At the end of January, we set off on a train trip to the Tatra Mountains, travelling through Krakow, Zakopane, and across the Polish and Slovak sides, with a stop in Bratislava on the way back. We travelled by trains and buses with nothing but our backpacks. What we saw, how much it cost, and a detailed itinerary so you can replicate our journey — you’ll find it all right here in this article.
Read about how we got stuck in the Polish Tatra Mountains and almost had to turn back home RIGHT HERE!
Route Map
London/Berlin > Krakow > Zakopane > Tatranská Bystrica > Bratislava > Home
What We Saw, Where We Slept, and How We Travelled Step by Step
Krakow
If you arrive during rush hour, we wouldn’t recommend taking a taxi — it took us just as long by cab as it did walking the same route the next day on foot.
We recommend staying at BC 29 Residence, a beautiful space near the centre where a room costs around €52 including a (luxurious) breakfast.
After arriving in the afternoon, we managed to walk through the royal Wawel Castle and we highly recommend visiting MOCAK — the Museum of Contemporary Art housed in the former factory of Oskar Schindler.
Krakow in Half a Day
For dinner, head to Plac Nowy 1 — it’s close to the accommodation and they serve excellent pizza. Make sure to try one of their local beers.
After lunch, we slowly made our way towards the Polish Tatra Mountains, heading to the ski village of Zakopane. From Krakow, you can reach Zakopane by bus for about 19.5 PLN per person (around €4.50) and the journey takes just over two hours.
Zakopane
Things to Do in Zakopane
Getting to Slovakia
Tatranská Bystrica / Poprad
Trip to Lomnický Štít
Bratislava
How Much Does It Cost?
Our (More Expensive) Option
- Accommodation — €250
- Food — €175
- Transport — €172
- Entrance fees — €8
- Cable car to Lomnický Štít — €88
Total: approximately €693 (for two people).
Accommodation
- Night 1 — Krakow — €53 — BC 29 Residence
- Night 2 — Zakopane — €83 — Villa 11 Folk & Design
- Night 3 — Poprad — €68 — Penzion Darinka
- Night 4 — Bratislava — €46 — Tomáš’s apartment
Expenses broken down by day and category:
Budget Option
You can’t change the transport costs much, but you can opt for cheaper accommodation and find more affordable food options.
This brings the total down to approximately €505 (and under €415 without the cable car).
Budget breakdown:
- Accommodation — €125
- Food — €112
- Transport — €172
- Entrance fees — €8
- Cable car to Lomnický Štít — €88
Accommodation
- Night 1 — Krakow — €27 — Room in the centre
- Night 2 — Zakopane — €24 — Room in a villa
- Night 3 — Poprad — €29 — Villa Strážan
- Night 4 — Bratislava — €46 — Tomáš’s apartment
Tips and Tricks for Your Vacation
Don’t Overpay for Flights
Search for flights on Kayak. It’s our favorite search engine because it scans the websites of all airlines and always finds the cheapest connection.
Book Your Accommodation Smartly
The best experiences we’ve had when looking for accommodation (from Alaska to Morocco) are with Booking.com, where hotels, apartments, and entire houses are usually the cheapest and most widely available.
Don’t Forget Travel Insurance
Good travel insurance will protect you against illness, accidents, theft, or flight cancellations. We’ve had a few hospital visits abroad, so we know how important it is to have proper insurance arranged.
Where we insure ourselves: SafetyWing (best for everyone) and TrueTraveller (for extra-long trips).
Why don’t we recommend any Czech insurance company? Because they have too many restrictions. They set limits on the number of days abroad, travel insurance via a credit card often requires you to pay medical expenses only with that card, and they frequently limit the number of returns to the Czech Republic.
Find the Best Experiences
Get Your Guide is a huge online marketplace where you can book guided walks, trips, skip-the-line tickets, tours, and much more. We always find some extra fun there!
