How to get from Wroclaw Airport (WRO) to city center?

You can plan to get from the Wroclaw airport to the city center and the main train station in several ways. It all depends on your preferences – the available transfer options vary in convenience, speed and price. To get to the center of Wroclaw, you can choose between a rental car, public transportation and a cab or Uber.

In this article, I will talk about the advantages & disadvantages of each of the airport transfer options, share my preferences and tell you about practical information that will come in handy during your stay in Wroclaw.

Wroclaw Airport (WRO) – cheat sheet

Wroclaw Airport (WRO) is one of Poland’s regional airports. According to 2022 data, it handles almost 3 million passengers annually, making it the 6th largest airport in Poland in this category. When you arrive in Wroclaw, you will see how nice and well-designed the airport is. The terminal is modern and spacious, and there are several restaurants and cafes (both in the public area and the one after security check-in).

The airport consists of only one terminal, so you should have no trouble finding the stand from which your flight will be checked in. Displays available in Polish and English will indicate the departure gate number – they are numbered from 1 and are arranged on one level, one next to the other. Free WiFi is available at the airport, but if you have a SIM card from any EU country in your phone, you can use mobile Internet for free (free roaming in the EU).

In the area after security screening, there are public seating areas and some comfortable loungers overlooking the runway and taxiways. If you’re at the airport in the morning, there’s a good chance you’ll be able to occupy one of them. There is also a paid Executive Lounge area with comfortable chairs for relaxation, a work area and a menu of hot and cold beverages.

Wroclaw Airport is located within the city limits, about 12 kilometers from Wroclaw’s Market Square. There are several hotels near the airport where you can stay if you want to be close to, for example, your morning flight. Several transfer options are available from the Wroclaw airport to the city center and the main train station.

In my opinion, the most convenient and giving the most flexibility is renting a car, the cheapest is taking a city bus, and the fastest is taking a cab or Uber. Let’s check out the practical information and the pros and cons of each option.

1. Rent a car

Renting a car at the Wroclaw airport is the best option for people who want to travel around Poland flexibly and, in addition to visiting Wroclaw, still want to explore the surrounding area or get to know other corners of the country. You will pick up your car as soon as you leave the terminal, so you can go directly to your hotel and run the necessary errands along the way (e.g., doing some preliminary grocery shopping).

A car will be most convenient if you have a lot of luggage or are traveling with family or a group of friends. In this case, the rental costs will be divided among several people and will be negligibly small (although renting a car in Poland is relatively cheap anyway). The car will also give you easy access to other Polish cities that you can visit as a tourist (such as Warsaw, Krakow, Gdansk or the mountain towns of Lower Silesia – the region whose capital is Wroclaw).

The parking lot from which you pick up your airport rental cars from most rental companies is located right in front of the terminal entrance. After booking your car, you’ll receive detailed instructions on how to pick up your car via email.

How to book a car at Wroclaw Airport (WRO)?

You can rent a car at the Wroclaw airport in two ways. I strongly prefer and recommend the second one, because it gives you more security, peace of mind and no unpleasant surprises (including financial). So you can:

• take care of the formalities after landing in Poland – going to the point of a given rental network operting at the Wroclaw airport – Avis, Europcar, Sixt or Hertz,

• book a car online in advance – using car price comparison sites from many different rental companies (I use Discover Cars or Booking.com Cars).

I recommend the second option, because it gives you a chance to find a car at a very good price and get all the paperwork done long before you arrive in Wroclaw. Many rental companies offer to pick up the car at the terminal – an employee will be waiting for you in the hall with a piece of paper with your name on it.

Together you will approach the car in the parking lot, sign the contract and…. you will be able to set off on the roads of Poland. Before signing the contract, check the condition of the car. Take photos of the body, tires and windows. The photos will be proof for you in case, during the return of the car, the employee will want to “add” damage to you

2. Take a public bus

Wroclaw airport is connected to the city center by city buses. During the day the connection is served by bus line 106, and at night by bus line 206. The trip from the airport terminal to the center of Wroclaw (near the main train station Wroclaw Glowny) takes from 35 to 45 minutes, depending on traffic.

You will find the stop of buses 106 and 206 on the right side of the terminal (looking from the perspective of a person leaving the airport). At the stop you will find a ticket machine where you can buy a ticket for the ride. Your best bet is to buy a “one time ticket” (pol. “bilet jednorazowy”), where you can ride one bus or tram line regardless of the duration of your trip. Another option is a time ticket (pol. “bilet czasowy”) – you need to buy a ticket valid for 60 minutes to travel to the center.

In Wroclaw you will find ticket machines in all buses and trams. Note – tickets bought in the vehicle are not printed. Instead, the token of the payment transaction (payment is only possible by card) is stored on the bank card. In the case of a ticket inspection, you must give your bank card to the inspector, who will use a reader to check whether your ticket is valid. Yes – Wroclaw is very eco-friendly.

