$1–2 gets you straight from WAW to Nowy Świat
Bus 175 is the classic budget link from Warsaw Chopin Airport (Terminal A) to the city centre, running roughly 04:30–23:00 every day. It heads along Aleje Jerozolimskie and the Royal Route, so it’s especially useful if you’re staying near Nowy Świat, Krakowskie Przedmieście or the Old Town area and don’t want to change vehicles.
In normal traffic, the airport–centrum ride takes about 30–40 minutes, but locals report that rush hour can stretch it to 45–60 minutes as the bus sits in Aleje Jerozolimskie jams. Frequency is solid: a bus roughly every 10–20 minutes in the daytime means you rarely wait long if you just missed one outside arrivals.
A standard ZTM city ticket for Bus 175 costs about $1–2 (single 20- or 75-minute ticket in zone 1), covering the whole airport–centre ride. You can buy tickets from airport machines in Terminal A, from ZTM machines at the bus stop, or on some buses via the onboard machine that takes cards, but not cash.
The key stops for visitors: Lotnisko Chopina (airport), Dworzec Centralny (near Warsaw Central rail station and Złote Tarasy mall), and then along the Royal Route toward Krakowskie Przedmieście and the Old Town. One Reddit comment sums it up: “175 is still the simplest if your hotel is near Nowy Świat – it drops you right on the Royal Route, no need to change.”
Older threads on r/travel and r/poland flag 175 as a pickpocket hotspot, especially between the airport and the Old Town, with tourists targeted around Dworzec Centralny and Krakowskie Przedmieście. One user bluntly said “bus 175 is notorious for pickpockets, keep your valuables in front pockets or inside zippers,” so treat it like any busy city bus.
Locals add two more warnings: 175 can be “absolutely packed” around 8–9am and 4–6pm, and it no longer runs at night, which still surprises some late arrivals checking old blog posts. Many Warsaw residents now say they “almost always take the train instead of 175” unless they need those specific central stops.
How to ride Bus 175 from WAW, step by step
- 1. After exiting arrivals in Terminal A, follow the “Bus/Autobus” signs about 100–150 meters to the covered bus platforms outside.
- 2. At the stop labeled for line 175, find a ZTM ticket machine and buy a single zone 1 ticket (around $1–2) valid long enough for a 40–60 minute ride.
- 3. When the bus arrives (front display: 175 → PL. PIŁSUDSKIEGO or similar), board through any door and immediately validate your ticket in the yellow validator near the door.
- 4. Keep bags close, pockets zipped, and stand clear of doors; aim for space near the middle of the bus if it is crowded.
- 5. For central trains and most chain hotels, get off at Dworzec Centralny 01 after about 25–35 minutes in moderate traffic.
- 6. For Nowy Świat or Krakowskie Przedmieście, stay on for a few more stops until you see the Royal Route and older buildings along the street.
- 7. On the return to WAW, board any 175 signed toward LOTNISKO CHOPINA, validate again if you bought a new ticket, and allow at least 45–60 minutes in the afternoon peak.
One last tip: locals say boarding at the second airport stop on the small loop can give you a little more space and a better shot at a seat on busy departures.