Zebrzydowice (Poland)

[LNW-GW Joint]

Some advice needed about Poland and crossing back into Czecho, for a visit to Krakow.
I'll be returning from Krakow to Prague in a couple of weeks, during the day.
I'm intending to use local trains from Krakow to Zebrzydowice, changing at Oswiecim and Czechowice Dziedzice en route.
I have been able to buy an on-line ticket from Krakow to Oswiecim, but not the rest of the way to Zebrzydowice.
I will also need a cross-border ticket from Zebrzydowice to Ostrava (on an EC train), where my advance CD ticket to Prague kicks in.

Does anybody have experience of buying these local/cross-border tickets on board or at stations in Poland?
Will I have any problem buying them on board?
Anybody got a suggestion of how to while away an hour or so at Zebrzydowice?
Am I better just boarding the EC cross-border train at Zebrzydowice and paying the CD conductor, or should I buy at the station?

It's a shorter journey than the EC route via Katowice, also avoiding the high EC fares in Poland.
Given the significant tourist traffic between Prague and Krakow, I'm surprised there is not a through daytime service as well as a sleeper.
The only on-line through fares available are on the sleeper.

 

[TheKnightWho]

I bought a load of Krakow to Oświęcim tickets a while back, and although the people at the counter may not speak English, if you say where you're going they will probably know what you want. As far as I'm aware, it's easier to buy them at the station and they're also cheaper from there, but this could be wrong.

 

[30907]

The general rule with PR local trains is "buy before you board" or immediately on boarding (join train at door nearest front). The local trains are operated by Koleje Slaskie but I would expect the same rule to apply.

Czech ECs will charge a supplement (not IIRC a huge amount) for buying on-train.

Assuming your Polish is as limited as mine, and booking clerks outside main stations don't speak much English write down the journey(s) you want to do.

According to http://jizdenka.idos.cz/IT.aspx?Lang=69 the EC fare from Oswiecim to Ostrava is EUR 12.20 while from Zebrzydowice it's 10.20

On the other hand the purely CD section from Zebrzydowice.Gr (without the EC supplement admittedly) appears to cost only CZK.41, so it might just be worth trying for a fare to Zebrzydowice.Gr from Oswiecim.

Anecdotally, it's quite accepted practice to split like this

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

On the other hand the purely CD section from Zebrzydowice.Gr (without the EC supplement admittedly) appears to cost only CZK.41, so it might just be worth trying for a fare to Zebrzydowice.Gr from Oswiecim.
Anecdotally, it's quite accepted practice to split like this

Thanks for the advice and the fares link.
I actually have a CD Incarta 50 Card (equivalent to a senior rail card) giving 50% discount in CZ, so I'll probably use that on board.

Three things fascinate me about this line:
a) it must have been until recently a heavily guarded frontier, and now completely open thanks to Schengen
b) it was originally built as the KFNB (Kaiser Ferdinands Nordbahn) from Vienna well into Poland (and with left hand running, the first part of the line being designed by Brits)
c) it was the main route from the south to Auschwitz
A line for reflection en route.

Update:
Completed the trip last week with no problems.
The track in this area of Poland is APPALLING, clay pumping through the ballast, rotten sleepers etc.
I now understand why it takes so long to get anywhere.
Katowice to Krakow (77km) is OK for the first 10km and last 5km, but the rest is run at 40-60kph throughout.
Some evidence of upgrading going on around Myslowice, but they seem to be fighting a losing battle.
Krakow-Oswiciem-Zebrzydowice easy enough, enlivened by chatting to the conductor who had lived in Reading for 5 years!
More slow running, long stretches of 30-40kph, cracked and crumbling platform edges, graffiti up the roofline.
It reminded me of UK travel when the gauge corner cracking panic was on, when Raitrack slapped a 20mph limit on the WCML.
Although there are some nice modern EMUs, most of them are old crocks with minimal suspension - worse than a Pacer despite being bogie stock.
Zebrzydowice was a sad place to wait to exit Poland. No shelter whatsoever in driving rain.
It is an ex-frontier point, but the large room where they once processed passports was completely empty (apart from 2 tramps in residence).
Signs for a restaurant and even a barbers, all closed and crumbling. Just a ticket window (nice English-speaking guy).
To get to the platforms you had to cross live lines on the level (subway boarded up).
How did Poland let its railway get in such a state?
The stations at Katowice and Krakow (especially) were very nice, but once out of town they are very down at heel, like the tracks.
By comparison the rail infrastructure in CZ is fantastic: tidy, efficient and it all works.