International trains from Poland

Poland is a large country with fewer international trains and rail routes than you might expect, though the number of services crossing its main rail border with Czechia has increased in recent years; with Krakow being the main beneficiary.

There are typically multiple rail links from Poland through Belarus and on to Russia, though most of these services were cancelled as a consequence of the pandemic, but for obvious reasons SMTJ has currently omitted the trains which take this route.

Most of the trains from Poland to The Czech Republic take one of two routes.

day trains on the route through Bohumin

All of the express trains from Poland to Czechia and beyond take this route, so seven different train services come this way:

(1) One x EC train per day which takes a Krakow – Katowice - Ostrava – Olomouc – Pardubice – Praha/Prague route.

(2) On Fridays and Sundays year round two trains operated by Leo Express take the Krakow – Katowice - Ostrava – Olomouc – Pardubice – Praha/Prague route.
In July and August these two trains depart daily .

(3) Three x EC trains per day which take a Warszawa – Katowice - Ostrava – Olomouc – Pardubice – Praha/Prague route.

Through Czechia and on to Austria:

(4) One x EC train per day which takes a Przyemysl - Rzeszow - Krakow - Katowice – Ostrava – Bréclav - Wien/Vienna - Graz route.
This had been a direct train from Krakow to Wien/Vienna, but this service has now had its range of destinations extended at both ends of the route.

(5) One x EC train per day that takes a Gydnia - Gdasnk - Warszawa – Katowice – Ostrava – Bréclav - Wien/Vienna route.

(6) One x EC train per day that takes a Warszawa – Katowice – Ostrava – Bréclav - Wien/Vienna route.

Through Czechia and on to Hungary:

(7) 1 x EC train per day which takes a Brest - Terespol Warszawa – Katowice – Ostrava – Bréclav – Bratislava - Vac - Budapest route.

In summary Ostrava is served by 4 x trains per day from Warszawa/Warsaw.

night trains on the route through Bohumin

The night trains which travel via Bohumin are on these routes

• (Moskva/Moscow - Minsk - Brest currently suspended) - Warszawa – Krakow – Olomouc – Pardubice – Praha/Prague
• Warszawa – Krakow – Wien/Vienna
• (Minsk - Brest) - Warszawa – Krakow - Bratislava - Vac - Budapest

the route through Miedzylesie:

LeoExpress had introduced a new service departing from Wroclaw on Saturday and Sunday mornings only at 05:58 - with a Prague arrival in Hlvani (hln) station at 10:27, but these trains were suspended at the start of the pandemic and have yet to resume.

The only other trains which currently travel this way, are up to five local services per day from Wroclaw, which cross the border to terminate in Lichkov ; where they ‘connect with Czech local trains to Usti nad Orlici.
There are then hourly trains from Usti nad Orlici to Praha/Prague, Pardubice and Brno.

Most of the trains trains from Poland to Germany take one of two routes.

Rzepin > Frankfurt (Oder):

Two daytime express train services and overnight trains make this border crossing; though the overnight trains from Warszawa commence their journeys in Russia, so are currently suspended.

The three daytime express train services are:

(1) Five or six EC experess trains per day, which are branded ‘Berlin-Warszawa Express’, take this route: Warszawa → Poznan → Rzepin → Frankfurt (Oder) → Berlin.

Connect in Berlin for onward trains to a swathe of other destinations including Amsterdam, Basel, Dresden, Frankfurt (Main), Hamburg, Hannover, Koln/Cologne, Munchen/Munich, Nurnberg and Stuttgart.

(2) One EC train per day which takes this route: Gydnia → Gdansk → Bydgoszcz → Poznan → Rzepin → Frankfurt (Oder) → Berlin.

(3) A daily EC train named 'the Wavel' takes this route: Przemysl → Rzeszow → Bochnia → Krakow at 10:16 → Wroclaw at 13:07 → Rzepin → Frankfurt(Oder) → Berlin Hbf where it is usually scheduled to arrive at 17:16.

the route from Szczecin:

Up to nine trains per day travel from the Polish spa town, Szczecin over the border to Angermunde; and up to four of these trains travel beyond Angermunde to terminate in Berlin, usually at Gesundbrunnen station.
If the timings of the direct trains to Berlin don't suit, then you can make connections in Angermunde.

Zgorzelec to Gorlitz:

Four trains per day depart from Wroclaw for Zgorzelec, where they connect with trains on to Dresden via Cottbus.
The first two connections of the day from Wroclaw, arrive in Dresden in time for connections on to Berlin and Frankfurt (Main) (and Praha/Prague) while the first three connections allow for onward travel to Leipzig.

A daily Intercity express train, named the 'Hancza', departs from Krakow at 04:01 and from Warszawa Centralna at 07:08 and heads over the Lithuanian border to terminate in Mockava, where a guaranteed connection is available into a train on to Vilnius; which arrives into the Lithuanian capital at 17:34.
On some timetables the Hancza express is shown as a direct service to Vilnuis, but a switch between trains is required at Mockava.
The Hancza train also departs from Zachodnia and Wschodnia stations in Warszawa.

In the opposite direction the train to Mockava departs Vilnius at 12:10 and the connecting 'Hancza' train arrives into Warszawa Centralna at 20:13 and into Krakow at 23:38.

Though there are currently no trains available which travel over the Lithuania and Estonia border to link Vilnius with Riga.

Up to four local trains per day travel across the border from Zwardon to Zilina

Other local trains from Katowice connect into the afternoon departures on from Zwardon.

(1) The ‘Kyiv Express’ departs Warszawa Centralna daily at 18:05 for its overnight journey to Kiev/Kyiv, it also calls at other towns in Poland including Lukow and Lublin.

(2) Two trains per day, which according to the European Rail Timetable depart Przemysl at 13:10 and 15:45 and head over the border in south-eastern Poland and travel to Lviv and on to Kiev/Kyiv.
There is also an overnight train from Przemysl to Odessa, which departs at 18:59.

Przemysl has fairly frequent trains from Krakow, but the 13:10 departure also has connections by IC trains from Warszawa and Wroclaw; the 15:45 departure also has a connection train from Wroclaw.

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