Polish Mountain Town of Zakopane: Postcard Views and Affordable Prices

This is the next installment in a series of posts on my recent trip to Europe. See my previous posts: Back from another  family reunion: galloping through Europe and driving my husband crazy , 24 hours in NYC with kids (plus review of Hyatt Place New York Midtown South) , Our JFK-BRU economy flight on Brussels Airlines: Ok, not great , Our two nights in enchanting city of Bruges, plus day trip to Dunkirk and Cash vs. points: Choosing between hotel Die Swaene and Crowne Plaza Brugge

Before I started writing this post, I had to think a bit as to what sort of traveler might be interested in visiting Zakopane. While I enjoy talking about my family’s adventures, I hope that this blog is more than just a diary. With that, if you’ve never been to Europe and are planning your first trip to the old continent, you should prioritize places like Rome, Venice, Amalfi Coast and other usual suspects. Obviously, it’s only my personal opinion.

However, if you’ve been to Europe before and are looking for places off the beaten path, I highly recommend Zakopane. Especially so if you enjoy mountain scenery. If you are planning on visiting Krakow, Zakopane is a very easy stop to add to your itinerary. I do like Krakow, don’t get me wrong, but I personally think a few nights there is plenty to hit all the famous sights.

Zakopane is quite affordable, and on average you will spend about a third compared to Switzerland and half compared to German mountain towns like Berchtesgaden (see my trip report). Not to say that it’s apples-to-apples kind of thing, of course. Still, if you are traveling with family through Europe for the whole summer and are on a budget, it makes sense to add cheaper destinations in order to stretch your dollars.

As I’ve mentioned earlier, my relatives from Belarus took a bus to Krakow and met us in Zakopane for a week.

Transportation logistics and using miles

Getting to Zakopane is actually easier than you may think. Lot Polish has nonstop flights to Krakow from Chicago and New York. From there it’s just a two-hour drive to Zakopane and we paid $110 for a minivan transfer from the airport to our rental via Booking.com Most transfer companies hire drivers who speak at least some English, so language barrier shouldn’t be an issue. Plus, there is always Google Translate app.

You can use United, Avianca and Lufthansa mileage programs for your award tickets. The latter adds mild fuel surcharges on Lot Polish (about $70), so it’s a very good option. The cost is 30k Lufthansa miles in economy and 55k miles in business class. Availability appears to be excellent in business class, at least from Chicago.

Krakow is also well connected to the rest of Europe, and many low-cost airlines fly here. Poprad airport (code TAT) in Slovakia is considerably closer to Zakopane, and you can get here  from London on certain days of the week. As always, I recommend Flighconnections.com website for up-to-date information on nonstop routes.

You don’t need a rental car as long as you stay in Zakopane town itself. I will say that renting a vehicle may be a good idea as long as you are comfortable driving in an unfamiliar area. However, it adds stress that we prefer to avoid when visiting Europe. Taxis are cheap here and there are various bus routes to popular landmarks.

We used ZakoTaxi company and contacted them via WhatsApp (see their Facebook page with all the info) when we needed a ride. I understand Polish a good bit, but the owner also speaks English, so you shouldn’t have any issues. Since we had seven people, we needed a minivan, and one was provided. A few times we had to wait for our drivers for 10 minutes or so, but it wasn’t a big deal. Our apartments were located about a mile from the center of town, so we ended up walking as long as the weather cooperated.

Our rental apartments 

Since I had to pay for two apartments for a week, price was a big factor. I’ve probably looked at a 100 listings before I settled on Apartamenty Skaldowie. We rented both of their two-bedroom apartments for about $92 per night each. It looks like they now cost $100 per night, which is still pretty good. Parking spot is included. The dates are not yet loaded for 2025, so keep that in mind.

The apartments were fairly basic, but had everything a typical family needs, including a small washing machine. There is no A/C (a rare amenity in Zakopane), but opening a window at night made for a comfortable sleep.  

The bed in the master bedroom was full-size, so my husband ended up using it (our son took the sofa). My daughter and I slept on twin beds in the second bedroom. A minor complaint: the curtains didn’t block all the light in the morning.

The fact that the location is on the outskirts of Zakopane is both good and bad. As mentioned earlier, it was a bit of a distance from the downtown. However, I really liked the village-like atmosphere.

