Doesn’t it make more sense to change the order? Kosice to Budapest is an easy 3 hour train trip, then take an overnight train (or look for a cheap flight) from Budapest to Krakow. Use the German rail website for schedules anywhere in Europe. http://reiseauskunft…

Kosice to Krakow is a 9 to 11 hour train trip that involves at least 1 connection.

Thanks for reply i’m gonna check that website, any bus option? i can’t change schedule i have to stay in budapest from may1st t may4th then back Italy by plane. Eurolines do these route? I can’t find helpppppp
Cheers

Let’s Go does not mention a bus but says there are 3 trains per day from Kosice to Krakow. I think that’s the best and easiest option. Didn’t find anything at Eurolines: http://www.slovaklin…
For Krakow-Budapest, I’d look for a low fare airline at www.whichbudget.com or take the train.

no direct flights from krakow to budapest where can I find train timetables for both routes? thanks again

Use the German rail system (the link I posted) for train schedules anywhere in Europe. It’s the most complete and user-friendly in English.

The only way to get from Kosice to Krakow in APRIL requires a complicated route, but I will list it. Alas, from late June there is a direct train…

There are two ways, both require to move on from Kosice to Poprad (100 km, 1 hour by train, 5.10 EUR, trains run very often).
http://cp.atlas.sk/v… – click English flag – right lower corner

Then we can use the service of a small transport company that will take us to Krakow for horrendous 63 EUR (but prices drop sharply when there are more persons).
http://www.poprad-kr…

Or we use a bus to Zakopane in Poland. The price is unknown, but it runs daily at 10:05 and at 16:50 from Poprad, the journey takes two hours.

Then, it’s just a direct three-hour train ride for mere 20 polish zloty (4.25 EUR).

But Oldlady is right, you should reverse the order of your trip.

Train timetable:
Kosice departures: 06:13, 09:53, 18:13
Budapest Keleti arrivals: 09:27, 13:27, 21:27

Budapest Keleti departure: 19:58
Krakow Glowny arrival: 06:33
(sleeping car – possibility to buy SparNight discount sleeper ticket at the ticket office in Hungary)

Krakow Glowny departure: 22:15
Budapest Keleti arrival: 08:32
(sleeping car)

I feel ashamed for what they have done. For the first time in my thirty year long life the connection from Kosice to Krakow through Plavec rail border station became seasonal only. Until June 20 and from September 1 it serves for freight only.
Now if you want to travel by train between these cities, you have to take a huuuuge detour around the Tatra mountains, routred through Zilina-Cadca-Zwardon and spending unnecessary kilometres, euros, and hours. Or you can take a sequence bus-bus-walk-bus-train and travel 8 hours along the train route.

Ahoj Papyr ako sa mas?

as i mentioned i cannot go first to budapest cause i need to be there on may1st. So tell me if it’s wrong: i found an intercity from kosice to zilina, sleep one nite there then going to Krakow with a stop in katowice too. From Krakow i go to breclav then budapest like 11hrs i know. Tell me Zilina is a nice stop?

You are right, you can go through Zilina. I lived there for a year and I don’t like Zilina, because it’s full of nationalists. But unless you are Hungarian or Czech, you probably won’t notice. But the town itself is kind of nice. I’d still prefer Zakopane though, even if it requires to use a bus from Poprad. The level of service is higher in Zakopane and a view of the High Tatras with a sunset is worth it. So I’d go like this: Train Kosice-Poprad, bus Poprad-Zakopane, stay in Zakopane, train Zakopane-Krakow. But you can sure go through Zilina.

