- PKP Intercity starts a direct summer train from Warsaw to Rijeka, Croatia
- Service runs four times a week from late June through August
- Promotional tickets start at roughly 200 PLN
- The route passes through five countries ( Poland, Czech Republic, Austria, Slovenia, and Croatia) and covers 1,240 km
- Passengers can choose between couchettes and second-class compartments
- Fresh meals and air conditioning included (no, not a fever dream)
Croatia is what happens when Polish vacation fantasies collide with a tolerant currency exchange rate. Every summer, the urge to escape Poland’s unpredictable July thunderstorms sends people in droves toward the Adriatic—sometimes by car, sometimes by bus, frequently by sunburn. Now, PKP Intercity proposes a new act in this annual exodus: a train straight from Warsaw to Rijeka for anyone with a suitcase and a sense of delayed adventure.
PKP Intercity’s maiden voyage leaves Warsaw on Friday, June 27, with a precise punctuality that suggests someone, somewhere, actually expects this to work. The four weekly departures—Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays—let travelers pick and choose their escape, at least until August 29. Return trips will be handled on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays, perfect for those who find the Dalmatian coast less idyllic after three days without air conditioning.
If you believe bureaucracy never achieves anything but paperwork, the new route is here to disagree. PKP Intercity wrangled commitments from railway companies in the Czech Republic, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, and Hungary. Ministries of Transport joined the fun, agreeing on the sort of international plan that usually gets lost in translation (or in parliamentary committees). As a PKP Intercity spokesperson put it: “This connection is the result of international partnership and shared vision.”
Through Five Nations and Several Unexpected Naps
The journey doesn’t simply hop from Warsaw to Rijeka. It weaves through five countries—Poland, Czech Republic, Austria, Slovenia, and Croatia—collecting passengers and existential questions along the way. Departures from Warsaw tick past 2:00 p.m., with early stops in Opoczno and Włoszczowa to remind everyone that time runs slower outside the capital. The train picks up speed in Silesia, pausing in Zawiercie, Dąbrowa Górnicza, Sosnowiec, Katowice, and let’s not pretend anyone is awake for Rybnik, Wodzisław Śląski, or Chałupki.
Clever planners in Kraków, Rzeszów, Kielce, Łódź, Opole, Wrocław, and Poznań also get a shot at the Adriatic dream if they’re willing to change trains with the skill of a chess grandmaster. Around 10:00 p.m., the ordeal takes on a dash of sophistication in Vienna—a nod to the “international” branding. Here, extra wagons join the convoy before Vienna, only to be stripped off and sent onwards in a separate train, perhaps for logistical efficiency or to keep travelers guessing.
After midnight, somewhere deep in Slovenia, the PKP Intercity train links up with the Istria night train from Budapest, forming a rolling United Nations. By 6:00 a.m., travelers wake up in Ljubljana, Slovenia’s capital, possibly refreshed, possibly wondering what continent they’re on. Next comes a pause in Postojna—home to a 20-kilometer cave for those who didn’t get enough darkness overnight—then a stop in Opatija, famous for Mediterranean greenery, Habsburg nostalgia, and an odd fondness for Polish writers.
For the record, Rijeka finally welcomes the train a little after 9:00 a.m. By then, some passengers may have achieved enlightenment or, at a minimum, an intense craving for coffee. With a total route of 1,240 kilometers, this is one of Europe’s longest direct train rides—summer vacation, distilled into metal wheels and three countries’ worth of track maintenance.
Sit Back, Relax, and Complain about the Air Conditioning
The train offers two second-class coaches and a couchette for travelers who insist on horizontal sleep. Every wagon boasts air conditioning, an inspiring development for anyone who has ever wilted in a Polish carriage in August. Hungry travelers rely on a Wars restaurant car between Warsaw and Vienna, where chefs promise “fresh meals prepared on board.” Whether that means pierogi or pan-European ambiguity is left to the imagination.
In the couchette car, the staff graciously hand out pillows, blankets, and sheets, assuming nobody tries to use the blanket as a window shade. Each compartment sleeps four and comes with the relentless oversight of a Wars employee, which should deter attempts to turn the place into a disco at 3 a.m. The train seats up to 172 people, enough to keep the company of strangers interesting but not overwhelming—unless you’re allergic to conversations about Croatian beaches.
Of course, tickets are on sale at railway stations, through the PKP Intercity app, and online, so nobody has an excuse for missing the chance to experience the collective sleep deprivation of Europe’s finest.
