit in May, June, or September. If you travel during the off-season (November-April), the weather will be colder but you will likely find significant bargains on hotels, airline tickets, and car rentals.

Getting There
By plane: Most U.S. travelers fly to Warsaw, where connecting flights to Krakow depart regularly. LOT Polish Airlines flies directly to Warsaw from New York City and Chicago. You can also fly directly from Frankfurt, London, Paris, or Rome. By train: Krakow Glowny (+ 624 54 39), the city’s main train station, is in the city center and serves many domestic and international train lines.

Clearing Customs
U.S. citizens need only a passport to stay for up to 90 days, and for longer visits, a visa. For more information, log on to the Customs Service of the Republic of Poland’s site.

Determining Time Difference
Krakow is six hours ahead of ET. For the current time and date, log on to TimeandDate.com.

Making Telephone Calls
When calling overseas, U.S. travelers need to dial 011 followed by the country and city codes and telephone number. Poland’s country code is 48. For a list of city codes, log on to AT&T World Traveler.

Checking Weather Forecasts
The winter season (December-February) is cold, with below-freezing temperatures. Summer months (June-August) are warm, with average temperatures that range from the mid-60s to the low-70s (°F). For current weather conditions, log on to Weather Underground.