Where to stay for skiing: in Špindlerův Mlýn itself or in Vrchlabí?

There is no single right answer. It mainly depends on whether you want to walk out onto the slopes every morning, whether you are travelling by car and whether you want to ski only in Špindlerův Mlýn or in smaller ski areas nearby as well. We do not compare accommodation prices here, as they vary by date and by property.

Staying in Špindlerův Mlýn

Špindlerův Mlýn is a small mountain town and a winter sports resort at the same time. According to the town website, it has 27 km of slopes in five areas: Svatý Petr, Medvědín, Hromovka, Horní Mísečky and Labská. The resort's ski buses run between them. In winter 2025/26 they were free and ran from 13 December 2025 to 15 March 2026 on four lines from the central car parks through the centre to the ski areas.

• You do not need the car in the morning. You walk to the slopes or take the ski bus, depending on where you stay.
• The car can stay parked for the whole stay. Check the parking at your accommodation with your host in advance.
• In the evening you stay in the resort. According to the Krkonoše tourist portal, there are plenty of pubs, bars and restaurants.
• Want to ski straight from your door (ski-in/ski-out)? Check where the accommodation is on the piste map, not just by its name.

Staying in Vrchlabí

Vrchlabí is a town on the Elbe (Labe) that the Krkonoše tourist portal calls the gateway to the mountains. It is about 16 km to Špindlerův Mlýn on road II/295, roughly 18 minutes by car according to the route planner. On the way you drive through Herlíkovice, which has its own ski area, and past the turn-off to Strážné.

• You have skiing close by, not only in Špindlerův Mlýn. The Kněžický vrch ski area is right in Vrchlabí, Herlíkovice–Bubákov is on the road to the resort, and Strážné, Černý Důl and Benecko are roughly 12 to 16 minutes away by car.
• Cross-country skiing is on the doorstep. Vrchlabí has the Vejsplachy cross-country area, where some of the trails have artificial snow and lighting.
• Vrchlabí can also be reached by train, on the regional line from Kunčice nad Labem, and Špindlerův Mlýn by bus from there.

Getting to Špindlerův Mlýn: car, bus and parking

If you stay in Vrchlabí and ski in Špindlerův Mlýn, you commute. By car it is about 16 km, and on snowy roads or in heavy traffic it takes longer.

Without a car, you take a local bus. In the timetables valid in winter 2025/26, the journey from Vrchlabí bus station to Špindlerův Mlýn took around 25 minutes. These timetables are valid until 12 December 2026, so check the connections for next winter on idos.cz. For some lines the timetable states explicitly that skis and snowboards are only carried in a bag and that passengers in ski boots are not allowed on board.

The resort's ski buses run within Špindlerův Mlýn. The overview of ski buses for winter 2025/26 published by the Krkonoše tourist portal did not include any line from Vrchlabí to Špindlerův Mlýn.

If you drive, you park in Špindlerův Mlýn. According to the town, central car park P1 is closed until the end of November 2026 because of chairlift construction; car parks P2 Hromovka and P3 Medvědín were free during the day in winter 2025/26, and parking in the centre is paid. The town publishes the current rules on its website.

Špindlerův Mlýn or Vrchlabí: which suits whom

• Špindlerův Mlýn suits you if you want to ski mainly there for the whole stay, do not want to drive in the morning or are travelling without a car.
• Vrchlabí suits you if you are travelling by car and want to try smaller ski areas nearby as well, alternate downhill and cross-country skiing, or have a town's amenities close at hand.
• With small children, you will find gentle slopes in both places. In Špindlerův Mlýn, the town website describes the Horní Mísečky area as suited to children and beginners; in Vrchlabí there is Kněžický vrch, whose operator describes its slopes as ideal for beginners and families with children.

Gear for your whole stay

Wherever you stay, you can book your gear online in advance and pick it up from us in Vrchlabí, at Valteřická 1436. If you are heading to Špindlerův Mlýn, you can stop on the way, as according to the route planner the roads there pass just a few hundred metres from us. The price list is broken down by number of days, so you can keep the gear for your whole stay and return it on your way home.

Rental price list

Book your gear online