Getting to Warsaw by Road
Travel to Warsaw By Bus
24 hours on a bus, not everyone's idea of luxury travel but it's cheap, just £60 return from London to Warsaw and you get to see the countryside as a bonus.
Seriously, it's not too bad. If you are on a budget, we recommend it.
Travel to Warsaw By Car
Non-stop from Calais to Warsaw will take even the seasoned driver a minimum of 24 hours and this is not recommended. What is recommended is taking a break and spreading the journey over 2 days with a good night's sleep to break the journey up. Once you hit the Polish border, 50% of the remaing journey to Warsaw will be good quality Autostrada (Motorway), the remaining 50% will be mostly single file traffic on road surfaces ranging from OK to poor.
Expect to pay to travel on the Autostrada (no choice really, taking the non-Autostrada route is just not worth the few sheckles you will save!) Once you get to Warsaw look out for confusing road signs, very fast moving traffic and plenty of pedestrians.
Don't be too alarmed if you are stopped by the Police, Spot checks on vehicles are common, so make sure that you always have your driving licence, insurance documents and passport with you at all times.
Traveling by car can be very dangerous and arduous due to very poor quality of roads and the way they are signed as well as due to the number of cars in Poland. Generally, Polish drivers like to exceed speed limits and policemen like to give tickets. The permitted level of alcohol in blood is pretty low: 0,2% is the maximum blood alcohol level allowed, so forget about having even a single beer.
Regulations: The speed limit is 50km/h in cities, 90km/h outside urban areas, 110km/h on dual carriageways and 130km/h on motorways. Trams have the right of way. All vehicles should have their lights switched on at any time during the whole year.
Documentation: Tourists traveling in their own cars should have car registration cards, their national driving license and valid Green Card motor insurance. An International Driving Permit is also required.
Car hire: Self-drive cars are available at the airport or in various car rental offices in the town centre. The minimum age enabling to car rental is 21. Charges are usually based on a daily rate plus a kilometer charge.
Petrol Stations: Petrol stations are open 24 hours and have small grocery stores inside.
Love Warsaw Tip: Ditch the car as soon as possible once you get to Warsaw and use Public Transport.
Ted says, "Get a Sat Nav"
Will you be driving to Krakow? If yes, then check out our sister site Love Krakow for information about Driving to Krakow.
FURTHER INFORMATION ABOUT DRIVING IN POLAND
FUIRTHER INFORMATION ABOUT BUS TRAVEL IN POLAND