Hi there guys, this is another one of those posts where I share the research that I have done for my trip with you, so if you happen to be heading to the same destination, then I would have spared you a lot of time looking up all this information online. I have recently returned from a skiing trip in Poland where I stayed at the resort town of Zakopane (well, just outside the town, but I was still in the general area) and it was so different from the other ski resorts that I have visited in other places so if you are considering skiing in Zakopane, then spending the next few minutes reading this piece would be very useful for you to plan your trip accordingly, so that you can make the most of your time in Zakopane.
Why go to Zakopane?
Zakopane is known as the winter sports capital of Poland, it is a small town of approximately 30,000 people, so it has a substantial town centre with loads to see and do. It is at the altitude of about 800m so it is high enough for snow in the Polish winters. There is plenty to see and do in the town from shopping to museums to activities for children to nice restaurants - you will get a taste of Polish mountain culture there and that's why people go there. A lot of ski resort towns are very small villages with limited options for dining or any other kind of activities apart from winter sports. On top of that, there is the presence of thermal springs in the areas, thus there are also a number of spas in Zakopane as well. Another reason to ski in Poland is that it is cheaper than places like Austria, France and Switzerland - everything is generally cheaper in Poland than in these Western European countries. Hence, this will make skiing far more affordable.
What are the nearest airports to Zakopane?
The nearest airport to Zakopane is actually in Poprad, Slovakia - followed by Krakow and Katowice. It is about 75 minutes drive from Poprad, 2 hours from Krakow and about 2.5 hours from Katowice. There is a train from Krakow central direct to Zakopane but it is very slow and takes about 4 hours, most people opt for the bus instead (or rent a car).
What is skiing in Zakopane like?
This is the very unusual thing about Zakopane - it isn't one ski resort but it is a region with a whole cluster of very small ski resorts and you can't actually ski from one resort to another. If you get tired of one resort, you would have to get in the car or the bus, travel a few miles down the road to the next ski resort before continuing - if that sounds inconvenient, then let me confirm that yes, it is extremely inconvenient indeed! This is why Zakopane is really more suitable for families and beginners - if you are a very experienced skier or snowboarder looking for more epic pistes that go on forever, then Zakopane is not for you. The best piste I found there was a ski run in Jurgow, which is a ski resort right on the border with Slovakia and it was just about long enough and steep enough for me to find it thrilling, but if you were in a much bigger resort in the Alps, that would be just one out of so many options whereas in Jurgow - this was the only one I found there.
How good is the skiing in Zakopane?
So if you're an expert, you're going to be disappointed. But if you are a beginner, then this is really ideal. The smaller ski resorts offer very cheap ski passes because of the tiny number of lifts available there and you can also get lessons from English speaking ski instructors at a fraction of the price that you would pay in Western Europe. Expert skiers tend to seek out the most epic mountains for their ski adventures and the mountains in Zakopane just aren't that high. Most resorts are sitting around 600 to 1200 meters which is relatively low actually. There is one higher resort Kasprowy Wierch which goes up to 1987 meters and that's the highest in Zakopane, but the skiing there is very limited - there are only two drag lifts there and a limited number of pistes. Being much higher means that you're more likely to get decent snow there, but the number of ski runs even at Kasprowy Wierch are limited. You could be unlucky like me - on my first day there, the weather at 1200 m was +4 degrees and rain. It was so miserable whereas if I had gone to a higher mountain that went up to 3000 meters, then the different in altitude would've been high enough to avoid such high temperatures that would always lead to poor skiing conditions. I was luckier on my next two days when the temperature did drop below zero, thus I had better conditions to enjoy the slopes at Jurgow. Furthermore, night skiing is offered at many ski resorts in Zakopane and that means you can ski till 8 pm, unlike many other resorts in Europe which close at around 4 or 4:30 pm.
Does one ski pass cover all the resorts in Zakopane or do I have to buy separate ones?
