Prices and timetables checked on 23 September 2026. Polish rail timetables change every year in mid-December, so check your exact train before you travel.
- Bus: about 2 hours, 30 to 40 PLN (7 to 9 EUR), leaves every 20 to 30 minutes from the coach station next to Krakow Glowny.
- Train: 2 to 2.5 hours direct for 49 to 64 PLN (11 to 15 EUR), or 1 h 57 min on the daily Pendolino. No traffic, more room for luggage.
- From Krakow Airport: direct coach in about 2.5 hours, from about 30 PLN.
- Car: about 105 km, 1.5 to 2 hours on a clear road, much longer on winter weekends.
Zakopane has no airport, so almost everyone comes through Krakow. The distance is only about 100 km, but the last stretch is a single road into the mountains, and that road decides how long your trip takes. Below is what we tell our own guests when they ask how to reach us.
Bus, train or car: side by side
| Option | Time | Price (one way) | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bus from Krakow | about 2 h, 3 h in traffic | 30–40 PLN (7–9 EUR) | Weekdays, flexible plans |
| Train (Intercity) | 2 h to 2 h 35 | 49–67 PLN (11–16 EUR) | Weekends, winter, big luggage |
| Train (regional) | 3.5–4 h, many stops | from 26.50 PLN (6 EUR) | Lowest price, no hurry |
| Coach from the airport | about 2.5 h | from about 30 PLN | Landing at KRK by day |
| Private transfer | 1.5–2 h | 350–450 PLN per car (80–105 EUR) | Groups of 3–4, late flights |
| Car | 1.5–2 h | fuel and parking | Trips around the region |
By bus from Krakow
The bus is how most people do it. Coaches and minibuses leave from the MDA coach station (Małopolski Dworzec Autobusowy, ul. Bosacka 18), right next to the Krakow Glowny railway station and the Galeria Krakowska shopping centre. If you arrive in Krakow by train, you only have to walk across. Buses to Zakopane leave from the upper level. Szwagropol, the biggest operator on the route, uses stands G18 and G19.
On a clear road the ride takes about 2 hours. The main companies are Szwagropol, Majer Bus and FlixBus, and between them there is a departure roughly every 20 to 30 minutes for most of the day. A standard single with Szwagropol costs 37 PLN from 1 September 2026, and the others are in the same range.
Buying a ticket
- Online on the operator's website or on FlixBus. You can show the ticket on your phone.
- At the ticket office in the coach station.
- From the driver, if there are free seats. Keep some cash in złoty for this, in case the card reader is not working.
On summer weekends and during the winter holidays, buses fill up. Buy online if you are travelling on a Friday or Saturday, or if you have a large group.
The road from Krakow to Zakopane is one of the most jammed roads in Poland. On Friday afternoons, Saturday mornings, long weekends and anything in January or February, a 2 hour bus ride can take 3 hours or more. The worst part is the last stretch through Nowy Targ into Zakopane.
If you are travelling on one of those days, take the train, or leave Krakow before 8 in the morning.
By train from Krakow
The railway line to Zakopane has been modernised in recent years, and the train is now a real option rather than the slow scenic one. PKP Intercity runs 9 direct trains a day from Krakow Glowny, with two more in the high season. Most take between 2 hours 10 minutes and 2 hours 35 minutes.
Since December 2025 there is also a daily Pendolino, the fast Intercity train, which does the trip in 1 hour 57 minutes. In the current timetable it leaves Krakow at 17:00.
Train types, travel times and prices
Timetables show the type of train as a short code. Here is what each one means, how long it takes and what a standard second-class ticket costs (September 2026):
| Train type | Krakow → Zakopane | Price |
|---|---|---|
| EIP, Pendolino (fastest) | 1 h 57 min, one a day at 17:00 | 67 PLN (about 16 EUR) |
| EIC (express Intercity) | about 2 h 10 min | 64 PLN (about 15 EUR) |
| IC (Intercity) | 2 h 12 min to 2 h 32 min | 49 PLN (about 11 EUR) |
| TLK (Intercity, older trains) | 2 h 14 min to 2 h 35 min, one afternoon train 3 h 11 min | 49 PLN (about 11 EUR) |
| PR (regional, stops everywhere) | 3 h 30 min to 4 h | from about 26.50 PLN (about 6 EUR) |
For most people the IC or EIC trains are the sweet spot: close to the Pendolino's time for less money. The regional trains are cheap, but take almost twice as long.
Intercity sells cheaper promotional fares if you buy early, so the price on the day can be lower. Buy on intercity.pl, which has an English version, or in the Koleo app, which sells tickets for all Polish railways. Pendolino and EIC trains need a seat reservation, which comes with the ticket automatically.
On a weekday, the bus is fine and you do not need to plan. On a weekend or in winter, take the train. It is more comfortable, your suitcase has a proper rack, and you will not spend an hour standing still outside Nowy Targ.
From Krakow Airport (KRK)
You do not have to go into Krakow first. You have three sensible options:
- Direct coach. Several coaches a day, including FlixBus, go straight from the airport to Zakopane in about 2.5 hours. Tickets start at about 30 PLN if you book ahead. This is the simplest choice if your flight lands during the day.
- Train and then bus or train. The airport train runs to Krakow Glowny every 30 minutes and takes about 20 minutes. The platform is connected to the terminal. From Krakow Glowny, walk over to the coach station or change to a train to Zakopane. Allow about 3 to 3.5 hours in total.
- Private transfer. Door to door in 1.5 to 2 hours, for about 350 to 450 PLN per car. Split between three or four people, it costs little more than the bus.
If your flight lands late in the evening, check the time of the last direct coach before you book. When it has gone, a transfer or one night in Krakow is usually better than several changes in the dark.
By car
Zakopane is about 105 km from Krakow. Take the S7 expressway south to Rabka-Zdrój, then the DK47 through Nowy Targ to Zakopane. There are no tolls on this route. Without traffic it takes 1.5 to 2 hours. With traffic, see the tip above: the same rules apply.
Parking in central Zakopane is paid every day from 8:00 to 21:00, about 6 to 8 PLN for the first hour depending on the zone, and spaces are hard to find in season. If you stay with us, parking on our property is free.
A car is handy for trips outside Zakopane, but inside the town you will mostly leave it where it is. The road to Morskie Oko, for example, is closed to private cars at Palenica Białczańska, and the car park there must be booked online in season. Our Morskie Oko guide explains how to get there with or without a car.
When you arrive in Zakopane
The railway station and the bus station in Zakopane are in one place, on ul. Chramcówki, about 10 minutes on foot from Krupówki, the main street. Whichever way you travel, you get off at the same hub. Taxis wait outside, and local buses and minibuses to the cable cars and trailheads leave from the same spot.
Willa Storczyk is about 2.5 km from the station. If we are free at the time you arrive, we will collect you from the station and take you back at the end of your stay, at no charge. Tell us your arrival time when you book, or on WhatsApp at +48 607 312 972, and we will confirm.
From the house, the bus stop is 30 metres away, with buses straight to the Kasprowy Wierch cable car and the town centre. You will not need a car.
Day trip or a few nights?
Many people see Zakopane on a day trip from Krakow. It works, but think about the maths. Four to five hours of the day go on the road, and in winter it is dark by 4 in the afternoon. That leaves time for Krupówki and one cable car, and nothing for Morskie Oko, the valleys or the ridges, which is what the Tatras are really about.
If you can spare even one night, you get the mountains early in the morning, before the tour buses arrive, and the evening in town without watching the clock. We compare the two in Zakopane as a day trip from Krakow?
Questions we often get
How long does it take from Krakow to Zakopane?
About 2 hours by bus on a clear road, 2 to 2.5 hours by direct train, and just under 2 hours on the Pendolino. On busy days, allow 3 hours by bus or car.
Can I buy the bus ticket on board?
Yes, from the driver, as long as there are free seats. On weekends and in the holidays it is safer to buy online.
Is there a direct bus from Krakow Airport to Zakopane?
Yes, several a day, including FlixBus. The trip takes about 2.5 hours.
Which is cheaper, bus or train?
The regional train is the cheapest at about 26.50 PLN, but it takes 3.5 to 4 hours. The bus, at 30 to 40 PLN, is usually cheaper than an Intercity train at 49 to 67 PLN, unless you catch an early promotional fare.
Do I need Polish złoty?
For online tickets, no. For paying the driver, small shops, mountain huts and the toilets at the trailheads, carry some cash in złoty. Euros are not accepted in most places.
Willa Storczyk · Zakopane
A wooden guest house, 2.5 km from the station
Family-run rooms from 100 PLN (about 23 EUR) per person per night, with free parking and a bus stop at the gate. We pick you up from the station when we can.
Check availability