Warsaw Centralna station: Location map
Warsaw's Centralna Station was a typical grey concrete Communist-era structure completed in 1975, with a vast main hall (Sala Glowna) above ground obviously designed to impress us decadent westerners, whilst actual passengers scurried through dark underground passageways lined with small retail kiosks. I'm glad to say it had a complete & welcome refurbishment in 2010-2011, the main hall is now light and airy with the main ticket office, toilets, escalators down to the platforms and a mezzanine level with a McDonalds and a useful Biedronka supermarket. You can find out more about the history of Warsaw Centralna at wikipedia.org.
Warsaw Centralna station, seen from the observation level of the nearby Palace of Culture skyscraper.
Warsaw Centralna from ground level, the above-ground part housing the main hall. Courtesy of DiscoverByRail.com.
The main hall, now much improved from the way it once was. In this photo we're looking towards MacDonalds (on the upper level) and the ticket office (on the lower level, hidden behind the steps & escalators to the upper level). Courtesy of @AndyBTravels, DiscoverByRail.com.
From the main hall you go down steps or escalators to a lower retail level, then down escaltors again onto the platforms. Courtesy of @AndyBTravels, DiscoverByRail.com.
The platforms at Warsaw Centralna are underground, this is Peron 1, Tor 7. There are four island platforms numbered Peron 1 to Peron 4, serving 8 tracks. The platform number shown on departure indicators & printed departure posters is the Peron. Courtesy of DiscoverByRail.com.
Tickets
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The main ticket office is at ground level in the great ticket hall, open almost around the clock from 01:00 until 24:00. Credit cards are accepted. Alternatively, privately-run PKP (Polish Railways) ticket agencies can be found in numerous places in the underground passageways immediately above the platforms, with bright orange PKP InterCity branding. Incidentally, you'll often be asked at the beginning of a transaction whether you will be paying in cash (gotówka) or card (karta), so be prepared for the question!
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International ticket office: This is located in the north west corner of the Sala Glowna, open daily 09:00-19:30. It's been refurbished as an attractive modern travel centre with open counters rather than ticket windows. To buy an international ticket outside its opening hours, go to the main ticket office.
The domestic ticket office on the ground level in the main hall, open 01:00-24:00. There's a single-queuing system in operation. Courtesy of @AndyBTravels, DiscoverByRail.com.
Finding your train
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The platforms are underground, below the main hall (Sala Glowna), but escalators & lifts make them easy to access with luggage. You'll also find various narrow passageways lined with small shops and kiosks below the main hall and immediately above the platforms.
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The station has four island platforms numbered Peron 1 to Peron 4, serving 8 tracks.
Confusingly, Polish stations use both a platform number (peron) and a track number (tor), where a peron may have one tor on one side of it and another tor on the other. The platform number shown on departure indicators and departure posters is the Peron.
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Most trains start at one of the outlying Warsaw stations (Zachodnia or Wschodnia) and only stop at Centralna for a few minutes, so use the printed departure posters or summary-of-departure TV screens to find the peron number, and go to that platform. There are TV departure screens at several locations in the passageway immediately above the platforms, and in the main ticket hall at the top of the steps down to the passageway. Don't necessarily expect your train to appear on the platform departure indicators until maybe 10 minutes or less before it leaves. The train may well arrive only a few minutes before it is due to depart, this is perfectly normal, so be prepared, be ready at the right Peron and don't panic!
Station facilities
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Luggage storage: There are lockers in the passageway above the platforms, but since the pandemic no staffed luggage office. Details here.
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Free WiFi: The station has free WiFi.
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Food & drink: There are various cafe outlets on the ground floor of the main hall, and a McDonald's on the mezzanine (upper) level.
There is also a fairly large Biedronka supermarket on the mezzanine level which is the best place to stock up with food and drink for a journey. Alternatively there are smaller shops in the various passageways for buying food & drink, and a Carrefour in the adjacent shopping centre which also sells beer & wine - although on Polish trains you can only buy & consume alcohol in the dining car, you aren't allowed to drink your own alcohol in the regular seats cars.
However, the nicest place for lunch if you fancy a minor splurge is the celebrated U Fukiera restaurant (www.ufukiera.pl) in the main square of the old town 20 minutes walk away, see photos below.
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1st class lounge: There was a 1st class lounge (VIP zone) at Warsaw Centralna, called a VIP Zone, but this was closed in 2014 as too few people used it.
