Planning a trip to Gdansk
The main tourist information office, the PTTK office (Duga 45; tel. 58/301-91-51; www.pttk-gdansk.pl), is conveniently located in the heart of the Gówne Miasto, opposite the Neptune Fountain. This office is overstretched in the summer. They offer services like making hotel reservations or booking tickets to the philharmonic and opera. To hire a city guide, you need to call in advance. The price is 80 z to 160 z per person, depending on the group size, for a 2 1/2 hour walking tour. Pick up a copy of the Gdansk, Stare Miasto map, a large-format, easy-to-read guide to all the major sights in the center of town. Also, look for the free brochures The Best of Gdansk and The Royal Route; both are comprehensive, self-guided walking tours in English. The office sells copies of Gdansk, In Your Pocket (5 z), which has an excellent overview of the city, including sections on Sopot, Gdynia, and Malbork. For more extensive exploration, the Copernicus Tri-City map with public transport routes is a good buy. The GTO Gdansk Tourist Information Center (Dugi Targ 28/29; tel. 58/301-43-55; www.gdansk4u.pl), run by the city authorities, has a similar stock of material but tends to be less crowded. It is open June to August daily from 8:30am to 6:30pm and the rest of the year daily from 9am to 5pm. They sell the Gdansk Tourist Card and rent audio guides (www.audioguide.com.pl) with humorous narrations for 12 z per 4-hour usage.
City Layout
Unlike other Polish cities, the heart of Gdansk is technically not called the "Old Town" (Stare Miasto). There is a Stare Miasto, but it lies just to the north of the main center, the Gówne Miasto (Main Town). The Gówne Miasto is where you'll find the main pedestrian walks, ul. Duga (Long St.), Dugi Targ (the Long Market), and interesting side streets. Then comes Dugie Pobrzeze, a major pedestrian walkway along the Motawa Canal. Stare Miasto is about a 15-minute walk north, and it is here you'll find the Gdansk shipyards and the Solidarity memorial, and the Roads to Freedom exhibit. To the south of Gówne Miasto is Stare Przedmiescie (Old Suburbs). Farther to the north, in the direction of Sopot, lies the unlovely Nowy Port, as well as the serene suburbs of Wrzeszcz and Oliwa. The former is home to many of the city's more affordable hotels and pensions. The Tri-City (Trójmiasto) refers to the trio of Gdansk, Sopot, and Gdynia. The heart of Sopot is about 6km (3 3/4 miles) to the north of Gdansk city center. Gdynia is about 15km (9 1/4 miles) to the north.
Getting There
By Plane
Lech Waesa International Airport (Sowackiego 200; tel. 58/348-11-63; www.airport.gdansk.pl) is the main airport in northeastern Poland, and it has good direct domestic and international routes. Flights take off from here to major European cities including London (Luton and Stansted), Berlin, and several Scandinavian cities. It's served by, among others, LOT, SAS, and WizzAir. The airport is about 10km (6 1/4 miles) west of the city. Bus B is the economy option to get to town. It runs twice hourly during daylight hours to Gdansk Gówny (the central train station). Bus N3 is the night bus to the main railway station and the Wrzeszcz railway station. The trip costs 3 z. Leave about 40 minutes for the journey (more during rush hour). The Airport Bus (tel. 58/554-93-93 or 515/181-161; www.airportbus.com.pl), located outside the arrivals hall, takes you straight to Hevelius Hotel, a 15-minute walk from the Old City. It costs 9.90 z, and you must pre-book your ride. The Gdansk Shuttle (tel. 12/633-01-25 or 506/175-495) costs 79 z for up to four people and must be pre-booked, as well. A taxi from the airport to Gdansk costs about 50 z, to Sopot about 60 z, and to Gdynia 90 z. The taxi company recommended by the airport authorities is City Plus Neptune (tel. 196-86 or 58/511-15-55; www.cph.gda.pl).
By Train
For most arrivals, Gdansk Gówny train station (Podwale Grodzkie 1; tel. 194-36; www.pkp.pl), to the southwest of the Old City, is the first port of call. The Old Town is a 5-minute walk; use the underpass to cross the highway. Gdansk is well served by railroad, and departures to Warsaw and other major cities are frequent. Local trains to Sopot and Gdynia also depart from here.
By Bus
The main bus station, Dworzec PKS (3 Maja 12; tel. 58/302-15-32; www.pks.gdansk.pl), is located next to the train station. As Poland's Baltic hub, the city is a primary destination for domestic and international bus lines.
