Warsaw Chopin or Modlin: Which Airport, and How to Get Between Them
Warsaw’s two airports are a common trap. Chopin (WAW) is the big one beside the city; Modlin (WMI) is the Ryanair base near Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki, about 40 km north of the centre and just over 50 km from the hotels on this site. A ticket that says Warsaw may mean either. This guide covers how to tell, and how to move between them.
Which airport is on your ticket
Look for the code. WAW is Chopin, served by LOT, Wizz Air, the Lufthansa group, Air France-KLM, Turkish Airlines, Emirates, Qatar Airways and most others. WMI is Modlin, used mainly by Ryanair. Ryanair also flies to Chopin on some routes, so do not assume Ryanair means Modlin; read the code.
Getting between Chopin and Modlin
By rail, the Koleje Mazowieckie RL line leaves from the Warszawa Lotnisko Chopina station under Chopin’s terminal and runs to Modlin station via Warszawa Zachodnia, Śródmieście and Wschodnia; at Modlin station a Koleje Mazowieckie shuttle bus covers the last few kilometres to the Modlin terminal on a combined ticket. Allow around 90 minutes door to door and check the RL timetable, as the direct service is less frequent than the SKM city lines.
By road, Modlin Bus runs between the Modlin terminal and central Warsaw near the Palace of Culture in about 55 minutes, timed to Ryanair’s flights, and from the centre the SKM train or bus 175 reaches Chopin in another 20 to 30 minutes. A taxi or pre-booked transfer straight between the two airports takes about an hour outside the rush hour and is the only sensible option overnight.
Where to sleep if you use both
Sleep at the airport you are using next. Landing at Chopin at night and flying from Modlin in the morning, take a Chopin hotel and leave early: the Courtyard by Marriott Warsaw Airport is three minutes from the RL platform, and the Airport Hotel Okęcie will shuttle you back to the terminal for the train at any hour. The Renaissance Warsaw Airport Hotel and the Hampton by Hilton Warsaw Airport both list Modlin on their own sites, at 50.5 km and 47 km, with no shuttle. Modlin has its own small hotels near the terminal, which are outside the scope of this site.
Chopin’s advantages
Chopin is inside Warsaw’s fare zone 1, so the centre is a 4.40 PLN train ride; it has the three Executive Lounges, the coach terminal with buses to Lublin, Lviv and Kyiv, and eleven hotels within a short walk or bus ride. Modlin is a 50-minute bus from town with a single terminal. When the fare difference is small, Chopin saves most of the transfer cost. See the airport to city centre guide and the terminal guide.
Related guides
The onward to Ukraine guide starts from Chopin, and the layover guide covers what to do with the hours between two airports.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Chopin and Modlin the same airport?
No. Chopin (WAW) is Warsaw's main airport, 10 km from the centre, used by LOT and most full-service and low-cost carriers. Modlin (WMI) is a separate airport about 40 km north of the city and just over 50 km from the Chopin hotels, used mainly by Ryanair. Check the three-letter code on your booking.
How do I get from Chopin Airport to Modlin?
The Koleje Mazowieckie RL train runs from the station under Chopin's terminal to Modlin station, where a Koleje Mazowieckie shuttle bus completes the trip to the Modlin terminal; allow around 90 minutes. Modlin Bus runs between Modlin and Warsaw's centre in about 55 minutes. A taxi or transfer between the two airports takes about an hour.
Which hotel should I choose if I fly into Chopin and out of Modlin?
Stay at Chopin the night you land and go to Modlin in the morning, or the other way round. None of the Chopin hotels runs a Modlin shuttle; the Renaissance and Courtyard put Modlin at 50.5 km, and the Hampton at 47 km.
Information last verified: September 10, 2026