icygreg

We are picking up a car in Krakow at 9AM on a Monday in July and will return it Thursday early morning (3 nights.)

Our plan is to leave Krakow at about 10AM and tour Auschwitz, visit the Salt Mines and then drive directly to Zakopane where we have accomodations for 2 nights. Now I am wondering if that's too much. Has anyone done this all in 1 day? I'm wordering if we should try to find accomodations near Auschwitz for the night and drive to Zakopane the following day and spend only 1 night there. Thanks

LindaW

It takes about an hour to go from Krakow to Auschwitz, which would get you there about 11. You need several hours for Auschwitz and Birkenau (it is just a few kilometers away and worth the visit), then back an hour to the Salt Mines. The tours there last until about 5:30 (or did when I was there). The drive to Zakopane is about two hours so is doable. Part would depend on what you want to do in Zakopane and whether you need those extra hours.

icygreg

Thank you LindaW. I think we will pick up our car earlier so we can make sure to have enough time at Auschwitz, Birkenau and the mines. It will be a busy day, but then we can relax a bit and do some hiking in Zakopane.

AAFrequentFlyer

Did you make amistake? In your first post you said that you will have the car from Monday morning through Thursday morning (3 nights), but then you said that you have 2 nights reservation in Zakopane. If you do have an extra night, I would suggest Auschwitz/Birkenau for a whole day (a very sombering experience), get a hotel near the salt mines, do it in the morning on Tuesday and drive to Zakopane in the late morning/early afternoon for you 2 nights stay there.

MaryZ

Perhaps it was an over-reaction on my part, but after visiting Auschwitz/Birkenau, I wouldn't have wanted to stay nearby overnight.

nrwayne

Sounds like what we're planning to do, but over a longer period of time. We pick up our car in Krakow at 8 a.m. in early July, then drive to Zakopane for two nights, returning to Krakow late afternoon two days later. Then in Krakow for four nights, planning to spend at least a halfday at Auschwitz and a few hours at the salt mines. Glad we don't have to rush.

blackdogphoto

I would also not reccomend staying the night near Asuhwitz in Oscwiciem.

We just just went 3 weeks ago. We watched the 10am English movie and toured by ourselves. Get the English guide/brochure ($2). Spent about 1 1/2 hours at Aushwitz. Had lunch nearby (one of the cafes across the street).

Drove to Birkenau (watch the signs- we missed the turn). Birkenau is so massive- but you have to go up into the guard tower at the entrance to get a spacial sense of the place. Walk all the way out to the memorial and crematorium. VERY MOVING. We were there until 2PM.

I do not know how you could see the Salt Mines in the same day. The guided tours at Aushwitz- Birkenau last around 4-5 hours.

You will be emotionally zapped after Aushwitz/Birkenau.

We loved Krakow so much that we skipped the mines. You should spend one night in Krakow and enjoy the largest town square in Europe.

julies

To throw something else in the hopper. The slat mines are fascinating, so don't skip them. I felt that Auschwitz was overly sanitized considering what happened there, but very moving nonetheless. It is the one place on our travels where I did not take any photos. I just did not feel it would be appropriate. We were very very disappointed in Zakopane. Perhaps it was the time of year--peak season in August. We have done much better hiking in the US. The streets were so jam packed with people it was like looking at those pictures of a main street in a third world country. I don't think we would revisit. We had also spent 3 days at a much more low key mountain resort in Sklarskla Poblana (sp??) which we much preferred.

PeterB

Julies: Sounds like you really did no prep yourself for zakopane... and just visited very common paths in center and around center and in peak season. Similar is the case with Grand Canyon ;-)

Anyway Zakopane has a lot of trails from easy a simple to hard and very long ...
http://www.dlament.republika.pl/Tatry_P/pol1.htm
http://dlament.republika.pl/Tatry2002/strona2.htm

it also has few lifts to some real nice areas... Every single newspaper stand has trail maps in many languages ... also note that a lot of the trails can be reached by passanger vans or buses which charge around $1 for a trip. Just have your map handy and point. Lift to Kasprowy Wierch is a nice trip - popular - but cable car takes you really high for some nice views... there is no parking right next to the cable car entrance - but again lttle bus will take you there. Line sometimes seems scary... but it moves fast since cable cars are good size and go often. "Morskie Oko" is another very popular desination (salt lake surounded by mountains), but again drop some cash for horse buggy to take you up the trail and then easy walk down. "Gubalowka" is another very popular desination ... good vor a nice break to have a beer / coffee or picnic with a great view of tatry... Those do get packed esspecially during season...
Longer and bit less busy paths are to ie. "Dolina Chocholowska" 10km west from Zakopane North area of "Siwa Polana" is were you can start you hike either by parking your car in parking lot at the enterence or by taking a little bus to "Dolina Chocholowska" ... in summer they have mountain bikes rentals setup at the entrence and on top... rent your bike on top and return at the enterence - since going up you be pushing it a lot Get some food and water for this hike since it's will take few hours or more if you take side trips - and there are quite few of them. http://www.chocholowska.zakopane.pl/polozenie.htm

Near Dolina Chocholowska there is another nice trail "Dolina Ko?cieliska" which is I think bit longer and bit more difficult (but again nothing crazy. http://republika.pl/tatry_zdjecia/tatry/koscieliska.htm
http://kryfir.w.interia.pl/fot%20kosciel.html
When looking at trail maps - black trails are most difficult ... and those do need for you be in shape adventurus as well as prepared ...

Here is a list of trails - just to give you some idea... http://republika.pl/tatry_zdjecia/tatry/wykaz.htm

Here is a listing of some license Tatry Guides : http://www.kpt.zakopane.pl/cgi/przew.php

Topic is so huge I'll stop now ;-)
Enjoy Zakopane and Tatry the right way ;-)