Getting around
How to arrive, move around town, and reach the trailheads without unnecessary hassle.
Most people arrive from Kraków by bus or minibus, since the road connection is straightforward and services run frequently through the day. Trains also run to a terminus right next door to the bus station, so whichever you choose you end up in the same part of town. From either station, the centre is a short walk downhill, mostly along a direct route that is hard to get wrong even without a map.
- The town centre is compact, and walking beats driving almost every time once you are actually in Zakopane.
- Local buses and minibuses reach Kuźnice, the main valley entrances and Morskie Oko, and are generally the easiest way to get to a trailhead without a car.
- Parking in the centre and at popular trailheads is limited and fills early on weekends and in high season.
If you are driving in from further afield, it is worth deciding in advance whether you actually need the car once you arrive. Many visitors leave it at their accommodation for the whole stay and rely on buses and their own legs, which avoids the worst of the parking search entirely.
Zakopane Bus Station
This is where buses and minibuses from Kraków arrive, only a short walk from the centre of town.
Zakopane Train Station
This railway terminus sits right next door to the bus station, marking the literal end of the line.
Parking, Kuźnice
This is the main car park for the Kuźnice trailheads and the Kasprowy Wierch cable car.
Local tip
On busy weekends, leaving the car in town and taking a bus to the trailhead is genuinely faster than queueing for a parking space that may not exist by the time you get there.
See prices