Since low cost airlines started flying into and from Warsaw there are more tourists coming than all the years before. Warsaw is still not a major tourist destination, but gay accommodation is limited and we recommend to book early. Low cost airlines operating in Warsaw are are Centralwings www.centralwings.com (Flights from/to Bologna, Catania, Chania, Edinburgh, Faro, Gerona/Barcelona, Heraklion, Kavala, Kos, Lamezia, Leeds, Lisbon, London Gatwick, Malaga, Malta, Milan, Palermo, Rhodos, Rome, Shannon, Thessaloniki); Skyeurope, www.skyeurope.com (Flights from/to Paris, Rome); Easyjet www.easyjet.com (Flights from/to London); Germanwings www.germanwings.com (Flights from/to Cologne, Hamburg, Stuttgart); Wizz Air www.wizzair.com (Flights from/to Brussels, Budapest, Frankfurt, Dortmund, Glasgow, Gothenburg, Kaunas, Liverpool, London Luton, Malmo, Paris, Stockholm)
The Warsaw-Okecie International Airport is Warsaw's main airport, located 10 kilometers (six miles) south of the city centre. Phone
+48 22 650 4140 (information) or 3943 (departures) or 4220 (arrivals).
Web site: http://www.polish-airports.com.
Aeroflot - al. Jerozolimskie 29, Phone +48 22 628 25 57, 628 17 10, 621 16 11 Web site http://www.aeroflot.com
Air Algerie - Phone +48 22 650 25 12, 846 70 46
Air France - ulica Krucza 21, Phone +48-22 628 12 81, 628 12 83, 650 45 08, 650 45 09 Web site http://www.airfrance.com
LOT Polish Airlines - al. Jerozolimskie 65/79, Phone +48-22 952, 953, 628 75 80, Info line 0801 300 952, 0800 22 59 59, Web site http://www.lot.com
Lufthansa - ulica Nowy Swiat 19, Phone +48-22 826 15 01, fax +48-22 826 53 39, Web site http://www.lufthansa.com
Malev - ulica Jana Pawla II 15, Phone +48-22 697 74 72, 697 74 74 Web site http://www.malev.hu
Sabena Królewska 11, Phone +48 22 627 02 30/31
SAS - ulica Nowy Swiat 18/19, Phone +48-22 826 12 11/826 12 12, 650 45 10 Web site http://www.scandinavian.net
Tarom - Romanian Air Marszakowska 84/92 Phone +48 22 629 90 98, 621 72 93
Tunis Air Oeiêtokrzyska 36/34, Phone +48 22 652 04 92/93
Entry & Visa & Custom
In every case ask the Polish Embassy in your country to verify the latest requirements re garding visas ! It depends on your citizenship how you can cross the border of Poland.
No visa requiered: The list below indicates all countries where Poland has a non visa agreement. If you hold the citizenship of one of these countries you do not need to apply for a visa in advance. Just show your passport at the boarder (with some countries only your ID is requiered). The date indicates when the agreement came into force.
Andorra 08.04.1991 up to 90 days
Argentina 22.11.1990 up to 90 days
Austria 01.09.1991 up to 90 days
Belarus 13.12.1979 (tourist trips passport & voucher; private trips passport and invitation; business trips passport with 'ab' stamp.)
Belgium 08.04.1991 up to 90 days
Bolivia 29.04.1994 up to 90 days
Brazil 14.07.1999 up to 90 days
Bulgaria 08.06.1965 up to 30 days
Chile 24.02.1995 up to 90 days
Croatia 08.12.1992 up to 90 days
Costa Rica 08.07.1992 up to 90 days
Cuba 27.01.1979 up to 90 days
Cyprus 27.10.1992 up to 90 days
Czech Republic 28.05.1991 up to 90 days
Denmark 01.03.1991 up to 90 days
Ecuador 04.03.1999 up to 90 days
Estonia 26.02.1993 up to 30 days
Finland 01.05.1991 up to 90 days
France 08.04.1991 up to 90 days
Germany 08.04.1991 up to 90 days
Greece 24.06.1995 up to 90 days
Honduras 11.01.1994 up to 90 days
Hungary 08.10.1991 up to 90 days
Ireland 20.11.1992 up to 90 days
Island 01.07.1992 up to 90 days
Israel 29.12.1999 up to 90 days
Italy 08.04.1991 up to 90 days
Japan 14.02.1999 up to 90 days
Korea South 24.12.1993 up to 90 days
Latvia 17.12.1992 up to 90 days
Liechtenstein 03.09.1991 up to 90 days
Lithuania 07.05.1993 up to 90 days
Luxembourg 09.04.1991 up to 90 days
Macedonia 02.08.1963 up to 30 days
Malaysia 24.05.1998 up to 90 days
Malta 01.05.1991 up to 90 days
Mexico 08.06.1999 up to 90 days
Monaco 08.04.1991 up to 90 days
Netherlands 08.04.1991 up to 90 days
Nicaragua 10.02.1995 up to 90 days
Norway 15.04.1991 up to 90 days
Portugal 30.06.1993 up to 90 days
Rumania 28.06.1971 up to 30 days
Russia 13.12.1979 (tourist trips passport & voucher; private trips passport and invitation; business trips passport with 'ab' stamp.)
