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Car Hire in Kraków: Our Experience

By · Visited in July 2026 · Updated · How we work

Kraków is very walkable, or easy to get around by public transport — so hiring a car is really only worthwhile if you're planning to combine several excursions (Zakopane, Wieliczka, the Baltic coast...) or head straight to an out-of-town base like Piotrowice. Here's our own experience at the airport, mishaps included, and our tips for avoiding them. For other options from the airport (train, bus, taxi), see our page Kraków Airport → city centre.

Our mishap with Kaizen Rent at the airport

From experience — take this seriously: on arrival at John Paul II Airport (Kraków-Balice), our bank card — a debit card, not a credit card — wasn't accepted by our local rental company, Kaizen Rent, to cover the standard deposit (€1,000, around 4,200 zł). We had to cancel the insurance we'd already paid for through Booking and take their most expensive policy on the spot (“Comfort+”), which brought the deposit down to a symbolic 1 zł but cost us an unplanned €265 for insurance and €105 for the fuel option — nearly €370 in total (1,594.49 zł, receipt in hand).

Kaizen Rent's insurance options comparison table, shown at the rental desk at Kraków Airport
Original photo — Kraków Airport, July 2026

A second mishap when picking up the car: a rear seatbelt turned out to be broken. Back to the desk, where the rental company couldn't fix it and swapped the car for an identical model instead — a hiccup that got sorted, but pushed back our departure.

Our tips for hiring a car in Kraków

  • Check what type of card your rental company accepts before you leave: a debit card isn't always accepted for the deposit, even if it carries a Visa or Mastercard logo.
  • Compare the real cost of the insurance offered on site against what's already included in your online booking — the gap can run into several hundred euros.
  • Kraków itself is very walkable without a car: the historic centre, Kazimierz and even Wawel Castle are within walking distance of most hotels in the centre. A car mainly earns its keep for excursions (Zakopane, the Baltic coast) or for heading straight to a base like Piotrowice.
  • Inspect the vehicle before leaving the car park: seatbelts, bodywork, fuel level — and report any defect at the desk immediately.

    • Frequently asked questions

    Do you need to hire a car to visit Kraków?

    No, not for the city itself: the historic centre, Kazimierz and Wawel Castle are all very walkable. A car becomes useful if you're planning to combine several excursions (Zakopane, Wieliczka, the Baltic coast) or head to an out-of-town base like Piotrowice.

    What kind of bank card do you need to hire a car in Poland?

    A credit card is strongly recommended: our debit card was refused for the standard deposit by our rental company at Kraków Airport, which forced us to take pricier additional insurance on the spot.

    What deposit is required for a car rental in Kraków?

    Our rental company (Kaizen Rent) asked for a standard deposit of €1,000, reduced to a symbolic 1 zł with their paid comprehensive insurance option (“Comfort+”).