Visiting Poland - tips and suggestions

Hey! Cześć!

Me and my best mate are going on a trip for 10 days, visiting Krakow, Zakopane and Warsaw (3-4 days in each place, in that order). We already have some activities/visits planned but have some specific questions if you guys/gals could help.
We are renting a car in Krakow, to go to Zakopane and then make the trip back to Warsaw. In Zakopane, we are planning to take the cable car to the mountain tops and then hike down, but are in doubt on what type of clothing to take and where to hike, are there any recommendations?
We planned to drive by car from Zakopane to Warsaw, are there any recommendations for places on the way to stop?

Any help or suggestion is appreciated! Dzięki!