Arriving from abroad, you will probably enter Poland at Okecie airport in Warsaw (Lodz does have its own passenger airport, but it is small, does not at this moment serve any international flights and is rather remote from the city center). From there, you may either take a direct express bus to Lodz (company Polski Express) from a bus-stop next to Terminal 1 (at the arrival level) or get to the Central Railway Station (Dworzec Centralny) in Warsaw and take a train to Lodz from there.

   Attention - the express buses have limited passenger capacity and are often booked up. Visit the ORBIS travel agency office to buy a ticket immediately after having passed the customs. The office is located in the arrival terminal hall on the right when aiming the main exit just before the exit. One way ticket to Lodz costs ca 37 zl. (Dec 2002)

   The safest and usually most convenient mode of transport from the airport to the city center of Warsaw (where the Central Station is located) is to take a city bus (belonging to the Municipal Transportation Authority - please remember that you should buy a ticket before entering the bus (in the kiosks at the arrival terminal), you should stamp the ticket immediately once inside the bus and you should have tickets both for yourself and for your luggage.

   If you'd rather take a taxicab from the airport, please beware of ones that are not clearly marked with the price per kilometer on a side window. They may belong to an illegal organization dubbed the "taxi mafia" that the city has been fighting against for several years and will charge you exorbitant amounts for very circuitous routes. The only really safe cabs are the ones belonging to the tele-taxi companies, which you order on the phone instead of hailing in the street (some examples: tel. 919, 6222222, 9663). The same holds for the Warsaw Central Railway Station.

   Warsaw is generally a city where you should be on your guard - although the level of random violent crime is relatively low (as in all of Poland), tourist areas abound with pickpockets and conmen. The level of traffic in the city is also very much beyond the capacity of the street system, so you should allow a sufficient time margin for getting from the airport to the station, even in a taxicab, since traffic jams are unavoidable.

   You will probably need some polish money to pay for the trip to Lodz so you will have to use one of the exchange offices around the Terminal. If you are not familiar with the up-to-date exchange ratios you won't be able to distinguish between the 'good' ones and the 'bad' ones and difference may be substantial... Just exchange as little as reasonably possible and wait until getting to the downtown of Warsaw or Lodz.
 

  The easiest and the fastest way to get to and from Warsaw is train. On working days there are trains connecting the Lodz Fabryczna Station and the Warsaw Central Station more less every hour (from about 5 am till 9 pm). The travel through Zyrardow, Skierniewice, Koluszki and Lodz Widzew takes ca. 1 h 40 min depending on the train type. You may take a fast (strongly recommended) or an ordinary train either first or second class. In order to by a ticket it is advisable to turn up at the departure station for several minutes before the train's departure since lines to ticket offices are not rare and getting a ticket on board is more expensive and inconvenient. Buying an ordinary return ticket you don't save any money but you may save a lot of time.
Since thousands of Lodz dwellers commute to the Capital City and another thousands do business there the trains going from Warsaw are usually overloaded in the afternoon and evening while the ones going to Warsaw are rather crowded in the morning.
No seat reservation available for these connections !
Fast train one way 2nd. class ticket to Lodz costs ca. 27 zl (Dec 2002)
                                                   
There are also (especially during the night) trains arriving at the Lodz Kaliska Station, but unless there is no other immediate option we advise not to use this connection.

When at the Lodz Fabryczna Station be aware of the Taxi Mafia again! It's very easy to be cheated by the unfair taxi drivers waiting for naive clients just at the front entrance of the station building. Better walk several meters to the next taxi stop or just call for a taxi from any street phone (by this method you save up to 30% of a regular 'legal' charge, let alone the tens of dollars for round-a-city trip if you happen to meet an unfair driver....)


Check the following internet services for more information. The timetable changes once a year (in may), so be sure to obtain correct information.
 

http://www.rozklad.pkp.pl/cgi-bin/new/query.exe/en (english)
PKP timetable for the main Lodz railway stations. For departures and arrivals at Lodz Fabryczna select 'przyjazdy do Lodzi Fabrycznej' and 'odjazdy z Lodzi Fabrycznej', respectively.
 

http://bahn.hafas.de/bin/query.exe/en (english, german)
Excellent timetable for the whole Europe; in cooperation with Deutche Bahn.
Finding best connections, timetables for each station, maps, additional info.
 

http://www.pkp.pl (polish, english, deutch, francais)
Timetable and other information on the official PKP site.
(for connections Lodz - Warsaw type: 'lodz fabr' and 'warszawa centr'
 
 Check also these phone services:
 

   The most convenient way of getting to and from Warsaw (seat reservation), especially when traveling towards or from Okecie International Airport (the bus stop just in front of the main gate - terminal 1). Line Warsaw - Krakow with Lodz on its way. The other main stop near the Warsaw Central Station. Tourist bus, WC, air-condition. Travel lasts about 2.5 hours. Buses depart (and arrive) every two hours during a day from the yard at the Lodz Fabryczna PKS Station (the same building that the railway station). Prices slightly higher then in a fast train.

 
           Timetable for Polski Express Warsaw-Lodz connections (June 2000)

To buy a ticket, for up-to-date information, current timetable and pricing information contact the Polski Express authorized partners:

in Lodz:
 

 http://wipos.p.lodz.pl/pex/ (in polish)
http://www.republika.pl/henryk_gwardak/pex.html (in polish, more info, prices)
Unofficial sites with a bit of information on Polski Express routes.
 

If all other ways fail you may eventually try this....
Buses depart from the Lodz Central Bus Station (the same building that Lodz Fabryczna Railway Station).

Some phone information: