How to Save on Accommodation and Food in the Carpathians: 5 Best Resorts

The Ukrainian Carpathians attract visitors in every season. Even a few days in the mountains help you recharge. In winter people come to ski, and in summer to hike, pick mushrooms and berries and swim in mountain rivers. Here is how to holiday in the Carpathians on a budget and which resorts suit it.

How to save on accommodation and food in the Carpathians

Choose less famous resorts: accommodation and food are cheaper, while the mountains and local colour are just the same.
Plan ahead: early booking is almost always cheaper.
Avoid public holidays and the New Year break, when prices are highest.
Talk to locals: they will recommend an affordable cafe, a place to stay and interesting spots, and often guide hikes for a moderate fee.
Book accommodation with breakfast or a kitchen: a Carpathian breakfast is filling, and groceries cost less than lunch in a restaurant.

5 affordable Carpathian resorts

Drahobrat

Ukraine's highest ski resort, on the slopes of the Svydovets ridge in Zakarpattia. It is just as beautiful in summer, with pine forests and views of Chornohora, the Gorgany, Hoverla and Petros.

You can stay in hotels or in private homes, which are usually cheaper.

In summer you can hike along the Svydovets ridge to the alpine lake Herashaska, pick mushrooms, visit the Trufanets waterfall, ride horses or take a jeep tour. Lifts and bike hire are available.

Mykulychyn

A resort village in the Nadvirna district of Ivano-Frankivsk region, in the Prut valley, home to over 5,000 people.

The village has hotels of various categories, and in the private sector you can rent a room or part of a house inexpensively.

People come here to hike, ride horses, visit the Zhenetskyi waterfall, fish and gather mushrooms and berries. Groceries are sold in local shops, and neighbouring Yaremche has a supermarket.

Vorokhta

The village most often used as a base for climbing Hoverla: from Vorokhta you drive to the Zaroslyak base, and from there the ascent takes 3-4 hours. Pip Ivan is also nearby.

Vorokhta has a 17th-century wooden Hutsul Church of the Nativity of the Virgin and two old Austro-Hungarian railway viaducts, the largest built in 1894.

There is accommodation for every budget, from hotels to private rooms. Several traditional kolybas are open. There is no big supermarket, but the main street has several shops.

Verkhovyna

A village in the Chornyi Cheremosh valley known as the capital of the Hutsul region. Vorokhta railway station is about 35 km away. There is a museum of the film Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors, and locals keep Hutsul crafts and traditions alive.

You can stay in a private guesthouse or in a Carpathian-style mini-hotel with breakfast.

In summer people walk forest trails, cycle and go rafting on the Cheremosh.

Slavske

A resort village in Lviv region surrounded by the Vysokyi Verkh, Kliva, Trostian, Menchil, Makivka and Ilza ridges.

You can rent a flat or a room by the night or stay in a hotel.

Trout is caught in the mountain rivers Opir and Slavka, and in summer chairlifts run on Trostian and Pohar. The village has a supermarket and many small shops.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the cheapest accommodation in the Carpathians?

Usually in private homes in small villages such as Mykulychyn or Verkhovyna rather than in the centre of popular resorts.

When is a Carpathian holiday cheaper?

In the off-season, in spring and late autumn, and on weekdays outside public holidays.

Can you climb Hoverla on your own?

In summer yes, the trail from Zaroslyak is marked. In winter and bad weather it is better to go with an experienced guide.

How to book a holiday in the Carpathians

Step 1

Leave a request on the website or message us.

Step 2

A manager will pick options for your dates and budget and answer your questions.

Step 3

Pay online or at the office and receive your travel documents.

Step 4

Set off on your trip, and the manager stays in touch until you are back.

How to Save on Accommodation and Food in the Carpathians: 5 Best Resorts