Auschwitz

[Whickerman]

Further to my previous question, should we visit Auschwitz and is it difficult to get there?

[stevie_c2it]

Yes! However, it�s a difficult place to visit, and the experience, to be honest is harrowing and affects different people in different ways.
I was there a couple of weeks ago, and did some research prior to going.
There are organised tour parties that leave Krakow every day (the hotel can arrange tickets for you), however, on a personal note I wasn�t too keen after what I�d read. They tend to whiz you round at some speed, and therefore you don�t get the opportunity to study or absorb the sights and information at your own pace.
There is a train station close by, which you can get to from Krakow, although in my case as there was four in the party we asked our hotel to organise a private car and driver who took us there and waited while we visited both sites at our own speed before bringing us home.
Entrance is free; however the guidebook (a few pence) is a useful tool. Allow half a day for the visit (we left at 9am and got back just after 3pm), cost was around �70 for all of us.
Happy to answer any other questions, just re-post.
P.s. It is still very cold out there. -22 at Birkenau.

[kirstyvw]

I went on a few ocassions some years back on various youth mercy mission trips to Poland. We visited Auschwitz in the morning and yes, it is truly harrowing. We contrasted that by spending the afternoon at a Catholic mission near Auschwitz for the mentally disabled - singing and dancing and spending time with them. It was a helpful way of dealing with the earlier horrors

[brawburd]

It truly brings it all home to you. I was there in November and I'm glad I went, although it left me feeling drained. It really struck me how recent it all was.

We went by taxi because it was well-priced and effortless (especially important if you have tackled Polish vodka the evening before!). He charged us 60 euros return, waited while we there and picked us up at Birkenau. I think it took around an hour to get there.

According to people we met you are better to get the bus than the train because the train station is a fair walk away. Can't comment on that myself.

We got tickets for the English speaking guide and found it very helpful. She didn't rush us around what we saw but we clearly didn't see everything at Auschwitz. This seemed to be because of bus times between the sites.

We will probably go back and do it without a guide next time.

If you go you must visit both sites to get the whole picture. Wrap up well for Birkenau!

[Kenzie]

We are visiting Poland next Mon (27) and have already pre-booked a visit to Auschwitz. The posts you have received so far have been very informative, hopefully I will be able to give you my honest opinion on a scheduled tour.

[Whickerman]

Thanks all. Re Birkenau - is it far from Auschwitz?

[wenlowe]

yes i would definately visit auschwitz i stayed in kracow two yeats ago and we pre- booked tickets at our hotel and payed an extra small fee for an english speaking guide which was well worth the money we went by couch which also took us to birkenau which was close by going by couch we got picked up at our hotel and dropped off back at the hotel it was a very moving and unforgettable experience but i am so glad i went so see if your hotel will book tickets for you and an aguide you wont be sorry enjoy your visit

[Kenzie]

Whickerman, update on my previous post. We visited Auschwitz and Birkenau last Wednesday. We booked our tour prior to leaving the UK through Expedia and Cracow Tours. I agree with what stevie-c2it said about being whizzed through - you don't get enough time to absorb and reflect. If you have the confidence to organise your own way there I would advise to do that. I can't help you with the location of the train station at Auschwitz I'm afraid. The coach trip took around one hour each way. One thing that really irritated me was that, when we were taken into the gas chamber at Auschwitz I, there was a clear sign asking that no photographs be taken in respect of those people murdered there. I was aghast that many people chose to ignore this request. Birkenau is only a couple of minutes away from Auschwitz I by coach - about 1.5km I think. If you want to buy a book, there is an excellent one available to buy at Auschwitz called The Residence of Death (we actually bought ours in the Jewish bookshop in Krakow). We would say definitely go, we are glad that we did. One other thing that may interest you. When we went into the Jewish bookshop there was a photograph exhibition upstairs in the High Synagogue. Quite by chance we saw a map there detailing where Oskar Schindler's factory was - within easy walking distance - so we made an impromptu visit there - it is in Lipowa 4. The government are going to house a museum there and so it is not open to the public yet, but the security guard let us in to look around for a few minutes - we saw Oskar Schindler's office, the staircase up to it and the outside gates that appear in the film Schindler's List.