Poland is becoming more and more popular as a tourist destination. It’s not only full of traditions and rich in history, but also is affordable and beautiful. But whenever someone visits Poland, one question seems to surface: “Should I visit Warsaw or Krakow?”
Each of these cities is great, but if you decide to visit Krakow and read my article about what to do in Krakow, don’t miss the chance to visit Zakopane too. Plan your adventure with my guide to travelling to Zakopane from Krakow.
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Why visit Zakopane?
Zakopane is the most popular mountainous city in Poland. If you’re limited in time you can take a day trip, walk around, do some shopping, try a traditional meal and oscypek (the best cheese ever – a little like Halloumi, but better) take photo with Gorals (an ethnic group living in the south of Poland, who have amazing outfits), and take the railway up to Gubałówka or Kasprowy Wierch.
If you have more time you should definitely stay overnight and do some hiking – Morskie Oko is a popular destination.
You can also ski and snowboard during the winter, visit museums, try tasty food and admire stunning views in Zakopane – it has a lot to offer!
How to get from Krakow to Zakopane
There are three ways to make the journey: car, train and bus.
I drove there a few times and if you choose to drive out of season, during the week you should be fine. There is only one way to get there and you always hear on TV about massive traffic jams on that route, so off-peak times are best.
The train is another option. But, if you choose the slower train it can be a nightmare. I took that train in the winter and the heat under the seat was turned on so high it was way too hot! You can also choose the intercity train. This one is much better because you have more privacy and you can control the temperature. Both trains take around three hours. Book here
The last option is to take the bus from Krakow to Zakopane. I took a bus recently and like travelling by car, it can take about two hours without traffic. But if you return on Sunday night and don’t have your tickets pre-booked, the seats may be full. Book your ticket here
How far is Zakopane from Krakow?
Zakopane is 109km (67 miles) from Krakow. It takes two to three hours to get there.
How much is the bus or train to Zakopane?
It might change for popular travel dates, but in general the bus costs around 20-30zl (£4-£6) one way and the train starts with 25zl (£5).
Where to stay in Zakopane
The city is not very big and there are public buses and taxis available, so you can stay anywhere in the city. Cosy, traditional places get my vote!
As you can see, it’s not very difficult to travel from Krakow to Zakopane, so if you’re visiting Poland, especially Krakow, I would highly recommend a visit to the mountains!
Honestly never heard of this place. In enjoy learning where it is located and some of the more interesting places to visit.
Such a beautiful Country and I can’t wait to share it with my family. As well as add it to our Travel Bucket List.
I am always willing to go any place to travel. We love to travel and this place looks absolutely gorgeous. I’m hoping at some point I can explore here. It looks like a place to definitely put on my bucket list.
My husband travels to Krakow quite often for work. He loves it there and states it is so beautiful. I would love to go with him at some time to see all these sights as well.
This is a really helpful post. I’ve never visited Zakopane or Krakow. It looks like a wonderful experience though, and the food looks amazing.
I love the photos and learning about new places to add to my travel list. Poland looks like a wonderful place to visit.
I usually opt for a car, but train rides are nice, too! Good to know how to get from one place to another.
Poland is somewhere I have never been I have to admit. It is a country I would love to go and explore one day though, it always looks so beautiful and full of amazing things to do.
I’ve never heard of this area of the world but it looks beautiful. I would love to take a train, I’ve actually never been on one for traveling purposes.
I desperately want to visit Poland. I know the rich history and I want to see it for myself. Your post just ignited that feeling again. My husband will be thrilled!!
This looks like a fun place to explore. I like that there are a lot of options for getting around. Thanks for sharing your tips, I would enjoy visiting this area.
I haven’t been here in both places and who would not love to see this amazing places. I guess, I need to add this on the places that I must visit this year. Let’s see if can dream come true.
I was planning to visit Krakow soo. I heard it is such a beautiful place. You gave a great idea to plan visiting Zakopane on the same trip!
From the photo with trees up on a mountain, it looks like hiking would be peaceful and lovely. Never heard of Zakopane but the place looks worth visiting.
Visiting Poland is on my bucket list. Krakow and Zakopane are such beautiful cities.
What a gorgeous part of the country that I’ll never ever get to, but still – what beauty. Thanks for sharing.
This is the first time I’ve heard of this place. I didn’t know it is so beautiful and there are lots of places to see!
To be honest, Babushka had never given much thought to visiting Poland. Now that you’ve shared the sights and food, BB will be adding it to her “countries to see”.