At Sunshine World we are efficient with every aspect of your holiday and we pass the saving on to you. Poland is also one of the cheapest places to ski in Europe, from food in the town to lift passes on the slopes. Zakopane is an up and coming ski resort and at the moment we are the only tour operator run and owned by instructors running there. Check out our Story So Far to find out more.
The journey time is around 2 hours but this depends on traffic which can be bad during busy times like February half term and around Christmas.
Zakopane offers an experience like no other ski resort. The apres ski has much more culture than most resorts. The ski resort was built up and is still growing around Zakopane whereas in many European resorts, the town is built around the slopes.
It’s best to fly to Krakow airport. You can also fly to Katowice which has about an extra 1hour transfer time. It is accessible with most of the budget airlines from airports across the UK and Ireland including: London Stansted, London Gatwick, London Luton, Bristol, Nottingham East Middlands (EMA), Manchester, Liverpool, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dublin, Belfast, Shannon and more. You can research all options quickly and easily at: www.skyscanner.net
The layout of Zakopane is not really a ski in/ ski out layout. There is a large town where the majority of the hotels, chalets and general action lie surrounded by various ski areas AROUND the town. This is one of the primary reasons why transport to and from accommodation is included in all of our packages.
Krakow Balice airport (recommended) is just 108km away and Katowice Pyrzowice airport (Often referred to as “Katowice Krakow” which is a little misleading – not recommended if it can be avoided) is roughly 150km away from Zakopane. There is a new route form Luton to Poprad (SK). The transfer time from Poprad to Zakopane is approximately 1 our 30 minutes.
Subject to availability you can choose where you would like to stay. For the chalet standard I’d recommend Villa Karpinski which is walking distance to the Zakopane restaurants for the evening but also offers a breakfast and dinner option.
Most of our chalets and hotels are within 5-15 minutes walking distance from Zakopane town centre.
Skis, poles, boots/ snowboards and boots. Clothing is not included but can be rented separately
Transport is at a set time- Usually pick up from the chalets/ hotels is around 10am (can vary) and returning from the slopes is usually between 4pm and 6pm. We can organise an extra transport for you at a different time at extra cost.
All our coaching is tailored to ensure that we meet the needs of each individual. If someone is shy or struggling for example we shall always ensure (at our own discretion and based on our instructors’ judgment) that we offer complimentary one on one coaching until we are sure that each guest has more than enough skills to practice safely and independently until the next days coaching session. Lessons at the Snowzone at Milton Keynes or on a dry slope will of course be beneficial and allow you to progress faster during your holiday but it’s not essential as we cater very carefully and attentively to the needs and safety of first time skiers and first time snowboarders.
Zakopane is all kinds of awesome for Apres ski. There is everything available, from a nice meal in a quality restaurant followed by bowling, pool and even a virtual golf simulator in your own private bar at the Belvedere**** Resort and Spa, to a choice of over 50 bars and pubs and 9 nightclubs. All ages are welcome and the atmosphere is generally very friendly and light hearted around town.