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- Posted: 14/02/2025
Zakopane: A Budget Ski Trip 2025 Guide
Jenna Carr
The Travel Mum
Planning a cheap ski holiday
10% off chalet booking and 5% off ski hire in this post.
When most people think of skiing, they often picture expensive resorts in the Alps, where a week on the slopes can cost a small fortune. However, skiing doesn’t have to be out of reach for budget conscious travellers. Poland’s winter capital, Zakopane, offers an incredible skiing experience at a fraction of the price you’d pay elsewhere. If you are looking for a cheap ski holiday in a family friendly destination, Zakopane is an excellent choice with lots to see and do.
Where is Zakopane?
Zakopane is a picturesque mountain town located in the Tatra Mountains in southern Poland, close to the Slovakian border. It’s a well-loved winter destination, famous for its scenic wooden architecture, hearty Polish food, and, of course, its budget-friendly skiing opportunities.
How to get to Zakopane?
Getting to Zakopane from the UK is really straightforward:
- Flights: The nearest airport is Kraków Airport (KRK), which has lots of direct and cheap flights from many UK cities, including London, Manchester, and Edinburgh.
- Transfers: From Kraków, Zakopane is around a two hour drive. You can take a flixbus (costing around £5-£10) this is direct and the service is regular. You can also consider hiring a private transfer, or renting a car.
Where to Stay in Zakopane?
Snomads – A great sustainable option
During our week in Zakopane, we stayed in a chalet with a company called Snomads. We chose Snomads for a variety of reasons. Firstly we were drawn to their more sustainable approach to hospitality.
Ways that Snomads work more sustainably:
- Use local produce and support small local businesses.
- Avoid landfills by recycling. Plastic is turned into permanent building material.
- Two trees planted per guest
As a small independent company, it is clear that they really care about providing a top class experience for their guests, but they want to do it as sustainably as possible too.
Their chalets are cosy and welcoming, perfect for families or groups of friends looking to split the cost of accommodation. The best part? Snomads take care of everything, from ski hire and lessons to organising days out. Our host Maks made sure everything ran smoothly and we didn’t have to waste any time with logistics.
They provide great accommodation and a stress-free experience, which is especially great for first time skiers and families.
10% discount code and 5% off of equipment hire.
Use Code: TRAVELMUM at booking.
Ski Hire in Zakopane
One of the major advantages of skiing in Zakopane is the affordability of equipment hire and ski lessons compared to other European destinations. Snomads was great and helped us arrange both ski hire and lessons. As complete ski noobs, we had no idea where to start!
To give you an idea of prices, I have attached a table with the adult prices we paid via Snomads (Prices in Zl). 5 days for a child under 13 to hire skis, boots and a helmet was £55 which is an absolute bargain. Skis, boots, poles and a helmet for an adult was £90 for 5 days. You can get 5% off ski hire when you quote our code TRAVELMUM.
We found 5 days skiing was perfect. It gave us a day to relax with the kids after arriving, and start skiing / lessons on day 2. We arrived on a Saturday night, relaxed on Sunday, skied Monday – Friday and ended our trip on the Saturday.
Ski Lessons in Zakopane
I have attached a table with the prices for the ski hire arranged by Snomads. If you have small kids like ours who will be skiing for the first time, I wouldn’t recommend a ratio any higher than 2 to 1. We booked two children per instructor initially, but ended up with one to one as some of the younger children didn’t enjoy it.
Our children ranged between age 3 – 6. The 3 year olds had a good go, but anything longer than half an hour was a bit too much for them. The 5/6 year olds absolutely loved it and made incredible progress over the 3 days of 3 hour lessons that they had.
The price per person when doing a private lesson with two students per instructor is £90 for three hours. We spent £270 for Leo’s 9 hours of lessons, which was well worth it as he is now a pro and absolutely loves it! I can’t rate the instructors enough.
Top Tip: If booking lessons for little ones, aim to do them in the morning. We had lessons booked for 2pm and the younger kids were getting tired before we even started.
Ski Slopes Zakopane
Zakopane is fantastic for beginner skiers, with a variety of smaller ski areas that offer gentle slopes and affordable lessons.
