Warsaw Chopin vs Modlin Airport: Which Should You Choose?
The essentials: Choose Chopin (WAW) for speed and connections - 30 minutes to the centre by city train or bus on a normal ZTM ticket. Choose Modlin (WMI) when a Ryanair fare saving beats the 40-60 minute transfer by ModlinBus or train-plus-shuttle. Always check the airport code on your booking.
Warsaw has two passenger airports, and picking the wrong one can add an hour and a hundred złoty to your trip. Chopin Airport (WAW) sits inside the city and handles Poland's biggest share of traffic; Modlin (WMI) is a low-cost base 35 km north of the centre, built around Ryanair. Airlines sometimes sell "Warsaw" flights from both, so the airport code on your booking matters. This guide compares the two on airlines, ground transport, time and cost, with current official data.
The two airports at a glance
Warsaw Chopin Airport, about 8 km from the city centre within the city limits, is Poland's largest airport and the hub of LOT Polish Airlines. It handled nearly 24.1 million passengers in 2025, more than 13 percent up on 2024 - a new record, according to the operator Polish Airports (PPL). Full-service carriers and long-haul routes concentrate here, alongside low-cost services.
Warsaw Modlin Airport, in Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki about 35 km north of the centre, is a former military airfield converted for civil use: the first Ryanair passenger flight landed there on 15 July 2012, and the airport passed its 30-millionth passenger in August 2025. In 2025 it handled 1.75 million passengers. Ryanair accounts for the vast majority of its scheduled traffic and, per the airport's July 2025 announcement, plans to grow Modlin to over 5 million passengers a year by 2030, adding 25 new routes and doubling its based fleet from four to eight aircraft; the airport plans a terminal expansion to match.
For context: all Polish airports together served 66.1 million passengers in 2025, up 11.7 percent year on year, per the Civil Aviation Authority (ULC).
Data source: PPL press release via Rynek Lotniczy, 15 January 2026; modlinairport.pl, 15 July 2025; pasazer.com, January 2026; ULC, 22 April 2026 - all checked 22 October 2026.
Getting to and from Chopin Airport
Chopin is the easy one. An underground railway station sits directly beneath the terminal, served by SKM fast urban trains (lines S2 and S3) and Koleje Mazowieckie (line RL), linking the airport with central Warsaw stations and towns such as Sulejówek, Legionowo and Radzymin. City buses complete the picture: Warsaw Public Transport (ZTM) puts the journey to the Centrum stop at about 30 minutes and advises buying at least a 75-minute ticket. Trains and buses both run on the regular city tariff, so a standard ZTM ticket - a few złoty - covers the whole trip.
For door-to-door travel, the airport recommends licensed taxis (tariffs displayed in the window; the fare to the centre is roughly 50 PLN) and notes that Uber self-service ordering kiosks ("Tap to Ride") are installed in the baggage reclaim and arrivals halls. Bolt and iTaxi also operate. A coach terminal in front of the south pier, with 21 stands and a covered waiting area, hosts scheduled regional coaches - FlixBus, Contbus, Żak Express, Biacomex and others - making Chopin a practical arrival point even if your final destination is outside Warsaw.
Data source: Warsaw Chopin Airport, "To and from the airport" page, checked 22 October 2026.
Getting to and from Modlin Airport
Modlin needs more planning. The airport has no direct rail link: Koleje Mazowieckie trains run from Warsaw to Modlin railway station, and dedicated KM shuttle buses - timed to train arrivals and departures, running every 20-30 minutes - cover the last stretch to the terminal entrance. KM sells a combined "Airport Ticket" covering the train and shuttle in one fare. For travellers from further afield, long-distance TLK and EIC trains on routes such as Warsaw-Gdynia, Kraków-Olsztyn and Katowice-Olsztyn stop at nearby Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki station, with KM buses continuing to the airport.
The simplest option for most people is ModlinBus, the only carrier offering a direct coach service between the airport and central Warsaw (Plac Defilad, opposite the Palace of Culture). The airport advertises an express 40-minute ride, nearly 50 departures a day in each direction timed to flight schedules, and online tickets from 9 PLN, with payment by cash, card or foreign currency on board. Regional carriers - Podlasie Express (Białystok), Radex and Transwal (Olsztyn), Żak Express (Suwałki, Augustów, Ełk) and Contbus (Lublin) - also serve the terminal.
Tickets for the KM train-and-shuttle combination can be bought at the airport ticket machine, at the Koleje Mazowieckie customer service point in the terminal, or through the KM website and the KM, SkyCash, mPay, jakdojade and Koleo apps - buying in advance saves a queue when a planeload of passengers heads for the same shuttle.
