Warsaw Chopin Airport (EPWA/WAW)
Warsaw, Poland
Warsaw Airline Crew Layover Guide
Reviewed by Captain AL
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The WAW crew card
| Fastest into town | Rail from the station under the terminal, about 30 min to the CENTRUM stop; buy at least the 75 minute ticket the airport advises |
|---|---|
| Night option | Night buses marked N start at 23:15; the metro in town runs until midnight on weekdays, until 03:00 at weekends |
| Payments | Zone 1 75 minute ticket PLN 4,40, one day ticket PLN 15,00; validate the moment you board a bus or tram, or at the gates leading to metro platforms |
| Tap water | Safe to drink |
| Emergency | 112 (112 reaches all services; 997, 998, and 999 still work alongside it) |
| Solo & at night | Licensed taxis only. The UK FCDO reports passengers have been attacked in unofficial taxis and in cars booked using ride share apps, and advises against walking alone in isolated areas at night |
| Crew knows | On the airport train, cash is no help. The ticket machines inside SKM trains take card only, and neither the train crew nor the station ticket offices sell tickets, so a card that will not go through leaves you riding without one. Travelling without a valid ticket risks a PLN 266 fine, more than sixty times the PLN 4,40 fare. Make it the 75 minute ticket the airport advises, because a 20 minute one does not cover the Warszawa Centralna run. |
| Crew deals | Verified car rental and hotel rates for airline staff: on this page, right below this guide. |
airlinecrewdiscount.net · WAW crew card · Checked Aug 2026 · Next check Nov 2026 · Screenshot this card for offline
Every number on this page comes from an official source. Where no official source gives a number, we say so instead of guessing.
Getting from Warsaw Chopin Airport to the City Centre: train, bus 175, night bus N32, or taxi?
The rail station is directly under the terminal, and city buses stop on both the arrivals and the departures level. One Warsaw Public Transport ticket covers the lot: trains, buses, trams, metro. There is no separate airport product to hunt for. What you are picking is a route, not a fare.
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| Mode | Time | Cost | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Train (SKM lines S2 and S3, Koleje Mazowieckie line RL) | about 30 min to the CENTRUM stop | standard Warsaw Public Transport ticket, at least 75 minutes | Trains go from the underground Warsaw Chopin Airport railway station, which sits in close proximity to the terminal. S2 runs out to Sulejówek Miłosna, S3 to Legionowo, RL to Modlin. Onward transfers wait at Warszawa Centralna, Warszawa Wschodnia, Warszawa Zachodnia, and Warszawa Śródmieście. |
| Bus 175 | operates daily | standard Warsaw Public Transport ticket | Line 175 runs to Pl. Piłsudskiego every day of the week. So do 148 to Wiatraczna and 188 to PKP Gocławek. The odd one out is 331, which runs to Metro Wilanowska Monday to Friday during peak hours only. Stops sit on both the arrivals and the departures level. |
| Night bus N32 | operates daily, night line | standard Warsaw Public Transport ticket | Runs between the airport and Centrum. The airport lists it as a night line operating daily, and gives no frequency and no end time, so treat it as a fallback rather than a plan. |
| Taxi | about PLN 50 to the city centre | Use the licensed taxi services offered at Chopin Airport, which is what the airport itself advises. It also states that taxi tariffs should be clearly displayed in the car window, so read the window before you load the bags. iTaxi is the company the airport names, on 737 737 737. | |
| Ride hailing (Uber, Bolt) | The airport lists Uber and Bolt. Uber goes one step further with self service kiosks for ordering a ride, branded Tap to Ride, standing in the baggage reclaim hall and the arrivals hall. |
Best Areas for Crew Stays in Warsaw, from Śródmieście and the Old Town out to Wilanów
Śródmieście: This is what the airport trains and bus 175 are aiming at. The Palace of Culture, the main shopping streets, and most of the hotel beds all sit inside walking range.
Stare Miasto (Old Town): Rebuilt old quarter around the Market Square, compact enough to cover on foot in a short window. First Warsaw layover, this is where you go.
Powiśle and the Vistula boulevards: Riverside strip below the centre. Go here when what you want is daylight and a straight walk along the water, not sights.
Praga: Take one of the buses across the Vistula and you land on the right bank, which is quieter and more lived in than the centre behind you.
Wilanów: Palace and park at the southern end of the Royal Route. The low intensity option, for the day the centre feels like too much.
What to Do on a Layover in Warsaw: is five hours enough to leave Chopin Airport?
Under 5 hours: Stay at the airport. Free drinking fountains sit in the departures area beyond security and in the arrivals area, and free Wi-Fi covers the terminal rest areas. The transfer time you would spend is worth more to you as buffer.
5 to 9 hours: Town is realistic on rail. About 30 minutes each way to the CENTRUM stop still leaves a usable block for Śródmieście and the Old Town. The return buffer is not part of that block.
9 hours plus: A full Warsaw day fits. Old Town, the Vistula boulevards, a museum. Or point yourself south down the Royal Route toward Wilanów when the centre feels crowded.
