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- Good places to stop are few and far between on this route except between Prague and Brno. The best idea may be to get the group to buy picnic food in advance and find a suitable place to stop en route.
- Currency exchange is an issue in either direction. Therefore plan on eating in the country of departure if making a rest stop.
- If you do wish to make a proper stop off the motorway, Olomouc is an attractive and workable option (see below)
- Although there are increasing numbers of modern petrol stops in Poland, note that there are no good places to stop for toilets/lunch between the Polish border and Olomouc if coming from Kraków.
- Assuming no stop in Wadowice (St John Paul II’s Birthplace) or Oświęćim (Auschwitz), there is now an almost complete motorway route from Krakow (via Gliwice) and then south to the border and onwards towards Olomouc/Brno.
- If you have visits at Wadowice or Oświęćim and/or Brno on the itinerary this considerably adds to the length of the day.
POSSIBLE OLOMOUC LUNCH STOP
Olomouc is located 280km from Prague or 270 km from Kraków. An early departure is suggested if you wish to stop here. It is a small, pleasant and easily negotiated town with a large central square that contains the Holy Trinity Column (a UNESCO monument). The city is famous for its smelly cheeses, which are on display in shop windows and will catch the group’s attention.
From the motorway, drive to the centre of town (Centrum). There are bus drop off points (signposted) at Námĕstí Národních Hrdinů and u Husova Sboru, from where you can lead the group the 5 – 10 minute walk to the main square (Horní Námĕstí). Here there are ATMs, restaurants, and a McDonald’s. Public toilets are an issue, so they should use the ones in the place where they eat.
If they are interested, point out the fascinating socialist astronomical clock on the Town Hall. The medieval original was destroyed by German troops and the very beautiful, but modern, replacement is an interesting contrast to the Prague clock.
Give them time to explore and get lunch, meet them back at the Holy Trinity Column and rejoin the bus at a prearranged time.
