Auschwitz visit tips

[Hugo Stiglitz]

Looking into this there are loads of sites offering tours etc.

My thoughts are- register my entry with the official Auschwitz website
https://www.auschwitz.org/en/visiting/

then catch the train from Krakow and walk or cab it the 2km to the site and either tag along as a solo visitor to a guide walking round or just walk round.

Thoughts and experiences, what did you do?

[Mercdriver]

We did a tour, picked up at hotel and bused to both sites. Guide very informative and we found the tour worth the money.

Very harrowing, but worth a visit. Hard to believe the things that went on there, the display of human hair will bring a lump to your throat.

If you are going now wrap up well it is a cold site to walk around

[paul.deitch]

I found the tour a bit too fast to take in the horror of it. In particular I felt that we were rushed through the surviving gas chamber with no time to pay my thoughtful respects to the countless victims. Certainly a very sobering visit.
My other impression was that is big business with thousands of visitors a day. Best to get there as early as possible.

[Mercdriver]

Agree Paul, we too felt rushed through the gas chamber and especially through the cremation chamber.

You need to stand and just look at this killing on an industrial scale

[dirky dirk]

I went last year
Join a fb group called krakow its so easy
Look on there a bloke called michael krupa does alot of trips
He picked us up in a vito bus takes you there, shows you a vid on the way,
Hands you to your english speaking guide
She took us round lecturing us via headsets
Then back to the bus for his packed lunch then the same guide shows your round birkenau

Back in the bus and home
To your hotel

Aushwitz has the gates and birkenau has the train line
They are two different sites

I expect your staying in krakow
If so please make sure you go to the plane museum thats a must
And go to the shooting gallery and fire some ww2 guns
Drink the dark beer its 10 percent

[dirky dirk]

Oh and its 30000 steps all in that day

[Hugo Stiglitz]

I must admit bused in and pace dictated - I'll get a train there and walk up (unless it's chucking it down).

Thanks for the heads up on that.

Good point on a jacket. I was going to take a waterproof but if I'm not moving much I'll need something warm.

[Jag_NE]

Maybe I was unlucky but you might also be slightly irritated by fellow tourists behaving insensitively e.g. taking “fun” selfies etc. Not an awful lot you can do about it, but just a heads up.

[poosemon]

Have been a couple of times.

We caught a mini bus out there from the city centre, there are quite a few offering the trip so easy to come by. Will get you right up to entrance so a bit easier then using other public transport.

Have done both a tour and making our way own accord. To be honest preferred the trip when we made it around at our own pace around rather then a "tour" so could take it in in our own time.

There was an official regular bus connecting Auschwitz I and II and is of course worth visiting both camps.

We did I then II.

Prepare for a pretty full on day, not just the 20-30k steps but the emotional heft that comes with it.

It is very open/exposed so prepare appropriately for the weather.

[Ryyy]

I can find out but whoever we booked through picked us up in a mini bus near the old town and took us to the 2 locations and dropped back off at pickup. We stayed a small walk from the old town so all good there.

Tips? Eat properly before going.

[Hugo Stiglitz]

Jag_NE said:

Maybe I was unlucky but you might also be slightly irritated by fellow tourists behaving insensitively e.g. taking “fun” selfies etc. Not an awful lot you can do about it, but just a heads up.

I'll be honest I don't think I'd want to take pictures nor put them on my social media.

The only things that I tend to photograph are not me, nature and motorbikes.

[Jag_NE]

Hugo Stiglitz said:

Jag_NE said:

Maybe I was unlucky but you might also be slightly irritated by fellow tourists behaving insensitively e.g. taking “fun” selfies etc. Not an awful lot you can do about it, but just a heads up.

I'll be honest I don't think I'd want to take pictures nor put them on my social media.

The only things that I tend to photograph are not me, nature and motorbikes.

Oh I wasn’t suggesting you would be!

The yoof and selfies know no bounds! Experienced similar as the Anne Frank house also.

[dirky dirk]

Don’t forget the waxworks.
It’s hilarious

[dunkind]

Jag_NE said:

Maybe I was unlucky but you might also be slightly irritated by fellow tourists behaving insensitively e.g. taking “fun” selfies etc. Not an awful lot you can do about it, but just a heads up.

There is plenty you can do about it, you can tell them to stop being disrespectful dicks, for example.

[nuyorican]

I’ve always wanted to do this. Friends and family have looked at me like I’m crazy for wanting to visit such a place voluntarily, so it will be a solo trip for me.

Anyone ever driven there?

Best of luck with your visit OP.

In related news I saw a cracking film at the cinema a while back featuring the camp.

The Zone Of Interest

[Jordie Barretts sock]

dirky dirk said:

Don’t forget the waxworks.
It’s hilarious

Not sure anything at Auschwitz or Birkenau could be described as 'hilarious'.

[pavarotti1980]

Jag_NE said:

Maybe I was unlucky but you might also be slightly irritated by fellow tourists behaving insensitively e.g. taking “fun” selfies etc. Not an awful lot you can do about it, but just a heads up.

Yep our group had a couple of these idiots. they tried to do a selfie in Birkenhau at the memorial site at the far end and surprisingly in unison the rest of the group gathered to prevent them from doing it. They tried again in the wooden huts but people just kept photo bombing until they gave up.


OP - Do not book anything with get your guide or these 3rd party tour operator types. They seem to cancel a lot of trips last minute too. As suggested join some Facebook groups as they are helpful with loads of information not just on Auschwitz but Krakow.

Jordie Barretts sock said:

Not sure anything at Auschwitz or Birkenau could be described as 'hilarious'.

the waxworks are nothing to do with Auschwitz or Birkenhau. Its in Krakow city centre

Edited by pavarotti1980 on Tuesday 24th September 11:48

[toon10]

We did Auschwitz on our own. It's well signed and documented as to what happened and where, etc. You can really take your time on your own, read the horrors and have time to reflect and contemplate. We did a tour with Birkenhau though. It's less of a museum so you get much more information from a guide. It would be easy to skip over the place and just look at it as a site where bad things happened. The tour added another layer of information on just how brutal and horrific the place was for its victims.

[pidsy]

Went with thousand miles tours based in krakow.
Picked us up from whichever hotel you are at and it’s all taken care of.

Sobering day for sure. The quality of your assigned guide is absolutely key. Our group had a VERY over emotional lady who cried several times during our walk round and stopped the group outside every building to mention that “what you are about to see is one of the most horrific things you will ever witness”
Kinda took the edge off after the 5th time.

Go to the Schindler factory museum too.

[Hugo Stiglitz]

On another note (but related). The last owner of my house came over to live and survived Auschwitz.

Someone in the area who was a WPC in Moss side for 30yrs explained that she had all her teeth removed and that whilst here she had to be sectioned a number of times.

She never had any children and no living family when she died (in our kitchen).