Air? The group tour planned to fly into Warsaw, Poland and immediately train to Krakow. Instead of meeting up with them there, we flew Chicago to Frankfurt to Krakow via Warsaw arriving two nights before the group. This would give us a little more time to explore Krakow.

Hotels? Some additional reservations were required. The tour was using Hotel Pollera in Krakow. Looked good to us and we booked two extra nights. On the opposite end, we decided to stay one extra day in Prague on our own. Hotel Pension City was a little out of the way in regards to the important sections of Prague but it was very inexpensive and we decided to stay the extra night there instead of changing hotels in a better-located area.

center of Krakow, Poland map
Travel Insurance? Travel insurance is always a must for us. Just enough to cover the tour costs. I’d hate to lose the entire amount due to any kind of an emergency. Travel Guard provides coverage for medical expenses, trip cancellation, baggage damage, and much more and that is who we use.

What was included in the High Tatras?

- This was a 15-day trip. All accommodations and meals with the exception of Krakow and Prague were included We’d stay in a hotel in Krakow, chalet-style guest house in Zakopane, small hotels in Tatranska Lomnica and Prague and in simple but comfortable chalets in the mountains.

- Overnight train from Slovakia, travel from Krakow to Zakopane and transport as necessary on trek.

- Local tour leader throughout.

What to Bring? The most important items – hiking boots, and our 3rd and 4th legs, hiking/walking poles. Along with an ATM card, and credit cards, we never hike without them. Everything else was the usual hiking/walking apparel – waterproof jackets and pants, fleece, shorts, plastic water bottles, etc. A minimum of casual clothing for all else. Three nights would be spent in mountain chalets, dormitory style. We’d have to carry all necessary items in our backpacks on those days. However, the huts would supply food.

IMPORTANT SUGGESTION: Pack all your clothes in large, plastic, heavy-duty garbage bags. It doesn’t matter if they are going to be in your suitcase. Have you ever sat on an airplane and watched some suitcases sitting out on the tarmac during a rainstorm or snowstorm? We have. Or your suitcases may be in a container with something leaking all over them. Or you may have to walk to your hotel destination during inclement weather. Garbage Bags!

Decision-making over…time to pack clothes (in those all important garbage bags), passports (TIP: We also carry a xerox copy of passports tucked in another location just in case…), ATM card (don’t leave without it), get on the plane and go…