If you’re looking for a budget-friendly, public transport mountain escape, you need to check out Zakopane in the Polish Tatras. This wonderful ski town is becoming a popular choice for affordable snow holidays, but in the summer months, it’s also a fantastic hiking destination.
It’s rare that a mountain destination has incredible public transport links, so Zakopane stands out among the crowd. Not only does it have trains and buses directly into the town, but they’re also well linked up to budget-friendly airports.
Getting from Krakow Airport to Zakopane
The closest airport to Zakopane is Krakow Airport. It’s anywhere from two hours and 40 minutes to just over three hours, depending on the route you take. If you time it right, there are direct Flixbuses from Krakow Airport to Zakopane. In advance, they can cost as little as £7 one-way, or the day before they can be up to £17.
If you don’t time it right, don’t worry. Hop on the train or bus into Krakow city centre, and you can pick up a range of buses from the central bus station. You can find FlixBus, Majer, and MaxBus options that all go direct to Zakopane in little over two hours.
The Krakow to Zakopane train is a little slower. Depending on the route, it’s anywhere from two hours to four hours. It’s a picturesque train, but the faster trains are often double the price of the bus, and the slower trains take almost twice the time.
Getting around Zakopane on public buses
The cheapest and most straightforward way to get around Zakopane is on the public buses. We stayed just outside the city centre in Olcza, and there was a bus stop going straight into town at the bottom of the road.
We were in the shoulder season, so the buses weren’t super regular. In the peak season, most run every 15 minutes into Zakopane town. On our route, we could get to Zakopane city centre and go directly to Kuznice, which is where a lot of the hikes go from.
As of June 2026, the prices for one-way journeys are single tickets 6 PLN or £1.20, 60-minute tickets 8 PLN or £1.60, 24-hour 12 PLN or £2.40, 3-day 22 PLN or £4.30 and 7-day 40 PLN or £7.80. You can pay by card on the public buses, and there are ticket machines onboard and at the bus stops, and you need to validate your ticket onboard.
Zakopane’s minibuses
Another popular mode of transport around Zakopane is the minibus. You’ll see these in Zakopane city centre and in the car parks of the popular trailheads or tourist destinations. Essentially, they’re shared buses that will leave when they’re full.
They’re super cheap – we used one to get from Morskie Oko trailhead (Palenica Białczańska) to Zakopane, which is a 50-minute drive, and it cost just 15 PLN or £3 each. Considering there’s no official public bus, this is a bargain. On the way up, we got a Bolt taxi, and it was around £25 split between five of us.
The most important thing to know is the minibuses only accept cash. There is no way to pay by card for these shuttles. Make sure you have small denominations of zloty to hand.
Using Bolt in Zakopane
While Uber does exist in Zakopane, it’s limited, and everyone uses Bolt. It’s cheaper, and you’ll get picked up a lot quicker. If you’re in a group, like we were, it was often slightly cheaper or about the same price to fill up a taxi to head to the city centre, rather than waiting around for the bus.
You download the app, same as you would with Uber, add your payment information, and it’s all set up. We did have one instance where we had to switch drivers halfway because one had a previous fare to take care of, which felt a little rogue, but it was all fine, and nothing extra was charged, and we got to the destination safe and sound.
Overall, it was great, and there are plenty of larger cars on the app, which is perfect for larger hiking or skiing groups of friends.
FAQs about exploring Zakopane by public transport
If you’re still unsure about how to explore Zakopane by public transport, here are some quick frequently asked questions to help!
Is it expensive to get around Zakopane on public transport?
No, it’s not expensive to get around Zakopane on public transport. Single rides on public buses cost £1.60, and a minibus for an almost hour-long ride costs less than a coffee.
Is public transport regular in Zakopane?
Public transport is pretty regular in Zakopane, from the city centre. From the suburbs, it’s slightly less regular. A lot of the time it’s every 15 minutes to popular spots like the city centre or Kuznice. Due to the overlapping routes, sometimes there can be two buses in 10 minutes and nothing for the next 40 minutes. Check on Google Maps for live transport times and the best bus number to catch.
Are there trains to Zakopane?
Yes, there is a train to Zakopane. However, this goes from Zakopane to Krakow and doesn’t really help you get around the local area. For that, you need to use the buses, minibuses, or Bolt taxis.
Do they have Uber in Zakopane?
Yes, they have Uber in Zakopane, but Bolt is cheaper and quicker. More drivers use Bolt as it’s more recognisable in Europe, versus Uber which is more of a thing in the US and UK. So, if you want a cheaper, quicker pickup, download Bolt before you go.
Do the minibuses in Zakopane take credit cards?
No, the minibuses in Zakopane do not take credit cards; they only accept cash. Public buses in Zakopane accept credit cards and contactless payments.
