Warsaw to Gdańsk
Last reviewed: 2026-06-13How do you get from Warsaw to Gdańsk?
The EIP express train takes 2 hours 18 minutes. Book on PKP Intercity from ~55 PLN in advance. With the journey time, Gdańsk is better as an overnight stay than a day trip, especially in summer.
Gdańsk is Poland’s great northern city: a historic port on the Baltic, the birthplace of the Solidarity movement, and the jumping-off point for some of the country’s best summer beaches. At 2 hours and 18 minutes from Warsaw on the EIP express train, it is reachable as a very long day trip — but an overnight stay is the better plan and makes the journey genuinely worthwhile.
The train: fast, comfortable, and the obvious choice
There is no practical alternative to the train for Warsaw–Gdańsk. The EIP Express InterCity Premium service covers the route in 2h18, running from Warsaw Centralna and Warsaw Wschodnia to Gdańsk Główny (Gdańsk Central Station). Services depart throughout the day, with the first train leaving Warsaw around 5:30–6:00am and the last return from Gdańsk around 8:30–9:30pm.
| Train type | Journey time | Rough departure range | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| EIP Express (express) | ~2h 18 min | All day, ~8+ daily | Fastest, assigned seat, bistro |
| IC (InterCity) | ~2h 40–50 min | Throughout the day | Slightly slower, often cheaper |
| Regional / TLK | 3h 30 min+ | Limited | Budget option, no reservation needed |
EIP fare price tiers:
| Booking window | Typical 2nd class fare |
|---|---|
| 30+ days ahead | 55–75 PLN |
| 14–29 days ahead | 75–120 PLN |
| 7–13 days ahead | 100–150 PLN |
| Under 7 days | 130–180 PLN |
First class carries roughly a 50% premium. On a 2h18 journey, first class offers noticeably wider seats, a quieter car, and complimentary newspapers — worthwhile if you plan to work or sleep.
Book at pkp.pl or intercity.pl. Set the language to English, enter Warszawa Centralna and Gdańsk Główny, and choose your service. The PKP Intercity mobile app makes rebooking easier if plans change.
Day trip or overnight? Be honest about the trade-off
The journey is 2h18 each way, meaning 4h36 of total travel time. If you take the first morning train at around 6am and the last evening return at around 9pm, you get roughly 7–8 hours in Gdańsk. That is enough to cover the historic center on foot, visit one major museum, and have a meal.
Go overnight if:
- You want to add Sopot (the beach resort 15 minutes away by commuter rail) — an afternoon and evening in Sopot needs an overnight stay
- You plan to visit Malbork Castle (1 hour from Gdańsk Główny) — combining it with Gdańsk requires either a very early start or an overnight
- You are traveling in summer (June–August) when Gdańsk is at its liveliest and a late evening in the Old Port is one of the great Polish experiences
- You want to explore Gdynia (25 minutes from Gdańsk by SKM commuter rail)
Day trip works if:
- You are on a tight schedule with a fixed Warsaw departure date
- You specifically want to see the European Solidarity Centre and the Long Market without beach ambitions
- You are a fast, efficient sightseer comfortable walking quickly between sites
For a broader perspective on how Gdańsk fits into a multi-city trip, see the Warsaw 4–5 days with day trips itinerary.
What to see in Gdańsk
Gdańsk was almost entirely destroyed in 1945 — like Warsaw — and similarly rebuilt. But where Warsaw rebuilt on a different post-war urban plan, Gdańsk meticulously reconstructed its Flemish-style merchant houses in the Old Town, creating a colorful, extraordinarily photogenic historic center.
Long Market (Długi Targ): the ceremonial heart of the city, lined with restored Renaissance and Baroque townhouses. The Fountain of Neptune stands at its center; the Golden Gate and Green Gate mark its ends. This is the essential first stop and remains beautiful even in crowds.
European Solidarity Centre (ECS): one of the finest museums in Poland, dedicated to the history of the Solidarity trade union movement that brought down communism in Central Europe. Located at the Shipyard (Stocznia Gdańska) where the movement was born in 1980. The building itself — clad in weathered Corten steel shaped like ship hulls — is a work of architecture. Allow 2.5–3 hours inside. Book tickets online to avoid queues.
St Mary’s Church (Bazylika Mariacka): one of the largest brick Gothic churches in the world, built between 1343 and 1502. The interior is vast and austerely beautiful; the tower offers a panoramic view over the city. Entry to the church is free; the tower has a small fee.
