Why Poprad? It's a long way for a day trip from Krakow. Wouldn't Zakopane be a lot closer, unless you have special reasons?

I am considering Zakopane as well. I just thought since I would be in the general vicinity I would go to someplace in Slovakia. I will have four days in Krakow.

Ross

With only 4 days in Krakow I would not do more than one day trip, if that. Krakow has so much to offer and it's such a charming town that it's a shame to leave it.

Why do you want to go to Slovakia, especially as you have no particular destination in mind?

I enjoy visiting different countries. Seeing that I would be in the general area, I've given some thought to going to Slovakia, if even only for one day.

Ross

I'm sure you know that the first morning train from Krakow to Poprad takes about 8.5 hours.

Ostrava is in the Czech Republic and you can get there from Krakow in 5 hours or less.

If you really want to spend a day just to go to another country I suggest flying to Budapest or Prague for the day.

But I think this is a crazy idea since you really can't see much of a country in 1 day.

Are you just trying to get as many countries on your passport as possible? How much of a nation's culture can you appreciate from the inside of a train station?

I appreciate everyone's responses.

Please bear in mind that I'm a very experienced traveller that has been to approximately 45 countries over the past 30 years. It's not just to get a stamp in my passport. Agreed, you can't see very much of a country or it's culture in a day, but if that's all one can do for the moment or if it's what he/she chooses to do, then that should be left to the person asking the question.

Ross

Well, NY, I'll try to help.
Much of Slovakia looks much like Pennsylvania, except for the Tatras, which poke up out of the plain in a way similar to the Tetons. In that respect, while the Tatras are striking in their own way, they're only a small part of the country. But then, the rest of the country is somewhat unremarkable. Land is land, and looks much the same everywhere.

It's not an affluent country, having no silver mines as did the Czechs, no ores of note. In the last 10 years, some auto makers have taken advantage of the low wage base and constructed plants there. It struck me that SR didn't spring up economically the way CR did after 1990, and haven't done as much touristically. I suppose they needed some tourists to do that: chicken/egg.
The wooden churches in the east of SR were mildly interesting, but not a destination on the scale of Chartres, for example. Perhaps that encapsulates my vision of SR. A few mildly interesting things. The culture seems to be one of survival, as opposed to joie de vivre (sp?) of Provence.