As of Friday, 29 June, one can travel to Warsaw's new airport at Modlin by train. According to Rozklad.pkp.pl, the service operates around the clock, which is useful, as check-in for WizzAir's popular 6:00 departure to 'London' Luton opens at 4am. The airport's press release mentions a bus service, coordinated with the train arrivals and departures, to take passengers on to the airport. There's a train arriving at Modlin station at 3:20 and the next at 3:51. A bit of an all-nighter then.
Eddie and I are booked to fly on the third day of operations at Modlin (rather than taking the night train across Europe - booking the tickets proved simply too complicated and the passport checks on Eurostar take longer than the journey to London). It is still possible, on 18 July, that the airport will not be open - this alarming piece in Dziennik Gazeta Prawna suggests that Poland's civil aviation authority has not yet signed off the airport for commercial flights.
Modlin was meant to serve as Warsaw's low-cost airport back in 2006, but things being as they are it did not happen, nor did Modlin open in time for the Euro 2012 championships. So - what's the chances that the airport will open now? What if it isn't - will WizzAir revert back to Okęcie? What about the slots it's given up?
Watch this space...
I am looking forward to finding out how your trip goes, as a couple of my kumpely are coming via Modlin on Wizzair in August.
ReplyDeleteHate to tell you this but...we drove out there to see it a couple of weekends ago. It doesn't exist!
ReplyDeleteNot a single sign off the highway nor any signs off the highway. Ended up asking a guy at a bus stop in Modlin who laughed and told us where it was supposed to be. We went there, an almost dirt track leading to a large field with a couple of security guys. Asked them and they said, more or less, "it doesn't exist but it will be open in a couple of weeks". Whatever that means.
If I were you I'd get myself a back-up plan.
Scatts
Sorry, bad English because I assumed as usual the comment process would end up a complete waste of time and so paid little attention!
ReplyDeleteThere are no signs to Modlin airport whatsoever when travelling by car at least. Nothing on the highway or even as you approach or enter the area where it is supposed to be. No signs of new roads that might be suitable for approach to international airport. No planes. No car parks. NOTHING.
Either we were in completely the wrong place or this is one big scam.
scatts
Or maybe they are taking the definition of low cost airport to its ultimate conclusion - a strip of tarmac in a field, few stepladders, pick-your-own luggage.
ReplyDeleteStrip of tarmac in a field they do have.
May be worth trying again:
ReplyDeletehttp://modlinlotnisko.blogspot.com/2012/06/dzien-otwarty-lotniska-warszawa-modlin.html
Few snaps of a half built terminal that is actually located in Estonia won't fool me!
ReplyDeleteThat massive green road sign is not there, or is extremely well hidden.
Seriously, I challenge anyone to use either of the routes they show how to get there by car and actually find an airport.
@ DC, Ian:
ReplyDeleteIt behoves me to go and investigate! I'm flying off in 11 days' time...