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Internet cafes? Well, of course, we love them, and Cracow has a terrific selection of places to choose from, so when you're in the city, you'll easily be able to keep in touch through the web. Prices are very reasonable - expect to pay around 3 zloty per hour (that's about 50 pence or 1 US dollar) and there are rock-bottom price deals for the night owls who want to work through during the dead hours. Again, you'd probably pay around 10 zloty (less than 2 pounds between 10 pm and 6 am) though it varies from internet cafe to internet cafe.
Only about 15 percent of Poles have internet connections at home, and most of those are courtesy of the sluggish (and expensive) state-run telecommunications company, so the upshot has been an explosion of public internet cafes with high-speed connections offering a good range of internet-related services at a reasonable price. They're popular and their numbers are growing rapidly. A walk down Karmelicka Street in the City Centre, just north of the Planty, will give you plenty of choice (it's also the street where you'll find most electronic goods for sale), but if you wish to stay in the popular Old Town or Kazimierz, we've put together a selection of the best internet cafes. We've chosen those with reasonable prices, up-to-date systems and friendly staff. If you think we've overlooked some place special, do contact us and let us know!
Internet Cafes
Old Town
Internet Cafe
Rynek Glowny 23
The newest, the biggest, the baddest! Enjoy almost 50 spots with all the latest tech - fast connections, fast processors, LCD screens... the works! Great service and a great location make this place perfect for all your online needs. Add to that super-low prices (seriously), a door that stays open 24 hours a day and a separate room for avid gamers and you've got yourself one slammin' joint!
To top it all off, you can make really cheap international calls here. Now you've got no excuse for not calling your mom...
Planet
Rynek Glowny 24
One of the best bets in town, and right on the Market Square. There are dozens of computers available, but it's anything but cramped as they are spread across two nineteenth-century drawing rooms. The friendly caretaker Jarek speaks good English and is always keen to help. Good value.
Cafe Hetmanska
Rynek Glowny 18
You'll find this little internet den hidden away in a little courtyard off Bracka street. It's a popular port of call with backpackers from neighbouring Krakow hostels. You can drop by here after terrorising your fellow travellers with the mysterious contents from the bottom of your backpack. Yes, those socks really haven't been washed since Sicily. In the meantime, you can escape the ire of your room-mates and make the most of the high-speed access of this internet cafe.
Cornet
ul. Golebia 4
Cellar internet cafe, next to the popular Shakesbeer Pub. Decent modern equipment and a good degree of privacy for users. Erasmus students from the University are entitled to a 20 percent discount. Just 10 zloty for the whole night (from 22.00 until 6.00)
U Louisa
Rynek Glowny 13
In a cosy cellar with a funky bar in the adjoining rooms. A great place, but can get very smoky, and short on elbow-room.
Empik
Rynek Glowny 5
Anyone who tells you they went to Krakow and never heard of Empik is a liar. The popular megastore, smack dab on the Main Square boasts all manner of comforts, including a fine internet cafe. You'll find it on the 3rd floor, far from the hustle and bustle of frantic shoppers. The service is courteous and fluent in English. The place is a bit exclusive, due to the limited number of seats (only 4). The bright side: All the more attention for the early worm! Good prices too...
IMS
ul. Szewska 22
20 computers in 3 large rooms provide a welcome change from the cheek-by-jowl approach approach sometimes endured elsewhere. Open Monday to Friday 9am-10pm, and Saturday to Sunday from midday until 8pm, IMS is a cheerful internet cafe offering great bargains for loyal customers - buy a 10 hour card for just 20 zloty and settle in for some repetitive strain injury! Scanning, printing, CD burning.
City Centre
Kafejka Internetowa
ul. Karmelicka 28
On the popular Karmelicka Street, an air-conditioned internet cafe offering decent prices (2,50 zloty for the first hour and 2 zloty per hour thereafter), it is also one of the few to have separate cubicles to guarantee your privacy. Sweets and cold drinks keep spirits (and sugar levels) up!
Kazimierz
Labirynt
ul. Jozefa 15
No doubt Kazimierz will soon have a huge array of internet cafes, but for the moment they're pretty thin on the ground. This is probably your best bet for now, a cosy little place with cheerful paintings on the wall.
Further Out
Fantasy Park
Al. Pokoju 44
A decent internet cafe with 11 computers in the Fantasy Park Complex within the Plaza shopping and entertainment mall on Cracow's outskirts. Open from 10am until about 2 in the morning, there's a bar right next door to keep you refreshed. Printing, CD burning, and network gaming available. | | | |