Trains. Photo: Shutterstock After years of investments in the development of its railway infrastructure, Poland will finally offer a fast-travel option on the Warsaw-Krakow-Nowy Targ-Zakopane route.
This will be possible courtesy of PKP Intercity’s Pendolino high-speed train line that will connect Warsaw to the resort town of Zakopane via Krakow. The line will be inaugurated on December 14.
The new timetable will expand the PKP Intercity network, operated via ED250 trains, with flagship trains that will regularly travel to Zakopane, the capital of the Tatra Mountains. The company will also redirect one daily pair of trains to the Podhale area to connect Zakopane to Gdynia via Krakow and Warsaw.
The shortest travel time will be 4 hours and 19 minutes from Warsaw to Zakopane, and 1 hour and 57 minutes from Krakow to Zakopane. Poland has invested close to 1.4 billion zlotys (EUR 328 million) in the innovative railway project, which has also generated 100 km of new railway.
Pendolino services to Zakopane will feature a special promotional trip, scheduled for October 18, when ED250 will replace the EIC Tatra trains. Tickets will cost as little as PLN 1 (EUR 0.23) on that day, compared to 70-90 zloty (EUR 16-18) for a regular ticket.
Zakopane, best known as Poland’s winter capital, is a picturesque resort town in southern Poland that lies at the foot of the Tatra Mountains. Known for its beautiful landscapes, excellent ski slopes, and surrounding hiking trails, the city attracts nature lovers and backpackers in the summer, while turning into a major hub for winter sports enthusiasts during the cold season.