Planning a Trip

Getting There

Zakopane has a train station, but the bus is really the best and quickest way to get here. Several bus companies make the 2-hour trip from Kraków's main bus station to Zakopane's main station at near hourly intervals throughout the day. One of the leading bus companies in Zakopane is Szwagropol, ul. Kosciuszki 19a (tel. 018/20-17-123; www.szwagropol.pl). It offers 16 departures daily to and from Kraków. Tickets are 18zl ($7.85/£4.85) each way.

Getting Around

Central Zakopane is fairly compact and partly closed to car traffic, so walking is really the only option for getting around. The town itself, though, spreads out a couple of miles in both directions, so if you're staying outside of the center (and don't have a car), you'll have to rely on taxis or local buses to get around. The main taxi stand is conveniently located just outside the main bus and train terminals. Bikes are another option, but ask at the Tourist Information Office, since rental agencies change from season to season.

Visitor Information

When you arrive, you will be surprised by the sheer number of private tourist agencies offering everything from information to accommodation, lift tickets, and day trips. Zakopane's small Tourist Information Center (Centrum Informacji Turystycznej), Kosciuszki 17 (tel. 018/201-22-11; www.zakopane.pl), can help with general orientation questions and provide maps, but that's about it. For more hands-on service, including booking hotel rooms, walk across the street to Tourist Punkt, Kosciuszki 20 (tel. 018/200-01-77; www.tourist-punkt.pl). The helpful staff maintains lists of dozens of private rooms, pensions, and hotels at every price point. Simply describe what you're looking for and they will fix you up. Another private agency, Zwyrtozlka, two doors down toward town (Kosciuszki 15, tel. 018/201-52-12), maintains a list of rooms. Both agencies can help arrange day trips, including excursions to Slovakia, as well as sell lift passes and advise on things like ski and bike rental.