It’s great to party in a new city, especially when you visit one with a diverse and vibrant nightlife scene. However, like most famous tourist cities, there is a darker side of tourist traps and scams. We have outlined five of the most common scams that you should watch out for. We also have a more detailed Nightlife Survival guide.
Strip clubs
The strip club scam is one of the worst in Krakow. Avoid them at all costs. Unlike the respectable, upstanding, and family-friendly strip clubs you’ll find in other European cities, the ones in Krakow are just there to steal tourist’s money. Some of the scams include:
- When you are paying for items on your debit/credit card, they will say that you have entered the incorrect PIN number and ask you to try again, but in fact, they are just charging you multiple times.
- When ordering drinks, there will be np prices on the drinks menu and you will be charged a ridiculously high price. Additionally, due to the security’s size and demeanor, you will be forced to pay it.
- It has also been known that some places spike people’s drinks and steal their phones and cash.
There are so many friendly and great-looking locals who frequent all the bars and clubs in Krakow, and there is really no need to go to a strip club in Krakow.
drinking on the street
Unlike its neighbor to the left, it is illegal to drink in public streets in Poland. There are some exceptions, such as when the Christmas or Easter markets are on, but generally speaking, it’s forbidden.
As you can imagine, there are fines for drinking in public, and the Police here are fed up with tourists saying they didn’t know and shouldn’t get a fine. Moreover, some police won’t give you a fine but will take you straight to the cashpoint and make you pay them there and then and put that cash right into their pockets. That being said, there are still many great cops here in Krakow who might let you off with a warning.
The best thing is just to hide your alcohol in a McDonald’s cup or drink in one of Krakow’s unique bars.
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street girls
This scam happens more often than you would think and can be a hard one to spot. It goes like this
- You’re drunk and aimlessly walking around late at night, not knowing what to do. Two friendly good-looking ladies will come up to you and say that they are not from around here and ask for some advice on what bar to go to. (Unless you look like Brad Pitt, this isn’t normal for most people)
- They will then try to get you to a bar nearby; unknowingly, they work for that bar.
- When you arrive there, they will ask you for a drink, and being the kind and upstanding person you are, you will get them one. This is where they scam you. The drinks here are about 10 to 20 times the regular price in Krakow, and the drink menus don’t have any prices on them.
- When it comes time to leave, big scary security comes out, and you have no choice but to pay the ridiculously high bill if you want to go in one piece.
People Selling drugs
The Krakow Crawl doesn’t condone the use or sale of any form of banned substances. If you still need your party fix, it is crucial to be very careful. 99% of the stuff people sell around Krakow is low quality at best or highly toxic and dangerous at worst.
In addition, when people say they are offering (MDMA or Coke) it is actually just cheap methadone that will leave you feeling horrible and with a terrible comedown that will ruin your trip to Krakow. We advise sticking to the local vodkas as they are strong enough.
ORDERING DRINKS
When you order drinks at clubs in Krakow, you must specify exactly what brand of alcohol you would like, or the bar staff will pour the most expensive top-shelf liquor they have, and you end up paying five times more than you should. We advise when ordering to just asking for the cheapest option available. You are in Poland, so you should, of course, be drinking Polish vodka. Wyborowa is an excellent quality Polish vodka that won’t burn a hole in your wallet.
Final Words
Krakow is a fantastic city with a wide-ranging nightlife that offers something for everyone. Although it still has some areas to improve on, it is a safe and fun place to visit for groups and solo travelers.
Check out our in-depth nightlife guide
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