The largest airport in Poland is the airport named after Frederick Chopin (Lotnisko Chopina w Warszawie), founded in 1927. However, it was originally called Okecie International Airport. And now, in everyday life, 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 the Second World War. Restoration of all buildings was completed only in 1969, and it was again commissioned. In 2001, Warsaw Airport was renamed Frederic Chopin Airport.
It serves up to 70% of the country's total passenger flow, including flights of low-cost airlines.
Airport infrastructure
Warsaw Chopin Airport consists of two terminals, united by a common departure and arrival area. There is a passage between the terminals themselves.
The airport building is compact but spacious. It is easy for passengers to navigate here, especially since the staff speaks and understands English well. In addition, in the arrival hall there are information points, a currency exchange and a lost property for tourists, and in the departure hall there are banking and post offices. There is also a zone for mother and child: it is located in the arrivals hall and consists of five rooms. Using it is free.
There is a restaurant between the second and first floor of the terminal, and on the top floor there is a medical emergency room.
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 leave from the square of the Central Station for Warsaw. The trip takes about twenty minutes. You can get here at night by bus No. 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 greater security, use certified taxi services that do not overcharge fares. Approximately a trip to the center will cost you 15-17 euros, depending on the final destination.
In 2011, the Warszawa Lotnisko Chopina railway station was opened at the airport . Every 10-15 minutes, trains leave from it in the direction of Warsaw-Central Station. This route is convenient in that it does not depend on traffic jams, and the cost of a ticket will please those who want to save on travel (from 3 to 5 euros, depending on the chosen class).
Warsaw: Modlin Airport
A relatively new airport in Warsaw opened in 2012 and received the name Modlin (Warsaw Modlin). It is located 40 kilometers from the city center and mainly serves flights of low cost airlines. Warsaw Modlin Airport is a two-story building in which city guests will find everything necessary for a comfortable stay while waiting for a flight: a waiting room, information desks, duty free, cafes, ATMs, a currency exchange office, kiosks with magazines and newspapers, car rental offices.
How to get to Modlin Airport?
There are several ways to get to Modlin Airport:
- Use Modlinbus buses that depart from the square in front of the Palace of Culture (near the city's main railway station). The fare is 7 euros. But, buying a ticket directly on the company's website, you will pay less.
- Take the commuter train from the city’s central station to Modlin station, and then catch 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 operate for an hour and applies to all types of land transport.