Mariacka Street: the amber capital of Poland. The street is lined with boutique amber jewelry sellers displaying their wares on iron railings in front of Gothic-portaled houses. Gdańsk sits at the center of the global amber trade — Baltic amber (succinite) washes up on beaches here. A good-quality amber piece makes a genuine souvenir.
Crane Gate (Żuraw): the medieval harbor crane on the Motława River, a symbol of Gdańsk’s trading past. Houses a maritime museum; the exterior is best appreciated from the opposite bank.
WWII and occupation context: the German city of Danzig — as Gdańsk was known — was the site of the first shots fired in World War II on September 1, 1939 (at Westerplatte, a Polish military post 5 km from the center). A short bus or taxi ride to Westerplatte is worthwhile for visitors focused on WWII history. The Westerplatte Memorial and ruins are moving and relatively uncrowded compared to sites in Warsaw.
Sopot: the Baltic’s most stylish resort town
Sopot is 15 minutes from Gdańsk Główny by SKM commuter rail (a single ZTM-equivalent ticket, around 4–5 PLN). It is the Polish answer to a Riviera beach town: a sandy beach stretching for kilometers, Europe’s longest wooden pier (the Molo, jutting 511 meters into the Baltic), a pedestrianized main street (Monte Cassino) full of restaurants and boutiques, and a summer party scene that draws visitors from across Poland and beyond.
In summer, Sopot Beach fills with sunbathers and the town’s restaurants overflow into evening. In spring and autumn, it is quieter but still picturesque — the sea air, the wooden pier, and the art nouveau villas along the streets give it a timeless quality.
Combining Gdańsk and Sopot in one visit is straightforward: take the SKM commuter rail between them freely. If you are staying overnight, basing yourself in Sopot for an evening and returning to Gdańsk the next morning before your train back to Warsaw works well.
Gdynia: the modern third point of the Tri-City
Gdynia is 25 minutes from Gdańsk Główny by SKM (also around 4–5 PLN). It is a completely different character from Gdańsk: a modern port city built in the 1920s and 1930s, full of Art Deco architecture and a contemporary museum scene. The Naval Museum and the Emigration Museum (Muzeum Emigracji, housed in the former Maritime Station) are both excellent.
The three cities — Gdańsk, Sopot and Gdynia — are known collectively as the Tri-City (Trójmiasto). The SKM commuter rail connects all three efficiently, with trains running every few minutes during the day. If you have two days in the area, the Tri-City gives you a full urban itinerary without needing to rent a car.
Malbork Castle: the world’s largest brick fortress
Malbork Castle (Zamek w Malborku), a UNESCO World Heritage Site, lies 55 km southeast of Gdańsk — about 1 hour by regional PKP train from Gdańsk Główny, with trains running roughly every hour. Entry costs around 70 PLN for the full complex.
The castle is a Teutonic Knights fortress completed in the 14th century and is simply astonishing in scale: a series of fortified courtyards, towers and Gothic halls spread across a vast site above the Nogat River. It is one of the most dramatic medieval buildings in Europe and thoroughly worth the detour.
Combining Malbork with Gdańsk in a single day is tight but possible: take an early train from Warsaw (6am), arrive Gdańsk ~8:20am, continue by regional train to Malbork (~1h), allow 3 hours at the castle, return to Gdańsk by early afternoon, and then see the Old Town and Long Market before the evening train back to Warsaw. This requires good timing and a very early start — an overnight stay makes the whole experience less rushed.
tours.walking
Verified deep-linked GetYourGuide tours. Book through these links and we earn a small commission at no cost to you.
Bus: the option to skip
FlixBus connects Warsaw and Gdańsk in 4–5 hours, departing from Warsaw West Bus Station (Zachodnia). Tickets can go as low as 15–20 PLN in advance but more typically cost 30–60 PLN.
Given that the EIP train costs from 55 PLN and saves 2+ hours each way, the bus offers no meaningful advantage for most visitors. The only scenario where bus makes sense is if every seat on every train on your date is sold out, or if you need a very unusual departure time not served by rail.
Driving: useful for the Tri-City and coast
By car, Warsaw to Gdańsk takes approximately 3.5–4 hours on the A1 motorway. The total toll is around 70–90 PLN each way. Driving gives you flexibility to explore the Kashubian Lake District (west of the Tri-City), the Hel Peninsula (a 35 km sandbar running into the Baltic), or the Słowiński National Park with its famous moving sand dunes.
