The largest airport in Poland is Frederic Chopin Airport (Lotnisko Chopina w Warszawie), founded in 1927. However, it was originally named Okecie International Airport. And now, in everyday life, the Poles often use the familiar name - Okecie (from the area where the airport is located - 10 km southwest of the city center).
Warsaw International Airport
The airport was completely destroyed during World War II. The restoration of all buildings was completed only in 1969, and it was again put into operation. In 2001 Warsaw Airport was renamed Frederic Chopin Airport.
Here, up to 70% of the country's total passenger traffic is served, including flights of low-cost airlines.
Airport infrastructure
Warsaw Chopin Airport consists of two terminals, united by a common area of departure and arrival. There is a passage between the terminals themselves.
The airport building is compact but spacious. It is easy for passengers to navigate here, especiallythat the staff speak and understand English well. In addition, in the arrivals hall there are points of information, currency exchange and a lost and found office for tourists, and in the departures hall there is a bank and post office. There is also an area for mother and child: it is located in the arrivals hall and consists of five rooms. It is free to use.
There is a restaurant between the second and first floors of the terminal, and an emergency medical center on the top floor.
How to get to Chopin Airport?
Getting from the city center to the airport is easy. Every day, with an interval of 10 minutes, city buses No. 188 and No. 175 depart from the Central Station Square to Warsaw Airport. The trip takes about twenty minutes. At night, you can get here by bus number 611. Another route option is special hotel shuttles, which are provided by high-class hotels - Jan III Sobieski, Bristol, Marriott.
From the airport to the central part of the city can be reached in the same way. In addition, there is a taxi rank in front of the arrivals hall, where you can hire a car at any time. For more safety, use certified taxi services that don't overcharge you. An approximate trip to the center will cost you 15-17 euros, depending on the final destination.
In 2011, Warszawa Lotnisko Chopina, a railway station, was opened at the airport. Every 10-15 minutes, trains depart from it in the direction of Warsaw-Central station. This routeconvenient because it does not depend on traffic jams, and the ticket price will please those who want to save on travel (from 3 to 5 euros, depending on the chosen class).
Warsaw: Modlin Airport
The relatively new Warsaw Airport opened in 2012 and was named Modlin (Warsaw Modlin). It is located 40 kilometers from the city center and serves mainly flights of budget airlines. Warsaw Modlin Airport is a two-storey building where guests of the city will find everything they need for a comfortable pastime while waiting for a flight: a waiting room, information desks, duty free, cafes, ATMs, a currency exchange office, kiosks with magazines and newspapers, offices of car rental companies.
How to get to Modlin Airport?
There are several ways to get to Modlin Airport:
- Use the Modlinbus buses that depart from the square in front of the Palace of Culture (near the city's central railway station). The fare is 7 euros. But by purchasing a ticket directly on the company's website, you will pay less.
- Take the commuter train from the central station of the city to Modlin station, and then transfer to the bus that goes to the airport terminal. The cost of such a combined route is 3 euros. To travel to the city center, a ticket can be purchased at special points in the airport building or directly on the bus. It will be valid for an hour and applies to all types of land transport.
