Before you go · Warsaw
Warsaw essentials
The practical things worth knowing before you arrive, checked against official sources on 31 October 2026. Entry rules change: always check the official sources before you travel.
Updated October 2026
Entry to the EU
The EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES) registers travellers from outside the EU electronically at the border.
ETIAS, the travel authorisation for visa-exempt visitors, is not yet in operation: the EU will announce the start date on its official site, travel-europe.europa.eu, in advance. Never pay a third-party site.
The złoty
Prices in Poland are in złoty (PLN), not euros. Our guide quotes prices in PLN, as the venues and the city publish them.
From the airports
Warsaw Chopin Airport is about 10 km from the centre. Bus 175 runs to the centre and around the Old Town, buses 148 and 188 to Praga and the right bank, night bus N32 to the centre, and suburban trains S2, S3 and RL run from the airport station; a public transport ticket is needed on all of them. Use the taxi rank in front of the terminal and ignore people offering rides in the arrivals hall (Warsaw Tourism Office).
Warsaw Modlin Airport is about 35 km north-west of the centre: an airport bus meets the Koleje Mazowieckie trains at Modlin station (Warsaw Tourism Office).
Public transport tickets
One ticket covers the metro, trams and buses. Full fares, zone 1: 75 minutes PLN 4.40, 24 hours PLN 15; zones 1 and 2: 20 minutes PLN 3.40, 90 minutes PLN 7, 24 hours PLN 26 (wtp.waw.pl, 31 October 2026). The 20-, 75- and 90-minute tickets are also valid on the RL airport train between Warszawa Płudy and Lotnisko Chopina. Validate your ticket as soon as you board, or at the gate to the metro platform. See our page Warsaw by metro, tram and train.
Christmas in Warsaw
The Christmas markets on the Old Town walls and by the Palace of Culture, and the great tree on Castle Square, light up from late November; the 2026 dates are not yet published, so check go2warsaw.pl. See our page Christmas in Warsaw.
Customs and etiquette
Cover your shoulders and knees in churches and synagogues. POLIN, Umschlagplatz, the ghetto wall and the Treblinka Museum are places of remembrance: visit quietly. Cobbles are everywhere in the Old Town: wear comfortable shoes.
Emergencies
Call 112 for ambulance, police and fire; the direct numbers are 999 for an ambulance, 997 for the police and 998 for the fire brigade. The city contact centre is on 19115. Carry your EHIC, or travel insurance that covers medical costs.
Questions and answers
Does Warsaw use the euro?
No: prices are in Polish złoty (PLN).
Do I need ETIAS to visit Warsaw?
Not yet: ETIAS is not in operation. The EU will announce the start date in advance on its official site.
How do I get from Chopin Airport to the centre?
By bus 175, or by suburban train S2, S3 or RL; all need a public transport ticket.
How much is a 24-hour ticket?
PLN 15 for zone 1, the city (full fare, wtp.waw.pl).
What is the emergency number?
112, or 999 for an ambulance.
Entry rules and transport change, sometimes at short notice. Check the EU’s official sites, wtp.waw.pl, lotnisko-chopina.pl, go2warsaw.pl and your government’s advice before you travel.