By Air in Warsaw

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By Air

If you are flying into Poland from abroad, it's mostly likely that you will fly into Warsaw. The city's Okecie Airport, also known as Fryderyka Chopina International Airport, is the largest airport in Poland, with about 70% of all the air traffic into and out of the country. About 80 daily international fights -- as well as many charter flights -- connect Warsaw with the rest of the world. You can fly nonstop from Warsaw to Chicago, Newark, New York-JFK, and Toronto. In addition, most European airlines connect Warsaw with the U.S. The new Etiuda Terminal serves most of the "low-cost" airlines that operate flights within Europe. The flying time from New York to Warsaw is approximately 9 hours, from London approximately 2 1/2 hours.

A much smaller airport in Lódz is served by Ryanair; most other flights here are domestic.

Information

Aer Lingus (022/626-84-02). Aeroflot (022/628-25-57). Aerosvit Airlines (022/650-40-60). Airberlin (022/650-11-11). Air Europa (022/455-38-40). Air France (022/556-64-00). Alitalia (022/962-82-85). American Airlines (022/625-30-02). Austrian Airlines (022/627-52-90). Belavia (022/650-23-14). British Airways (022/529-90-00). CSA (Sobieski Hotel, pl. Zawiszy 1, Sródmiescie. 022/659-67-99). El Al (022/630-66-16). Finnair (022/657-01-29). KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (022/556-64-44). LOT (022/95-7 in Warsaw). Lufthansa (22/338-13-00). Malev (022/697-74-72). SAS (022/850-05-00). Sky Europe (022/433-07-33). SN Brussels Airlines (022/575-71-00). Swiss (022/697-66-00). Wizzair (022/351-94-99).

Airports & Transfers

The direct route to downtown, where almost all the hotels are, is along Zwirki i Wigury and Raszynska streets. The airport-city bus leaves from Platform 4 outside Terminal 1 every 20 minutes and stops at all the major hotels as well as the Central Station. Tickets cost zl 6, and the trip takes about 25 minutes. Alternatively, Bus 175 leaves Okecie about every 10 minutes (at night, Bus 611 is much less frequent). It also runs past most major downtown hotels and is reliable and cheap, but beware of pickpockets. Purchase tickets for zl 2.40 at an airport RUCH kiosk. If your immediate destination is not Warsaw, Polski Express has direct service from Okecie to major Polish cities. Avoid at all costs the taxi hawkers and unmarked vehicles (which have no number at the top) outside the arrivals hall: not only are these cabs expensive but they can also be dangerous. Your best bet is to call radio taxi from one of the radio taxi kiosks in the arrivals area, or call your hotel in advance and have them pick you up. A cab ride into the city should cost about zl 25 (most hotel taxis have higher, fixed rates, of approximately zl 50).

Lódz Lublinek Airport is located southwest of the city center, about a 10-minute drive. It can be reached by public transportation (Bus L from the Main Railway Station; also bus number 55 via Piotrkowska Street and number 65 from Lódz Kaliska, the city's second railway station). A cab ride from the airport to the city center should cost about zl 20 to zl 25.

Information

Okecie Airport (Zwirki i Wigury 1, Warsaw. 022/650-42-20. www.polish-airports.com). Lódz Lublinek Airport (Gen. Maczka 35, Lódz. 042/683-52-00. www.airport.lodz.pl).