The most convenient way to get to Zakopane is a transplant in Krakow.
There are several trains to Krakow - both from Ukraine and from Russia, and some of them go through Krakow passage.
If you are already on the territory of Poland, then almost from any major city can easily get to Krakow (in an exceptional case, you may have to make a transplant in Warsaw).
From Warsaw to Krakow from 8:00 to 20:00 each hour, trains express are departed, which go to the cultural capital of Poland without stopping (the time spent on the way about 2 hours and 40 minutes). And already in Krakow to make a significant transplant to the train to Zakopane.
It is convenient to worry about where and how to purchase a ticket to Krakow to Zakopane is not necessary. At the box office of any Polish railway station, you have the opportunity to buy tickets for the entire route. There you will be given one shared ticket to your hands, as well as individual tickets for each of the trains you will get.
For the convenience of passengers at the station there are reference points where you can find out the type of train and the wagon class, which depends on the ticket costs and the time of staying along the way.
Respectively, From Krakow in Zakopane can also come by train . So-called, ordinary trains. Only here one feature, which I personally can not understand. This is a funny distance between the two cities of 109 kilometers the train overcomes approximately for 4 hours ! This is something out of a series of outgoing ...
But there is an exception. These are branded speed trains that cope with the distance from Krakow to Zakopane for just 3 hours! But only two "fast" trains are only two, the first goes at 6:30 (No. 33121), the second - at 10:31 (No. 33123).
I find it difficult to answer why they go for so long. Looking at the schedule you can see that stopping along the path of the following and the time of the parking on them from 1 to 3 minutes. It is not clear, in general.
I read that before the Second World War from Krakow in Zakopane, a truly fast train, which was required at a given distance of just 2 hours.
It should be noted that there are 2 direct trains in Zakopane from Warsaw (in the peak of the season are usually appointed even additional). But they are not very comfortable.
One train night. His number is 13209. He leaves from Warsaw at 23:00, does about 40 stops along the way (you can hardly sleep at night hardly) and arrives in Zakopane almost at 8:30 am. Total time on the way is more than 9 hours.
The second train (EX 13401) is more speedy, leaves Warsaw at 8:00 and arrives in Zakopane at about 13:45. Agree, more convenient. But this train is not everyday. He walks only on Saturdays and Sundays, as well as from June 9 to September 12 (I will not say why it is in these dates).
Next option. If you arrived in Krakow by train, no matter how paradoxically sounds, From Krakow in Zakopane It is most convenient to go through the bus.
But first you need to get out of the train in Krakow. For more than ten years, all expressions arriving in Krakow stop at two stations. The first is called "Krakow Centralny" (Krakow Centralny), followed by stopping "Krakow Plaszow). It is important to confuse anything and exit on the first stop.
Right at the building station "Krakow Central" is a bus stop. Transportation of passengers is carried out by two private lines: Frej (Free) and Szwagropol (Schwagropol). You will be offered a place to travel to Zakopane on comfortable long-distance buses, including a baggage compartment.
Buses depart about once a hour (the schedule hangs at the bus stop).
The fare is approximately 10-15 zł, tickets must be purchased from the driver.
Opposite the railway station building is the bus station (such a small white house - you will see). There you can take the buses of PKS state lines. The cost of tickets for travel is exactly the same as private lines.
Go to Zakopane about two hours (slightly more). Motion speed depends, as a rule, from the load of the highway. For example, at the weekend or on the days of national holidays on the road can be formed by traffic jams. Also in some places there are road repair work, while all the vehicles are allowed only on one lane (in turn from each direction), which leads to real reasons. But compared with the speed of local trains, it's all the little things. Interestingly, along the way along the road there are electronic information board, on which an approximate time of movement is highlighted to the resort from this scoreboard.
I prefer to get in Zakopane from Krakow On her car (Since usually traveling to his car).
Moreover, if you are driving in Zakopane from the Polish border, there is no need to travel to Krakow at all. The road goes on a sign, turning from the highway in the area of Village, not reaching Krakow 5-7 kilometers.
After you move from the autobah, you fall on the road that the local is called "Zakopanka". In principle, it is impossible to get lost there, since the central road is qualitatively different from secondary adjoining. Yes, and pointers along the whole path are quite enough. The new road passes through the city of Nowy Targ (Novy Targ). I am talking to that, in one place, you can accidentally "roll out not there" and go along the old road, which is very winding and goes high in the mountains. This is a real mountain serpentine and part-time extreme. During the day there, although picturesque, but really scary. I'm already silent about the fog. But there is a plus: the machines are much smaller, but also more restrictions, because more settlements on the way.
Time on the way by car from Krakow is not much different from the passage by bus - about 2 hours. This is really what you need to count on.
You can try to drive faster than road signs allow, but it may be fraught, since in many settlements a photo-fixing camera has been installed, and the police officers also are not at all uncommon! Therefore, I do not recommend violating.
Aircraft Fly in Zakopane will not work in any way due to the lack of airport. The nearest Polish airport is located in Krakow, and the nearest airport from the point of view is in Slovak Poprad (about 70 km).