Stary Smokovec Travel Forum

Myself and some friends are planning on going to the Sziget festival in Budapest this August. We are then hoping to travel to the Tatra mountains in Slovakia to spend a few days hiking and chilling out in the beautiful surroundings.
I'd like to find out how to make this journey, how long it takes and how much it would cost.
2 other questions - 1st, where is the best place to stay in the Tatras? - We were thinking of heading for Stary Smokovec. 2nd, is is easy to cross the mountains and travel on to Krakow in Poland, and if so, how can this be done?
Any help appreciated

I can answer the journey part of your question.
Your best bet is to take a train from Budapest to the Slovakian town of Kosice and then a train from there to Poprad (from here you take a short journey by the regular mountain trains (Tatranská elektrická železnica) upto Stary Smokovec.

The link below shows your train journey fro budapest to poprad:
Depart Budapest @ 0615, arrive Poprad 5.25 hours later...

http://jizdnirady.atlas.cz/ConnRes.asp?tt=X&from=2&from=0&from=1064&froml=-1&to=2&to=0&to=6105&tol=-1&date=9.7.2006&time=5:00&dt=1&min1=5&min2=0&min3=1&min4=5&min5=1&max1=240&max2=240&max3=60&max4=60&max5=60&alg=1&isdep=1&beds=0&chn=2&stop=0&odcht=0&odch=50&link=ABDD&cl=E5.

Don't worry if you missing the connection - trains run relatively frequently to Poprad.

Your ticket will cost around 37 Euros to get to Poprad.
Please see link below:
http://www.jizdenka.cz/(b4go5kyg3fmjop45qi32igam)/IT.aspx

To get to Stary Smokovec as you propose, just change trains as mentioned at poprad-tatry station and take one of the TEZ trains (journey = 24mins)

See:
http://jizdnirady.atlas.cz/ConnRes.asp?tt=X&cl=E5&from=2&from=0&from=6105&froml=-1&to=2&;to=1&to=8387&tol=-1&date=9.7.2006&time=5:00&dt=1&min1=5&min2=0&min3=1&min4=5&min5=1&max1=240&max2=240&max3=60&max4=60&max5=60&alg=1&isdep=1&beds=0&chn=2&stop=0&odcht=0&odch=50&link=ABDD

Oh yep, one other option:
Depart Budapest at 15:00. arrive Poprad 19:32:

http://jizdnirady.atlas.cz/ConnRes.asp?tt=a&from=2&from=0&from=1064&froml=-1&to=2&to=0&to=6105&tol=-1&date=9.8.2006&time=8:00&min1=5&;max1=240&alg=1&isdep=1&beds=0&chn=1&stop=0&odcht=0&odch=50&link=ABDD&cl=E5

Whilst there are other combinations, the journey time would be much longer and require multiple changes....

Take a train to Poprad, then take the scenic and modern mountain train to Skokovec. I would recommend Tatranska Lomnica ( short train ride from Smokovec ). Trains and buses are very cheap in Slovakia, but I don't know about Hungary. No reservations needed. Go to tourist info. office in Poprad, and they will set you up with a nice private penzion in T. Lomnica ( about 7 euro pro night pro person ).

I would recommend that you visit my Slovakia pages, but VT might accuse me of promoting my pages.

ciao !