Crew Tips for Warsaw and Chopin Airport: the card only ticket machine on the train, the PLN 266 fine, and the porter service that replaces left luggage
Public transport payments: Zone 1 prices: 75 minute ticket PLN 4,40, one day ticket PLN 15,00, three day ticket PLN 36,00. Validate it the moment you board a bus or tram, or at the gates leading to metro platforms. Machines sell in five languages and take coins or card. Ride without a valid ticket and you are risking a PLN 266 fine.
Ticket gotcha on the airport run: SKM trains in Warsaw run on the ZTM Warsaw ticket system, so the same ticket works on the tram, the bus, and the metro. The trap is the 20 minute ticket: it does not cover the run between Warszawa Centralna and Chopin Airport, because that journey takes longer than 20 minutes. Buy the longer one. And carry a card that works, because the ticket machines inside SKM trains take card only, cash is not accepted, and neither the train crew nor the station ticket offices sell tickets.
Connectivity: Poland is in the EU, so roam like at home applies. Hold a subscription from another EU country and your calls, your texts, and your data are charged at domestic rates, with no additional roaming charge.
Taxis and personal safety: Serious crime against foreigners is rare. The UK FCDO still warns that unofficial taxi drivers overcharge, and that passengers have been attacked, including sexual assaults, in unofficial taxis and in cars booked using ride share apps. An official taxi carries the company name and phone number on the door and roof, and shows a rate card in the window. Check that before you get in. Petty theft is worth watching for at main rail stations and on trains, and walking alone in isolated areas at night is the habit to drop here.
Luggage: Chopin Airport publishes no left luggage office, so the bags stay with you. What it does sell is a porter service that moves bags between the terminal and a car park or the road in front of the terminal: PLN 70 for up to 3 pieces, PLN 22 for each further piece, and PLN 100 as a one off fee for oversized baggage above 50 kg. You request it by email, preferably 24 hours ahead, which makes it a thing you arrange before the trip and not on arrival.
Health cover out of hours: The national health fund runs a patient information line on 800 190 590, free, 24 hours a day, or (+48) 22 125 66 00 from abroad. They answer in English. Ask it for night and holiday medical care, for the nearest emergency department, or for the pharmacy on duty.
Emergency Numbers for Warsaw, Chopin Airport, and Poland
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| Emergency (Poland, all services) | 112 |
| Police | 997 |
| Fire service | 998 |
| Medical rescue (ambulance) | 999 |
| Warsaw city contact centre (non emergency) | 19 115 |
| Patient information line, night and holiday care, on duty pharmacy (24/7, English available) | 800 190 590 |
| Police station at Warsaw Chopin Airport | +48 22 650 22 77 |
| Warsaw Chopin Airport information (24/7) | +48 22 650 42 20 |
| Poland country code (calling from abroad) | +48 |
Save these before you fly; numbers work from any phone.
How do I get from Warsaw Chopin Airport to the city centre?
About 10 km separates the airport from the city centre, and rail is the quick way across it. Trains on lines S2, S3, and RL leave from the underground station in close proximity to the terminal and reach the CENTRUM stop in about 30 minutes. On the road, bus 175 runs daily to Pl. Piłsudskiego, buses 148 and 188 run to Wiatraczna and PKP Gocławek, and night bus N32 runs to Centrum. A taxi to the city centre costs about PLN 50.
How much is a ticket from Chopin Airport to Warsaw city centre?
One Warsaw Public Transport ticket covers the trains, the buses, the trams, and the metro. The zone 1 75 minute ticket costs PLN 4,40, a one day ticket PLN 15,00. Buy at least the 75 minute one, which is what the airport advises, because a 20 minute ticket does not cover the run between Warszawa Centralna and the airport. Then validate it right after boarding. Travelling without a valid ticket risks a PLN 266 fine.
How much is a taxi from Warsaw Chopin Airport to the city centre?
About PLN 50 to the city centre. Use the licensed taxi services offered at Chopin Airport, which is what the airport advises, and expect the tariff to be clearly displayed in the car window. An official taxi carries the company name and phone number on the door and roof, and shows a rate card in the window. No rate card, no ride.
Can you drink the tap water in Warsaw?
Yes. The city water utility states that Warsaw tap water meets exactly the same quality requirements as the tap water drunk by Londoners or Parisians, with parameters constantly monitored by the Sanitary and Epidemiological Station. Fill the bottle at the airport too. Free drinking fountains sit in the departures area beyond security and in the arrivals area, with no limit on how much you take.
What is the emergency number in Poland?
112 reaches all emergency services. The older numbers still work alongside it: 997 for police, 998 for the fire service, and 999 for medical rescue. Not an emergency? The national patient information line runs 24 hours a day on 800 190 590 and answers in English.
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Crew Discounts in Warsaw: verified car rental and hotel rates for airline staff sit right below this guide. Save the link before you head down to the platform under the terminal. Next Warsaw rotation you start on the rates, not in a search box.
