Warsaw scams: what to watch for

Most visitors to Warsaw lose money in three places: the taxi rank, the bar, and the currency exchange. Everything else is rare. Rank the risk in that order and you will handle the city fine.

Taxi: the classic version is a driver who quotes a flat price far above the meter, or a meter that has been tampered with. The fix is simple — order through a ride-hailing app, or take a car from the marked rank at the airport and confirm the meter is running before you move. Unlicensed drivers who approach you inside the arrivals hall are the ones to walk past.

Bar and club: a host invites you in for a drink, the bill arrives at several hundred złoty, and a large man explains that you have to pay. This happens in the streets around the Old Town and Nowy Świat late at night. Check the menu price before ordering, keep your own tab, and never hand over your card to leave with staff.

Currency exchange: kantor windows with no rate displayed, or a rate that looks too good, then a commission that eats the difference. Use a bank ATM or a kantor with the buy and sell rates posted outside.

The Old Town (Stare Miasto), Nowy Świat and the streets around the Palace of Culture and Science carry most of the night-time bar and club pressure. These are also the busiest, best-lit parts of the city, so the risk is financial rather than physical.

Chopin Airport arrivals and Warszawa Centralna station are the two places where unlicensed drivers work. Both have official taxi ranks and both are covered by ride-hailing apps, so there is no reason to accept an offer from someone who walks up to you.

Pickpocketing is uncommon but does happen on trams and in crowded underpasses. Keep your phone and wallet in a front pocket or a zipped bag, and do not leave a bag on the seat next to you.

Warsaw runs on the złoty (PLN), roughly 4.2–4.3 to the euro in 2026 — check before you travel. Cards and contactless are accepted almost everywhere, including market stalls and taxis ordered by app, so you rarely need much cash.

Carry 100–200 zł for small purchases and for the rare place that is card-only above a minimum. Bank ATMs are the cheapest way to get cash; avoid standalone machines in tourist streets that charge a fee on top of the bank rate.

Chopin Airport (WAW) is about 10 km from the centre. The official taxi rank is outside arrivals; the ride takes 20–30 minutes depending on traffic. A train (SKM S2/S3) also runs to Warszawa Śródmieście, and buses 175 and 188 go to the centre — cheap, but slower with luggage.

Warszawa Centralna is the main rail station, with fast trains to Kraków, Gdańsk and Wrocław. Buy tickets at the counter, a machine or the app; do not buy from someone offering a discount on the platform.

Within the city, trams, buses and the metro are frequent and cheap. Validate your ticket on board. Ticket inspectors do fine people, and paying the fine on the spot is normal — ask for a receipt.