Investment Property in Poland

Travel and transport

Increasingly accessible by air

By far the easiest way to get to Poland from the UK and Ireland is by air, and the country is becoming increasingly accessible as budget carriers open up new regions. The best example of this is Ryanair which now flies from Stansted to Gdansk, Lodz, Poznan, Wroclaw, Bydgoszcz and Rzeszow, and from Dublin to Warsaw, Lodz, Poznan, Wroclaw and Szczecin.

Among the other airlines flying direct are Air Berlin (Stansted to Warsaw) and British Airways (Gatwick to Krakow). Airlines which fly to Poland via a European stopover include Aer Lingus, Alitalia and British Midland. If your destination in Poland is not served by a direct flight, the national carrier LOT flies to all provincial destinations from Warsaw.

Varying fares

Average flight time from the UK is around two and a half hours. Fares can vary wildly but are generally at their most expensive during the peak season of June to September.
With the budget airlines, especially Ryanair, finding the cheapest fares can be something of a lottery but as a general rule of thumb, booking as far in advance as possible will save you money, as will avoiding weekend travel.

National carrier

Of the mainstream airlines, Polish national carrier LOT has the biggest range of flights, and in common with British Airways it charges an average of around £150 for a return flight during low season. This can rise to as high as £300 at peak season (July, August and the run-up to Christmas).

By train

If you’re in no hurry, travelling to Poland by train is a leisurely and environmentally-friendly way of getting there and it can be done in less than 24 hours. The best way is to take the Eurostar from London to Brussels and then either take a train direct to Warsaw, or to Berlin where you can change for Warsaw, Wroclaw and Krakow.

By bus

Eurolines offers regular bus services from London to Warsaw, Krakow, Wroclaw, Lodz, Gdansk, Bydgoszcz, Rzeszow and Olsztyn, among others.

Information for travellers

Visas are not needed by EU nationals for stays of up to 90 days. If you need to stay for longer than this you need to leave and re-enter the country or apply for a resident’s permit. Poland is one hour ahead of the UK, in line with most of Europe.