If you plan a longer northern coastal itinerary or are traveling as a group of four or more, the car makes sense. For a straightforward city visit to Gdańsk, the train is easier and faster.
Practical tips for the journey
Book early: the Warsaw–Gdańsk EIP is busy year-round and extremely popular in summer. Early bird seats at 55–75 PLN disappear weeks in advance. Check availability as soon as your travel dates are fixed.
Platform watch: Warsaw Centralna’s platforms are announced roughly 10 minutes before departure. Stand near the departures board or watch the PKP app. In Gdańsk Główny, the station is compact and easy to navigate.
SKM from Gdańsk Główny: the Gdańsk Główny SKM commuter rail station is adjacent to the main PKP intercity station. Use the same platform area to catch trains to Sopot and Gdynia. Tickets for SKM are separate from your Warsaw–Gdańsk intercity ticket; buy at the machines on the platform.
Amber buying advice: Mariacka Street is a good place to buy amber, but prices vary widely. Established shops are safer than informal stalls. Look for labels indicating “bursztyn bałtycki” (Baltic amber) rather than synthetic alternatives. Genuine Baltic amber is warm to the touch and will not melt a hot needle in the way some plastics do.
For planning how this trip fits into your overall Warsaw visit, the best day trips from Warsaw guide gives a full comparison of northern, southern and eastern excursion options. The how many days in Warsaw guide helps decide whether Gdańsk fits better as a day trip or a natural continuation of a longer Poland itinerary.
For transport within Warsaw before and after your Gdańsk excursion, see the getting around Warsaw guide. For the overall cost picture, see Warsaw trip cost.
Frequently asked questions about Warsaw to Gdańsk
Is Gdańsk worth visiting from Warsaw?
Absolutely. Gdańsk is one of the most distinctive cities in Central Europe — its Flemish-Gothic Old Town, Solidarity history and Baltic setting make it genuinely different from Warsaw, Kraków or any other Polish city. Even on a day trip you will see why it has become Poland’s most popular summer destination after Kraków. See best time to visit Warsaw for seasonal advice that applies equally to Gdańsk.
How much does the Warsaw to Gdańsk train cost in total, including return?
Return fares booked in advance typically cost 110–150 PLN (2 x 55–75 PLN). Last-minute return fares can reach 300–360 PLN (2 x 150–180 PLN). Book a return ticket at the same time as your outbound for the best combined price and to guarantee your preferred return time.
Can I get from Warsaw to Gdańsk by overnight train?
There is no overnight sleeper service between Warsaw and Gdańsk; the journey is short enough that daytime trains are the standard option. The last evening departure from Gdańsk back to Warsaw is typically around 8:30–9:30pm, arriving in Warsaw before midnight.
Is there an airport in Gdańsk?
Yes — Gdańsk Lech Wałęsa Airport (GDN) is served by LOT Polish Airlines, Ryanair, Wizz Air and others. Some visitors choose to fly Warsaw–Gdańsk (under an hour), though the train is usually cheaper and more convenient given central station locations. Flying makes more sense if you are visiting Gdańsk without starting in Warsaw, or if you plan to continue to another Baltic city.
Is it easy to get around Gdańsk without a car?
Yes. The Old Town, Long Market, Solidarity Centre and harbor are all walkable from Gdańsk Główny (15–20 minutes on foot). Sopot and Gdynia are reached by SKM commuter rail. Westerplatte requires Bus 106 or a taxi (~20 PLN). A car is not needed for a standard tourist visit.
What is the best time of year to visit Gdańsk from Warsaw?
June through August is peak season: warm, beaches open, Sopot lively, every cultural venue running full programs. The downside is crowds and higher accommodation prices. May and September offer good weather with fewer visitors. Winter (November–March) gives you Gdańsk largely to yourself, the amber shops open year-round, and the Solidarity Centre is less crowded — but no beach experience. The best time to visit Warsaw guide covers Poland’s seasons in detail.
Can I do Warsaw–Gdańsk–Kraków in one trip?
Not easily as a direct route, since Gdańsk and Kraków are at opposite ends of Poland (roughly 700 km apart by rail). A practical multi-city trip combines Warsaw with either Gdańsk or Kraków — or Warsaw with both, returning through Warsaw between them. The Warsaw to Kraków guide covers the southern route, and the Warsaw and Kraków week itinerary gives a sample schedule for the classic two-city combination.
tours.day-trip-north
Verified deep-linked GetYourGuide tours. Book through these links and we earn a small commission at no cost to you.