Getting to Zakopane from Kraków

Wooden architecture on Krupowki Street, Zakopane

Many people visiting Kraków may fancy a trip to the mountains for a complete contrast to urban vibes of the city. Popular Zakopane outings include a journey up the cable car in the Tatra Mountains, or to the thermal baths.

There are agencies offering day tours to Zakopane and although very convenient, they can tend to be quite pricey. The good news is that public transport between Kraków and Zakopane is efficient and cheap although there are a few important things to note. If travelling during Polish school holidays, especially summer, the roads are extremely busy, and there can be big tailbacks when nearing Zakopane. Also, at this time, it is best to have purchased your ticket for the bus or train prior to your journey. Outwith holiday time, it is very easy to jump on a bus and pay the driver (cash is needed for this) or buy your ticket for the train prior to boarding.

The train and bus stations in Kraków are pretty much integrated and are easily walked to from the main market square.

Getting to Zakopane by bus

There are a variety of bus companies operating services to Zakopane. The best way to find out times and costs is to use the excellent e-podroznik app or website. This gives you the option of buying tickets for all the operators on this route. Your point of departure is from the main bus station beside Kraków Główny. Buses are still the quickest option to get to Zakopane and, in general, the journey should take between 2 to 2 and a half hours if outwith holiday season. Things can get a bit snarled up near Zakopane at popular times however, so take that into account when organising your journey.

Getting to Zakopane by train

Once again, you need to get to the main train station first - Kraków Główny - to travel to Zakopane by train. The e-podroznik app or website will also again allow you to search times and buy tickets for trains. Another option is to use the excellent Koleo website. The train generally takes longer than the bus - the slowest being almost 4 hours! However, times are improving all the time and around 10 30am, there is an EIC train that will take 2 hours 20 minutes.