How to get around Warsaw, and how to stay safe while you do

How to get around Warsaw? The Warsaw Tourism Office's answer is simple: walk, and use public transport for the longer hops, choosing among buses, trams and the metro.¹ The historic center makes a pleasant walk from the Palace of Culture up to the New Town, so on a short trip you may need few rides in the center. One ticket covers the metro, trams, buses and the Fast Urban Railway trains, so you never pay twice for a change of vehicle.⁸

In the warmer months, city bikes are another option: they are available around the clock, and the first 20 minutes of each ride are free.⁹ For planning, the Jakdojade app finds the fastest connection and shows live timetables,¹⁰ and the city's information line, 19 115, answers transport questions, with 22 19 115 from mobile phones.¹¹ Download an app before you arrive. Stop names follow Polish spelling, and having them on your screen saves a lot of guessing at the stop.

Plan your days by district rather than by sight. The Old Town, the Royal Route and the Palace of Culture sit in a line you can walk; Praga across the river and the Warsaw Rising Museum to the west are a tram ride away; Łazienki and Wilanów to the south suit the bus. Our map marks the main stations, the airport and the Ratusz Arsenał metro stop for the Old Town tram, so you can see how the network links the places you will visit.

Tickets are sold at newsstands, passenger service points and ticket machines, found on most buses, in newer trams, in metro stations and near stops. The machines work in 5 languages, including English, and take coins or cards.²⁵ You can also buy tickets on your phone.²⁶ Buying before you board is wise, because a spare ticket in your pocket saves a scramble for a machine on a crowded bus.

Validate your ticket the moment you board a bus or tram, or at the gates before the metro platform.¹⁵ The UK government's travel advice warns that inspectors fine anyone with an invalid or unvalidated ticket.²⁷ The penalty for traveling without a ticket is PLN 266.²⁸ Paid immediately to the inspector it drops to PLN 159.60.²⁹ If you pay within 7 days of the payment demand, it can be cut by 30%.³⁰ Always ask the inspector for proof of payment.

Some travelers ride free or at half price. Riders over 70 with photo ID showing their age pay nothing, and neither do children until 30 September in the year of their 7th birthday.^31,32 Students of foreign schools with an ISIC card pay half fare until they turn 26, with a photo document.³³ Luggage and animals travel free.³⁴ The discount rules are long and specific, so check that one applies to you before you buy a reduced ticket.

Warsaw has 3 large railway stations with international and domestic long-distance trains.¹⁰¹ Warszawa Centralna, at Aleje Jerozolimskie 54, sits in the heart of the city and can be reached from every district.⁸⁸ Warszawa Zachodnia is right next to the international bus station,⁸⁹ and Warszawa Wschodnia lies on the Praga side of the river.⁹⁰ Luggage lockers are available at all of them, and at the Palace of Culture and Science as well.¹⁰²

Is there a train from Krakow to Warsaw? Yes: long-distance trains connect the cities, and the timetables are published at pkp.pl, intercity.pl and e-podroznik.pl.¹⁰³ Buy your ticket at the station ticket windows or online; you can also buy from the conductor on board, but tickets sold on the train carry an extra fee, and you must find the conductor straight after boarding.¹⁰⁴ Booking ahead is the easiest way to secure a seat at busy times, such as Friday evenings.

After dark, the metro runs until midnight on weekdays and until 3 AM at weekends.⁹³ Night buses carry the letter N.¹⁰⁵ Bus 180, an ordinary daytime line, is worth knowing too: it follows the Royal Route past many of the sights to Wilanów, so allow about 60-70 minutes for the full ride.^106,107 Takeaway alcohol sales stop at shops and petrol stations from 10:00 PM until 6:00 AM, so plan any evening picnic before then.¹⁰⁸

Is Warsaw a safe city? Official advice is reassuring. The UK government says most visitors have no difficulties and serious crime against foreigners is rare, though crimes do occur.¹¹⁴ The main risks are street crime and petty theft: keep valuables out of sight in crowds, at tourist sights, at the main railway stations and on trains.⁹² Avoid walking in isolated areas alone at night, and take care after taking out cash.¹¹⁵ Exchange money only at registered exchange points.⁹⁵

Nightlife has its own rules. Drinks have been spiked in bars and clubs and their owners robbed, so never leave a glass unattended.⁹⁴ Check your bill when paying for drinks.¹¹⁶ Drinking alcohol in public is illegal and can bring a fine,¹¹⁷ except in designated places such as restaurant summer gardens and the Vistula boulevards.¹¹⁸ Police can also fine you for jaywalking.¹¹⁹ Keep identification with you at all times; a photocopy of your passport's main page is accepted.⁹⁶ Demonstrations are common and mostly peaceful.¹²⁰

Which parts of town should you avoid? Official sources name no no-go districts. Praga on the east bank long had a reputation for crime, which the tourist office says is now in the past.^121,122 Your real risk zones are crowded places, stations and late-night bars, where the advice above applies. Save the emergency numbers: 112 for emergencies, 997 for the police, 999 for an ambulance, 998 for the fire brigade and 986 for the City Guard.⁷