I’m italian so i think Zilina will be fine anyway your idea looks great. I also like to discover Tatra and Zakopane and where i get this bus in poprad? bus and train station are closer? I arrive in aft in Kosice half day is enough? Thanks

Stay in Kosice overnight. Much nicer than Zilina. If you don’t mind traveling through Zilina, here’s one possible itinerary:

Kosice dep. 12:02
fast train 608 “Avizo”
Zilina arr. 15:19
Zilina dep. 15:54
fast train 334 “Skalnica”
Krakow Glowny arr. 22:11

The 334 is the only direct train between Zilina and Krakow shown on Slovak timetable. But along the route Kosice-Poprad-Zilina trains run bi-hourly like this:

Kosice dep. 4:02 bi-hourly until 18:02
Poprad arr. 5:21 bi-hourly until 19:21
Zilina arr. 7:19 bi-hourly until 21:19

Bus to Zakopane leaves from the bus station Poprad, which is immediately next to the rail station (the main rail station of Poprad is officially called Poprad-Tatry to emphasize the mountains), at 10:05 and 16:50.

Djakujem Papyr

I’m gonna follow your advice spending more time in Kosice, anything else nice to see neraby? Then I’ll go to Poprad age get the 10.05 bus to Zakopane. Do you know Zakopane-Krakow timetable? Only train or bus too?

Ciaooo
Calabrus

Anyway maybe i got news i can skip Krakow cause my friend won’t be there. So after kosice i can go to budapest directly but i can spend a day on the route, any suggestion?
Thanks again

Yes. You can make a day trip from Kosice to Presov (the town where I was born), 33 km from Kosice by train to the north. Very cute and cozy medieval centre, old salt mines (Solivar), 100.000 inhabitants. I know I cannot be objective, but it does have one of the most pleasant old towns in Slovakia. The old Otto encyclopedia of Austro-Hungarian empire, published 1910, notes that Presov is the town with the most pubs per inhabitant in the whole empire, then rated around 170 inhabitants per one pub
Price: Round trip from Kosice by train or bus for under €4, local public transit daypass €1.80.
http://en.wikipedia….

If you are into natural beauties, the High Tatras and the Slovak paradise still come into consideration as a day trip from Kosice. Easily accessible by train to Poprad-Tatry or Strba (High Tatras). There, you can change for a mountain railway to Strbske Pleso or Tatranska Lomnica. The Tatras are rocks and insane touristy prices (and its rocky tops are closed for tourists until June 15 anyway), the Slovak paradise is gorgeous views.
To get to the Slovak Paradise, get any train from Kosice in direction to Zilina (usually Bratislava or Prague via Zilina) and step down at Margecany station (35 km from Kosice, 30min by long distance train). Then, change for a local train and get out anywhere between Hnilec (54km from Margecany) and Cervena Skala (93km) stations. There is a loop tunnel, lakes among mountains, rocks with perfect wiews, rivers rushing wildly among rocks, such things. The station Dobsinska Ladova Jaskyna is literally a name of an ice cave nearby, where the stalagmites and stalactites are from ice, not stone.
Price: Kosice to Poprad €5.10 , to Tatranska Lomnica €5.50 one way. Funicular to 2600m – the only route to above the level of plants – €33. See also www.vt.sk
Kosice to Cervena Skala one way: €6, to Hnilec one way: €4.18.
http://en.wikipedia….
http://en.wikipedia….

And BE SURE NOT TO MISS the Tokaj wine region! It is quite easy to get there from Kosice. Get on a train to Budapest, but descend at Miskolc (Tiszai station). You may also wander into this beautiful historical town. From Miskolc, take any train towards the town of Nyiregyhaza. Step down at Tokaj station and spend a night in this fantastic village. Stay in one of the many cozy restaurants-hotels and enjoy Tokaji wine, the best of Hungarian wines, with excellent regional food.
Price: this is best done via segment tickets. First, buy RETURN ticket from Kosice to Miskolc. This is important, costs €6, which is incredibly cheap, LESS than one-way ticket on the same route! 90 km to Miskolc, international return, is just €0.90 more expensive than 100 km one way domestic ticket to Poprad. So just buy it and don’t use the return part. Then, it’s just 1000 forints (€3.50) one way to Tokaj. One-way Tokaj from Budapest ranges from 3440 to 4800 forints one way (€11.60 to €16.25) depending on train category.
http://en.wikipedia…. – region
http://en.wikipedia…. – wine

Up to you.

