Private driver - Zakopane
 

Hi...has anyone ever gotten a private driver from Wroclaw to Zakopane? The train is 6 hours but a personal driver is only 4 hours and I thought it might be more comfortable and fun to have someone to tell about the history as we drive. Can anyone recommend how to book a private driver? Also wondering, if we don't have a car while in Zakopane, how do we get to the hikes that we would like to do? Thank you.

It would help to know which hikes you want to do.

I've never been to Zakopane before so I'm not really sure. I would guess the most popular hikes, if that helps.

It doesn't.
For the most popular ones follow the mob.

ul. Krupówki 12 houses the local PTTK office, probably best source of info about hiking trails in the Zakopane area.
As a rule, most trails are set up to begin in the center of towns or near major transportation hubs.
Oddzia? Tatrza?ski PTTK ? Strona po?wi?cona dzia?alno?ci Oddzia?u Tatrza?skiego PTTK w Zakopanem

When I was there a few years ago there were minibuses running from the main bus terminal in Zakopane.

Form the main area of Zakopane you can take a cable car (reserve in advance!) up to the the border with Slovakia and hike along the ridge trail from there. The hike can be as long or short as you want. For other hikes there is a pretty good system of shuttle buses. Check at the tourism office.

https://gorskim-szlakiem.pl/gubalowka/

Google translate does a good job
Especially recommend the warnings about the scamming locals along the way.

Thanks for the hiking information and getting around Zakopane. Has anyone ever taken a private driver from Wroclaw to Zakopane instead of the train?

I never have and never will but the road from Kraków to Zakopane is notorious for traffic jams.
A four hour trip can easily take twelve.

Again, Google "translate to English" work well enough.
https://www.nocowanie.pl/korki-na-za...h-uniknac.html

I drove form Krakow to Zakopane, and it took about an hour longer than anticipated. There is only one road that goes there. I recommend going very, very early in the day.

I appreciate the information. We'll be going from Krakow to Wroclaw, then Wroclaw to Zakopane and finishing our travels back in Krakow. Thinking train is the best way to go.

That's a difficult itinerary if you have to start and end in Krakow for some reason as they are in opposite directions. I know LOT flies nonstop to Warsaw from Chicago, not just Krakow, I would do that instead myself. I like Warsaw and you can actually spend less time on a train from Warsaw to Wroclaw than from Krakow. Warsaw may not be as quaint in parts as those cities, but it has some fantastic museums and historic sites, at least if you are interested in Polish and WWII history.

I would fly into Warsaw, train to Wroclaw, then go to Krakow/Zakopane. I guess you have to go to Zakopane for some reason and somehow don't need a car there.

Train nonstop from Warsaw to Wroclaw is only 4 or 4.4 hrs. YOu could stop over in Krakow then a day or so before Zakopane, or all your time there, but then you'd have to do a one nighter if you want to fly home from there, somehow. Or just make that your Wroclaw-Zakopane trip if you are going to do it anyway. I just wouldn't do that long train trip between Krakow and Wroclaw twice myself. Warsaw-Wroclaw-Zakopane-Krakow ending would be better to me than Krakow-Wroclaw-Zakopane-Krakow.

I wouldn't count on a private driver, not only will it be expensive and time consuming (if you can even find one) but you are presuming they will be multilingual fluently and a good tour guide, which would make it more difficult to find. And that trip means they would have to spend their own 4-5 hrs getting back to Wroclaw or something. So really expensive. Maybe you are pretty fluent in Polish, though so that wouldn't be a problem.

I know nothing about this site but it says it will do that trip for about 325 euro. Not being a tour guide, though, just a driver.

https://mydaytrip.com/all-routes

This is very helpful! Yes, we are definitely going to Zakopane to visit family that live just outside of town.

I actually think Warsaw - Wroclaw - Zakopane - Krakow is more time on the train versus Krakow - Wroclaw - Zakopane - Krakow plan. Although I really like the idea of seeing Warsaw. We have a direct flight into Krakow from Chicago but we stop in Warsaw on the way home.

We've definitely decided that we'll use the train to get around. No private driver.

Thank you!

Would the family be happy to drive you around ?
(Since I have family in Poland, don't know how I managed to type this without laughing...)

take a train
 

As others have mentioned - best way to Zakopane is by using a train. There is one mountain road leading to Zakopane that also allows trucks - 4 hours be very optimistic!!! and then the hired driver be asking to cover his hotel. Train/bus station in Zakopane is 5 minutes walk from the center - also there you have taxies etc - to connect to other parts. In Zakopane - check Gubalowka ( tram takes you from center to the top ), also Kasprowy Wierch - again tram takes you to the top ... nice trail is to Morkie Oko ... where you can walk with all others or take a horse carriage to or from it.
Trail maps are all over the place in many languages, trails are also nicely marked - and colors decode their difficulty. Follow suggestions of locals depending on season ( to avoid anything from bears to avalanches or other difficulties on SPECIFIC trails ). Definitely try local cuisines and smoked cheese ( oscypki ) sold by street vendors... and if you think you got some frost bite or just upcoming cold or maybe ate something not too fresh then ask for Highlanders Tea ( Herbata po Goralsku ) - Tea with a kick - which should be made with spirytus and NOT just vodkaA