If you want to get to the main train station Wroclaw Glowny, take:

• day bus line 106 to the stop “Dworzec Główny (Dworcowa)”
• night bus line 206 to the stop “Dworzec Główny”.

However, if you want to get as close to the Market Square as possible, get off a while earlier at the “Renoma” stop about 700 meters from the Market Square.

3. Grab an Uber/Bolt or a taxi

The last option for transfer from the Wroclaw airport to the city center is to use the Uber, Bolt or Freenow apps, or a classic cab service. All the apps I mentioned work on exactly the same principle – they are competitors, so before you order a ride, check the prices on each of them. It’s easy to save even a few euros this way. Before you fly to Poland, set up accounts on at least two apps.

If you’re wondering how much it costs to take an Uber from the Wroclaw airport to downtown, it all depends on two factors here – the time of day and demand for the service among other customers. Prices for a ride to the center can start as low as 10 euros (40 PLN), but more likely are prices in the range of 15-20 euros.

My least recommended option is to use a traditional cab, which charges the cost of the ride depending on the distance traveled. I don’t use these services in foreign cities, because I’m not sure if the driver isn’t specifically extending the route and whether he’s using the right fare. Transfers from the airport to the center almost always cost a lot more than 100 PLN, or more than 25 euros.

The funny thing is that often renting a car at the Wroclaw airport for even 2-3 days is cheaper than one cab ride to the city center. 😉 So I recommend taking a car for consideration – I always rent cars abroad and thanks to the fact that I can often go off the beaten track, I visit a lot of surprising and interesting attractions.

Reliable hotels close to the Wroclaw airport

There are several good and reliable hotels near the Wroclaw airport, where you can stay overnight without moving too far from the terminal. Fortunately, the center of Wroclaw is close enough that if your flight doesn’t take off in the middle of the night, you can also look for accommodation in the more touristic corners of the city.

If you want to stay close to the airport, Arche Hotel Wroclaw Airport is the best choice. You can see the entrance to the hotel as soon as you leave the terminal, across Graniczna Street. The walk from the airport here will take you 2-3 minutes – even with luggage. This is a new 3-star hotel with a bar, restaurant and fitness center.

If you’re looking for more intimate accommodation, there are also nice apartments available next to the airport – Droinvest Apartment and AirPort Apartment. From both you will walk to the airport terminal in about 20 minutes, and a cab ride will take max. 5 minutes (you can order an Uber/Bolt).

In the table below you will find my recommended accommodations in the center of Wroclaw – in case you feel like exploring a bit.

How to get from the city center back to Wroclaw airport?

Getting to the airport in Wroclaw is analogous to traveling in the opposite direction. However, pay attention to a few important details to keep in mind:

• bus: buses number 106 leave from the Main Railway Station (pol. Dworzec Główny) area from the stop named “Dworzec Główny (Dworcowa)” – location on the map: 51.10031002, 17.03918811, and night buses number 206 from a different stop named “Dworzec Główny” – location on the map: 51.0996269, 17.03539396,

• rented car: in order not to feel unnecessary time pressure, when booking a car, choose the time of return at the airport min. 2 hours before your scheduled departure. You will have time to complete the paperwork with the rental company and go through all the airport procedures without rushing,

• Uber/Bolt: you don’t need to book the service in advance – if you are staying in the center of Wroclaw then there will be no problem finding a driver at any time of the day or night (don’t do it at the last minute though, as you can always be unlucky).

How to get from Wroclaw to major Polish cities (Warsaw, Krakow, Gdansk)?

Wroclaw is located in the southwestern part of Poland, close to several interesting mountain ranges of Lower Silesia and just a few hours’ drive from the German and Czech borders. Poland is conveniently explored by rented car (then you’ll be most flexible and see the most attractions), but you’ll also be able to reach major attractions and cities conveniently by train.

You can check train schedules on Portal Pasażera and KOLEO. Through the KOLEO service you can conveniently buy tickets for regional and long-distance trains, without having to print a ticket – you will show it on your phone during the inspection.

The fastest and most expensive category of trains is Express Intercity Premium operated by Pendolino, but the Intercity category connections are also convenient and much cheaper. In Poland, too, most regional trains are modern and comfortable.

You can also travel between major cities by Flixbus, which often have comparable travel times with trains. You can buy tickets on the Flixbus website.

What to see & things to do in Wroclaw

When visiting Wroclaw – even if you’re only here for business reasons, it’s worth taking a moment to explore the city. It is one of Poland’s most beautiful large cities with its historic Old Town, Market Square with its unique Town Hall, UNESCO-listed Centennial Hall and dozens of islands and bridges.

It takes about 3-4 days to visit the main attractions of Wroclaw, but even in one day or weekend you will be able to see quite a few important places.

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