In total, it takes 19 hours to complete the trip, trundling through the pretty countryside of Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria, Slovenia, and on into Croatia, during the just under 1,200-kilometer route. It will run four times a week
A new train route from Warsaw to Rijeka has officially opened.
On Saturday, the first PKP train from Warsaw to Rijeka in Croatia completed its journey.
The new ‘Adriatic Express’ rail route has been hailed as the first sleeper to connect five European countries. It is run by the largest Polish rail operator, PKP Intercity, and traces a line southwest from Warsaw towards the tip of the Adriatic.
In total, it takes 19 hours to complete the trip, trundling through the pretty countryside of Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria, Slovenia, and on into Croatia, during the just under 1,200-kilometer route. It will run four times a week.
The train has been launched in a bid to capitalise on renewed interest in tourism between the two countries. According to the Travel Croatia portal, Croatia welcomed more than 1.2 million Polish tourists last year.
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Discussions about the route began four years ago during the coronavirus pandemic, but were delayed by various lockdowns in Europe. It looks as if demand for it will be high, with 90% of the seats on the first train taken. There are 172 seats on the train, including 132 second class seats and 40 couchettes, Euro News reported.
Infrastructure Minister Dariusz Klimczak said: “This is the beginning of a new chapter for holiday rail travel! This is not only a fast and convenient connection, but also a symbol of accessible European holidays – also from smaller towns!”
The train leaves Warsaw at 2pm and arrives in Rijeka at 9am the following day—in time for breakfast. It returns at 7pm and arrives back in the Polish capital a little before 2pm. One-way fares on the new route start at around PLN 200 (£43).
The connection is initially designed just for the tourist season and will operate until the end of the summer holidays, with the last night train from Warsaw scheduled for 28 August.
There are plenty of reasons to make the 1,200km journey to Rijeka, which is a Croatian port city steeped in history. It sits in Kvarner Bay in the northern Adriatic Sea and is known as a gateway to Croatia’s islands. Korzo, the main promenade, is lined with Habsburg-era buildings.
The 19th-century Ivan pl. Zajc Croatian National Theatre has ceiling paintings by Gustav Klimt. The hilltop Trsat Castle complex, which includes a religious shrine, has sweeping views of the islands of Kvarner Bay.