By Car
The roads to Gdansk are improving, but traffic nightmares are frequent. The major, and seemingly permanent, road work has badly tied up routes coming from all directions, so leave plenty of travel time. The main roads running south are the E75 to Torun and E77 to Warsaw. The E28 is the main route to the west toward Germany. Coming from the west, it skirts Gdansk as it heads south. The E28 is planned to be a major four-lane north-south artery. Once you arrive in the city, brace yourself for hour-long jams during the morning and evening rush hours. The drive from Warsaw may take anywhere from 4 to 5 hours.
By Boat
It is possible to arrive in Gdansk by ferry from Sweden. Polferries (www.polferries.pl) offers regular service between the Swedish port of Nynäshamm (60km/37 miles south of Stockholm) and Gdansk's Nowy Port (Przemysowa 1; tel. 58/343-00-78), which is 7km (4 1/4 miles) south of the city. From the train station, there aren't any convenient bus or tram connections to the ferry terminals. Taxi rides should cost around 30 z. The ferries depart from Sweden every second or third day at 6pm and arrive at noon the following day. Returns from Gdansk follow the same schedule. Stena Line (www.stenaline.pl) runs a similar service from the southern Swedish city of Karlskrona (500km/311 miles south of Stockholm) to Gdynia's passenger ferry port. In summer, the ferries make the 10-hour journey twice daily at 9am and 9pm.
Getting Around
Walking is the most enjoyable mode to see the city's historical sites. To get to Sopot, Gdynia, or farther afield, use the city's good network of public transportation or ferry services targeted at tourists. If you plan to use the trams and buses (run by ZTM) and the SKM commuter trains throughout the Tri-City, you can get a day ticket (18 z). The newly launched Gdansk Tourist Card (www.gdansk4u.pl) packages together access to the city's public transportation and discounts at selected museums, restaurants, and hotels. They're sold at the GTO offices and are available in 24-hour (35 z) or 72-hour (65 z) formats.
ON FOOT --
Much of central Gdansk, including ul. Duga and the walkway along the Motawa Canal, is closed to motor vehicles. The center is compact and easy to manage on foot.
By Tram
Gdansk has an efficient network of trams (tel. 58/341-00-21; www.ztm.gda.pl) that whisk you from the center of the city to the suburbs of Wrzeszcz and Oliwa in a few minutes. Note that trams do not run to Sopot and Gdynia. Tickets cost 3 z for a 15-minute ride; a day ticket costs 9 z. Buy tickets at Ruch kiosks, newspapers counters, and from the ticket machines.
By Bus
City buses (www.ztm.gda.pl) are useful for getting to some of the suburbs. Bus nos. 117, 122, and 143 go to Sopot, while bus no. 171 gets you to Gdynia. Ticketing is the same as for the trams.
By SKM Commuter Train
The SKM (Szybka Kolej Miejska; tel. 58/721-21-70; www.skm.pkp.pl), nicknamed Kolejka, is a quick and reliable local "urban train" service, linking the main stopovers of the Tri-City. The SKM runs at about 10-minute intervals from 5am to 7pm through the Tri-City. Get tickets in any of the main stations or from the ticket vending machines located on the platforms. (Note: Ticket machines are prone to breaking down. You can also buy the tickets from the conductor at the front of the train.) Validate your tickets before boarding. From Gdansk, it takes about 20 minutes and a 4-z ticket to reach Sopot, and 30 minutes and a 4.50-z ticket to Gdynia.
By Taxi
Taxis are a good way to get to your hotel from the bus or train stations, but you won't need to use them much once you've sorted out the public transportation system. Figure on about 25 z for rides in town.
By Boat
It's fun and relaxing to hitch a boat from Gdansk to several local and regional destinations, such as Westerplatte and Gdynia. The service is run by Zegluga Gdanska (Dugie Pobrzeze; tel. 58/301-49-26; www.zegluga.pl). The main ferry landing and ticket office is near the Green Gate, at the intersection of the Dugi Targ and the Motawa Canal. In the summer months, the ferry trams (tramwaj wodny; Nabrzeze Motawy; tel. 58/309-13-23; www.ztm.gda.pl) go to Sopot and the Hel Peninsula. Note that the ferry trams offer daily service June through August. Tickets, sold at Targ Rybny 6, cost 10 z to Sopot and 18 z to Hel.
By Bike
Gdansk is navigable by bicycle, and several new bike lanes now connect the center with the suburbs of Wrzeszcz and beyond, toward Sopot. That said, the network is spotty, and there are plenty of places where you'll still have to contend with stairways, sidewalks, heavy traffic, and Polish drivers unaccustomed to cyclists. The rental of choice is Rowerownia (Fieldorfa 11/3; tel. 58/320-61-69; www.rowerownia.gda.pl), which also issues sturdy locks.
