How to Get From Warsaw Chopin Airport to the City Centre
The essentials: The fastest cheap option is the SKM train or bus 175: both reach central Warsaw in about 30 minutes on a PLN 4.40 75-minute ticket. A licensed taxi to the centre costs roughly PLN 50. Trains, buses and taxis all leave from the arrivals level.
You have landed at Warsaw Chopin Airport, collected your bag, and now you need to get into the city. The airport sits inside Warsaw's zone 1, close enough to the centre that no transfer should cost much or take long, yet first-time visitors routinely overpay or board in the wrong place. This guide compares every option - train, bus, night bus, taxi and ride-hailing - using the airport's own guidance and Warsaw Public Transport (WTP) information, checked on 20 October 2026.
What to know: for most travellers the choice is simple. If you are happy on public transport, the train or bus 175 gets you to the centre in about half an hour for PLN 4.40. If you want a door-to-door ride, a licensed taxi costs roughly PLN 50.
The options at a glance
- SKM trains S2 and S3 or the RL airport line: around 30 minutes to the centre, PLN 4.40
- Bus 175: about 30 minutes to the centre via Central Station, PLN 4.40
- Night bus N32: overnight service to Warszawa Centralna, PLN 4.40
- Buses 148, 188 and 331: cross-town routes to Mokotów, Ursynów and Praga, PLN 4.40
- Licensed taxi: approximately PLN 50 to the city centre
- Uber, Bolt and iTaxi: app-based or kiosk ordering inside the terminal
Data source: Warsaw Chopin Airport and WTP airport transport pages, updated 20 October 2026.
By train: S2, S3 and the RL airport line
An underground railway station, Warszawa Lotnisko Chopina, sits directly beneath the terminal, a short walk from arrivals. Three services stop there. The S2, run by the SKM urban railway, heads through Warszawa Zachodnia, Warszawa Śródmieście and Warszawa Wschodnia out to Sulejówek Miłosna. The S3, also SKM, runs via Warszawa Zachodnia, Warszawa Centralna and Warszawa Wschodnia toward Radzymin, Wieliszew and Legionowo Piaski. The RL line, operated by Mazovia Railways, links the airport with Modlin station through Warszawa Zachodnia, Centralna, Wschodnia and Legionowo, running Monday to Friday during peak hours.
For the city centre, any of the three works: get off at Warszawa Śródmieście or Warszawa Centralna and you are in the middle of town, with easy onward transfers to the metro and long-distance trains. The airport quotes roughly 30 minutes to the CENTRUM stop area and tells passengers to buy at least a 75-minute ticket.
One ticket quirk worth knowing: WTP's 20-minute and 75-minute tickets are additionally valid on the RL Mazovia Railways line between Warszawa Płudy and Chopin Airport in both directions, so you do not need a separate railway ticket for that stretch.
Data source: Warsaw Chopin Airport to-and-from page and WTP airports page, updated 20 October 2026.
By bus: 175 by day, N32 by night
Bus 175 is the classic airport route. It runs from the terminal to the city centre, passing Warszawa Centralna, Warszawa Śródmieście and the Centrum metro station, and takes about 30 minutes in ordinary traffic. After dark, night bus N32 connects the airport with Warszawa Centralna, the city's night transport interchange, so even a 2 a.m. arrival has a PLN 4.40 way home.
If you are heading somewhere other than the centre, three more routes leave directly from the terminal: bus 148 to Praga-Południe via Mokotów and Ursynów, passing the Imielin metro station; bus 188 to Praga-Południe via Trasa Łazienkowska and the Politechnika metro station; and bus 331 to Mokotów and the Wilanowska metro station, which runs only on weekdays during rush hour.
One boarding rule catches people out. To leave the airport you board at the arrivals level stops, Lotnisko Chopina - Przyloty 02 on the lower terminal level or Terminal Autokarowy 02. Boarding a departing bus on the upper level by the departures hall is not permitted, so do not follow the crowd upstairs.
Data source: WTP airports transport page, updated 20 October 2026.
