Getting There

By Plane

Warsaw remains the major air gateway to Poland, with extensive connections throughout Europe, and some nonstop flights to North America. Kraków's Jan Pavel II Airport is also easy to reach from nearly any large airport in Europe. The advent of low-cost budget carriers in Europe in recent years has opened up several other cities to regular and convenient air travel, including Lódz, Poznan, Wroclaw, and Gdansk.

By Train

The national rail network, PKP, is well integrated into the Europe-wide rail system. Warsaw lies on the main east-west line running from Berlin to Moscow. Kraków is accessible from Prague, Vienna, and points south, though some connections may require a change of trains at Katowice.

By Bus

International bus travel has become less popular in recent years due to the arrival of the budget air carriers, which often match the buses for ticket prices, but get you there much quicker. Nevertheless, the Polish national bus carrier works in cooperation with the trans-European carrier Eurolines, and large Polish cities are easy to reach by bus.

By Car

Poland is easily accessible by car and Polish highways are integrated into the larger E.U. highway grid. If entering from an E.U. country (Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Lithuania) you no longer have to stop to show a passport. Standard border controls are still in effect if traveling to or from Ukraine, Belarus, or the Russian Federation.

By Ship

It's possible to travel to Poland by ferry from two ports in Sweden, putting in at Gdansk and Gdynia on the Baltic coast.