Data source: Warsaw Modlin Airport, train and bus access pages, checked 22 October 2026.
Time and money: what the difference looks like
From central Warsaw on public transport, Chopin is roughly 20-30 minutes door to platform for the price of a city ticket. Modlin is about 40 minutes by direct ModlinBus to Plac Defilad, or typically 50-60 minutes by train plus shuttle with the change at Modlin station - and a combined fare that costs more than a ZTM ticket. A taxi or ride-hail to Modlin takes around 40-60 minutes in normal traffic and costs several times the Chopin fare; late at night and early in the morning, when public options thin out, that difference grows. If you are flying out of Modlin early, check the first ModlinBus and train departures against your check-in deadline - or consider staying near the airport the night before.
The flip side is fares: Modlin exists because of low-cost pricing, and Ryanair's route map from there is broad. The saving on the ticket can easily outweigh the extra transfer cost, especially for solo travellers. Just compare the full trip cost - flight plus both airport transfers at both ends - before booking.
Data source: journey times and ticket guidance from the two airports' official access pages, checked 22 October 2026.
Which one should you choose?
Choose Chopin when you value time and simplicity: you are connecting onward by rail (Warszawa Centralna, Wschodnia and Zachodnia are direct SKM/KM transfers away), flying LOT or a full-service airline, travelling with children or heavy luggage, or arriving late at night. Choose Modlin when your route is Ryanair-only, the fare saving is meaningful, and you can travel at hours when the bus and train links run frequently. For regional Poland, check both airports' coach terminals - direct coaches from Chopin or Modlin to cities like Lublin, Białystok or Olsztyn can beat a detour through central Warsaw.
Whichever you fly, verify the airport code on every booking and boarding pass: WAW is Chopin, WMI is Modlin. A same-day dash between the two takes well over an hour.
What about the planned central airport?
One more name you will hear is Port Polska - the long-planned central airport and rail hub between Warsaw and Łódź. PPL signed the contract opening the way to its implementation in 2025, calling it a strategic foundation for the country's aviation sector. For now it changes nothing for travellers: both Warsaw airports continue to operate and grow, with Chopin setting records and Modlin planning a terminal expansion. If you are reading this guide to plan a trip in the next few years, the WAW vs WMI question above is the one that matters.
Data source: PPL announcement via PAP MediaRoom, 30 December 2025, checked 22 October 2026.
Frequently asked questions
How many airports does Warsaw have?
Two civil passenger airports: Warsaw Chopin (WAW), about 8 km from the centre, and Warsaw Modlin (WMI), about 35 km north of the centre in Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki. Chopin handled 24.1 million passengers in 2025; Modlin handled 1.75 million.
Is Modlin Airport far from Warsaw city centre?
Yes - about 35 km. The direct ModlinBus to Plac Defilad takes around 40 minutes, and the Koleje Mazowieckie train-plus-shuttle combination typically takes 50-60 minutes. Build that transfer into your schedule, especially for early departures.
Which airlines use Warsaw Modlin?
Ryanair is the dominant carrier and bases aircraft there; the airport opened for civil traffic with a Ryanair flight on 15 July 2012. Ryanair plans to grow to over 5 million annual passengers at Modlin by 2030 with 25 new routes, per the airport's July 2025 announcement.
How do I get from Chopin Airport to the city centre?
SKM trains (S2, S3) and Koleje Mazowieckie (RL) run from the underground station beneath the terminal, and city buses serve the arrivals level - about 30 minutes to Centrum on a standard ZTM ticket (buy at least the 75-minute fare). Licensed taxis to the centre cost roughly 50 PLN, and Uber has self-service kiosks in the terminal.
Do I need to arrive earlier at Modlin than at Chopin?
Arrive at the airport itself the usual two hours before a Schengen flight, but start your journey from Warsaw earlier for Modlin: the transfer adds 40-60 minutes and depends on bus or train schedules, whereas Chopin is a short city ride with frequent services.
Can I fly long-haul from Warsaw - to the USA or Asia?
Yes, from Chopin. As the hub of LOT Polish Airlines, WAW concentrates Warsaw's intercontinental routes; Modlin is a short- and medium-haul low-cost airport. If your itinerary is long-haul, assume Chopin unless your ticket says otherwise. * Photos: Terminal A of Warsaw Chopin Airport by PerpetualTraveler, CC BY-SA 4.0; Warsaw Modlin Airport terminal with a Koleje Mazowieckie shuttle bus by Hubert Śmietanka, CC BY-SA 3.0, both via Wikimedia Commons.
