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Getting There By Air:

Warsaw-Okecie im. Fryderyka Chopina International Airport (WAW)
Tel: (022) 650 4220.
Website: www.lotnisko-chopina.pl

Warsaw-Okecie im. Fryderyka Chopina International Airport is Poland’s main airport and is located 10km (6 miles) south of the city center. It is one of the most modern and well-equipped airports in Central and Eastern Europe. The airport services flights to both national and international destinations. The smaller and lesser equipped Etiuda Terminal tends to service the low-cost airlines and some domestic traffic.

Airport facilities: The airport includes a transit hotel, tourist information center, post office, bank/bureaux de change (kantors), duty-free shops, ATMs, bars, restaurants and car hire from Avis, Budget, Europcar and Hertz.

Transport to the city: The Polski Express coach service (tel: (022) 854 0285; website: www.polskiexpress.pl) connects passengers from the airport to other cities throughout Poland, and stops at the Warszawa Centralna train station on Aleja Jana Pawla II en route. In order to use this service, you’d need to check when a bus is passing through to the center, as it doesn’t run as regularly as the local ZTM services.

The local public transport authority ZTM (tel: (022) 9484; website: www.ztm.waw.pl) bus 175 departs from in front of the arrivals hall and passes through the city center and near the Old Town, daily (journey time - 30 minutes). Bus 188 goes to the right-bank (the eastern part) of Warsaw (Praga, Grochow, Goclaw). Night bus 611 follows the same route, as far as the central railway station, every half hour at night. You can purchase tickets from the driver, but a surcharge may be added. Pickpockets have been known to operate on these routes.

Certain hotels offer a shuttle service for both guests and non-guests, but the price will be much higher than the regular bus, and usually more than a taxi. Taxis to the city center take approximately 20 minutes. It is advisable for visitors to book an official taxi and to confirm the price before setting off. Taxis can be hired in the arrivals hall at the airport or by calling MPT Radio Taxi (tel: (022) 9191).

Approximate flight times to Warsaw: From London is 2 hours 25 minutes; from New York is 8 hours 40 minutes; from Los Angeles is 14 hours 10 minutes; from Toronto is 9 hours 25 minutes and from Sydney is 21 hours 45 minutes.

Getting There By Road:

Poland uses standard international traffic signs. Major routes have the prefix ‘E’ and motorways ‘A’. Speed limits are 130kph (81mph) on motorways, 110kph (68mph) on dual carriageways, 90kph (56mph) on open roads, and 20-50kph (12-31mph) in built-up areas (60kph/37mph from 1100 to 0500). Traffic drives on the right. Seat belts must be worn. Vehicles should be equipped with a first-aid kit, fire extinguisher and warning triangle. Headlights must be on at all times from 1 October to 1 March. The legal maximum alcohol to blood ratio for driving is 0.02%.

The minimum driving age in Poland is 17. International Driving Permits and European and US national driving licenses are accepted for the first six months in Poland. Drivers should carry their vehicle registration and third party insurance documents. Short-term Green Card insurance is only required for cars originating from outside of the EU and Switzerland.

Information about road travel can be obtained from the Polish Motoring Association (PZM) (tel: (022) 849 9361; website: www.pzmtravel.com.pl).

Emergency breakdown service: PZM (tel: 9637).

Routes to the city: The main route to the city is the east-west E30, which connects Warsaw with Łódź, Poznań and Berlin to the west and the Belarus border to the east. The north-south E77 links Gdansk with Krakow, via Warsaw. The E67 is the route from the southwestern city of Wroclaw.

Approximate driving times to Warsaw: From Berlin is 5 hours; from Prague is 5 hours, and from Krakow is 3 hours 40 minutes.

Coach services: Dozens of licensed carriers, including Polski Express (tel: (022) 854 0285; website: www.polskiexpress.pl) and the state-owned PKS (tel: 0300 300 130; website: www.pks.warszawa.pl) offer services to and from over 200 European and Polish destinations. Warszawa Zachodnia (tel: (022) 822 4811) is the central bus station, located at Aleje Jerozolimskie 144. Eurolines (tel: (022) 676 9187; website: www.eurolinespolska.pl) also provides international services to and from Poland.

Getting There By Rail:

Polish Railways, Polskie Koleje Panstwowe - PKP (tel: (022) 9436, for all enquiries or (022) 511 6003, for calls outside of Poland; website: www.pkp.com.pl), operates trains on the Polish rail network. Poland’s rail network continues to improve and services are increasingly comfortable and punctual, especially on the main routes to other Polish cities and destinations outside Poland. However, they are often very crowded and it is worth spending the 50% surcharge for a guaranteed first-class seat or try and opt for the Inter-City trains (IC) that require a reservation. The main lines passing through Warsaw are the Moscow-Berlin and Gdansk-Ostrava routes. You can buy tickets at the station or through Orbis tourist offices.

Most international services arrive at Warszawa Centralna (Warsaw Central), Aleje Jerozolimskie 54 (tel: (022) 524 4320), across from the tall Marriott Hotel. This station attracts the dirty underbelly of Warsaw society and tourists should take care of their belongings at all times. Station facilities include tourist information, 24-hour left luggage, a chemist, post office, bureaux de change, ATMs, shops and snack bars. The other main stations are Warszawa Wschodnia (Warsaw East), Warszawa Zachodnia (Warsaw West) and Warszawa Gdanska, which receives trains from Russia, Belarus and Ukraine.

