Warsaw Train Stations
 

I am arriving by train in Warsaw at Wschodnia Station(from Gdansk). However, my hotel is located near Centraina Station. What is the best way to travel from Wschodnia to Centraina? I have heard so many bad things about Polish taxis.

Try to get the hotel to pick you up. I never had a problem with Polish taxis (or Hungarian for that matter). I know it won't allay all the horror reports you've ever heard but if you at least choose a taxi that looks like a taxi from the front of a rank then you should find them polite and helpful. Carry enough LOCAL currency to pay. Better than carrying two suitcases across a city. Poland didn't appear unsafe to me but when I do travel moderately unsafe places I want as few people as possible molesting me or sizing up my belongings and I want to arrive at the door - not at a bus stop 1/2KM away from my destination. So myself and a taxi driver is fine. Sure they get lost sometimes (witness Havana, Cuba where myself and the Taxista got through a 6 inch cigar each) but not by much. Just be polite, unhurried and assured.

The reference library of a city near you may have the Thomas Cook European Timetable. Table 1030 shows that every train from Gdansk to Warsaw stops at Central station ten minutes after Wschodnia, except for the seasonal 1445.<BR><BR>Polish taxis are ok, so long as you take one with the name and phone number of a reliable firm: the L P guide-book lists these. But so long as you buy a street map that shows busses you can keep your costs and risks down in this big city.<BR><BR>[email protected]<BR>

If you end up at Centralia, make your way to the Marriott. Use their taxi rank. Polish taxis..engage by telephone. Have hotel call. Most have taxis at door. Hotels near Centralia are only one or two blocks distant. Ask your hotel. Fax or email.

Taxies at Warszawa Wschodnia are OK (I would have been more concerned if you were taking Taxi from Centralny - where they can be a rip-off)... As a matter of fact it maybe better for you to grab a taxi from Wschodnia (although there maybe very many trains to Centralny from Wschodnia). One reason would be that Centralny is located an something that looks like an island (ie.Arch of triumph in Paris) where the only way to cross the streets is thru what maybe very confusing underground tunnels... Wschodnia is much more easier in-out station ... btw... when inside the taxi just make sure meter is on ...<BR>Also you can also call in for a taxi...<BR>here are just some for Warsaw:<BR>MPT Radio Taxi tel.919 maybe best priced<BR>http://www.mpt.com.pl/taxi_eng.htm<BR>Halo Taxi tel.96-23 <BR>Taxi Plus tel.96-21 <BR>Super Taxi tel.96-22<BR>Wawa-Taxi tel.96-44 <BR>Lux-Taxi tel.96-66<BR>Korpo-Taxi tel.96-24<BR>Sawa-Taxi tel.644-4444 <BR>OK-Taxi tel.96-28

My experience of Polish taxis has been 100% positive when living there a few years ago for 3 months and going back last year (always used those parked on street or flagged down). Incidents are rare enough that you can always ask them to call the police and sort it out that way - only person I know (local) did that when taxi driver tried it on, and he settled up by giving her a free ride. Just get the metre on - never had one that did not put it on automatically. Never heard any horror stories from locals or expats as I have with Prague and Budapest (and personally experienced) - these places totally deserve the bad reputation.

Sawa Taxi is reliable enough. For inexperienced tourists the labyrinth of underground tunnels around Warszawa Centralna is confusing. The station itself is not so dangerous in fact, biggest concentration of police &amp; security guards per km² in Poland I think