Airports in Poland and airport parking - 5 tips for a successful family trip

Airports in Warsaw - parking at the Chopin and Modlin airports

The two main airports in Warsaw are Frederic Chopin Airport, also known as Warsaw-Okęcie, located in the Warsaw district of Włochy, and Warsaw-Modlin Airport, commonly known as Modlin Airport, situated in Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki.

1. Warsaw Okęcie Airport was opened in 1934 and serves as the main hub for Polish Airlines LOT. It was named after the prominent Polish pianist and composer in 2001. This largest Polish airport handles over 18 million passengers annually, making it the leading airport in Poland. It is located within the city limits and can be accessed by both bus and the Fast Urban Railway. According to plans, by 2027, passenger traffic from Okęcie is expected to be taken over by the Central Communication Port in Stanisławów. It is still unclear what will happen to cargo flights. From Chopin Airport, we can fly directly to Paris, Moscow, Beijing, Rome, or London. As we can see, we have interesting tourist destinations to consider. Parking at Chopin Airport allows for traveling with the whole family from Okęcie.
2. Modlin Airport is one of the newest Polish airports. Opened in 2012, it primarily serves short-haul flights operated by low-cost airlines and charter flights. Its capacity is approximately 3-3.5 million people per year. The planned railway connection has not yet been realized, and tickets for the buses operating there need to be purchased well in advance, so in this case, using parking at Modlin Airport may be a good idea, and getting there by car at a specific time will definitely improve our mental comfort. If we start our journey at Modlin Airport, we can set our sights on destinations such as Athens, Liverpool, Barcelona, Kyiv, or Stockholm.

Parking at Krakow Airport

John Paul II Kraków-Balice Airport is the second largest airport in Poland. Located 11 kilometers west of Krakow, it serves over 6 million passengers annually. The train journey to the airport from Krakow's center takes 17 minutes, and there is also a bus line reaching it. Interestingly, the airport in Balice shares part of its runway with the 8th Transport Aviation Base it borders. Initially, a lower number of passengers was predicted, but this turned out to be underestimated. For this reason, modernization has been underway since 2012, along with the construction of a new terminal and hotel. In 1995, the airport was named in honor of the Polish Pope, who visited Balice numerous times during his papacy. What destinations can we choose when starting our journey from Krakow? Of course, we can fly directly to the most interesting tourist cities in Europe – Paris, London, Vienna, or Athens. From Krakow, we can also fly to Tel Aviv, New York, or Rome. Those choosing to fly from Balice can select parking at the airport from several options. 

Parking at Katowice Airport

Opened in 1966, Katowice-Pyrzowice Airport, located 45 kilometers north of Katowice, serves the entire Silesian Voivodeship. In terms of the number of passengers handled, it ranks third. You can reach it by train, but the line is undergoing revitalization and electrification, which sometimes causes difficulties. Work on the railway line should be completed by 2022. Pyrzowice features the longest passenger runway in Poland, measuring over 3 kilometers in length. The airport's capacity is 5 to 6 million passengers per year, processed in three terminals. In 2005, Pyrzowice saw the landing of the world's largest cargo plane, the Ukrainian An-225 Mrija, for the first time in Poland. Katowice Airport also boasts the tallest control tower in Poland, measuring 46 meters. Starting a family trip from Katowice, we can head to Hurghada in Egypt, Izmir in Turkey, or Split and Palma de Mallorca, and parking at the airport will help us fully relax on our vacation.

Parking at Gdańsk Airport

Gdańsk Lech Wałęsa Airport has been operating continuously since 1974, although it was originally called Gdańsk Rębiechowo Airport. It was named in 2004 in honor of the President of Poland and leader of Solidarity, Lech Wałęsa. It is the third largest and the fourth in terms of the number of passengers processed in Poland. Its location in the Gdańsk district of Matarnia, 10 kilometers from the center of Gdańsk, makes it quite convenient to reach by public transport, both bus and railway. The airport is situated in close proximity to the Tricity bypass, making it equally convenient to drive there and choose comfortable parking at the airport. Due to its proximity to the largest seaport in Poland, a significant portion of the traffic serviced by Gdańsk is cargo. When planning to start your flight journey from Gdańsk, you can choose destinations such as Helsinki, Amsterdam, Dubrovnik, as well as Alicante in Spain or Mykonos in Greece. And that's just a few of the many possibilities.

Parking at the Airport

Access to some of the main Polish airports is difficult for various reasons. Even in the case of those best connected, if we do not live in the city where they are located, traveling by public transport can be very cumbersome. The fear of delays and large, often unwieldy luggage encourages us to use our cars. The most convenient option is indeed to use our own vehicle and drive to the airport. Parking at the airport is available at each of the airports.

Airport parking guarantees safety for our vehicle and provides us with much greater travel convenience than public transport. During our long-awaited vacation or business trip, we don’t have to worry about whether someone will steal our car. All parking lots are monitored 24/7, and each of them has surveillance cameras.

By leaving our car in the airport parking lot, we save ourselves the stress of having to arrive on time at the airport and ensure comfort on the way back. Tired after often several hours of flight, we don’t have to think about a taxi, getting to a bus or train. We simply get into our own means of transport and safely drive home.