Rail services: EuroCity and InterCity trains from Krakow (journey time - 2 hours 40 minutes), Berlin (journey time - 6 hours 20 minutes) and Prague (journey time - 8 hours 50 minutes) arrive at Warsaw Central station. Care should be taken on some night train routes, where thieves have been known to operate.

Getting Around:

Public Transport
The Municipal Transport Board, ZTM (tel: (022) 9484; website: www.ztm.waw.pl) operates the bus and tram network, connecting all parts of the city, as well as the modest metro line.

Night bus routes converge on Ulica Emilii Plater, next to the Palace of Culture and Science, and run after 2300 until the small hours.

The one-line metro system runs from the southern suburbs in Kabaty to the northern reaches of Zoliborz. By the end of 2008 the line will extend further north to Młociny. There are currently plans for a second line, with the necessary funding coming from German investors.

Tickets, valid for all modes of transport, should be purchased before boarding. They are available at the green Ruch kiosks, post offices, and hotels. It is also possible to purchase tickets on board buses, but a surcharge will apply. With every change of vehicle, a new ticket must be punched in the metal boxes inside the bus or tram, or before entering the platform on the underground.

One-day passes are valid for 24 hours after you first punch the ticket. Three- and seven-day passes are also available. You can also buy tickets at the City Transportation Office at Ulica Senatorska 37 (entrance from Saski Garden). Students up to the age of 26 are entitled (on production of an ISIC card) to reduced fares and children under four years travel free. Pickpockets operate on some routes (especially bus 175 from the airport) and valuables should be kept close at hand and out of sight at all times.

Taxis
Taxis are metered and can be hailed on the street, although fares are usually cheaper if the taxi is ordered by telephone. There are also a number of private firms. You can pay by credit card with MPT Radio Taxi (tel: (022) 9191), Halo Taxi (tel: (022) 9623) and OK! Taxi (tel: (022) 9628). Other taxi firms include Wawa (tel: (022) 9644) and Super Taxi (tel: (022) 9622). Rates go up between 2200 and 0600 and at weekends.

Rates going out of the city center Zone 1 are also higher. There is no baggage charge and tipping is usually around 10% of the fare. Overcharging is most likely to happen at the airport, central station, the Old Town or near one of the larger hotels. Non-affiliated taxis should be avoided - it is advisable for travelers to take a taxi with the telephone number displayed on the top and advertising on the side of the car.

Driving in the City
In the past decade, traffic congestion in Warsaw has increased dramatically - the current index of over 400 cars per 1,000 residents is higher than in Berlin. Many of the city’s drivers travel at high speeds and perform dangerous overtaking maneuvers, which may trouble nervous visitors.

The lack of a ring road means that traffic goes straight through the heart of the city, worsening congestion problems in the city center. A variety of plans are underway but these are largely dependent on adequate investment. However, improvements have materialized, including the building of additional bridges.

All standard European rules, such as yellow-diamond priority routes, are in effect. Be mindful of tramway lines when driving as the tracks are not always on a separate road area. At red lights, a small green arrow indicates that it is permissible to turn right, however, priority must be given to cross traffic. At intersections without lights, traffic must stop for pedestrians once they have begun to cross at zebra crossings.

Paid street parking is in effect and there are some underground car parks in the city center. There is a car park under the Silver Screen multiplex (also known as the Europlex building) on Ulica Pulawska 17, with room for 270 cars. This parking entrance is directly around the corner on Ulica Chocimska. There is also 24 hour parking around the Palace of Culture and Science. This is a very central car park and entrance is on Ulica Marszalkowska, Aleje Jerozolimskie and Ulica Emilii Plater (webite: www.pkin.pl/parking).

Parking Lotnisko offers 24-hour attended parking as well as free transfers to the airport should you be traveling by air. It’s a bit out of the way from the center, but your car will be guarded. Aleje Krakowska 42 (tel: (022) 886 6671; website: www.parking-lotnisko.pl). You can pay to park by using a mobile phone; each network provider has a specific number to call.

Car Hire
Drivers must be at least 21 or 23 years old (depending on the company) and have a valid driver’s license or an International Driving Permit. There is no mandatory insurance, although collision damage waiver is advised.

The major car hire providers in Warsaw are Avis (tel: (022) 650 4872; website: www.avis.pl), Budget (tel: (022) 650 4062; website: www.budget.pl) and Hertz (tel: (022) 650 2896; website: www.hertz.pl).

Bicycle Hire
Cycling in the city streets is not an ideal option, but Warsaw is a flat city and has some wonderful cycling paths connecting the city center to both the northern and southern areas of the city along the Vistula. You can hire bikes from Local-Rent-A-Car, Ulica Marsza³kowska 140 (tel: (022) 826 7100; website: www.lrc.com.pl) and Oki Doki Hostel, Plac Dąbrowskiego 3 (tel: (022) 826 5112; website: www.okidoki.pl).

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