Krakow - Post Report Question and Answers
What is your housing like? What are typical housing sizes, locations, and commute times for expatriates?
My housing is fine. It's one of the oldest houses in the consulate's housing pool and is closer to the airport than the consulate. It's big, with a big yard, but the basement is all storage and spiders. Housing is typically either 4-5 bedroom houses out in Wola Justowska near Park Decjusza, or 3 bedroom apartments near the Consulate, with the furthest ones in Podgorze and the closest ones right next to Wawel Castle. Houses have a 15-30 minute drive or 30-40 minute bus/walk commute, or 30 minutes by bike if the weather is nice. Apartments are a 15-20 minute walk, except from Podgorze, where it's faster to catch the tram in, and some folks bike in 5-10 minutes. There is almost no car parking at the consulate, but plenty of space for bikes. All local staff commute in by walking, tram, or bike. - Jun 2024
The housing was fantastic. Nice houses with good yards. Our house was across from a walking path along one of the rivers that flowed into the center of the city. We were walking distance to a little village with bakeries, fruit stands, etc. I was surprised at the amount of storage in the house. We really loved it. - Nov 2016
Most folks in the Consulate community live within easy commuting distance, 10-15 minutes by car, tram, or walking. - Mar 2014
Depends. Some live within a 10-minute walking distance. Some live farther out: 15-20 minutes drive or within 30 minutes of public transportation. Both apartments and houses. - Apr 2013
All the housing is quite close to the Consulate, or within a short commute. Families with children live in houses, while couples and singles tend to live in apartments. - Sep 2011
Families are in detached houses and couples are in apartments or townhouses. Housing varies on size and quality of finish, but most are pretty nice. Most houses are about 4 miles outside the downtown and consulate area (a 15-20 minute drive or 25-30 minutes on public transportation). - Aug 2011
