Airport
Warsaw Frederic Chopin Airport
IATA Code: WAWLocation: The airport is situated six miles (10km) south west of Warsaw.
Time: Local time is GMT +1 (GMT + 2 from last Sunday in March to last Sunday in October).
Contacts: Tel: +48 (22) 650 4220.
Transfer between terminals: Terminals are within walking distance of each other.
Transfer to the city: Municipal bus lines (No 175 and 188) operate daily from 4.40am to 11pm ferrying commuters to Warsaw city centre and the right riverbank. Journey time is 30 minutes and a single daytime ticket costs 2.40 zl. Tickets are available in the 'Ruch' kiosks and at Tourist Information in the Departures Hall. Some hotels provide a shuttle bus service to and from the hotel on request and a taxi stand is located in front of the Arrivals Hall. The Polski Express bus provides connections to the biggest polish towns. The bus stop is on the Arrivals Hall level of Terminal 2.
Car rental: Most leading car rental companies, including Avis, Budget, Hertz and National, operate from the airport outside arrivals in terminal one.
Facilities: There are shops, bars and restaurants at the airport. Other facilities include banks, bureaux de change, ATMs, a post office and a tourist information and hotel reservations service. There is also an observation deck; a fee is charged and visitors are subjected to a security check. Disabled facilities are good; those with special needs should contact their airline in advance. Note that the line for check-in can be very long.
Parking:
Departure tax: None.
Website:
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Warsaw
As the capital of Poland, Warsaw was one of the most beautiful and sophisticated cities in Central Europe until its almost total destruction during the Nazi occupation of World War II. The end of the war saw most of the city reduced to rubble and ruins, and the majority of the population had either been killed or interred in Nazi concentration camps.
The city underwent a major regeneration following the havoc of destruction, and the buildings in the heart of the old city were meticulously restored. Most of the historic Old Town was painstakingly rebuilt from a pile of debris, restoring it to its original 17th and 18th century appearance, with the charming old market square at its centre, now a major World Heritage Site attraction.
Warsaw is divided into two distinct halves by the Vistula River, with the Old Town, the modern city centre and most of the attractions on the western side. The eastern side of the river comprises of uninteresting residential suburbs and business districts. The post-war appearance of Warsaw is a modern urban landscape of high-rise buildings, and the years of communist rule have left an uninspiring architectural legacy of drab concrete structures and uniform prefab-style housing. Dominating the skyline is the city's eyesore, the massive shape of the Palace of Science and Culture, Stalin's bequest to its citizens.
Lying in determined contrast to the concrete greyness are traces of Poland's grand past, including castles and palaces, open parklands, impressive churches and the restored streets of the historic old centre. Signs of former political austerity have been replaced by modern progression, with dreary state shops turned into fashionable boutiques, and consumerism a growing trend.
Although many people give scant regard to Warsaw as an appealing tourist destination, it is still Poland's largest city and the political, economic, scientific and cultural hub of the country. It has many museums and historical monuments, galleries and historic attractions, a variety of restaurants and open-air cafes, and an energetic nightlife. With green open spaces and classical music concerts, this modern bustling city is a far cry from the severe Communist-era images of post-war Warsaw.
