Travel insurance is vital. Although it is unlikely that you will need mountain rescue, there is a charge for this in Slovakia (also Poland in some circumstances) and you should check that your insurance covers it. If not, a policy is available at local tourist and mountain rescue information offices.
Health and other advice for travellers from the United Kingdom can be obtained from the Government website www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, or the NHS website www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk. You should also obtain the free EHIC (European Health Insurance Card), which entitles citizens of EU and some other European countries to reciprocal health benefits – or check that yours is still valid for the duration of your planned trip. Visit the NHS website www.nhs.uk and search for ‘EHIC’, and beware unofficial websites that charge for providing the card.
Accommodation
As you would expect in a holiday area that has been established for over two hundred years, there is plenty of accommodation in the High Tatras. There are at least ten thousand beds in hotels and pensions in the Slovak resorts, and a similar number in Zakopane and its outlying villages, making them the most important tourist areas in their respective countries.
During the communist era, virtually all the accommodation was owned either by government agencies, which limited the opportunities for commercial enterprise, or by trade unions for the exclusive use of their members. Several establishments are still owned by the trade unions in the shape of the hotel group Sorea in Slovakia, while some of the big multinational chains are starting to build or acquire hotels in the Tatras.
There is a good choice of hotels and pensions in all categories up to four stars. At the time of writing there is one five-star hotel in the Slovak Tatras (Grand Hotel Kempinski in Štrbské Pleso) and three in Zakopane (Hotels Litwor, Rysy and Rezydencja Nosalowy Dwór). Many hotels include ‘fitness’ or ‘wellness’ in their names, to signify that they offer a swimming pool, jacuzzi, massage, gym and/or other facilities.
Hotels and pensions are usually less expensive in resorts that are slightly ‘off-the-beaten-track’: in Slovakia those that lie a little lower down the slopes, like Tatranská Štrba, Dolný Smokovec and Stará Lesná; in Poland outlying villages such as Antałówka, Bukowina Tatrzańska, Gubałówka and Murzasichle.
Hotels usually have a restaurant providing all meals, and sometimes a coffee shop or cafeteria where light meals and snacks are provided all day. Guest houses or pensions (penzión in Slovak, pensjonat in Polish) may provide bed and breakfast only, or half-pension (bed, breakfast and evening meal), but it is unusual for them to provide full-pension (including lunch).
Many experienced mountain walkers prefer to stay up in the mountains, as this saves considerable effort and allows a deeper exploration of the summits and higher routes (see ‘Mountain chalets or refuges’, page 51). There are mountain hotels at Popradské Pleso, Velické Pleso and Hrebienok on the Slovak side and at Kalatówki on the Polish side. They offer a higher standard of accommodation than the chalets or refuges.
There are several hostels in the Zakopane area. On the Slovak side there is a hostel in Tatranská Polianka and a facility with dormitory accommodation in Štrbské Pleso. Camping is only permitted at official campsites – there are just a few on either side, with varying facilities. The number of self-catering establishments is growing rapidly on both sides.
Promenaders in Krupówki street in Zakopane
A growing trade in inexpensive private house accommodation is developing, especially in Zakopane, and this can be booked through local travel agencies. Note that meals (including breakfast) may not be served in these places. You can either eat at nearby hotels or restaurants, or at some places there is a kitchen available for the use of guests.
In Zakopane you will often see pokoje (room), pokoje gościnne (guest room) or noclegi (overnight accommodation) written on boards outside private houses. You may also see people standing at stations or beside the road, showing any of these words on scraps of cardboard. You can of course take up such offers at your own risk, but you should be aware that they are not controlled by any official body and there is no guarantee of standards or professionalism.
There is a selection of establishments in the main resorts in Appendix B. It is always advisable to book in advance, and in most cases you can if you wish book direct through their websites. However, the most practical way of booking is through an online agency: for example, search for ‘accommodation in Zakopane’ and a whole range of opportunities will present themselves, mostly through well established and reliable booking agencies, at favourable rates. The usual procedure is to give your credit card details to guarantee the booking then pay on arrival. Some low prices quoted may be on a non-refundable basis.
Fitness
To get the most from any walking holiday, the fitter you are when you start, the better. Prepare yourself by doing some hard walking at home, preferably in mountain or hill country, or at the very least, tone up your muscles and flex your joints with stretching exercises. Remember, too, that you will probably be spending all or most of your time at a higher altitude than you are used to, and it may take a few days to adjust to this. There is less oxygen at high altitudes, and you may find yourself getting out of breath more quickly than you expected.
Plan your first few walks along the easier routes, leaving the tougher ones till later. As the latter are usually scenically more spectacular, this should also provide the added benefit of building up to a climax. If you find that you are having difficulty on the easier routes, you would be well advised not to tackle the harder ones.
Be prepared for an occasional ‘bad day’, when you find it hard to keep going up the steeper routes – although of course this will affect everyone differently. Local people say, ‘Every third day will be a struggle. ‘ If this affects you, try one of the easier walks, or do some sightseeing, or explore the villages – there is plenty to keep you interested.
If there are children in your party, unless they have walked in high mountains before, you should plan to keep to the easier routes, to see how they adapt, before considering tackling any harder ones.
There is a good choice of alternative attractions in the Tatras for any members of your party who do not wish to tackle the mountains – see ‘Diversions’ in Sections 3 and 4 for each country. Some ‘easy access’ trails have been developed but they are quite steep in places.
Clothing and equipment
What you wear in the evening is best left to your own judgement, but formal clothes are rarely seen in the Tatras. Some guidance on your walking apparel may be helpful, however – to enjoy your holiday to the full, it is wise to take clothing that is both hard wearing and comfortable.
Modern clothing specially designed for outdoor activities can provide considerable advantages. For example, ‘breathable’ materials allow perspiration to escape while keeping rain out, although garments made from them are usually more expensive. Cheaper alternatives may be adequate if you are lucky with the weather, but you must decide whether it is worth spending the extra money for added protection. Study advertisements