A weekend in Warsaw
The old town, the Warsaw Rising Museum and pierogi: a city weekend about 7 hours by bus from Vilnius.
Contents
Warsaw in brief
Warsaw is a big city worth visiting for its old town, the Warsaw Rising Museum and Polish food. From Vilnius it is about 7 hours by bus, and from Kaunas about 6, so a weekend leaves Saturday and Sunday morning.
You will find seasonal events in the section “What to do by season”. In Poland the clock is one hour behind Lithuania, so read ticket times as local time. You will find a full plan for two days in the guide a weekend in Warsaw (in Lithuanian).
How to get there
From Vilnius by train. LTG Link takes you to Warsaw Central station on one ticket. On Friday, 6 November 2026, services leave at 06:27 (arriving at 13:07, 7 h 40 min) and 12:35 (19:07, 7 h 32 min) (LTG Link search, in Lithuanian, checked 2026-10-08). Back on Saturday and Sunday, 7 and 8 November, services leave at 08:53 (in Vilnius at 17:25) and 14:53 (23:25) (LTG Link search, in Lithuanian, checked 2026-10-08). Prices depend on the class and the service, so we do not write them here. A comparison: Vilnius to Warsaw by train.
From Kaunas. The LTG Link train with a change in Mockava leaves on Friday, 6 November, at 13:38 and arrives at 19:07 Polish time (LTG Link search, in Lithuanian, checked 2026-10-10). Back on Sunday, 8 November, it leaves at 14:53, and you will be in Kaunas at 22:17 (LTG Link search, in Lithuanian, checked 2026-10-10). Direct FlixBus buses take 5 h 20 min–6 h 20 min: Kaunas to Warsaw by bus (in Lithuanian).
From Klaipėda. There is no direct bus; services go via Kaunas or Vilnius and take 10–14 h: Klaipėda to Warsaw by bus (in Lithuanian). The bus options from Vilnius are described in Vilnius to Warsaw by bus (in Lithuanian).
The train stops at the Central station, and the buses at the Marymont metro stop and the West bus station. We described the differences in the guide Warsaw bus and railway stations (in Lithuanian).
Getting around the city
From the Central station to the Royal Castle it is about 2.8 km on foot, about 39 min (route, checked 2026-10-28). From the West bus station it is about 5.6 km, about 78 min (route, checked 2026-10-28). From the bus stops the old town is too far to walk with a suitcase.
We do not give Warsaw public transport ticket prices: before the trip check them on the ZTM website.
Districts and where to stay
We found no descriptions of the districts in official sources, so we do not describe them. As an example, look at Hostel Coco (Al. Jerozolimskie 107): in its price list a double room with a bathroom costs 249 PLN a night (hostelcoco.pl, checked 2026-10-08). The website warns that the price depends on occupancy and the date.
How to choose accommodation: the guide to accommodation for a weekend (in Lithuanian).
What to see
The Warsaw Rising Museum tells the story of the 1944 uprising. A ticket costs 35 PLN (about €7.94), reduced 30 PLN. It is open Monday and Wednesday to Friday 8:00–18:00, Saturday and Sunday 10:00–18:00, closed on Tuesday. Admission is free on Thursday, and on All Saints’ Day (1 November) the museum is closed (museum FAQ, checked 2026-10-17). About 2 hours are recommended for the whole exhibition (museum FAQ, checked 2026-10-06).
The Royal Castle. The tourism website says you can see paintings by Rembrandt and Canaletto here, and the Warsaw old town is on the UNESCO World Heritage List (Go2Warsaw, checked 2026-10-07). A “Royal Route” ticket with an audio guide costs 60 PLN. The castle is open Tuesday to Sunday 10:00–17:00 (last entry 16:00). It is closed on Monday, and on Wednesday admission is free with a shortened route (castle website, checked 2026-10-06).
The Palace of Culture and Science. The viewing terrace on the 30th floor is open daily 10:00–20:00 and closed on 1 November (PKiN, checked 2026-10-06).
The Copernicus Science Centre. At weekends an exhibition costs 50 zł for adults, and on Saturday and Sunday the centre is open 9:00–19:00 (Kopernik, checked 2026-10-06).
Wilanów Palace. The palace is open daily 10:00–16:00 (entry until 15:00). A ticket costs 60 zł from November to March and 70 zł from April to October (palace, checked 2026-10-06).
Views from above. Warsaw stands on a plain, so there are no natural viewpoints here. The tourism website lists the built ones (Go2Warsaw, checked 2026-10-07). The terrace of the Palace of Culture and Science is on the 30th floor, 114 m up. Varso Tower, on the 53rd floor, 230 m up, has the highest viewing platform in the European Union. A panoramic lift takes you up the 32 m tower of the Rising Museum. 150 stone steps lead up to the bell tower by Castle Square.
You will find all the places in the categories: what to see in Warsaw and what to do in Warsaw.
What to do by season
Winter and Christmas. The Christmas market in Defilad Square will run from 20 November 2026 to 6 January 2027 (organiser, checked 2026-10-06). More: Christmas markets in Europe (in Lithuanian).
Spring and summer. We found no events with an organiser’s source for these seasons, so we do not write them. A palace ticket is dearer from April (70 zł).
