Don't buy a pass. Fares are so cheap, there's no point.

Prague to Krakow costs about €39 plus a sleeper supplement for around €27 for a bed in a 2-bed sleeper, bought at the station, it's easy.

Use www.cd.cz for trains within Czech R, www.intercity.pl for long distance trains in Poland, and www.bahn.de/en as your all-purpose all-Europe online timetable. International trains often need to be bought at the station, don't always expect to find them online.

Thank you! I'll plan on this during my April holiday there

Well no a Eurailpass is too costly but do check out the European East Railpass that covers both Poland and the Czech Republic as well as Austria, Slovakia and Hungary - it offers hop on at will options - just show up - many of the cheaper fares must be bought weeks early and may not be changed nor refunded from a specific train often. You have five train days and check out the 5-day Eastern European railpass - it comes in 2nd class and 1st class and IMO first class in those countries is much much nicer than 2nd class. Cheapest is not always the best in lots of things, including IMO train travel.
For lots of great info on trains in those countries and railpasses I always spotlight these fine fine sites - www.seat61.com - Man in Seat 61 who posted above, his commercial site - click on his commercial line to RailEurope to find current Eastern European railpass prices and also check http://www.budgeteuropetravel.com/id6.html and www.ricksteves.com.
I am not sure of what those day trips in Czech Republic cost so cannot comment on the efficacy of that pass but be sure to investigate it and the flexibility to just hop on any train anytime it offers (except overnight trains where you have to buy a sleeping reservation - the pass would pay for the basic train fare.

A 5-day European East - flexipass use for unlimited day train travel any day within a 1-month period costs:

$204 in 2nd class
$297 in 1st class

Or about $40/day in 2nd class or about 29 euros a day for fully flexible hop on any train anytime

In first class it would be about $60 a day or about 42 euros a day

So no need to scour at times fickle national rail web sites of each country to get prices perhaps no lower and that come with severe restrictions as to changing from one specific train that to get must be often booked weeks in advance, etc.

That said the efficacy may depend on what kind of day trips from Krakow you are going to take - to Auschwitz and back could cost more than 29 euros if on a fast train and not the dumpy milk train I ended up on, etc.

So just do investigate the pass in spite of what Man in Seat 61 claims - he often thinks only in terms of a Eurailpass and forgets it seems about the much cheaper regional passes.

i recomend you a train. it's a better way and more comfortable. it's my opinion. i would take a train, not bus.

> in some cases have read that buses are more direct, shorter times and better choices that trains with stops

In Poland that is true. If you want to do some one-day trips from Krakow a bus in most of the cases will be quicker, cheaper and more direct (e.g. to Oświęcim, Zakopane).

Well buses go everywhere, of course, that enough folks want to go. But like adriana I find trains infinitely more comfy than buses - you can get up and walk around and seats are larger - you need not stow your luggage under the bus.

But I guess it would depend on exactly how long the bus was vs train, etc.

And buses like in Auschwitz (Osiwiecim in Polish) may take you closer to the actual concentration camp gates than does the train, serving only the main station, a few miles from either Auschwitz or Birkenau (the latter is much much more provacative - where the killing ovens were with the rail siding where folks were steered to the death or to work camps, where many also later died. Grim grim place. Auschwitz, a few miles from Birkenau was a work camp only.

just a heads up - the polish trains are not the best. So I would buy a first class ticket.

PalenQ wrote "Auschwitz, a few miles from Birkenau was a work camp only." Really? I always read that Auschwitz was both, a complex of concentration and extermination camps.

As far as I know, there were 3 main camps. Auschwitz I - concentration and extermination camp, Auschwitz-Birkenau (II) - an extermination camp and Auschwitz III - a work camp.

bookmarking

PalenQ wrote "Auschwitz, a few miles from Birkenau was a work camp only." Really? I always read that Auschwitz was both, a complex of concentration and extermination camps.>

well I base this on my visit to both Auschwitz and Birkenau and what was explained at each - Auschwitz a work camp - Birkenau was where folks got off the trains and were divided into two groups - one fit for work and the others dispatched right to the gas chambers whose remains remain by the rail siding that remains as well.

Birkenau is much more grisly than Auschwitz though both are odious.

I did not see mention of two Auschwitz camps and there seems to be only one - perhaps in two parts and yes some folks were killed here for insubordination, etc as punishment on gallows in front of inmates as a lesson but the mass extermination was done at Birkenau - yet the word Auschwitz is synonymous with Nazi genocide and not Birkenau where the mass killings in gas chambers took place.

A day trip from Prague to Ceske Krumlov will be a very long trip. I would take the bus. Otherwise it is a long taxi
ride from Ceske Budavic rail station to Ceske Krumlov. The
bus will let you off at the edge of town and there is a steep
hill going into town. You may have to take a taxi/train back in the evening. I don't know how late the busses run. Don't
miss Ceske Krumlov, though, it is worth the inconvenience.

Pat

Thank you all.. I think it is a first class Euro East pass for my best options and enjoy! My base of operation is Prague then Krakow and Wroclaw. Does anyone have any suggestions out of the ordinary for sights to see or things to do. I enjoy walking through the ancient spaces and do a number of miles each day. While in Krakow I found an out-of-the-way place Rezydencja Krasickiego 24 ul. Krasickiego 24, Podgórze and wonder if anyone has stayed here. My preference is casual-not expensive. this looks interesting on Google.
Thanks again...