A group of Belgians I know, are making next week a business trip to Białystok (arriving in Warsaw), and they asked me what the best mode of transport is to get there from Warsaw.
I discouraged them from renting cars, because I doubt if they would get there. By bus... not the good option... As for now I advised them to take the train - that is if they do not get lost in Warszawa Centralna :) -. But are the TLK trains to Białystok OK? I guess in first class they should be. I noticed there are not going any IC trains there.
But are the TLK trains to Białystok OK? I guess in first class they should be.
Yes, nothing at all wrong with TLK trains. First class has the ability to make an optional reservation too - the only issue is that they need to make sure to get a non-smoking coach. But in general, I've noticed that TLK trains are increasingly being made up of old "ekpress" carriages - so there's really no difference.
There are eleven TLK connections on a business day between Warsaw and Białystok. They can check the timetable on the rozkład-pkp.pl which is available in English, German and French, though not in Flemish. If they are grown-up boys and if they manage to make it as far as Warsaw, I'm sure they will not get lost in Warszawa Centralna.
Ziemowit, you are right of course... But this is hardly encouraging:
In the new year, old mess at the Central Station. Is not displayed information on most trains, and passengers are surprised that instead of the whole renovating one peron, started only do two. - Please tell me a few months of patience - says Jacek Prześluga the Board of PKP
For thousands of passengers in the last days of traveling by rail once again proved ordeal. In many TLK trains or InterRegio you had to come back after the Christmas break in a huge crush, as substituted by only three or four wagons.
Indeed, you are right ... I thought the Centralny operated as usual ... I had no idea the platforms were in repair. I only use the Śródmieście station and sometimes visit the bookshop at the Centralny without getting down to the platforms. If that is the case, there is some likelihood they will get lost.
What's the solution? I'm afraid there's no solution, unless they board the train in Warszawa Zachodnia which is a very ugly station, but there seems to be no repair works there at the moment.
I think anyway they will stick to the train = a bit cheaper :0
There's a grass strip. It all depends on how much they value their time. Guessing it takes about an hour to get to the train station from the airport, that makes it roughly 7 hours return vs 2 hours. Say you have 3 Belgians making a median wage. 15 hours of "Belgian labor" isn't cheap :)
They should get some taxi company to drive them there in a minibus - would probably cost about 300 or 400 zloty. Normally train travel from Warsaw is simple but at the moment Centralna is a nightmare even if you speak Polish - no announcements, hardly any screens, long lines at ticket windows.
Plus Bialystok train station is miles from the centre so they would need to negotiate with cab drivers there too.
As a not polish speaker I managed to find my way around Centralna just fine with the reservations going on. I'm sure with a bit of commen sense anyone can do it!
As a not polish speaker I managed to find my way around Centralna just fine with the reservations going on. I'm sure with a bit of commen sense anyone can do it!
I live in Lodz. We are 11 south africans working and living here. Were do you live?
Guide him through it? Follow the arrows from the front of the station to the left of the building, Go down the stairs, on your left you will find a ticket office. Buy your ticket and follow the platform signs.
I got rather more confused in Katowice station lately, but I am not the only one I guess. They managed to change the platform for my Warsaw-bound train 3 times in 25 minutes...nothing on the boards of course :)
One consolation here, the new station promises to be a gem - if only they will be able to keep the smelly pondlife out of it :)
[quote=SA guy in Lodz]I live in Lodz. We are 11 south africans working and living here. Were do you live?
Over in Australia, not in Poland I'm afraid. There are quite a few South Africans over here in Auss though. I used to live in South Africa for about 8 years, predominantly in the north, and loved the place, I lived a bit in Botswana as well.
That is quite an SA presence in Lodz, it is not the prettiest as far as Polish cities are concerned, so what do you guys do in Lodz, and have you heard from any other South Africans in other cities?
yes, have a few friends in Aus, We all work at a BPO centre here, and no, not the prettiest city in Poland but at least we have the oppertunity to travel, I worked in Roodepoort before coming to Poland, Where exactly in SA did you live, You got to love that country! Especially the bushveld in the north!
We met a few fellow SA guys in Warsaw for Curry Cup finals which is impossible to watch anywhere in Lodz, and also some tri nations.
You got to love that country! Especially the bushveld in the north!
Phalaborwa was my first place of residence, so Hans Merensky club was frequented quite often.
follwed by, I am not sure if this is exactly the right order:
Burgersfort, where rugby was compulsory in school.
Kelrksdorp
Lime Acres
Orkney
I grew to love the country, especially its close proximity to nature. I hope its all working out for you in Poland.
Re: Train and bus stations in Bialystok Are the train station and bus station far apart in Bialystok? I am planning to transfer from Eurolines bus to train there, so long walk or short?
It's a short walk (you can see the bus station from the train station), but I can't give you the precise distance.
Centralna is a nightmare even if you speak Polish - no announcements, hardly any screens, long lines at ticket windows.
I realise this was written years ago now, but I am hoping the situation has improved? I intend to buy my ticket online to go to Białystok from Centralna to avoid the queues, but do you ( or anyone else ) know if the trains go from a specific platform?
Bialystok train station is miles from the centre
So I gather from looking at the map. It also appears as if the 6 other stations are nowhere near the centre either. I presume there are connecting buses to the centre? Having problems trying to find out bus numbers and stops.
