Short answer: there is no train from Katowice Airport to Kraków. The simplest option is the Matuszek bus from Terminal C to the MDA bus station in Kraków: about 2 h, 90 zł. On the dates we checked, FlixBus only ran at night (0:55 and 5:20, about 41–43 zł). Cheaper but with a change: bus AP to Katowice (7 zł) and a train to Kraków. A private transfer to Kraków costs €140 per car for 1–3 people and €195 per van; to central Katowice €60.

Katowice Airport → Kraków

The Matuszek bus for 90 zł takes about 2 h with no change. A transfer to your hotel in Kraków costs €140 per car (about 1 h 20 min – 1 h 45 min).

OptionTimePriceChangesLuggageLate-night arrivalBest for
Matuszek bus (airport → Kraków MDA, next to the main station)about 2 h90 zł (+10 zł if you pay at the airport)0check with the operatordepartures timed to arrivalsSimplest public option
FlixBus (airport → Kraków MDA)1 h 20 min – 2 h 20 minabout 41–43 zł (dynamic fares)0per the operator's rulesnight departures only (0:55, 5:20) on the dates we checkedLate-evening arrivals
Bus AP to Katowice + train to Krakówabout 2 h – 2 h 30 min7 zł + from about 32 zł (PKP Intercity)1bus freeAP runs 24 h; last train from Katowice about 22:50Budget, flexible timing
ShuttleHero private transferabout 1 h 20 min – 1 h 45 min€140 car (1–3), €195 van (4–8)01 suitcase + 1 hand luggage per person includedDriver waits 60 min after the actual landing and tracks your flightFamilies, groups, late flights

Pyrzowice Lotnisko station (about 500 m from the terminals) has trains to Tarnowskie Góry, Bytom, Częstochowa and long-distance routes, but none go to Kraków. The Matuszek bus leaves from stands 3–4, about 10 m from the Terminal C exit. Transfer: Kraków ↔ Katowice Airport.

Katowice Airport → Katowice city centre

Bus AP runs around the clock: about 45 min to the station with a 7 zł 120-minute ticket. A transfer costs €60 per car.

OptionTimePriceChangesLuggageLate-night arrivalBest for
Bus AP (to Katowice Dworzec and Sądowa)about 45 min7 zł (120-min ticket; the 40-min one is too short)0freeyes, hourly at nightMost travellers
Matuszek bus (to Sądowa bus station)about 35 min20 zł0check with the operatordepartures timed to arrivalsFaster than AP
ShuttleHero private transferabout 35–50 min€60 car (1–3), €85 van (4–8)01 suitcase + 1 hand luggage per person includedDriver waits 60 min after the actual landing and tracks your flightHotels outside the centre, families

Transfer: Katowice Airport → Katowice city centre.

Katowice or Kraków-Balice: which airport for Kraków?

If you are going to Kraków and the flights cost about the same, Kraków-Balice is much closer: the train to Kraków Główny takes 17 minutes for 20 zł, and a transfer to the centre costs €50 per car. Katowice Airport is about 106 km from Kraków, so about 2 h by bus or €140 by transfer. Flying into Katowice pays off when the flight is clearly cheaper or you are also visiting Silesia. Details: Kraków Airport to the city centre and Zakopane.

What to choose

  • 1–2 people, daytime arrival: the Matuszek bus or AP + train.
  • Late-evening arrival: the night FlixBus (if the time suits you) or a transfer.
  • 3 or more people: the Matuszek bus is 90 zł per person, so 270 zł for three; a car transfer costs €140 (about 617 zł at the NBP rate) for the whole vehicle, to your door.

Prices are in euros. You can also pay in złoty at the NBP average rate of the day (on 27 October 2026: €1 = 4.4056 zł).

Sources and date checked

We checked public transport timetables and fares on 27 October 2026 on the airport and operator websites (standard adult fares). Dynamic fares (FlixBus, PKP Intercity) change from day to day and timetables change too (next change: 13 December 2026), so check the operator's website before you travel. Driving times: OpenStreetMap (OSRM), without traffic.

See also