Not the dodgy enterprise it once was, Kraków taxis are reliable, affordable and use their metres without any fiddling around. Calling ahead will get you a better fare, but if you hail one from the street make sure it is clearly marked with a company name and phone number displayed, as well as a sticker demarcating prices in the window. Taxis are now legally obliged to give you a printed receipt at journey's end further limiting the likelihood of any funny business. You can expect a standard fare to be about 7zł plus about 2.30zł per kilometre; at night and on Sundays, however, fares increase by up to 50%.

For those just arriving in town, taxis await you on the rooftop parking lot of the train station, and outside the airport where ‘Kraków Airport Taxi’ has a monopoly on service to the Old Town, charging an outrageous 69-89zł for the fare. We suggest you split it with like-minded travellers in the same predicament.

Whether or not to tip your taxi driver is a bit of a point of contention. Many Poles do not consider taxis a service that necessitates a tip and thereby, if you're Polish, the driver may not expect one. But double standards being what they are, it's anticipated that foreigners will leave a tip, in which case 10% is appropriate, or simply rounding up the bill. We leave it to you.

Alternative taxi service Uber (much-loathed by Kraków's taxi companies) is also available in Poland, and has in fact chosen Kraków as its European hub. Uber (uber.com) offers one-tap, cashless transport via their popular worldwide mobile application. Those already familiar with Uber will find Kraków well-covered by the service, however there are some drawbacks. Specifically, Uber drivers don't have the same permissions as regular cabbies and may not be able to take you as close to your destination, or get you there as directly; such is the trade-off for cheaper rates.