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Voykit pocket guide · Poland
Warsaw
Warszawa
Give Warsaw 2–3 nights: Old Town and Royal Route on foot, two museums, one Praga evening. Skip it only if you have 4 days and want Kraków alone.
Warsaw is Poland's capital and largest city, about 1.75 million people, rebuilt from rubble after 1944 and now a fast-changing mix of reconstructed Old Town, communist-era landmarks and new towers. Sights cluster in Śródmieście and the Old Town, so two full days cover the core; three let you add Praga, Wilanów or a museum afternoon. Public transport is cheap and dense, and the city is easy to walk between the Royal Route stops.
- Country
- Poland
- Local name
- Warszawa
- Best months
- May–Sep; also late Nov–Dec for the Christmas market
- Avoid
- Jan–Feb (cold, dark, sometimes below -10 °C (14 °F))Jan–Feb (cold, dark, sometimes below 14 °F (-10 °C))
- Stay
- 2–3 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- PLN
- Money
- Currency is the Polish złoty (PLN, zł). Cards and contactless payment are accepted almost everywhere.
- Daily spend
- Budget zł 150–250 excl. bed · Mid zł 250–450 excl. bed · High zł 450+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Orange, Play, Plus and T-Mobile sell prepaid SIMs; registration with a passport is required.
- Emergency
- All emergencies 112 · Ambulance 999 · Police 997 · Fire 998
- Plugs
- Types C, E · 230 V · 50 Hz · Type E sockets; German type F plugs fit with the hybrid plug most chargers have.
- Tipping
- Restaurant: About 10%; tell the server or add it on the card terminal.; Saying 'dziękuję' when paying cash: Means keep the change — say it only if you mean it.; Taxi: Round up.
- Water
- Tap water is safe. Restaurants sell bottled water.
- Toilets
- Station and mall toilets often cost PLN 2–4.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | zł 10–18 |
| Milk bar (bar mleczny) main dish | zł 15–30 |
| Restaurant main course | zł 40–80 |
| Beer: draught / shop | zł 12–20 / zł 4–8 |
| Single public transport ticket (20 min) | zł 3.40–4.40 (check) |
| Museum entry | zł 20–60 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | zł 30–60 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- WAW · Warsaw Chopin
- About 10 km (6.2 mi) south-west of the centre; bus 175 and the S2/S3 train lines reach the centre in 25–40 min.About 6.2 mi (10 km) south-west of the centre; bus 175 and the S2/S3 train lines reach the centre in 25–40 min.
- WMI · Warsaw Modlin
- About 35 km (22 mi) north-west; mainly low-cost carriers, with a shuttle bus to Modlin station then train to the centre.About 22 mi (35 km) north-west; mainly low-cost carriers, with a shuttle bus to Modlin station then train to the centre.
Typical fares
- Chopin airport → centre, train or bus
- about zł 4.40–6, 25–40 min (check)
- Taxi Chopin airport → centre
- zł 50–80 (check)
- 24 h public transport pass
- about zł 15 (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Trams, buses and two metro lines cover the city; buy time tickets (20/75/90 min) or a 24 h/72 h pass from machines and validate on boarding. The centre is walkable: Old Town to the Palace of Culture is about 25 min on foot. Ride-hailing apps and taxis work well; night buses run after trams stop.
See and do
Known for
- Old Town, rebuilt and UNESCO-listed
- Royal Route and Royal Castle
- POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews
- Warsaw Uprising Museum
- Palace of Culture and Science
- Chopin and milk bars (bar mleczny)
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Żelazowa Wola (Chopin's birthplace) | Train or bus to Sochaczew, then a local bus or taxi | About 2 h |
| Płock | Bus or car, about 2 h | About 2 h |
| Sulejówek | Suburban train from Warszawa Wschodnia, about 30 min | About 1 h |
| Radom | Train from Warszawa Centralna, about 1 h 30 min | About 2 h |
Sleep
- Śródmieście
- Most central: walking distance to the Royal Route, Palace of Culture and main transport hubs. Best for a first visit.
- Old and New Town
- Cobbled streets, small hotels and apartments; quiet at night, 15–20 min walk from the centre.
- Western Centre (Wola, Ochota)
- Business towers, newer hotels, good value; metro and tram lines run into the centre.
- Praga
- East bank, cheaper, more local feel; 10–15 min by tram or metro from the centre.
- South (Mokotów, Ursynów)
- Residential and quieter, near Chopin airport and Wilanów; use the metro for the centre.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Dzień dobryjane DOH-brih |
| Thank you | Dziękujęjen-KOO-yeh |
| Please | ProszęPRO-sheh |
| How much is it? | Ile to kosztuje?EE-leh toh kosh-TOO-yeh |
| Can I pay by card? | Czy mogę zapłacić kartą?chih MOH-geh zah-PWA-cheech KAR-tah |
| Where is the toilet? | Gdzie jest toaleta?gjeh yest toh-ah-LEH-tah |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Dzień dobry, handshake; Pan/Pani with surname; avoid: First names with older people too early
- Home visit: Shoes off; bring flowers (odd number) and something sweet; avoid: Chrysanthemums (for graves) and yellow flowers
- Name days: Wish people well on their name day (imieniny); avoid: Ignoring it if a colleague mentions it
- History: Show interest; avoid: Calling Poland 'Eastern Europe' or jokes about WWII
- Queues: Let older people and pregnant women go first where signs ask; avoid: Skipping the queue at the kasa
Scams and watch-outs
- Pickpockets on trams, in the Old Town and around the central stations.
- Some bars and clubs add unclear charges; ask the total before you order.
- Ticket machines rarely take cards on older trams; keep small change or use the app.
- Winter snow can slow buses and trams badly; allow extra time.
- Do not confuse the 1943 Ghetto Uprising with the 1944 Warsaw Uprising.
Warsaw is generally safe for tourists by day and night in the centre. The real risks are pickpockets on trams and in the Old Town, unclear bar bills, and winter ice on pavements.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Warsaw yet. Suggested stay: 2–3 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Old Town, rebuilt and UNESCO-listed
- Royal Route and Royal Castle
- POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews
- Warsaw Uprising Museum
- Palace of Culture and Science
- Chopin and milk bars (bar mleczny)
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- City of Warsaw: en.um.warszawa.pl/
- Warsaw Tourist Office: warsawtour.pl/en/
- Wikivoyage: Warsaw, revision 5307196 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5307196
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
WarsawWarszawa
Na ten adres, proszę
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
The US embassy is on Aleje Ujazdowskie in Śródmieście; the UK embassy is on ulica Kawalerii. Check current addresses and opening hours before you go.
112 works from any phone, including foreign SIMs.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/warsaw). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.