TL;DRThis five-day rail trip through the Polish and Slovak Tatras runs Prague–Kraków–Zakopane–Tatranská Bystrica/Poprad–Bratislava–Prague, and you can do the whole thing by train and bus without a car. In Kraków, the old town with Wawel Castle and the MOCAK gallery will fill half a day; Zakopane is your base for a trip to Morskie Oko lake. On the Slovak side, the highlight is the cable car up to Lomnický štít from Tatranská Bystrica, which costs 44 EUR, and the last stop is Bratislava, with its castle and the Slavín memorial. The pricier version of the whole trip comes to 17,300 CZK, the budget one (skipping the fancy stuff) around 12,600 CZK, or under 10,000 CZK if you leave out the cable car.
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!
London/Berlin > Krakow > Zakopane > Tatranská Bystrica > Bratislava > Home
What We Saw, Where We Slept, and How We Travelled Step by Step
Krakow
We started our trip in Krakow, Poland. You can easily reach Krakow by bus or train — for example, FlixBus runs regular connections from many European cities. The bus station is centrally located, so everything is within walking distance.
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.
Our first destination: Krakow
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.
We covered the historic centre in a single morning, all on foot, so if you don’t mind a lot of walking, you won’t need to spend money on public transport tickets.
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
People come to Zakopane mainly for skiing, so the village is full of charming villas with all the amenities and stunning views of the Tatra Mountains in Poland.
Buses and trains arrive and depart from the same location, and there’s also a luggage storage facility, so no complicated searching around.
Our accommodation at Villa 11 Folk & Design had, besides a charming atmosphere, a meditation room with loungers, a sauna, and a dining area where small treats, tea, and coffee were available 24/7. The room cost around €80 including breakfast.
A villa in Zakopane
Things to Do in Zakopane
You can go shopping in the centre, check out the Upside Down House, or set off very early in the morning for a hike to what is said to be the most beautiful mountain lake in Europe — Morskie Oko.
We had terrible weather, so we ended up in a café instead.
Getting to Slovakia
To get to your next destination, Tatranská Bystrica on the Slovak side of the Tatra Mountains, you need to cross the border — and this is where things get tricky. Only three Leo Express minibuses cross the border per day, and they don’t go through Zakopane. You need to get to Dolní Bukowina first, where you transfer to Leo Express.
Especially in winter, be careful — the 15 km local bus ride from Zakopane to Dolní Bukowina might look like it takes 25 minutes, but we ended up travelling for over two hours due to traffic jams and heavy snowfall, and ultimately had to spend an unplanned extra night on the Polish side.
Trekking to the bus stop, 5 km
These local Polish bus rides can’t be booked in advance (they work more like city buses), cost 5 PLN (about €1.20), and our driver left 5 minutes early, so be warned.
The Leo Express ride itself from Dolní Bukowina to Tatranská Bystrica (or all the way to Poprad) costs €12 per person.
Lukáš and Lucie recommend
Where to stay in the Polish and Slovak Tatras
4 accommodations — hotels and other accommodation options
The main reason to head to the Slovak side of the Tatra Mountains is Lomnický Štít — one of the Tatra Mountains’ highest peaks. You get to the top via two cable cars, and you need to book your ticket for the upper one in advance. Well, you don’t have to, but you might not get a spot in time, or the day could sell out completely, making the trip pointless. The ticket costs €44 per person. You can buy it at Gopass.sk and the departure point is directly in Tatranská Bystrica.
If you get stuck in Poland an extra day, like we did, you’ll lose your reservation and won’t be able to reschedule it.
Trip to Lomnický Štít
You should set aside at least half a day for the cable car ride to Lomnický Štít. You can either stay directly in Tatranská Bystrica, which will cost at least €80, or continue to Poprad (about 30 minutes longer on Leo Express), stay there for example at Penzion Darinka for half the price, and take the tram to Tatranská Bystrica the next morning (the fare is just a few cents).
If you leave Poprad before eight in the morning and board the cable car by eleven at the latest, you’ll easily catch the afternoon train at 14:43 from Tatranská Lomnica to Bratislava. That costs about €16 per person.
If you’re a student and want to travel around Slovakia for free, you need to get a special card at any train station in Slovakia. You’ll need a filled-in form confirmed by your university’s student office.
Bratislava
Bratislava is a beautiful but pricier city. It’s definitely worth checking Airbnb well in advance — you can find a place near the centre for around €40. We stayed at Tomáš’s place and we highly recommend his apartment — it’s rare to find such a cosy and well-equipped flat at a fair price. Hotels, on the other hand, can easily cost three times as much. You can also search for deals on Booking.com.
For breakfast, head to the bistro Žufaňa, grab a coffee at Gorilla.sk Urban Space, and for a late lunch, we recommend the absolutely amazing crêpes at Palacinka Lacinka (you’ll experience a retro 1980s vibe).
Visit Bratislava Castle, the Slavín war memorial, and definitely don’t miss the apartment gallery FLAT GALLERY.
You can head home late in the afternoon — trains and buses run frequently. We took a train back around six in the evening.
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Don’t Forget Travel Insurance
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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!
10 tips for the most beautiful hotels with a hot tub in the room and hotels with a private hot tub on the terrace. Find out where to go with the kids, as a couple for a romantic weekend and as a group.
How to keep a restless child entertained on a plane, avoid hysterical crying, and survive a long flight without needless stress or guilt over the tablet.
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