We will be doing a road trip through Czech republic, Slovakia and Poland. At some point we would like to do a multiday hike through the tatras. Since we won't be carrying all our camping gear and other car luggage we will have to leave it in the car. Where can you park best to prevent finding your car being empty upon return or worse without wheels?
I am not asking for specific places, but more a general approach. For us it doesn't matter if we start the hike in either Poland or Slovakia.
Unless you leave your car in the middle of a forest for a month, it is highly unlikely that you find it without wheels.
In Tatras, there are parkings near the entrance to most trails. They normally charge 20-30PLN (= 5-7EUR) per day. If you start from a town (e.g. Zakopane), you can simply leave it on a street parking. In 2012 I left a car here and I didn't pay anything.
There is a list of Polish Tatra parkings here (in Polish), under "Opłaty parkingowe". "Bezpłatny" means free. I found a few of them on the map:
You can also ask people if you could leave your car on their land, but it would be polite if you offered them some money for the favour.
In Slovakia and Czech Republic it should be similar, but I can't give you the details.
Currently, parking is free of charge at Skocznia Narciarska, from where you can get to Kuźnice by bus. From the Kuźnice many trails begin in the Tatra Mountains.
Since the previous two answers don't cover the situation in Slovakia, I'll add my own.
As for Slovakia, in all likelihood, you don't have to worry about your car being robbed or stolen in the Tatras.
Parking in the tourists hotspots such as (West to East) Štrbské Pleso, Popradské Pleso, Starý Smokovec and Tatranská Lomnica is paid and costs around €10 / day (as of 2024). Free parking is possible in locations such as Podbanské, Vyšné Hágy, Tatranská Polianka, Horný Smokovec, Tatranská Lesná and Ždiar.
All parking lots are quite busy in the summer season, which means that finding a place is sometimes challenging, but it also means your car will be safe.