San Marino 18.01.1991 up to 90 days
Singapore 02.09.1999 up to 30 days
Slovakia 28.05.1991 up to 90 days
Slovenia 15.12.1992 up to 90 days
Spain 31.01.1994 up to 90 days
Sweden 01.06.1991 up to 90 days
Switzerland 03.09.1991 up to 90 days
Ukraine 17.08.1997 up to 90 days
United Kingdom 01.07.1992 up to 180 days
Uruguay 02.09.1991 up to 90 days
USA 15.04.1991 up to 90 days
A tourist visa is valid for the time listed. If you want to stay longer you have to apply for a visa before the period expires. Besides the paperwork (forms in Polish only), you'll need two photos, a passport that is valid at least 9 months and a good reason for staying. The cost varies depending on the type of visa you'd like. Apply at the Urzad Wojewodzki, Wydzial Spraw Obywatelskich, Oddzial d/s Cudzoziemcow (Phone +48 22 625 59 04) located on ulica Krucza 5/11.
Visa requiered You have to apply for a visa if you are a citizen of a country that is not listed above. Just contact the next Polish embassy for details re garding the procedure.
Airport Transfer
After coming through customs, you may well be offered a taxi by men waiting amongst the crowd. Never accept this offer. There are several solutions:
Take a taxi waiting in the second line in front of the airport. There are two lines. Closer to the entrance are taxis that sometime cheat. Most taxis in the second line are ok. Or better you a operator at the taxi desk to call a legitimate taxi.
Or buy a phone card at the newspaper kiosk and call 9644 (Wawa taxi). There should be an English operator. Ask for the taxi to come to Odloty (departures) upstairs. The taxi normally comes in 10 minutes and you will have to give your name to the driver to confirm he was ordered for you. Or, if the kiosks are closed, go upstairs to departures and try to get a taxi there. Never take a taxi not displaying a corporation name & a phone number. A ride into town will cost between 20 and 35 PLN depending on the tariff (50% extra evenings and public holidays). You must have polish currency to pay them. Taxis don't carry much change so try to have 50 PLN note. Never let a taxi driver drive you un-metered.
It's cheaper to take a bus. But be warned of a high number of thieves in these busses! The local buses 175, 188, or the night line 611 will bring you to and from the central train station (Dworzec Centralny) for the cost of a ticket for yourself and one for your luggage. The bus stop is at Aleje Jerozolimskie on the Station side, not on Mariott hotel side (see the public transport chapter).
There is no Airport Shuttle.
Trains
If you want to check the train schedules we recommend the huge online database at http://bahn.hafas.de/bin/query.exe/en -
you'll find all schedules there.
The Web of the Polish Railway is at http://www.pkp.com.pl). Tickets can be purchased at the station (latest 10 minutes before train is departing) and for information
you may call +48 22 620 03 61 (domestic) or 45 12 (international).
International buses don't operate from central railway station
anymore. Now they depart from Central Coach Station (West Train Station). There is also a Stadion Coach Station only for Eastern lines but that station is not so popular.
Busses
Busses from abroad arrive and depart from central train station Centralna or from Warszawa Zachodnia (West station). From Zachodnia you may take the public Buses 127, 130, 508, 517, 523, 605 and E5 to the center. Bus companies that operate routes to and from Warsaw are http://www.comfort.com.pl, http://www.eurolines.com, http://www.busnet.pl and others.
Ships
If you would like to go for a sightseeing by ship or bus, please ask for information at the Tourist Information offices listed above.
Speed limit in other urban areas is 60 km/per hour.
Speed limit outside urban areas is 90 km/per hour.
Speed limit on dual carriage ways is 110 km/per hour.
Speed limit on motor ways is 130 km/per hour.
Seat belts obligatory, Mobile Phone usage forbidden.
First aid kit & warning triangle & fire extinguisher obligatory.
Limit for alcohol is 0.2 percent blood/alcohol level.
Penalties are 70 PLN for missing seat belt, 100 PLN for mobile phone usage and 500 PLN for exceeding the speed limit.
Foreigners can drive with the licence of their home country up to six month after entering the country.
For road emergency call 981.
Parking meters are in the center of Warsaw everywhere: The standard rate is 0.6 PLN for 30 minutes parking. 2 PLN for one hour. 4.60 PLN for two hours and 31.80 PLN for a whole day's parking. Mostly it's needed to pay only during the daytime: Mondays til Fridays from 8 am til 6 pm & Saturdays from 8 am til 3 pm. Sundays it's free all the day.
Left Luggage
Public left luggage facilities are located at the main Station, Warzawa Centralna. Open 24 hours. Fees: ?
Country Facts
Travel to Poland
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