Thanks so much for your tips sorry late reply but we live very close to Abruzzo earthquake area so busy to bring help there. I’m gonna follow you suggestions speding one day discovering Tatra mountains then moving to Budapest day after. I hope to do Tokaj in one day, anything to do in Miskolc? I can spend a nite there cause on may1st i have a bike tour near Buda
Happy Easter

Papyr, you seem to be very well informed so please, give me a suggestion
I will be in Poprad from May 1st to May 3rd at a get-together and then i need to leave home (Bucharest) on May 5th. So I have more or less two days to spend at my will. My initial plan was to run to Krakow to visit a friend but as I read your other posts I understood it could be quite a long trip especially in this time of year? My other option would be to go to Bratislava and check out the city but this would also mean quite a few hours on the road to go and to come back. Third option would be to see something beautiful around Poprad
What would you do if you were me?
Thanks,

Irina

Irinuka, Kosice and Tokaj are waiting for you. See posts above

dakujem papyr your tips were useful and i really enjoyed Kosice area and Tokaj too. I hope to have more time for Tatra mountains next time
ahoj

Hi Papyr.

Have enjoyed reading your briefings.

We are also planning this Budapest to Krakow journey around 20/9 or 21/9 and have three options.

1. Overnight train trip. Do you have any idea of cost. Are there any discounts for my wife and I who are both over 60.

2. Taking late afternoon train Budapest to Kosice . What would be cost of that.
Next day take the train about midday from Kosice to Krakow by way of Zilina. Will that train run late September and what would cost be.

3. Our preferred option
Train from Budapest to Kosice. Overnight there. Next day Kosice to Poprad.
Afternoon bus to Zakopane. Stay overnight and then train down to Krakow.
Concerned about whether bus will run from Poprad to Zakopane at that time of year. Would you know and is there a website

Thanks for any info you can provide

regards

Frankly, I had to search a little.

In Hungary, all EU citizens over 65 are allowed to use free DOMESTIC transport within Hungary. International travel must be bought for normal adult prices. In Slovakia, all citizens over 70 should get a special fare which equals approx. 50 eurocents per each 150 km (steps up 17 cents each 50 km). Again for domestic transport only, and I’m not sure if Slovakia acknowledges “citizens” as Slovaks, EU citizens, or any person. There is a discount for people from 60 to 70, too, but you have to buy a customer card and it specifically says you have to be a Slovak citizen to get it. In Poland, the only senior discount you get is, Senior Card: “The offer addresses persons of 60 and more years of age frequently travelling by means of railway. These persons can purchase a senior’s card on all railway stations for only 75 PLN (180 EUR), which entitles them to a 50% discount to be used for the whole year while travelling with national trains of all categories.”

From Budapest to Kosice 20 Euros per person. Payable in local currency or by card at Budapest Keleti international cash desk. Or you can try to travel free as seniors (if you qualify) one train before the Budapest-Kosice train, to Miskolc station, buy an international ticket from Miskolc to Kosice for just 6 eur, and board the Budapest-Kosice in Miskolc station.

I couldn’t find that price. But Zilina is a great time and money consuming detour.

There is a bus until Aug 31. That’s also the date when international passenger traffic stops at the most convenient rail crossing to Poland in Plavec. But all year round, there is a little trick to get by public transport: The divided settlement of Lysa Polana, in the heart of High Tatra mountains, served by both Slovak bus from Poprad (2.40 to 2.80 EUR, about 80 minutes) and by Polish bus from Zakopane (8 zlotys, which is about 2 EUR, about 45mins).
The Slovak bus ends at a parking lot in Lysa Polana, Slovakia. From there you have to walk about 400 ft more, through a little bridge over a mountain creek that forms the border, and you will approach another parking lot in front of the former customs station in Lysa Polana, Poland. There is a bus stop there for a bus to Zakopane.

Timetable for season after September 16:
Poprad dep. 5:30, 8:55, 14:10, 18:25
Lysa Polana arr. 6:53, 10:20, 15:31, 19:45
price 2.40 EUR
there are additional services with a change of buses in Stary Smokovec. Search through www.cp.sk – then click English down on the right if it does not appear in English by itself – enter “Poprad” into From field and enter “Tatr.Javorina,,Lysá Poľana” into To field, set your desired date, leave “Direct connections” unchecked and hit Search. Use that timetable and price search all over Slovakia, also for Kosice to Poprad timetables and prices and for Budapest to kosice timetables.

