This article is a ready-made toolkit for organisers of school trips to Krakow. You get a complete set of tools: how to choose accommodation, what to ask before booking, how to prepare a rooming list, what to tell the class after check-in and how to manage a quiet night without roaming the corridors.
Works for grades 1-3, 4-6 and 7-8 with small adjustments to the number of chaperones per floor and the length of quiet hours. You can adapt the templates and checklists to your group's age and needs.
1. Room and floor layout - how many rooms next to each other will the class get and can a chaperone sleep door-to-door with students.
2. Entrances and emergency exits - where are the staircases, exits to the outside and is there night staff on duty.
3. Quiet hours - exact times and how they are enforced. Ask about the procedure for violations.
4. Breakfast - hours, dining room capacity, the possibility of two shifts and takeaway lunch boxes for early departures.
5. Deposit and damages - whether a deposit is required, in what form and when it is settled. Agree a joint room handover protocol.
6. Luggage storage - whether backpacks can be stored before check-in and after check-out, availability and rules of access.
7. Accessibility - elevator, ramps, adapted rooms, low-threshold showers, toilets within reach.
8. Electrical safety - sockets, extension cords, rules for kettles and hairdryers. Ask whether the property provides its own approved appliances.
9. Rules for groups - whether additional group regulations apply, e.g. code of conduct, rule against rearranging beds, shared kitchen policy.
10. Coach logistics - a short-stay drop-off spot at the property entrance and options for longer parking nearby.
Arrange rooms in clusters of 3-6 next to each other on one corridor. A chaperone should have a room at the start or middle of the cluster, and a second chaperone should close the cluster near the staircase.
Separate louder and quieter groups into different wings or floors if possible. For older students, avoid putting known opinion leaders together in the same room.
Separate boys and girls by floor or wing. If that isn’t possible, at least place rooms alternately and have chaperones nearby.
Don’t fill the far end of the corridor to the limit. Leave one buffer room at the corner for a chaperone or as a spare for swaps.
In 4-6 person rooms, plan one calm student as the “anchor” of the rhythm. If needed, rotate sleeping places on the next night.
Columns: room number, floor, student full name, night role (lights monitor, window monitor), floor chaperone, notes allergy/medication.
Principle of internal transparency - printed copy for chaperones and reception. Students receive only their room number and floor, without other people’s personal data.
On the back of the list include a simple floor map marking chaperones and staircases.
1. Assemble outside the entrance, backpacks on the ground, documents in the lead chaperone’s hand.
2. Enter the lobby in pairs, parallel to the reception desk. One chaperone at reception, another managing quiet and order.
3. Collect room keycards and wristbands or IDs for students. Distribute them only when entering the floor, not in the lobby.
4. Luggage classification: large suitcases to storage, day backpacks to rooms. Agree on a time and place to collect large luggage after sightseeing.
5. Short 60-second safety briefing on the corridor before the rooms. Then enter rooms and allow 5 minutes of quiet for unpacking.
Point out the nearest exits, fire extinguishers and staircases. Speak loudly and briefly and indicate directions with your hand.
Rule for stairs - never use the elevator during evacuation. Keep corridor doors closed after entering the rooms.
Open windows only for ventilation. No climbing on window sills. Extension cords only from the property or a chaperone.
Quiet hours apply to everyone, and for 5 minutes after quiet hours begin no one leaves the room without the floor chaperone’s permission.
We walk on the floors in slippers or soft shoes. Close doors gently, do not slam them.
The corridor is not a playground. Games happen in designated areas or outside during the day.
Shared kitchen and dining room - leave the area tidy, do not take other people’s food, do not cook in rooms.
Bathroom - showers up to 5 minutes, hang towels up, use the bin according to instructions.
Zero loud talking after quiet hours. Phones on silent. Contact details for the floor chaperone provided if needed.
Before handing out keys, take two photos of the room and bathroom condition. Note visible issues on the control sheet.
After departure do a short walkthrough with a staff member. If something is damaged, write a protocol and record it in the trip log. Students do not negotiate without an adult present.
Deposit is settled only by the lead chaperone after receiving information from reception. Agree this beforehand and keep a spare envelope for small repairs.
T0 quiet hours start - corridor walk, doors closed, lights dimmed in rooms. Leave a small note on the cluster door with the chaperone’s room number.
T+15 minutes - a quiet walk and quick noise correction. Chaperone room door left ajar enough for a visual check of the corridor.
T+45 minutes - final walkthrough, then passive duty. The floor chaperone’s phone on loud, vibrations off.
At night the rule is two adults for any intervention. One speaks, the other watches the corridor.
