Getting to Poland
 Air
International airlines fly mainly to Warsaw's Frederic Chopin Airport (WAW) in Okecie, though some also land at Katowice (KTW), Kraków (KRK), Gdansk (GDN), Lódz (LCJ) and Poznan (POZ).
Warsaw’s airport facilities include a post office, banks, currency exchange, bars, restaurants, left-luggage facilities, tourist information services and car hire (Avis, Budget, Hertz, National and Thrifty).
Most of Europe’s major airlines fly to and from Poland. Apart from direct air connections from many European cities there are also direct flights from United States and Canada.
Poland’s national carriers are LOT Polish Airlines, and a low cost airline called Centralwings. There are other several low cost airlines that fly to Poland including WizzAir, SkyEurope, EasyJet, Germanwings and Ryanair.
LOT operates direct flights from Washington D.C., New York and Chicago. Other airlines serving Poland include Aeroflot, Air France, Austrian Airlines, British Airways, Easyjet, El Al, Lufthansa, Ryanair, SAS and Swiss.
Domestic flights operated by LOT connect Warsaw with Katowice, Kraków, Gdansk, Poznan, Lódz, Szczecin and Wroclaw.
Airport departure taxi is usually included in the price of the air ticket. Enquire at the time of ticketing.
 Bus
There are extensive bus services. Eurolines departs from Victoria Coach Station in London, connecting to a number of destinations in Poland. www.eurolines.com.
Sea
Pol Ferries operates between Poland and Sweden, Denmark and Finland. For further information, contact your travel agent or Pol Ferries at Ulica Chalubinskiego 8, 00-613, Warsaw.
 Train
Polish State Railways (PKP) operates EuroCity trains between Poland and a number of major European cities. All services from Western Europe to Poland pass through the Czech Republic, Germany or the Slovak Republic. The main routes link Warsaw with Berlin and Cologne, Budapest, Prague and Vienna. There is a sleeper-car service from the Hook of Holland to Poznan and Warsaw. www.pkp.pl
Getting To / From Airports
Warsaw's Frederic Chopin Airport (WAW) is located 10 km from the city in Okecie. It takes an average of 30 minutes travel time by taxi or by bus to reach the city centre. Taxis and buses can be accessed directly in front of the Arrivals hall.
Kraków’s Balice John Paul II Airport (KRK) is 16km from the city centre. Buses and taxis are available for transport.
Wroclaw’s Strachowice Airport (WRO) is 8km from the city centre. Buses, taxis and car hire are available for transport. There is a daily connection to Frankfurt/M and a twice weekly connection to Düsseldorf.
Katowice Airport (KTW) is 34km from the city. There are daily connections to Copenhagen, Frankfurt/M and Munich.
 Gdansk Airport (GDN) is 10km from the city centre and is the most common entry point into northern Poland. Buses, car rentals, and taxis are available from the airport. Taxis are serviced by City Plus Taxi (Phone: 9686).
Getting Around Poland
Poland has comprehensive and cheap public transport services, though they can often be overcrowded and very slow. As a general rule, trains are the best means of moving across the country.
Bus
There are decent bus services in all towns, with additional trams and trolleybuses operating in a dozen of the larger urban areas. Warsaw has bus, tramway and rail services. A flat fare is charged and there are pre-purchase tickets and passes.
 Car
You can enter Poland by car via one of many roads linking Poland with neighbouring countries. Since Poland’s entry into the EU, road queues to check points with other EU countries have greatly decreased. Queues on borders with non-EU countries are much longer and can last several hours or more.
The Polish road network is average and functional. A bit underdeveloped by European standards, as there are only a few highways connecting major towns. Small two-way roads span the entire country. As long as you keep by the main roads, you should get to where you want fairly easy. There is a fast, modern connection on the Gdansk - Warszawa - Kraków route.
Traffic drives on the right. Poles drive aggressively and with little or no regard to speed limits. Drunk driving is also a big problem, despite heavy penalties. Overall, Poland has a higher index of deaths on the roads than many European countries.
 Taxi
Taxis are available in all main towns. They are usually found at ranks or can be ordered by phone. Make sure that the driver uses the meter. Every taxi driver is required to issue a receipt when asked. You can ask the driver for a receipt (rachunek) before you get in. If the driver refuses or his reaction seems suspicious, find another taxi. Fake phone numbers are easily detected by locals and cater for the unsuspecting traveller. Be sure to carry small money with you as drivers are notorious for “not having any change.”
You can also find phone numbers for taxis in any city on the Internet, on municipal and newspaper websites. There are also stands, where you can call for their particular taxi for free, often found at railroad stations.
Try to use only those taxis with phone number on the side or top of the vehicle. The unaffiliated ones are likely to cheat and charge you much more. However, some taxis display fake phone numbers. The best advice is to ask your hotel concierge (or Polish friends) for the number of the taxi company they use and call them 10-15 minutes in advance.
There is a late-night surcharge from 11pm-5am, and for journeys out of town, as well as at weekends. Taxi drivers may insist on payment in hard currency (US dollars, GB Pounds). Tipping is welcomed.
Train
Cheap and efficient InterCity trains are operated by Polish State Railways (PKP) (www.pkp.pl) and link all parts of the country in a network radiating from Warsaw. There are two classes of travel. InterCity and Express routes are much safer than non-express suburban routes. Try to avoid travelling at night, especially on non-express trains. Travelling close to the front of the train is recommended as the staff is more likely to provide assistance.
The Polrailpass (and Junior Polrailpass for travellers under 26) is available for 8, 15, 21 or 30 days. You can purchase this pass from travel agents, train stations and international train ticket outlets. Children under four years of age travel free. Children aged four to 10 pay half price.
 Tram
Electric and rail trams run through the larger cities. Weekend and seven-day tourist tickets can be purchased. Most trams operate from 5:30am-11pm.
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