What to eat
The Zapiecek restaurant chain serves pierogi, with locations in the old town (Freta 1, Freta 18, Świętojańska 13, Krakowskie Przedmieście 55) and on Nowy Świat (Nos. 40 and 64). The menu has pierogi ruskie (with curd cheese and potatoes), with cabbage and mushrooms, and with spinach and feta (zapiecek.eu, checked 2026-10-06). We did not check prices in the restaurant, so we do not write them.
The tourism website says Warsaw’s cuisine is varied, and that in autumn it is worth trying warming Polish dishes (Go2Warsaw, checked 2026-10-07). It lists żurek, a sour rye soup with egg and white sausage, borscht, herring and a pork schnitzel. The local dish pyzy, potato-dough dumplings with crackling and onions, was famous in the Praga district, and the best were said to be sold at Różycki Market. You can eat cheaply and simply at “milk bars”, which recall the communist period (same page). We name no other places, because we did not check their official source.
Practical information
Currency. Poland pays in zlotys (PLN); the euro is not used. On 28 October the NBP rate was 4.4090 PLN to €1 (NBP table 210/A/NBP/2026). When paying by card, choose to pay in zlotys, not euros. More: zloty or euro in Poland (in Lithuanian).
Documents and holidays. Before you leave, read documents for travelling in the Baltic states and Poland (in Lithuanian). The Rising Museum is closed on New Year’s Day, Epiphany, Easter, Corpus Christi, All Saints’ Day and the first day of Christmas: public holidays in Poland (in Lithuanian).
Weekend plan
Friday. Leave Vilnius on the 06:27 train (6 November), and at 13:07 you will be at Warsaw Central station, In the afternoon visit the Royal Castle (10:00–17:00, last entry 16:00). If you take the 12:35 service, you will arrive at 19:07. Dinner at the Czech restaurant Česká (Chmielna 35), 12 min on foot from the station (route, checked 2026-10-28). On Friday it is open 12:00–24:00 (ceska.pl, checked 2026-10-26).
Saturday. In the morning visit the Rising Museum (10:00–18:00, 2 hours is enough). Lunch at the Polish restaurant Ceprownia (Krakowskie Przedmieście 7), open daily 10:00–22:00 (ceprownia.pl, checked 2026-10-26). In the afternoon walk round Castle Square and the old town, and in the evening go up to the terrace of the Palace of Culture and Science until 20:00. Dinner at Der Elefant (Plac Bankowy 1), open on Saturday 12:00–24:00 (derelefant.com, checked 2026-10-26).
Sunday. Leave Warsaw on the 08:53 train and you will be in Vilnius at 17:25, or take the 14:53 service (Vilnius 23:25). If the journey seems too long, look at Łódź or Kraków.
FAQ
Is a weekend enough for Warsaw?
Yes, if you do not rush. The train takes about 7 h 30 min–7 h 40 min one way, and Saturday suits the museum, the old town and the terrace.
How long does the journey from Vilnius take?
By train the services on 6 November take 7 h 32–40 min (LTG Link, in Lithuanian, checked 2026-10-08).
What is the currency in Warsaw?
The zloty (PLN). 35 PLN is about €7.94 at the NBP rate of 28 October.
Can I get to Warsaw from Klaipėda or Kaunas?
Yes. From Kaunas on 6 November the train with a change in Mockava leaves at 13:38 and arrives at 19:07; back on 8 November at 14:53, in Kaunas at 22:17 (LTG Link, in Lithuanian, checked 2026-10-10). Direct FlixBus buses from Kaunas take 5 h 20 min–6 h 20 min. See Kaunas to Warsaw by bus (in Lithuanian). There is no direct bus from Klaipėda; services via Kaunas or Vilnius take 10–14 h: Klaipėda to Warsaw by bus (in Lithuanian).
Things to see and do in Warsaw
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By car: distance, time, fuel
By car
- From Vilnius: 506 km, 4 h 36 min one way. Fuel there and back: €128.34 per car, €64.17 each for two people.Calculation: 2 × 506 km = 1,012 km; 1,012 km ÷ 100 × 6.5 l/100 km = 65.78 l; 65.78 l × 1.951 €/l = €128.34.
- From Kaunas: 401 km, 3 h 38 min one way. Fuel there and back: €101.71 per car, €50.86 each for two people.Calculation: 2 × 401 km = 802 km; 802 km ÷ 100 × 6.5 l/100 km = 52.13 l; 52.13 l × 1.951 €/l = €101.71.
- From Klaipėda: 612 km, 5 h 24 min one way. Fuel there and back: €155.22 per car, €77.61 each for two people.Calculation: 2 × 612 km = 1,224 km; 1,224 km ÷ 100 × 6.5 l/100 km = 79.56 l; 79.56 l × 1.951 €/l = €155.22.
From Šiauliai, Panevėžys is not calculated yet: we do not have map data for this route.
In Poland only the concession sections are tolled (A2 Świecko–Konin, A4 Katowice–Kraków); the A1 is free: what it costs (in Lithuanian).
This is an approximate calculation, not a price. Travel time without traffic or border queues. Fuel price: Lithuanian average, Euro-super 95 with taxes, 2026-10-19, the European Commission's Weekly Oil Bulletin (CC BY 4.0); consumption 6.5 l/100 km. Routes: MOTIS, car profile, no traffic conditions, © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), Geofabrik extracts, calculated 2026-10-29. There are no road tolls for passenger cars in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia; for Poland, see here (in Lithuanian).