suggestions for an itinerary for 7-10 days in Slovakia as in which direction to go without having to backtrack too much. Flying into Vienna end of September and fly out krakow. Meeting friend coming in from Prague- where shall we meet? Would like to use public transportation but willing to do car rental to get to small towns. Interested in seeing Trstená and Oravsky Bieli potok area (ancestors) kosice, banska stlavnica, train to high Tatras, do some hikes, wooden churches. Would like to take a bus or train to krakow. Does this sound like too much for my time ?. Would rather stay in one spot for 2-3 nights and take day trips if possible. Appreciate any suggestions!
Posted by
Chicago
575 posts
A nice town I visited in 2022 is Levoca, Slovakia (wiki page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Levo%C4%8Da). I stopped there as part of a Rick Steves tour that encompassed Czechia, Poland, Hungary, Croatia, Slovenia as well as Slovakia. Our group stopped in Levoca to picnic and then moved on. I wish we had stayed a night: It was beautiful! Levoca is UNESCO listed as a world heritage site. It's in the east-central part of Slovakia. Most of the old city wall is still standing. The church and town square are stunning.
Our group passed through the Tatras as we moved from Poland to Slovakia: The Tatras are definitely worth seeing and staying in. Levoca is at the base for the Tatras, but there are probably other good towns to stay in in Poland or Slovakia. However, the Slovak side seemed more picturesque.
Your plan for seven to 10 days in Vienna, Slovakia and Krakow sounds reasonable. I stayed in Krakow for three days as part of the tour. I also saw Krakow on my own in 2015, also for three days. It's another great town worth visiting.
Posted by
Chicago
575 posts
As an addendum, a good base for the Tatras on the Poland side is Zakopane (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zakopane). Skiers and hikers use Zakopane as a base. Our tour bus went through there.
Posted by
Fortina, Nebraska, USA
17 posts
I’d like to start planning a trip to this area. Does anyone have concerns about the war in Ukraine being so close?
Posted by
Magyarország / Rep of Texas
20780 posts
Susan, no.
tadamcak, with 10 days I would just put together a train tour.
Banska Bystrica is also worth the stop if you can work it in.
Google Slovakia Castles and marvel at how many there are; and how beautiful.
The Štrbské Pleso area is pretty wonderful too.
Posted by
27 posts
We have not used the trains in Slovakia very much, we have rented cars at Bratislava airport....very reasonable. Use Budget. This will give you more flexibility. You can get to the Bratislave airport by bus or train/uber from Vienna. We typically fly out of Vienna. This is a great trip, you may want to visit Trencin Castle, Orava Castle (one of our favorites) They usually have english tours daily. Definitely the High Tatras. Also Spis Castle. There is a huge fair in Kezmarok the first weekend in July. Worth planning around if that's your time frame.
You can easily spend several days in Krakow. (also a favorite of ours) Stay within or near the old city. Spend time walking and enjoying it. Visit the Jewish quarter, Salt mine, Schindler's museum, and Auschwitz. (Do not visit here on your last day) My feeling is everyone needs to experience this.
Do not worry about the war. We have been many weeks in Slovakia the last several years and are planning to go back this summer for a few to visit friends. Its a beautiful country with great food and a wonderful culture.
Good luck,