Landing in Poland: From the Gate to the City Center
The first hour after you land sets the tone for a trip. Polish airports are small and manageable, and getting into town is cheap if you know which option to pick. Here is the arrivals plan for the main gateways.
Sort out money and data first
Before you leave the terminal, do two things. Skip the airport currency exchange, where rates are poor, and simply draw złoty from a bank ATM or pay by card, which works almost everywhere in Poland. If a card machine asks whether to charge in złoty or your home currency, always choose złoty.
For data, an eSIM bought before you fly is the least fuss, but you can also grab a cheap Polish prepaid SIM from a kiosk. You will want mobile data to run the transit and taxi apps below.
Warsaw and Kraków into town
Warsaw Chopin Airport sits close to the center, with a train and city buses running to the main stations for the price of a normal transit ticket. Warsaw's second airport, Modlin, is further out and mostly serves budget flights, linked by a bus and train combination.
Kraków's airport connects to the main railway station by a quick, frequent train that takes under twenty minutes. It is the simplest airport transfer in the country, so use it rather than a taxi unless you have heavy bags.
Taxis and apps done right
If you would rather ride door to door, use an app like Bolt, Uber, or Free Now. The price is agreed in the app, which removes any haggling and any risk of an unofficial cab. If you take a street taxi, use a marked one with a company name and a rate card in the window.
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