We could hear flowing river from our balcony.

My relatives’ apartment was a bit smaller in size and located across the hall, which was very convenient. We cooked breakfasts and dinners, which saved us a good bit of money. All in all, for $92 per night during high season I can’t really complain. If we ever visit Zakopane again, I will likely rent the same place.

That said, if you have a bigger budget, staying closer to the center will be more convenient. Most two-bedroom apartments in Zakopane don’t cost more than $150 per night, and some have indoor pools and hot tubs. If you prefer hotels, Radisson Blu looks pretty good, but it was definitely outside of our budget considering the fact that we had to house seven people for a week and would need at least three rooms.

What we did in and around Zakopane

1) Exploring the main Krupowki street

This is a long drag with a bunch of stores and restaurants. I was surprised to find a cat cafe, which my kids ended up visiting four times. And at 5 bucks per person, why not?

There is a cute bridge with scenic views:

My sister

There is also a small mall that contains shops and various exhibits (extra cost):

My nerdy husband channeling his inner biker

My mom channeling her inner Barbie

That’s me channeling…something

2) Using Gubalowka funicular to get a bird’s eye view of surrounding mountains

It’s close to Krupowki street, and a must-do in Zakopane.

It costs about $13 roundtrip, quite cheap.

There are many restaurants at the top where you can enjoy beautiful vistas while eating traditional Polish food. Plan on spending at least $10 per person, and credit cards are widely accepted.

Make sure to go down the mountain at least once. I did!

3) Visiting Morskie Oko

Translated as the “Eye of the sea”, this is a stunningly beautiful spot that reminded me of Lake Louise in Canada.

We took a bus there and back from the main station in town, and it cost about $15 per person (I think?) and took half an hour. Once we got to the park, we had the option of walking 6 miles uphill to get to the lake or pay $20 per person to use a horse cart. Guess which option we chose?

Even then we still had to hike one mile uphill. Using the horse cart is a bit controversial and some consider it animal abuse. However, the horses looked very healthy and energetic to me, but I’m not an expert in the area. Paying eighty bucks (only four of us went) is a lot, but there is no way we could endure the long walk uphill. Though most people end up doing just that, and we even saw families with small kids.

There is a lodge by the lake where we had lunch while enjoying stunning views.

Seeing Morskie Oko did require effort and a good bit of money to boot. But I am very glad we went. My husband actually wanted to sit that one out and my sister insisted on him coming. He later thanked her for it. Do not miss if you like hiking, but be aware that the area is very crowded with visitors, especially on summer weekends when the weather is good. But it’s still worth it.

4) Visiting thermal pools

The most famous one is Chocholowskie Termy, located about 25 minutes from Zakopane. The 4-hour slot costs $20, which is a bargain. There are various slides for kids, and many pools to choose from. Be aware that the complex is extremely crowded with visitors, but it’s still a neat place to visit at least once. I didn’t take my phone with me, but  here is a screenshot from their website:

 

There was a lot of loud music and the place had a party-like atmosphere. Keep in mind that sauna areas in Poland (hotels included) are no-clothing and co-ed kind. No, we did not go.

It was interesting to visit this thermal complex once, but I don’t feel the need to go back. However, I really liked the smaller thermal pools in Zakopane itself. The complex wasn’t as fancy, but I prefer places that are more low-key. We loved the outdoor thermal pool with a gorgeous view of the mountains.

Final thoughts

Our week in Zakopane flew by, and we all felt like we could have easily spent a month there. I was so happy to provide this experience for my relatives, especially my 14-year old nephew who rarely gets to travel anywhere. With the political situation in Belarus deteriorating by the day, who knows when we will get the chance to see each other. My relatives had to spend 26 hours crossing the Polish border, but all agreed that Zakopane was worth it. And well, seeing me and the kids was the added bonus.

There are places in Europe that I’m glad to have visited but I don’t necessarily feel the urge to go back. Paris falls in that category. Zakopane is different. I feel like I’ve left a piece of my heart there. It’s hard to describe why I love it so much, as I’m sure there are more beautiful places in the world. Maybe it has something to do with being with my relatives, as well as the culture similar to Belarus? I couldn’t make it home, but we will always have Zakopane.