Scrumhalf 15 Jun 2009 / #1Hi,This question arises from ignorance of Eastern Europe, so please don't misinterpret it as insinuating anything about the region or countries in question. I will be in Prague for a week in September. While there, I would really like to take a train to visit Auschwitz and Krakow.My question is regarding the safety of train travel, staying in the area and walking around. The issue is that I am of South Asian origin. Is my ethnicity of concern regarding travel in this area? I have read about problems that people of darker skin color have faced in East Germany, for example, and I want to make sure that I am not going to be foolhardy making this trip alone.
polishcanuck 7 | 462 15 Jun 2009 / #2IMO trains in poland are safe. When you get on a train, try to sit in a cabin with normal looking people in it already - avoid sitting alone. I've travelled from prague-wroclaw and prague-krakow on trains before and felt quite safe. As for your skin colour, i believe you should be fine in the big cities, but don't be surprised if you face a little discrimination here and there.
OP Scrumhalf 15 Jun 2009 / #3Thanks for the reply! A bit of discrimination I can deal with, as long as I don't get my head bashed in by a skinhead, or anything like that. :)
plk123 8 | 4,142 16 Jun 2009 / #4try not to have a purse in crowded areas. but if you have to, wear it over your shoulder and head..
inkrakow 16 Jun 2009 / #5I think people are more likely to be curious (so they'll stare) than discriminating - outside of the big cities you simply don't see many black or Asian people, and in smaller villages everyone notices a stranger so are always a bit suspicious.
gumishu 13 | 6,133 16 Jun 2009 / #7As for your skin colour, i believe you should be fine in the big cities, but don't be surprised if you face a little discrimination here and there.I don't know about discrimation - but you can expect people to stare at you sometimes - as if they have never seen darker complexion
groovyg 3 | 70 29 Jun 2009 / #8there are a lot of stories about robberies on the night trains. if you want to be on the safer side you can take a day train.krakow is safe but don't artifically stand out (regardless of your skin color).e.g. don't dress like a freak, definitely don't try to be a hero if you're being teased by people that you know you shouldn't mess with.basically krakow's goons tend to look for 'hippies' rather than one skin or another. they just have a knack for teaching them a lesson on 'how to be a man'. many brits (who are as white as a sheet) get bitten up just because they give a 'sissy' vibe.
MJL 1 | 6 30 Jun 2009 / #9Krakow looked safe enough for me to consider going back for a second stay tomorrow. On the other hand I DID almost get killed coming back to Krakow from Auschwitz in flooding where my car actually got picked up and moved by flash floods and I had to do some creative driving to get back to krakow safetly. More on that when I get to my real computer in the USA
southern 74 | 7,074 30 Jun 2009 / #10Prague to Auschwitz/Krakow - safety?When you reach Auschwitz you should take a bath in the local facilities.