Yes, you can smoke inside Kraków John Paul II International Airport (KRK) after security – there are two enclosed indoor smoking lounges on Floor +1, one in the Schengen zone opposite Gate 1 and one in the non-Schengen zone, plus a designated outdoor smoking area landside before security.
Kraków Airport is Poland’s second-busiest airport after Warsaw Chopin and the main gateway to southern Poland. It runs a single passenger terminal that handles both Schengen and non-Schengen flights, with a dedicated airside smoking lounge in each zone. If your journey routes through the capital, the same after-security comfort is available at the smoking areas at Warsaw Chopin Airport (WAW), where enclosed booths sit on both concourses.
Schengen Zone (Airside)
The Schengen smoking lounge (Polish: palarnia) is on Floor +1, opposite Gate 1. It is an enclosed, designated indoor room, so you can smoke without leaving the secure area – handy if your gate is anywhere in the Schengen departures section. Travellers also report a separate IQOS heated-tobacco cubicle beside the Gate 1 lounge. Capacity is modest, so expect a queue at peak departure banks.
Non-Schengen Zone (Airside)
The non-Schengen smoking lounge is reached through the corridor leading to Gates 19–24. The entrance sits inside the Sky Lounge restaurant area, so head for the Sky Lounge and follow signage to the palarnia. This keeps smokers on long-haul and non-Schengen departures within their own zone – you do not need to cross back through passport control to reach the Schengen room.
Landside (Before Security)
Before you enter security, there is a designated outdoor smoking area in front of the terminal building. The airport’s own FAQ confirms a smoking point in the generally accessible zone ahead of the VIP terminal as well. Stay clear of doorways and follow the on-site signage marking where smoking is allowed.
Vaping
Poland regulates e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products the same way as cigarettes for indoor smoking bans. Vape in the airside smoking lounges or the outdoor landside area – not at the gates, in restaurants, or anywhere else inside the terminal. The Gate 1 area’s dedicated IQOS point is the exception for heated-tobacco users on the Schengen side.
Transit and Connections
Because KRK is a single-terminal airport, both smoking lounges are inside the secure zone, so a connecting passenger can smoke without clearing immigration or exiting airside. Use the lounge that matches your onward gate: the Gate 1 room for Schengen departures, or the Sky Lounge corridor room for non-Schengen departures. If you leave airside to smoke landside before security, you will re-clear the central security check on the way back, so allow time.
Summary
| Area | Smoking | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Schengen lounge (airside) | Yes | Floor +1, opposite Gate 1; IQOS point alongside |
| Non-Schengen lounge (airside) | Yes | Via Sky Lounge, corridor to Gates 19–24 |
| Outdoor (landside, before security) | Yes | Designated area in front of the terminal |
| Vaping | Designated areas only | Treated like cigarettes – lounges or outdoors |
For Poland’s airport smoking rules and vaping law, see our Poland airport guide.
