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If you intend to travel by train, then you will probably start by visiting the connection search engine of the Polish Railways. Its Deutsche Bahn counterpart might be slightly more convenient (and may sometimes offer connections that are missing in the Polish version, though a contrary situation may happen as well). Since last year the situation with train connections has improved. For example there are two direct connections to Prague and the number of trains crossing the Poland's southern border has increased in general.
A note on train connections - majority of trains crossing the border with Czech Republic or Slovakia are in fact local trains, going on relatively short routes. Using them is usually much faster than EC trains (as they are oriented at providing good connection with Warsaw), unfortunately such travel requires a large number of changes, often at relatively small train stations. While it may look difficult, it is actually quite easy and we encourage you to do so.
Be aware that the trains in Poland are operated by (more than) two distinct companies and their tickets are NOT interchangable. Luckily, the international tariff covers all types of trains.
The majority of long-distance connections is operated by PKP InterCity, while local trains are run by PKP Przewozy Regionalne (and it operates IR trains as well). Some of the trains run by PKP Przewozy Regionalne are listed only in PKP connection search engine (which is another reason to use it). So if you choose not to buy international tariff ticket, specifying the hour of the train's departure when buying ticket in Poland is recommended.
Buses seem to be a reasonable alternative to trains, especially since they are usually faster (provided there are no traffic jams). There is however no central database of all bus connections. For domestic routes try Rozklady.com.pl and Wrocław info site. A car, if available, is more comfortable and much faster than the public transport. Consult e.g. Michelin route planner for details. It may be difficult to park a car in Wrocław city center, but if you decide to go by car, we can host your vehicle in the locked underground parking of our Institute, surveilled by CCTV.
Using aforementioned servers we have gathered information concerning connections from the cities represented in last year's competitions.
| City | Car | Train | ||
| Distance [km] |
Duration(*) [hh:mm] |
Duration [hh:mm] |
Possible arrival(**) |
|
| Bratislava | 422 | 5:21 | 8:19 | 17:26 |
| Brno | 293 | 4:13 | 6:45 | 19:47 |
| Budapest | 646 | 8:22 | 11:58 | 17:26 |
| Debrecen | 807 | 10:03 | 19:54 | 17:26 |
| Gliwice | 171 | 1:43 | 2:24 | 19:26 |
| Graz | 616 | 7:43 | 12:44 | 19:26 |
| Koper | 907 | 10:36 | 18:55 | 00:20 |
| Košice | 620 | 7:42 | 10:24 | 16:26 |
| Kraków | 272 | 2:43 | 4:31 | 19:26 |
| Ljubljana | 798 | 9:41 | 15:55 | 21:40 |
| Maribor | 673 | 8:12 | 14:09 | 19:26 |
| Nowy Sącz | 380 | 4:22 | 8:46 | 16:26 |
| Ostrava | 199 | 2:47 | 3:50 | 14:25 |
| Plzeň | 371 | 4:59 | 8:32 | 21:40 |
| Poznań | 179 | 2:49 | 2:48 | 19:03 |
| Praha | 281 | 4:04 | 6:29 | 21:40 |
| Szczecin | 369 | 5:25 | 5:16 | 20:20 |
| Szeged | 813 | 9:57 | 15:54 | 21:40 |
| Toruń | 332 | 5:22 | 5:10 | 21:19 |
| Warszawa | 345 | 5:08 | 5:22 | 19:47 |
| Wien | 418 | 5:54 | 8:28 | 17:26 |
| Zagreb | 789 | 9:52 | 15:21 | 07:26 |
| Žilina | 359 | 4:20 | 7:04 | 16:26 |
(*) Michelin's calculation of travel duration is quite optimistic. Bear in mind it excludes any rest stops, traffic jams, etc. Add extra 25% to get a decent estimate of time you will actually spend in your car.
(**) An approximation of time we can, according to the timetable, expect you in Wrocław, provided you go by train.
If you decide to go by train, then the Main Wrocław Railway Station (Wrocław Główny) located at ulica Piłsudskiego 105 (point A on the map below) is not far away from our institute (ul. Joliot-Curie 15, point B). According to Google the distance is only 2200 meters,
| View Larger Map |
so you may consider walking on foot. Alternatively take the tram no. 0L which has its stop just in front of the railway station (at Piłsudskiego street) and get off at the 6th stop (most Grunwaldzki) or buses no. 145 or 146 (which depart from the bus stop to the left from the railway station at Peronowa street) and get off at the 4th stop (most Grunwaldzki).
The city domestic and international coach station is located directly south from the Main Railway Station, at ul. Sucha. So we advise the same itinerary as for going from the railway station.
If you decide to use a taxi in Wrocław, here are some hints: Most of the cabs in Wrocław belong to corporations. Each corporation is characterized by its 5-digit phone number, for example 1-9191 (aka MPT) is a huge and trustworthy company, which we recommend. 1-9625 (aka Domino) is also recommendable. Alternatively, you can use a list, maintained by the city, of taxi corporations operating in Wrocław. Legally, the maximal price for a cab is 6 zł plus 3 zł/km. On Sundays and after 11 P.M. prices are 50% higher. Some corporations charge less if you call a cab by phone. For example 9191 offers a rebate of 25% in such case (yes, this is a strange policy and we also fail to understand it). Be careful. If you just hail any cab from the street, you risk being ripped off, especially if you depart from the airport or from the railway station. Taxi drivers usually accept EUR or USD, but their exchange rates are low.
Here is a list of sites providing useful information on travelling and staying in Wrocław: