Checked in September 2026. Written by the family that runs Willa Storczyk, a guest house in Zakopane.
- Money: Polish złoty (PLN). Cards work almost everywhere, but carry some cash for minibuses, mountain huts and stalls. Euros are rarely accepted.
- Sundays: most shops are closed on most Sundays. In the rest of 2026 the exceptions are 6, 13 and 20 December.
- City bus: 6 PLN a ride, paid by card or coins at the machine on board. Minibuses to the valleys: cash to the driver.
- Tipping: about 10% in restaurants if you were happy. Saying dziękuję as you hand over the money means "keep the change".
- Tap water is safe to drink.
- Emergency: 112 for everything, 985 for mountain rescue.
Money: cash or card?
Poland uses the złoty (PLN), not the euro. One euro is roughly 4.3 PLN. Contactless card and phone payments are normal in shops, restaurants, cable cars, thermal baths and even on city buses. You will still need some cash for:
- private minibuses to Morskie Oko, the valleys and the villages (pay the driver),
- horse carts and sleighs,
- mountain huts, where the card reader depends on the signal,
- market stalls, the smoked-cheese sellers on Krupówki and some public toilets.
About 100 to 200 PLN in cash per person for a few days is usually plenty. Euros are accepted only in a few tourist shops, at a poor rate.
ATMs: use cash machines that belong to a bank (for example PKO BP or Pekao). Stand-alone machines from private operators, common on busy streets, often charge high fees.
Conversion: when a card terminal or ATM offers to charge you in your home currency, always choose PLN. The "convenient" conversion comes with a bad exchange rate.
Sundays and public holidays
This one surprises almost every visitor. Poland has a Sunday trading ban: supermarkets, shopping centres and most shops are closed on most Sundays. Only a few Sundays a year are trading Sundays; in the rest of 2026 they are 6, 13 and 20 December.
What stays open on Sundays: restaurants and cafés, pharmacies (some), petrol stations, bakeries and small shops where the owner serves, which often includes small convenience stores such as Żabka. Tourist attractions, cable cars and thermal baths run as normal.
Public holidays in the coming months, with shops closed:
| Date | Holiday |
|---|---|
| Sunday 1 November 2026 | All Saints' Day. Cemeteries fill with candles in the evening; worth a quiet visit. |
| Wednesday 11 November 2026 | Independence Day |
| Thursday 24 – Saturday 26 December 2026 | Christmas Eve and Christmas. With Sunday the 27th, shops are closed four days in a row. |
| Friday 1 January 2027 | New Year's Day |
| Wednesday 6 January 2027 | Epiphany |
If you arrive on a Saturday evening or just before a holiday, buy what you need for the next day on the way.
Getting around
- City buses (MPK Zakopane): a single ride costs 6 PLN (3 PLN reduced), a 24-hour ticket 12 PLN, a 3-day ticket 22 PLN and a family ticket for two adults and up to five children 25 PLN for 24 hours. Buy from the machine on board by card or coins, from machines at some stops, or in an app. Buses go to Kuźnice (the Kasprowy Wierch cable car), Krupówki and the Gubałówka funicular.
- Private minibuses (busy) run from the bus station to Morskie Oko, the Kościeliska and Chochołowska valleys, Bukowina and Białka. Pay the driver in cash; they leave when full or on a rough timetable.
- Taxis wait at the station and near Krupówki. Agree the price or check the meter before you set off.
- By car: central Zakopane is a paid parking zone every day from 8:00 to 21:00, and Kuźnice and the Morskie Oko road are closed to private cars.
Our guides to getting here from Krakow and to Morskie Oko go into more detail.
In the mountains
- Park ticket: entry to the Tatra National Park costs 11 PLN per day (5.50 PLN reduced, free under 7). One ticket covers all trails that day. It is included in the Kasprowy Wierch cable car ticket.
- Trails are closed at night: from dusk to dawn between March and November, and from 22:00 to 5:00 between December and February.
- Weather: in summer, thunderstorms often build in the early afternoon. Start early and aim to be off the ridges by 14:00. Check the forecast on tpn.gov.pl.
- Footwear: trainers are fine for the Morskie Oko road and the valleys. Anything higher needs proper walking boots.
- Bears live in the Tatras. They avoid people, but never feed them, keep food packed away, and do not leave the marked trails.
- No dogs in the national park, and no drones without permission.
Food, tipping and water
- Oscypek is the famous smoked sheep's cheese, sold from stalls all over town, often grilled with cranberry sauce. The real, protected oscypek is made from sheep's milk only from May to September; outside that season, most of what you see is a similar smoked cheese made with cow's milk. Both taste good.
- Try kwaśnica (sour sauerkraut soup with pork ribs), placki po góralsku (potato pancakes with goulash) and a slice of szarlotka (apple cake) in a mountain hut.
- Tipping: around 10% in sit-down restaurants when the service was good; it is usually not added to the bill. Be careful with the word dziękuję ("thank you") while handing over money: it means you do not want change back.
- Tap water is safe to drink. Refill your bottle before you set off.
- Tourist tax: Zakopane charges a small local fee per night, usually collected by your accommodation. At Willa Storczyk it is already included in the price.
Phone and internet
With a SIM card from an EU country, you use your normal allowance in Poland at no extra cost. Mobile signal is good in town but patchy in the deeper valleys and behind the ridges. Near the Slovak border your phone may connect to a Slovak network; inside the EU that costs nothing extra, but check your plan if your SIM is from outside the EU. Download maps and save tickets on your phone before you go into the mountains.
Emergency numbers
| Number | What for |
|---|---|
| 112 | General emergency number, all services, English spoken |
| 985 or +48 601 100 300 | TOPR, the Tatra mountain rescue service |
| 999 | Ambulance |
| 997 | Police |
Before you go hiking, install Ratunek, the official mountain rescue app. In an emergency it sends rescuers your exact position.
A few Polish words
Younger people in shops and restaurants usually speak English, older people less so. A few words go a long way:
| Polish | Sounds like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Dzień dobry | jen DOB-ri | Hello, good day |
| Dziękuję | jen-KOO-yeh | Thank you |
| Proszę | PRO-sheh | Please / here you are |
| Przepraszam | psheh-PRA-sham | Excuse me, sorry |
| Rachunek, proszę | ra-HOO-nek PRO-sheh | The bill, please |
| Szlak | shlak | Trail |
Questions we often get
Can I pay by card in Zakopane?
Yes, almost everywhere, including city buses, cable cars and thermal baths. Carry some cash in złoty for private minibuses, horse carts, mountain huts and market stalls.
Are shops open on Sunday in Zakopane?
Most are not. Poland has a Sunday trading ban, and only a few Sundays a year are trading days (in late 2026: 6, 13 and 20 December). Restaurants, pharmacies, petrol stations and small owner-run shops are usually open.
Can I pay with euros?
Rarely, and at a poor rate. Use złoty, by card or cash.
Is the tap water safe to drink?
Yes. Tap water in Zakopane is safe to drink.
What is the emergency number in the mountains?
985 or +48 601 100 300 for TOPR, the mountain rescue service, or 112. Install the Ratunek app before hiking.
Willa Storczyk · Zakopane
Ask us anything before you come
Family-run rooms from 100 PLN (about 23 EUR) per person per night, tourist tax included, free parking and a bus stop at the gate. Write to us on WhatsApp in English.
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