Here are some of the best ski slopes in Zakopane:
NOSAL
- Across the road from the Chalets
- Night skiing
- Snow cannon coverage
- Kindergarden
- Perfect for first timers of any age
- Range of slopes to develop skills and learn how to use drag lifts
BUKOWINA (The place we did our lessons)
- Modern lift system
- Excellent progression in slope difficulty
- Children’s ski club
- Range of restaurants and bars
- North facing slopes
MALECICHE
- 2 modern chairlifts
- 6 wide and long blue runs
- Separate beginners area
- Restaurants and bars all over slopes
- Cross-country and walking trails in the surrounding forests
BIALKA TATRZANSKA
- Polands largest connected ski area
- Night skiing
- Polands biggest Burton Snow Park with jibs, boxes, jumps and features
- Snow tubing available
- Plethora of bars and restaurants all over the mountain
- Geothermal waterpark and spa at bottom of piste
- Multiple cross-country routes from 1000m to 5000m in length
- Annual Red Bull Bandits Run cross-county race (open to anyone over 16)
HARENDA
- 5 minutes from Chalet Stardust
- Chair lift and T-bars in use
- 6 marked runs for beginners
- 4 marked runs for intermediates
- 1 FIS level slope for advanced
- Great night skiing
- Fantastic Tatra views from the top
- Snow cannon coverage
KASPROWY WIERCH
- Great for advanced skiers
- Polands only alpine ski resort
- 2000m of altitude – snow for half the year
- In a nature park so no snow cannons (no back up incase of an unlikely warm winter)
- Around 11km of slopes
- Off piste skiing
- Around £30 a day ski lift pass
- Access cable car from Kuznice. Snomads will drop you off daily.
Book with Snomads
Code TRAVELMUM gets you 10% off your Chalet booking.
When you aren’t skiing…
Zakopane isn’t just about skiing, there’s plenty to do for those who want to experience the winter magic without hitting the slopes. If you have little kids like ours, half a day skiing is probably enough for them to enjoy it and not get tired. Having other activities planned creates a more varied trip for everyone. I personally didn’t take to skiing as well as I’d hoped, but there was still plenty for me to enjoy during the trip.
1. Relax in the Thermal Baths
One of the highlights of our trip was visiting the different thermal baths. After a long day in the cold, soaking in the warm, mineral-rich waters was the perfect way to unwind. Entry costs around £15-£20, making it a great value for families.
2. Experience a Traditional Kulig Horse Ride
A kulig is a traditional Polish horse-drawn sleigh ride through the snowy forests. It’s a magical experience, especially in the evening when lanterns light up the trails. Many tours include a bonfire with warm drinks and sausages, making it a fun and cultural outing.
3. Visit Snowlandia
For a unique winter attraction, Snowlandia is a must visit. It features a giant snow maze, ice sculptures, a small farm and other fun activities. There is a huge hill there for sledging!
4. Go Sledging
If you’re not quite ready for skiing but still want some fun in the snow, Zakopane has excellent sledging spots. Snomads have sledges for you to use, or you can rent a sledge for as little as £3-£5 per day.
Final Thoughts: Zakopane as cheap ski holiday..
Zakopane offers an incredible winter experience without the hefty price tag associated with many flashy European ski resorts. If you are skiing for the first time with the kids, this is a great place to test the water, without spending a fortune. Whether you’re skiing for the first time, traveling with kids or simply looking for a winter escape, this charming town provides the perfect mix of adventure and relaxation.
With affordable accommodation like that offered by Snomads, low-cost ski hire and lessons, and plenty of non-skiing activities, Zakopane proves that a winter holiday doesn’t have to be expensive. If you’ve ever wanted to try skiing without breaking the bank, this is the place to do it.
Are you planning a cheap ski holiday? Let us know! We can offer help and support with our premium Travel Max membership.
Snomads haven’t paid us to post this, they have kindly offered a discount code for our audience.
Written by: Jenna Carr
The Travel Mum
Our little family is passionate about helping you save money. We are real people who understand the need to make your budget go further. With The Travel Mum we have created a vibrant community of over 650k budget savvy travellers who want to travel more while spending less. No problem is too big or small, together we will do everything in our power to make sure you are making the absolute most of your well earned budget!
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(Based on £30 flights, £10 return bus and 8 people sharing a chalet with our Snomads discount)
✈️ Flights to Krakow start from just £30pp
🚌 Use flixbus to get to Zakopane from £5pp
🏠 Book a chalet with @snomads_ski , with our discount (TRAVELMUM) and the price split by 8 people it can be as little as £168pp for the week!
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