Katowice International Airport (KTW), located in Pyrzowice north of the city, serves the Upper Silesia region of southern Poland, a densely populated industrial area that also sits conveniently close to Krakow, making a rental car a genuinely useful way to cover both the immediate region and a well-known nearby destination. The airport is a modern facility with counters from international and local rental companies inside the terminal, and its position outside the main city means pickup is generally efficient compared with busier city-center locations.
From KTW, the city of Katowice itself is roughly thirty to forty-five minutes south via the A1 motorway, while Krakow, one of Poland's most visited cities, is reachable in around an hour to ninety minutes depending on traffic and the exact route taken through the connecting motorway network. The Upper Silesian conurbation surrounding Katowice is one of the most urbanized parts of Poland, so expect denser traffic and more frequent junctions near the cities compared with the open countryside further out.
Driving is on the right throughout Poland, and the region's motorways, including the A1 and A4, are modern, well-signed routes, though Poland's motorway tolling has shifted in recent years: some sections operate as direct toll roads with staffed or automated toll gates, particularly certain privately operated stretches, rather than a single nationwide vignette, so it is worth having a card or some cash ready at toll booths. Roads connecting smaller Silesian towns are generally well maintained but busier during weekday commuting hours given the region's industrial employment base. Winters bring genuine snow and ice, so winter tires are common practice and worth requesting from the rental company between roughly November and March. Fuel stations are frequent throughout the region given its urban density, making refueling straightforward and quick compared with the more rural, sparsely served parts of Poland further from the cities.