Katowice is an easy destination to plan yourself: hotels, flights, car rental and activities in one place, no juggling ten different sites. Katowice works well as a base for day trips to nearby towns and scenic routes. The nearest airport is in a neighbouring city, and a rental car is the easiest way to cover the rest. There are currently around 20 places to stay listed in and around Katowice, covering a range of budgets. The catalogue includes 8 vetted activities and tours with real guest ratings. 6 routes to nearby towns are mapped out from Katowice, handy if you're planning side trips beyond the city itself.
Accommodation in Katowice starts at around €24 per night, with a typical rate near €54 across roughly 20 nearby options — handy for budgeting your trip.
Well-reviewed hotels: SAVOY Mariacka Apartments, 2-star, guest rating 10 from 1 reviews, from €54 per night; Mercure Katowice Centrum, 4-star, guest rating 9.6 from 85 reviews, from €57 per night; Hostel Kamienna Centrum, guest rating 9.4 from 1147 reviews, from €24 per night; Qubus Hotel Katowice, 4-star, guest rating 9.4 from 33 reviews, from €88 per night; Hotel Diament Plaza Katowice, 4-star, guest rating 9.2 from 5673 reviews, from €74 per night.
Day trips & routes: Krakow — about 89 km, 1h 15m drive; Ostrava (Czech, cross-border) — about 101 km, 1h 13m drive; Olomouc (Czech, cross-border) — about 181 km, 1h 58m drive; Wroclaw — about 198 km, 2h 20m drive; Lodz — about 233 km, 2h 36m drive; Rzeszow — about 259 km, 2h 43m drive. 2 of 6 routes cross a border — check the rental company's terms before you go.
Katowice: what to know
Things to see: "Auschwitz-Birkenau Guided Tour with Private Transport from Krakow", rated 5 from 36 reviews, from €88.31; "Auschwitz Birkenau Guided Tour Meeting Point from Cracow", rated 4.8969073 from 97 reviews, from €52.39; "Auschwitz Birkenau Guaranteed Entrance Tickets", rated 4.6666665 from 3 reviews, from €59; "Guided tour of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Camp.", rated 4.5 from 2 reviews, from €58.5; "Auschwitz Birkenau Tour with Pickup and Lunch", rated 3.7702703 from 74 reviews, from €59.
Katowice has no direct airport — most travellers fly into the nearest airport city and continue by rental car or transfer. Getting around the city and out to the 6 nearby destinations listed above is easiest by car — intercity public transport tends to be slower and less frequent. The median nightly rate in Katowice is around €54, useful for comparing overall trip cost against nearby cities.
To rent a car in Katowice you usually need a passport, a driving licence and a bank card for the deposit hold. With 20 places to stay nearby, it's worth comparing a base near the rental desk against one closer to the sights. Given 6 routes worth driving from here, check the mileage and one-way drop-off terms before you book. When touring Poland, plan stops in advance: fuel stations and car parks in smaller towns are not always open around the clock.