This is when it gets complicated as different ski resorts in the Zakopane region are run by different companies. Some companies run more than one reason, others simply have one or two. The biggest network is that of the Tatry Super Ski pass and there are smaller networks as well, make sure you decide which resorts in the area you want to go to as they may be run by different companies; thus two ski resorts less than two miles apart may be run by two different companies!
Which resorts are covered by the Tatry Super Ski pass?
You can find the full list of the Tatry Super Ski pass resorts here, but for example, you can have a two ski resorts right next to each other run by different companies. Szymoszkova and Gubałówka are less than 2 km from each other, yet they are run by different companies. The company that runs Gubałówka also runs Kasprowy Wierch (the highest resort in the Zakopane region) but they offer far fewer options than the Tatry Super Ski pass. If the weather conditions are good and there's plenty of snow, the Tatry Super Ski pass offers value for money. But if the weather conditions are poor (for example it is too warm and stubbornly stays above zero degrees), then it's not a good option as none of them are particularly high. If you're unlucky enough to encounter poor weather, then stick to Kasprowy Wierch. However, night skiing is not offered at Kasprowy Wierch and it shuts so ridiculously early in January at just 3 pm - it is hardly ideal, is it?
Do I need a rental car for Zakopane?
The short answer is yes, renting a car would make your life a lot easier to move from one resort to the other. You have less need for a car if you are just a beginner happy to base yourself at just one resort, so it all depends on your situation.
Where did you stay when you were there?
I got a very reasonably priced AirBNB unit just outside Zakopane, very near Syzmoszkoa - so I was about 3.5 km from central Zakopane. We had a rental car, so it was not a problem. It was quite a bargain as accommodation in Poland is always cheaper than in Western Europe. Alternatively, you could also pick a hotel a lot closer to the ski lifts, if you prefer.
Do the staff at the ski shops, restaurants, cafes etc in Zakopane speak English?
It varies a lot. Most speak some English, a few speak it fluently, I did encounter a number who just refused to even speak one word of English with me and expected me to speak to them in Polish (well thank goodness I do speak a little Polish).
Do you get a lot of tourists there or is it mainly locals?
It is mainly locals. The locals can see, oh we're gonna have nice weather this weekend, let's organize a trip to Zakopane or if they see the weather is going to be bad, then they can make other plans. It is a lot harder to plan all the flights, transport, accommodation in advance if you're travelling from the UK for example as the flights are cheaper when you book in advance but become more and more expensive as we approach the departure date. I booked it in advance and gambled - of the three days skiing I had there, the first day I had really terrible conditions, the second day was perfect and the last day was just about okay. During those three days, the locals can say, "it is raining, we'll go tomorrow instead when the weather will be better." Tourists who have booked everything in advance don't have that luxury. The quality of the skiing in Zakopane really varies as it is quite low at between 600m to 1200m - so one day you could have perfect conditions at -3 degrees and the next day the wind swings around to the south, you will have rain and +3 degrees, you'll be miserable, soaking wet and struggling in the wet snow. That won't happen in a ski resort in the Alps where you can simply say, tomorrow is a warmer day, we'll simply stay above 2500m so as to avoid the rain and wet snow. Zakopane simply isn't that high to give you that option and therefore you are dependent on luck to have good conditions for skiing.
Should I visit Zakopane for a ski holiday?
I think it depends on a few factors. If you're an expert skier/snowboarder, then this is not for you as I think you'll get bored with the small resorts very quickly. But if you combine it with a trip around the area encompassing Krakow, Katowice or even Ostrava in the Czech Republic or Zilina in Slovakia, then I think you can have some fun skiing if the conditions are good. If you are a beginner or if you are traveling there with young children who are beginners, then it would be absolutely ideal. Basically, if you want to make your holiday all about epic skiing, then head to the higher, bigger resorts in the Alps - don't come to Zakopane as you won't find what you're looking for here. But if you want to have a holiday with various different activities and skiing is just one of them, then by all means do the grand tour of Southern Poland and include a few days at Zakopane. So that's it from me on this topic, I hope you have found this information useful. Any questions for me about Zakopane or Poland that's what the comments section below is for and many thanks for reading.
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