Warszawa Centralna, Warsaw's main railway station and the terminus for direct trains from Krakow.
Photo: Mtaylor848 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)Krakow to Warsaw by Train
A domestic route within Poland.
Reviewed by Eurotraintrip on 2026-07-30
- Duration
- 2h 20m – 3h 30m
- Price from
- 49 PLN
- Distance
- 252 km
- Operators
- PKP Intercity (EIP/Pendolino, IC, TLK)Leo Express
- Frequency
- PKP Intercity runs direct trains roughly every 30-60 minutes across the day (including the flagship EIP Pendolino), plus Leo Express's own newer schedule - 2 direct round trips a day at its March 2026 launch, rising to 4 a day each way by mid-June 2026
Compare and book Krakow–Warsaw tickets
Check pricesWhat makes Krakow to Warsaw different
- Private operator Leo Express launched its own Warsaw-Krakow domestic service on 1 March 2026 - its inaugural train left Warszawa Wschodnia at 07:21 - running Stadler Flirt trains with 5G wifi and four travel classes, alongside an international Warsaw-Krakow-Prague service it also operates onward through Ostrava, Olomouc and Pardubice.
- Czech operator RegioJet briefly competed on this exact corridor too - entering with a trial service in September 2025, moving to a full timetable on 1 March 2026, then withdrawing from Poland's domestic rail market entirely on 3 May 2026 after accusing incumbent PKP Intercity of anti-competitive practices, leaving Leo Express as PKP's only current domestic rival here.
- This route runs on the Centralna Magistrala Kolejowa (CMK), Poland's dedicated high-speed trunk line, where Pendolino trains already reach up to 200km/h on some sections and are due to be upgraded to 250km/h by December 2027.
Krakow station
Departs from Krakow Glowny, where the entire passenger station was rebuilt underground ahead of the Euro 2012 football championship and integrated directly with the Galeria Krakowska shopping centre - the original 1847 neo-Gothic station building next door has been closed to passengers since and now houses a museum instead.
Warsaw station
Arrives at Warszawa Centralna, completed in 1975 and refurbished in 2010-2011; its platforms sit as much as 15 metres underground, making it one of Europe's deepest major stations, and it's roughly a 5-7 minute walk through underground passageways to the Centrum metro stop on line M1.
Train vs. other options
At just 252km, this is one of the shortest hops on this site, and there's no practical direct flight for a distance this short; the fastest EIP Pendolino at 2h20, city-center to city-center, comfortably beats driving the same distance once traffic through both cities' outskirts is factored in, which is why rail carries the bulk of Krakow-Warsaw traffic between Poland's two largest cities.
Booking tips
- PKP Intercity releases tickets 30 days before departure and prices rise as seats sell, so the cheapest promotional second-class fares (from around 49 PLN) go first - book as close to that 30-day mark as you can.
- The fastest journey is the EIP Pendolino at 2h20, but slower IC and TLK trains with more stops can take up to 4 hours or more for a lower fare - check which train type you're booking, not just the price.
- Leo Express, which launched on this route on 1 March 2026, uses Stadler Flirt trains with four travel classes (Economy to Premium) and currently calls at Warszawa Centralna, Warszawa Zachodnia, Opoczno Poludnie and Wloszczowa Polnoc rather than every PKP stop - check your ticket's exact stations before travel.
Good to know: With three operators having sold tickets on this single corridor within the past year - PKP Intercity, RegioJet (now withdrawn from domestic Poland as of 3 May 2026), and Leo Express - older bookmarked links or comparison-site fares can point to a service that no longer runs; go to intercity.pl or leoexpress.com directly to see what's actually still operating.
While you're in Warsaw
Warsaw's Old Town Market Square, rebuilt 1948-1953 to look as it did in the 17th century.
Photo: Jorge Lascar / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)Few European capitals were rebuilt as deliberately as Warsaw: its UNESCO-listed Old Town looks centuries old but dates to a 1948-1953 reconstruction, while across the Vistula, Praga's pre-war tenements are the real thing - the only district the war actually spared.
Full Warsaw travel guide →Frequently asked questions
How long does the train from Krakow to Warsaw take?
The fastest EIP Pendolino covers the roughly 252km in about 2 hours 20 minutes; slower IC and TLK trains with more stops can take 3 to 4+ hours.
How much does the Krakow to Warsaw train cost?
PKP Intercity's promotional second-class fares start from around 49 PLN when booked roughly 30 days ahead; walk-up Pendolino fares are typically closer to 199 PLN.
Is PKP Intercity the only operator on this route?
No - private operator Leo Express launched its own Warsaw-Krakow service on 1 March 2026 and is currently PKP Intercity's main domestic competitor here, after Czech operator RegioJet withdrew from Poland's domestic market in May 2026.