Tickets: what to buy and where
The right ticket for the airport run is the 75-minute single at PLN 4.40 full fare or PLN 2.20 reduced, valid for unlimited rides within 75 minutes of validation. The 20-minute ticket at PLN 3.40 exists, but the airport explicitly advises at least a 75-minute ticket, and a delayed bus can eat a 20-minute window quickly. A 90-minute ticket covering zones 1 and 2 costs PLN 7.00 if you are continuing to the suburbs.
You can buy tickets at machines at the bus stops and at the entrance to the railway station, from machines on board SKM trains and buses, or in the mobile app. Validate a paper ticket immediately after boarding, or at the metro entrance gate. Luggage and animals travel free on WTP services, so your suitcase needs no ticket of its own.
Data source: WTP ticket prices and types page, updated 20 October 2026.
Taxi and ride-hailing: the door-to-door options
The airport strongly advises using licensed taxis from the official stand and notes that tariff cards should be displayed in the car window. The posted guide fare to the city centre is approximately PLN 50. The local operator iTaxi takes bookings on 737 737 737.
Ride-hailing is fully integrated at Chopin: Uber runs self-service Tap to Ride kiosks in the baggage reclaim hall and the arrivals hall, so you can order a car on a touchscreen before you even reach the exit, and Bolt also serves the airport. Prices float with demand, but the taxi guide fare of around PLN 50 is a sensible benchmark for judging whether a quoted ride-hailing price is fair at that moment.
Data source: Warsaw Chopin Airport to-and-from page, updated 20 October 2026.
Coaches and the Modlin connection
Chopin Airport has a newer coach terminal in front of the south pier on the arrivals level, a short walk from the railway station exit, with 21 bus stands, three maintenance bays and a covered waiting area. Stands 1 to 16 are reserved for scheduled connections, and regional carriers such as Biacomex and Contbus operate from the terminal, which makes the airport a practical transfer point if your final destination is a town elsewhere in Poland rather than Warsaw itself.
The RL rail line deserves a second mention for one more reason: it runs between Chopin Airport and Modlin station on weekday peaks, which makes it the rail link toward Warsaw's second airport at Modlin. If you are connecting between the two airports, check current RL times before you travel, since the service does not run around the clock.
Data source: Warsaw Chopin Airport to-and-from page, updated 20 October 2026.
Which option should you choose?
Solo traveller with a backpack, daytime: take the train. It is the most predictable 30 minutes in Warsaw traffic terms and drops you at Centralna or Śródmieście with the whole city one transfer away. Heading to Mokotów, Ursynów or Praga: check buses 148 and 188 first, since a direct bus beats a train-plus-backtrack. Landing after midnight: night bus N32 to Centralna, then a night bus or taxi onward. Family with tired children and three suitcases: this is the moment the PLN 50 taxi earns its money, and it is a fraction of what the same ride costs at most European airports. Catching a long-distance bus onward: the new coach terminal in front of the south pier has 21 stands and a covered waiting area, steps from the railway station exit.
Whatever you choose, buy your ticket before boarding or at the on-board machine, validate it straight away, and board buses on the arrivals level. Those three habits cover the most common airport mistakes in Warsaw.
Data source: Warsaw Chopin Airport and WTP pages cited above, updated 20 October 2026.
* Photos: Terminal A of Warsaw Chopin Airport and the airport railway station platform, both by Adrian Grycuk, CC BY-SA 3.0 PL, via Wikimedia Commons.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest way from Warsaw Chopin Airport to the city centre?
The SKM train or bus 175. Both are covered by a PLN 4.40 75-minute ticket and reach the centre in about 30 minutes.
Which ticket do I need for the airport train in Warsaw?
At least a 75-minute ticket, which costs PLN 4.40 full fare. The airport advises against shorter tickets, and the 75-minute ticket also works on the RL airport rail line between Warszawa Płudy and the airport.
How do I get from Warsaw airport to the centre at night?
Night bus N32 runs from the airport to Warszawa Centralna, the night transport interchange point, on the same PLN 4.40 ticket.
How much is a taxi from Warsaw Chopin Airport to the city centre?
Approximately PLN 50 with a licensed taxi from the official stand, according to the airport. Tariffs should be displayed in the car window, and Uber has self-service ordering kiosks in the baggage reclaim and arrivals halls.