Hotels near the station: Polonia Palace
If you're staying in Warsaw and need a hotel, try the excellent and historic Polonia Palace Hotel. It's just across the road from both the Palace of Culture skyscraper and Warsaw Centralna station, 25 minutes walk from Warsaw's old town. Opened in 1913, it was one of the few hotels to emerge unscathed from WW2, and has been used by many famous people including General (later President) Eisenhower and General de Gaulle. It provides very high quality rooms, but at a budget price by western European standards. Check prices & book.
Warsaw's most prestigious and historic luxury hotel is the Hotel Bristol, opened in 1901 right next to the old town. It also survived the bombing of the old town in WW2, being used as the German HQ. Check prices & book.
Palace of Culture skyscraper
The Palace of Culture skyscraper is just across the road from Warsaw Centralna station and so easy to visit even with just an hour or two between trains. It's a major landmark you'll probably see from the train as you leave or arrive in the city. It's a distinctive wedding cake Soviet skyscraper, given to Poland as a gift from the Soviet Union and oOriginally disliked by Poles for that reason. However, they're now softening to it a little. There's a viewing terrace on the 30th floor, you'll need to leave any bags in the free cloakroom on the ground floor. See the official website, www.pkin.pl.
Warsaw old town
Warsaw's historic old town is the knife that's had its blade and handle both replaced, as it was almost totally destroyed in WW2 and has been 85% rebuilt from scratch. However, it's UNESCO-listed because of the effort and care that went into the restoration. It's well worth a visit. The Warsaw tourist information website is www.um.warszawa.pl/en.
It's a 2.7 km 33 minute walk from Warsaw Centralna to the old town square, see walking map.
It's a 1.5 km 19 minute walk from Warsaw Gdanska to the old town square, see walking map.
For a great meal in the old town square, look no further than the U Fukiera restaurant on the inner square, www.ufukiera.pl.
Warsaw old town, main square (Rynek Starego Miasta).
The U Fukiera restaurant on Warsaw old town's main square, www.ufukiera.pl.
Warsaw Gdanska station
Warsaw Gdanska is a secondary station to the north of the old town, see location map. While improvement works on Warsaw's rail network continue, some trains that would normally use Warsaw Centralna may be temporarily diverted to Warsaw Gdanska instead, for example the Prague/Vienna to Warsaw sleeper train Chopin. There aren't as many facilities here, but it's actually closer to the old town than Centralna. The station building is south of the tracks, linked to each of the 3 island platforms (6 tracks) by pedestrian underpass and an overbridge. There's a metro station, taxi rank and kebab shop, but if leaving from Gdanska, stock up for the journey before you get to the station.
How to get there: Warsaw Centralna to Warsaw Gdanska is an 6-minute €6 taxi ride. Or 19 minutes by tram number 41, every 20 minutes. Or a 49 minute walk.
Warsaw Gdanska station. Photos courtesy of Paliparan.com.
Warsaw Wschodnia station
You'll need to go to Warsaw's Wschodnia station for Kyiv, as the Kyiv Express has been banished there since 2022. See location map.
Warsaw Wschodnia is a secondary station to the east of the city centre, on the eastern side of the River Vistula, Wschodnia is Polish for eastern. It has a large modern booking hall and 8 island platforms. It has a Costa Coffee, some small minimarkets where you can buy supplies, and a pharmacy. The Peron 8 bar across the road does food & beer.
How to get there: Warsaw Centralna to Warsaw Wschodnia is an 8-minute €7 taxi ride. Or 16 minutes by tram number 7, every 15 minutes. However, arguably the easiest way is by local train, these run from Śródmieście station (next to Centralna) to Wschodnia every 3-5 minutes. Śródmieście's platforms are a short walk from Centralna's platforms by underground passageway, just follow the signs. You can check these train times at old.rozklad-pkp.pl.
Tip: If you have an onward mainline ticket, for example Wschodnia to Kyiv when going eastbound, or Centralna to Berlin westbound, you can hop on any PKP Intercity train (including EIC, EIP or TLK) to transfer between stations free of charge and without the usual compulsory seat reservation.
Warsaw Wschodnia station, main entrance, north side. Photo courtesy of @_DiningCar.
Warsaw Wschodnia main hall. There's a Costa Coffee in this hall, just out of shot to the right. Photo courtesy of Adrian Grycuk, under Creative Commons licence.
Warsaw Wschodnia station, south side. Photo courtesy of Paliparan.com.
Warsaw Wschodnia platforms. Photo courtesy of Paliparan.com.