Shift 1 quick - students eat for 15 minutes and clear dishes. Shift 2 enters when the dining room clears. A chaperone at the entrance keeps flow smooth.
After breakfast pack and move large luggage to storage. Only day backpacks stay in rooms if the schedule requires a return.
Check-out is done by the lead chaperone and one floor chaperone. Students gather outside the property and keys are returned by room representatives.
The list of allergies and medications is only with the chaperones. Do not leave medical notes in rooms.
Medications are dispensed by a designated adult at agreed times. The student comes with a room representative and you record the dose in the trip log.
For severe allergies arrange with the property access to a kitchen or a separate space for storing products in a fridge.
Rooms with low thresholds and near the elevator for those who need them. A chaperone supporting accessibility sleeps on the floor with such rooms.
Showers with anti-slip mats, a bedside lamp for each bed, extension cords only from the property or the chaperone.
A phone flashlight is standard, but keep one small torch on the floor in case of an alarm test or a short power outage.
Use the kitchen at designated hours. Cook simple meals and clean immediately after use.
Do not bring food to rooms. Store items in designated places, labelled with names.
Do not touch other people’s shelves and dishes. If something spills, clean it up right away or ask staff for help.
Availability request: Good morning, we are planning accommodation for a school group of [number of students] + [number of chaperones] on [date]. We are interested in rooms on one corridor or floor, quiet hours from [time], breakfast in two shifts and luggage storage. Please advise availability, deposit and group rules.
Booking confirmation: I confirm accommodation on [date] for [number] students and [number] chaperones. Please send room allocation, breakfast hours, payment details, deposit terms and the night contact. We will send the rooming list and chaperones’ details by [date].
T-1 reminder: Good morning, confirming tomorrow’s arrival at [time]. We bring [number] students, [number] chaperones, breakfast in 2 shifts. On-site contact [name, phone]. Please prepare room clusters according to the attached list.
No room cluster and scattering the group across floors - makes control harder and increases noise. Always request adjacent rooms.
Unagreed quiet hours - without a firm time both sides guess. Set it and inform students and parents.
No time buffer for breakfast - one shift of 40 people is chaos. Introduce two shifts of 15-20 minutes each.
Deposit without protocol - take photos at check-in and check-out. One sheet per room saves disputes.
No luggage storage - before check-in put luggage in one place and record access rules to avoid searching for backpacks.
Entering the floor: STOP - ASSEMBLE - QUIET. Short briefing, distribute room cards, enter in pairs.
Evening: 3 quiet corridor checks at 15-minute intervals. After the final check switch to passive duty.
Morning: shift 1 breakfast, shift 2 breakfast, packing, luggage to storage, check-out by room representatives.
Arrival before check-in time - put luggage in storage, take a walk around the neighbourhood, a quick paired task and enter rooms only after reception signals readiness.
Room failure - room representative reports, not the whole group. Students move to a spare room if available while the chaperone and staff handle the issue.
Noise from outside or other guests - chaperones talk to reception and ask for a floor change or swap within the cluster. Students stay in their rooms.
Rooming list: room number, floor, names, roles, floor chaperone, notes.
60-second briefing: emergency exits, stairs rule, elevator rule, quiet hours, floor chaperone contact.
Damage protocol: 2 photos, list of notes, signatures of chaperone and reception at check-in and check-out.
Breakfast in two shifts: times, table lists, table representative, cleanliness rules.
Luggage storage: zone, pickup time, person on duty, marking method for backpacks.
Should we take a deposit from parents in advance: it’s best to have a small class reserve and a clear damage protocol. Settle after return based on the protocol.
Is cooking allowed in rooms: no. If the property has a shared kitchen, use only that and clean immediately.
Can rooms be combined by moving beds: avoid that. Furniture is the property’s inventory and moving it often causes damage.
Can students visit other rooms in the evening: until time X yes, after X we close doors and communicate only via room representatives.
What about washing and drying clothes: use the laundromat or designated drying room. No hanging lines or drying on radiators.
A guide coordinates with the property on room clusters, breakfast plan and luggage storage, and in the evening helps keep the quiet hours schedule without stress. That lets the teacher and class representatives focus on the class, not on reception. Book a guided visit with Małgorzata Kasprowicz - you will receive ready rooming list templates, protocols and messages that make the night in Krakow calm and the morning organised.
If you want, you can add a short walking route for your arrival evening - a relaxed 30-40 minute stroll from the property to the Main Market Square (Rynek Główny) or Kazimierz helps settle the group and give students a pleasant first contact with the city.
