Warsaw – A Great Destination for Euro Trip!

Warsaw is a fairly inexpensive city for tourists. In the Polish capital, most museums have days with free visits, and several companies conduct free tours. We tell you where to go to Warsaw, without spending a lot of money.

Transport

Photo by Valik Chernetskyi

Warsaw Chopin Airport is only 10 kilometers from the city center. From the Airport, there are regular buses and trains, so to get to the tourist center it will be easy. For 4 zlotys you can get by bus No. 148 (Warsaw Airport – Ursynów-Praga), No. 175 (Warsaw Airport – City center) and No. 188 (Warsaw Airport – City center). And at night, there is bus number 32(Warsaw Airport – Central Railway Station). More information here. Every 15 minutes a train leaves the airport and stops at the Central Railway Station. If you are in a hurry, you can take a taxi, but it will cost 40 zlotys (€ 9.50).

 In 2012, another airport appeared near Warsaw – Modlin. It serves flights of two main European low-cost airlines: Ryanair and Wizz Air. And if you fly to Poland from Europe, you will most likely land here. The distance to the city is about 40 kilometers. The quickest way to get from Modlin to Warsaw is by bus, which runs from the airport to the Palace of Culture. Fares and timetables can be seen on this site.

More information about public transport in Warsaw, you can find here.

Tourist Card

With Warsaw Sightseeing Pass you can get a detailed guide and the opportunity to ride on the tour bus Hop on Hop off. You can buy a card in one of the tourist offices or online. The cost for 1 day is 129 zł, 2 days – 169 zł, 3 days – 199 zł. Tourists who are less than 16 years old have a discount.

Tours

Photo by AC Almelor

Acquaintance with the city should start with a guided tour – you can choose one of several free. For example, the company Orange Umbrella offers to see the main sights of Warsaw, take a stroll through the old town or visit the excursions “Jewish Warsaw” and “Warsaw during the Second World War.” All tours are in English.

 Another company, Free Walking Tour, which organizes free themed tours – for example, alternative and communist Warsaw, as well as Warsaw street art. Guided tours are held in English, German and Spanish. You do not need to register in advance.

Concerts and festivals

Every Sunday, from May 15 to September 25, you can listen to the composer’s most famous works in the Royal Lazienki Park near the Frédéric Chopin’s monument – which are performed by outstanding young pianists from different countries. Concerts are held twice a day – at 12.00 and at 16.00.

In July and August, the annual Jazz Na Starówce Jazz Festival is held in the Old Town. Concerts are held every Saturday in the open air. About four thousand people visit them, so it is better to come early to sit next to the stage. If you are interested in Jewish culture, you can visit the festival Warszawa Singera, which takes place every year in late August-early September. The event includes concerts, films, theatrical performances, exhibitions, workshops and much more.

Museums

Photo by Adam Nieścioruk

Most museums in Warsaw have free entrance. For example, on Monday you can go to the Poster Museum or the New Railway Museum, and on Tuesday you can visit the Caricature Museum or the National Museum, the city’s largest art museum. On Saturday, free entry to the Museum of the Polish Army and the Museum of Sport and Tourism, and on Sunday – in the Royal Castle and the Warsaw Rising Museum.

 But the best choice is to go on Thursday – on this day you can get to a dozen museums for free. The most popular of them are the Museum of the History of Polish Jews, the Ethnographic Museum and the Wilanów Palace. Also on this day, the Museum of Independence, Antonina Leśniewska Museum of Pharmacy, Zachęta – National Gallery of Art, Warsaw Fotoplastikon and others work for free. In addition, any day you can visit for free, for example Museum of Modern Art, the Museum of Maria Skłodowska-Curie, as well as in many galleries.

Sights

Like in most European capitals, you must visit the Old Town. Here you can walk along the narrow streets and look at the ancient palaces, castles, churches, and statues. By the way, in summer the Old Town Squares turn into space for festivals and outdoor galleries.

Photo by Alexey Topolyanski

Warsaw has one of the largest and most beautiful roof gardens in Europe. It is located in the library of the University of Warsaw and is divided into two sections: upper and lower, which are interconnected by a water cascade. In the lower garden is a pond with fishes, and in the upper one grows a multitude of flowers of various kinds, ordered by shades.  You can get here any day from 9.00 to 20.00 from April to October.

Where to eat?

The city has many restaurants, pizzerias, dairy bars, pastry shops, as well as Warsaw cafes, where tourists can eat for reasonable prices, and most importantly, tasty and hearty breakfasts.

Speaking about the best cafes in Warsaw, it is necessary to mention the A.Blikle confectionery, which opened more than 140 years ago. Here you can eat not only the famous Warsaw donuts, delicate cookies, and pastries, but also a full breakfast and lunch.

Photo by Adam Nieścioruk

Are you looking for cheap restaurants in Warsaw? According to reviews, one of the best budget options – Pod Samsonem, where you can eat fresh meat dishes and salads, cooked according to recipes of Polish and Jewish cuisine. In general, all those who are interested in the lowest prices in restaurants in Warsaw should visit the local dairy bars. Here, breakfast or dinner will cost 3-4 times less.

 Each tourist determines for himself the best restaurants in Warsaw, depending on what kind of cuisine they prefer (Spanish, Mexican, Japanese and so on). There are places for every taste in the city, but if we talk about traditional Polish cuisine, then locals advise us to go to: Villanova, Folk Gospoda, Belvedere, Secret. The most popular Polish dishes that you definitely need to try are zurek, flaki, cabbage rolls and pierogi (potato and cottage cheese dumplings).