Timetables from Lysa Polana to Zakopane:
7:03, 9:17, 11:17, 12:12, 13:17, 13:52, 15:12, 15:52, 17:02, 17:52, 19:12, 19:57. Price 8 zlotys, which is 2 EUR. Ride takes 40 minutes.

It is worth to spend a night in Zakopane. I’d overnight there. Or anywhere along the mountains where you like the scenery. I warn you, the High Tatras are high, but not large. Sceneries will dissapear in an hours ride Especially in the Polish part of the Tatras it should be extremely easy to find accomodation even in the tiny villages.

From Zakopane there are two direct trains to Krakow (at 15:51 and 18:45, 3 and 1/2 hours, 50 zlotys or 12 EUR in second class, 74 zlotys or 17.85 EUR in 1st class). And the buses are really really frequent from Zakopane to Krakow, look at this: 5:40, 5:50, 6:40, 6:55, 7:15, 7:35, 7:50, 8:30, 8:45, 9:00, 9:15, 9:50, 10:15, 10:25, 10:45, 11:00, 11:20, 11:40, 12:00, 12:15, 12:20, 12:40, 12:55, 13:30, 14:00, 14:20, 14:40, 14:50, 15:15, 15:35, 16:00, 16:10, 16:40, 16:55, 17:05, 17:35, 17:50, 18:10, 18:30, 18:45, 19:15, 19:40, 20:10, 20:20. They cost mere 17 to 20 zlotys, which is 4-5 euros per person.

So if you decide to travel as fast as possible (although I’d stay awhile in the mountains), here is a fastest scenario for a day which is not a Saturday or a Sunday:
Depart Kosice 12:02 fast train No. 608 to Bratislava. Step down at Poprad Tatry station at 13:21. Price EUR 5.10 per person.
Depart Poprad bus station (adjacent to Poprad Tatry train station) at 14:10 by a local bus to Tatranska Javorina-Lysa Polana. Pay 2.40 EUR per person. Step down at the last stop in Lysa Polana at 15:31. Cross the bridge to Poland, change money and wait for the bus.
Depart Polish side of Lysa Polana on 15:52 bus. You are in Zakopane at 16:30. Price 8 PLN (2 EUR) per person.
If you decide to catch any of the buses to Krakow in the next half an hour, you will be there at 7 PM for mere 17 zlotys (4 EUR).

So altogether 13.50 eur per person, a 7 hour ride across the mountains.
Train would be longer, much more expensive, and it wouldn’t go through the mountains

Hi Papyr.

Thats a brilliant reply. Thanks for taking the time to investigate for me. We will try the bus route. Sounds exciting. I hope the roads are not too bumpy and there are not too many hair bin bends. Is the walk over the border really only a few hundred yards. Any idea where to stay in kosice for about 50euros for 2 of us. Also where did you get Polish transport info from.

regards tonye

1] roads are narrow and sometimes bumpy in Poland, but train tracks are no good either, and you can still get to Krakow by all this bus combinations cheaper and if you want, even three hours earlier than the train through Zilina would. But with this bus route, you can take time to enjoy the mountains.
2] It is 400 feet on the map. Many trains are longer than that. It’s really close, click here: http://tinyurl.com/m… – you are supposed to walk from the triangular parking lot in the south of picture (on Slovak road No. 67) to the elongated parking lot in the northern part of the picture (behind the river, on Polish road No.960.) The Polish bus will come from the west and continue towards north. The river is the border, with Poland to the north and Slovakia to the south.
3] for example Penzion Grand, in Mlynska street, in the absolute centre of Kosice, and not far from the train station, offers a double room for 53 euros. http://www.cassovia…. – all contacts are there, email them.
4] info came from http://www.e-podrozn…
exactly from http://pks.lysa.pola…

