I too am suffering from analysis paralysis and am hoping for some help here! My husband will be in Ostrow Wielkopolski, Poland, from late June until July 22nd when I will join him. From there we would like to accomplish the following -
2-3 days in Krakow, 3-4 days hiking in the High Tatras, 2-3 days in Bratislava, 3-4 days in Prague. Our flight home is on August 9th from Amsterdam, where we plan on spending the 2-3 days prior to departure.
It doesn't make sense to me to rent a car for the duration, given that we will not need it for the days in the big cities, nor when we are hiking and the extra fee for drop off in another city is quite high.
I've read some posts here by Ilja in Seattle, so I have some ideas regarding the Tatras (thank you Ilja) but would appreciate any insights regarding this itinerary from others who know the region. Especially hints regarding transportation!
Thanks
Posted by
Brooklyn, NY
4239 posts
Is there any particular reason you are allotting 2-3 days in Bratislava, such as hiking? Except for the Old Town, castle, and a few museums, there isn't anything else to warrant 2-3 days. We arrived one early afternoon, spent the night and left on a 3:00 bus the next day. It was plenty of time. They were even having a French festival for Bastille Day and we had enough time. I would add the extra time to either Kraków and/or Prague.
Posted by
OP
Eden, Utah
42 posts
Hi Barbara - I’m building in travel time. Thinking it will take most of a day to get to Bratislava from the Tatras and most of one day to get from Bratislava to Prague. So maybe I should replace “days” with “nights” in my proposed itinerary. I’m going to do some more research via Rome2Rio today so I’ll have a better idea of travel times.
Posted by
Brooklyn, NY
4239 posts
We went from Vienna to Bratislava by boat, a few hours. Then Bratislava to Budapest by bus, about 3 hours.
Posted by
Prague, Czech Republic
356 posts
We stayed at the Ginger Monkey in the Tatras last year and it was wonderful. It's a spectacular region and I am so glad you are going there. The accommodation style might not be for you, but they have a very handy Coming and Going page, explaining how to get to the Tatras on public transport. (Basically, Poprad is the hub).
You'll definitely be able to go Krakow - Tatras - Bratislava/Vienna - Prague on public transport. This is a good travel planner, just plug in your destinations.
Also, I am happy to recommend great tours in Bratislava, Amsterdam and Prague.
Posted by
OP
Eden, Utah
42 posts
Hi Marcus - thanks for the info and links! I've been reading more about the Tatras and am wondering if it makes sense to spend a couple of days/nights in Zakopane before heading down to the Slovakian side of the mountains. From what I have read it sounds like Zakopane and its trails can get pretty crowded. We don't really like hiking with a lot of other people so would be interested to know which side is less populated/touristy - and/or if there are other nearby regions with great hiking/scenery and few crowds.
And yes, please share your tour recommendations for Bratislava, Amsterdam, and Prague!
Posted by
Prague, Czech Republic
356 posts
I definitely enjoyed the walk we did from Zdiar and the Bialsanske Tatras more than the hike that we did in the more crowded High Tatras. We hiked "the Saddle" from Zdiar, which was amazing. There are more adventurous walks too - I would contact the accommodation in Zdiar and look for their recommendations. They have local knowledge.
Here are some recommendations for independent tour companies.
Posted by
OP
Eden, Utah
42 posts
Marcus,
Thanks for the additional info. I think making Zdiar our base for a few days will accomplish our objectives. It looks quieter than some of the other areas I’ve researched - especially Zakopane! I’ll be checking into your tour recommendations as well. Thanks for the help!