Gdańsk is easily accessible by plane, train, coach and ferry.

When travelling from Poland, the Czech Republic or Germany, always compare train and bus fares – the price difference can be significant, whilst the journey time sometimes differs by only an hour or two.

Where can you compare train and bus prices?

For journeys within Poland, start by using the e-podróżnik search engine, which displays trains, long-distance buses and some regional services all in one place.

The results will show you the journey time, the number of changes and the current price. For some services, you can buy a ticket straight away; for others, the search engine will redirect you to the transport operator.

You should then also check the best prices directly with the transport operators:

• trains in Poland: koleo.pl or intercity.pl
• buses: flixbus.com
• trains from the Czech Republic: cd.cz
• trains from Germany: bahn.de

e-podróżnik is best for quickly comparing transport options within Poland, but it may not display all options for international routes.

If travelling from the Czech Republic or Germany, you should therefore always check České dráhy, Deutsche Bahn and FlixBus separately as well.

Flying to Gdańsk

Flying is the quickest option from Scandinavia, the UK, Western Europe and other more distant regions.

Ryanair and Wizz Air are the main airlines flying to Gdańsk Airport.

Gdańsk is known for its very cheap flights, particularly to Norway, Sweden, the Baltic states, Germany and the UK.

Instead of browsing the websites of individual airlines, start by comparing all available flights by price and journey time.

Compare flight prices to Gdańsk

As well as Ryanair and Wizz Air, many major airlines also fly to the local airport, offering connections to destinations all over the world with just one stopover.

For example, you can fly to Gdańsk with the following airlines:

• Finnair – Helsinki (great connecting flights to other destinations in Finland, Asia and Australia)
• Icelandair– Keflavík (seasonal flights to Iceland and connecting flights to the USA and Canada)
• KLM – Amsterdam (connecting flights to destinations worldwide)
• LOT– Warsaw (connecting flights to the whole of Europe, the USA, Canada and Asia) + direct flights to Bergen, Brussels, Istanbul and Oslo
• Lufthansa– Frankfurt (connecting flights to destinations worldwide)
• Norwegian– Bergen, Oslo
• Ryanair– a total of around 60 destinations across Europe
• SAS– Copenhagen (connecting flights to Scandinavia, the USA and Asia)
• Swiss– Zurich (connecting flights to destinations worldwide)
• Wizz Air– a total of around 70 destinations across Europe

Transport from the airport to the city centre

Gdańsk Lech Wałęsa Airport is situated approximately 15 km from the city centre.

You can easily reach the city centre by train or via several bus routes.

Detailed prices, timetables and information on taxis can be found in a separate airport guide – Transport from GDN Airport to the city centre.

If you’re arriving late in the evening or departing early in the morning, there are affordable hotels right next to the airport.

Book a hotel near GDN Airport

By train to Gdańsk

The train is usually the best option from Warsaw, Poznań, Wrocław and other major Polish cities.

On most main routes, it is faster and more comfortable than the bus.

Long-distance services arrive at Gdańsk Główny station, which is situated right next to the historic centre. It takes about 10 minutes to walk to Długa Street.

Where can you find and book a train?

To compare all Polish train operators, use:koleo.pl.

KOLEO displays up-to-date timetables and fares for most Polish rail operators and allows you to buy tickets online.

You can also buy tickets for PKP Intercity long-distance trains directly at:intercity.pl.

When travelling from Warsaw, Kraków or Wrocław, for example, I would do the following:

1. Search for a route on e-podróżnik and compare the train with the bus.
2. Check the best train option on KOLEO or PKP Intercity.
3. Open the same route on FlixBus
4. Choose based on the total price, journey time and arrival time

Prices for long-distance trains may vary depending on the type of service and when you buy your ticket. You should therefore buy tickets for main routes in advance, particularly for Fridays, Sundays and the summer holidays.

Direct trains from the Czech Republic

Gdańsk is connected by direct Baltic Express trains, which travel to Prague via Pardubice, Kladsko, Wrocław, Poznań and Bydgoszcz. According to the timetable for the year, there are several direct services daily on this route.

Check the latest timetables and fares directly on the Czech Railways website:cd.cz

Enter ‘Gdańsk Główny’ as your destination.

Always compare the same travel dates with FlixBus as well. A direct train is usually more comfortable and arrives right in the historic centre, but a bus may be cheaper during special offers.

The night-time Baltic Express may include a sleeper carriage during certain parts of the year. However, always check the train composition for your specific date, as sleeper berths are not available on all services or throughout the year.

By train from Germany

When travelling from Berlin and other German cities, look for connections via Deutsche Bahn.

From Berlin, there are direct services or journeys involving a change in Poznań. Before booking, also check FlixBus, which may be cheaper but usually takes longer.

By coach to Gdańsk

Long-distance buses are particularly worth considering if they are significantly cheaper than the train, offer night services, or depart from towns without a direct rail link.

FlixBus operates the largest network. Its routes connect Gdańsk with over a hundred destinations.

The main bus station is located behind Gdańsk Główny railway station. It takes about 10 to 15 minutes to walk to the historic centre.

When is a bus better than a train?

You should choose the bus particularly in the following cases:

• it is at least a third cheaper than the train
• it offers a direct journey with no changes
• it arrives at a more convenient time

Conversely, between Gdańsk and Warsaw, Poznań or Wrocław, you should generally opt for the train unless there is a significant price difference.

For a fair comparison, it’s not enough to look at the price alone. Also check the journey time, the location of the stations, the luggage allowance and the arrival time.

By ferry from Sweden

Gdańsk and neighbouring Gdynia have regular ferry services to Sweden. The ferry is the most sensible option when travelling by car, motorbike or campervan.

Ferry prices vary significantly depending on the date, cabin type, number of passengers and the vehicle being transported. You should therefore always check the price for a specific date.

Nynäshamn (Stockholm) – Gdańsk

A direct route from the port of Nynäshamn near Stockholm is operated by POLSCA.

• Journey time: 18 hours
• Price including a car: around 300 eur one way
• Sails once a day
• Book and compare with other crossings on directferries.com

Karlskrona – Gdynia

Stena Line operates more frequent crossings between Karlskrona and Gdynia. From Gdynia to Gdańsk, continue by SKM train.

• Journey time: 10 hours
• One-way fare including a car from 100 eur
• Sails 3 times a day
• Book and compare with other crossings on directferries.com

By car to Gdańsk

A car is particularly worthwhile if you want to combine a visit to Gdańsk with a trip to Malbork, Kashubia, Hel Peninsula or other parts of northern Poland.

You don’t need a car for your stay in Gdańsk itself. The historic centre is small, public transport works well, and accommodation with parking tends to be more expensive.

So when booking a hotel, make sure to tick the ‘Parking’ filter straight away. For hotels in the historic centre, always check whether the car park is right next to the building or in a more distant public car park.

Search for hotels with parking