Hi Papyr

Thanks for all the info. Have arranged trip now. Arriving in Vienna (2 nights) Budapest (2 nights) Kosice (1 night) Tatra mountains (1 night) and leaving Krakow(2 nights). Opted for Horse Inn in Kosice and will probably use the mountain trains at Poprad to Stary Smokovec. Also train from Zakopane down to Krakow. Thanks again. Regards

Hi Papyr
Back from that trip now. Everything went smoothly. Weather fine and people very helpful. Liked Kosice and the train up from Poprad to Smokey S. The bus which was busy with schoolchildren skirted the high Tatras. Pollution levels in Zakopane seemed high, the number of billboards and elements of tackiness surprised us. Away from the busy areas and off the beaten track it was very beautiful and would recommend that route from Budapest to Krakow anyday in preference to the overnight train. Regards

I’m glad you liked it and that my thorough search wasn’t in vain :sD Where did you sleep in the Tatras, in Stary Smokovec or Zakopane, or somewhere else?

Hi Papyr
Your info was invaluable. Indeed we would probably have gone by overnight train or early morning bus from Budapest thus missing the fun of the journey if you hadn’t alerted us to the local bus route round the Tatra’s. So thanks again.
Stayed in Zakopane the easy option but it was no problem getting away from the madding crowd and we at least had a couple of days to get some feel to the area. Next spring may go from Ljubijana to Dubrovnik by local transport to include hopping on and off the boats.
regards

Hi, Papyr!
May I ask you to help me, please?
I live in Kiev. And got Slovakian visa. But generally I need to go to Budapest..
So, I think how better to organize everything to make my trip cheap, interesting and useful…

If you have entry visa to Slovakia, you can directly cross the UA/HU border in Chop/Zahony. The entry visa to Slovakia should entitle you to enter ALL Schengen countries.

But if you don’t want to tease the border police and simply cross the UA/SK border, do it this way:

Use slow train from Chop to Cierna nad Tisou (two trains per day, 4:19-5:16, 17:29-18:26). In the morning, from Cierna nad Tisou use a train in direction to Kosice and travel 33 km to Slovenske Nove Mesto (price 1.38 EUR). If you use the morning train and arrive to Cierna at 5:16, the connection leaves Cierna at 6:17 and arrives to Slov.N.Mesto at 6:46. If you use the afternoon train, you won’t get the connection in Hungary, so just go to Kosice, sleep there and continue to Budapest in the morning.

Once in Slovenske Nove Mesto, cross the border to Hungary on foot. The border runs along the station building, the first houses behind the station are in the Hungarian town of Satoraljaujhely already.

Find the train station in Satoraljaujhely (about 1200 m away from the Slovenske Nove Mesto station).

Travel to Budapest from there. In the morning, use the 7:47 train to Miskolc, then change to a 9:28 train to Budapest, arrive to Budapest at 11:27. In the evening, there is no connection to Budapest, the last train there leaves at 18:47.

Thank you so much for the answer!!! I’ll try to do it in this way!!!

Papyr,
I wonder if you could help me seeing as you seem to be the travel expert on here !

I am flying out to Krakow 2 weeks today. Myself and some friends had the intention of getting the overnight train to Kosice, so that we are in Kosice early on the Friday morning. We were then going to return on the Friday night so we are back in Krakow on Saturday morning ready for our flight back on Saturday afternoon.
We have heard rumours that due to the recent flooding that may not be possible, can you please confirm whether that is the case ?
If it is not possible to take the train what is the best and cheapest way to get to Kosice and back. We have been looking at mini-bus hire but that seems quite expensive.

Thanks for any help you may have.

First check the Polish or Slovak railways (infoeuropa@intercity.pl or info@slovakrail.sk) and ask them. I am not the railway employee or whatever and I live about 800 km from Muszyna/Plavec border crossing, so I cannot go and check.

Forget the mini bus. If the train doesnt go, use a bus to Zakopane, bus to Poprad (if no such bus available, then a bus to Lysa Polana and from there to Poprad) and a train to Kosice. Can be done under 7 hrs.