Warsaw Chopin Airport (WAW) to the City

From Chopin Airport to the city: three ways in

Warsaw's airport is Chopin Airport (WAW). There are three ways into the city: trains from the airport station, Warszawa Lotnisko Chopina (SKM S2 and S3, plus Koleje Mazowieckie (KM) RL), city buses including bus 175, and taxis from the rank in front of the terminal.

SKM trains and city buses use the same ZTM tickets. Both the airport and the city center are in zone 1, so a single zone 1 75-minute ticket (PLN 4.40) gets you into town.

This post covers trains, buses and taxis one by one, then ticket zones and validation, an at-a-glance comparison, where to get off for each neighborhood, and an arrival-day checklist.

• Full Warsaw travel guide →
• Incheon → Warsaw flights →

Trains: SKM S2/S3 and KM RL from the airport station

The airport station is called Warszawa Lotnisko Chopina. From here SKM lines S2 and S3 run toward Śródmieście and Powiśle stations in the city. Śródmieście station is in the city center (around the Palace of Culture) along with Warszawa Centralna, and the SKM S2 stops at Powiśle station in the riverside Powiśle district.

SKM trains take the same ZTM tickets as buses, trams and the metro. The catch is time: according to SKM, the airport-Central Station trip takes more than 20 minutes, so the cheaper 20-minute ticket (zones 1+2, PLN 3.40) is not enough. Buy a zone 1 75-minute ticket (PLN 4.40). On-board ticket machines take cards only.

Koleje Mazowieckie (KM) RL trains also run from the airport station. Check the official information before you go for RL stops, tickets and hours, and for SKM frequency and first and last trains.

• Where: airport station Warszawa Lotnisko Chopina
• SKM S2/S3: toward Śródmieście and Powiśle stations in the city
• Airport-Central Station: over 20 minutes per SKM, so a 20-minute ticket is not enough; zone 1 75-minute ticket PLN 4.40
• On-board ticket machines: cards only
• KM RL: check the official information before you go for stops, tickets and hours

Buses: 175 to the Old Town area, N32 at night

According to the Warsaw Tourism Office, bus 175 runs from the airport to the city center and around the Old Town. If you are staying near the Royal Castle or the Old Town Market Square, this is the number to remember.

Buses 148 and 188 cross the river toward Praga, Grochów and Gocław, and at night bus N32 runs to the center. In Warsaw, night buses are the numbers marked 'N'. A ticket is required on all lines.

On a bus, validate your paper ticket as soon as you board. Most buses have a ticket machine on board, but it takes cards only. Check the official information before you go for frequency and journey times.

• 175: city center and around the Old Town
• 148/188: across the river toward Praga, Grochów and Gocław
• N32 (night bus): city center
• Tickets: required on all lines; validate paper tickets as soon as you board

Taxis: use the terminal rank, ignore touts in Arrivals

Take a taxi from the rank in front of the terminal. It is served by taxi companies selected by the airport.

The Warsaw Tourism Office warns against people touting rides in the Arrivals Hall: they are often unlicensed and charge several times more. If someone approaches you offering a ride, do not follow them; walk to the rank.

Licensed taxis have an illuminated 'TAXI' roof sign, a yellow-and-red strip with the taxi number under the front-door window with the Warsaw coat of arms below it, and a fare list on the rear right window. Check the official information before you go for the taxi fare and journey time into the city.

• Where: the rank in front of the terminal (companies selected by the airport)
• Roof: illuminated 'TAXI' sign
• Under the front-door window: yellow-and-red strip with the taxi number, Warsaw coat of arms below
• Rear right window: fare list
• Touts in the Arrivals Hall: do not follow them

ZTM tickets: zones, types and validation

Warsaw public transport is split into urban zone 1 and suburban zone 2. The airport and the city center are both in zone 1, so zone 1 tickets are the ones to look at for the trip into town. Luggage travels free.

Zone 1 tickets: 75-minute PLN 4.40, 24-hour PLN 15, 3-day PLN 36. The 20-minute ticket for zones 1+2 is PLN 3.40 but is not enough for the airport-Central Station trip. A zones 1+2 weekend ticket (Friday 7 p.m. to Monday 8 a.m.) is PLN 24. If you plan to ride a lot from the day you land, weigh up the 24-hour or 3-day ticket too.

Buy tickets at newsstands, Passenger Service Centres, machines at metro stations and stops, machines on most buses and new trams, or in mobile apps. Validate paper tickets as soon as you board a bus or tram, or at the gates to the metro platforms. Riding without a valid ticket risks a PLN 266 fine.

• Zone 1: 75-minute PLN 4.40 / 24-hour PLN 15 / 3-day PLN 36
• Zones 1+2: 20-minute PLN 3.40 (not enough for airport-Central Station), weekend PLN 24
• Luggage: free
• Paper tickets: validate on boarding; PLN 266 fine without a valid ticket
• Ticket machines on trains, buses and trams: cards only

At a glance

Here is each way into the city on one line. Items marked 'check official info' are worth checking before you go.

• SKM S2/S3: airport station → toward Śródmieście and Powiśle stations, zone 1 75-minute ticket PLN 4.40, airport-Central Station over 20 minutes (per SKM), frequency: check official info
• KM RL: from the airport station; stops, tickets and hours: check official info
• Bus 175: city center and around the Old Town, zone 1 75-minute ticket PLN 4.40, journey time: check official info
• Buses 148/188: across the river toward Praga, Grochów and Gocław, ZTM ticket required
• Night bus N32: city center, ZTM ticket required
• Taxi: terminal rank, fare and time: check official info; avoid touts in the Arrivals Hall

Where to get off by neighborhood, plus an arrival-day checklist

If you are staying in the Old Town and Krakowskie Przedmieście, bus 175 runs to the Old Town area. The Royal Castle, the Old Town Market Square and St. John's Archcathedral are all within walking distance there.

The city center (around Central Station and the Palace of Culture) has SKM's Śródmieście station and Warszawa Centralna. The Warsaw Tourist Information point is inside the Palace of Culture and Science, and Central Station has luggage lockers. In riverside Powiśle the SKM S2 stops at Powiśle station, and for Praga on the east bank of the Vistula you get off at metro line 2's Dworzec Wileński station. From the station or stop to your accommodation, check the route using its address.

Once you are in town, continue with the Warsaw first-trip post below for how to cover the Old Town and the Royal Route.

• Bring a payment card: ticket machines on trains, buses and trams take cards only
• Airport to city: zone 1 75-minute ticket (PLN 4.40); a 20-minute ticket is not enough
• Validate paper tickets as soon as you board
• Taxis only from the terminal rank
• Currency is the złoty (PLN); change money at registered exchange points (never on the street or with strangers)
• Arriving on a Sunday: most Sundays in Poland are non-trading days when shops close
• Emergency number 112 (Polish and English)
• Entry rules: check the official information before you go

• Full Warsaw travel guide →
• Warsaw for first-timers: the Old Town and how to get around →
• How to avoid taxi scams abroad →

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