Mistakes everyone makes in Warsaw
In Warsaw most time is lost at a museum's locked doors, and each of the five mistakes has a fix.
- Tuesday
- POLIN and the Rising Museum are closed
- Wednesday at the Castle
- Only the special route
- Koneser
- A booked slot
The biggest losses in Warsaw come from timing: Tuesday shuts POLIN and the Rising Museum, the free Wednesday at the Castle covers only part of it, and Koneser's basic tour doesn't run on Fridays or Saturdays. Each of the five mistakes has a simple fix.
1. Planning Warsaw like a compact old town
The city is flat but spread out, and the distances between the Old Town, the Palace of Culture and Praga are easier to underestimate on a map than on the ground. Anyone who tries to cover it all on foot, as in a smaller old town, spends the afternoon walking instead of sightseeing. Let the metro or tram link the districts, and walk within each one.
2. Turning up at POLIN or the Rising Museum on a Tuesday
POLIN and the Rising Museum are both closed on Tuesdays, so Tuesday in the plan belongs to something else, such as the National Museum, whose permanent galleries are free that day. The best day for these two is Thursday, when both are free to enter.
3. Thinking the free Wednesday at the Castle is the full tour
On Wednesdays the Royal Castle is free to enter, but only on a special route through the Royal Apartments and the Lanckoroński Gallery, while many other rooms are closed that day. Anyone arriving on a Wednesday expecting the full Royal Route sees less than planned. The complete visit takes a ticket, €13.82, and another day. Monday is out, because the castle is closed then.
4. Turning up for Koneser's basic tour on a Friday, Saturday or Monday
The Polish Vodka Museum at Koneser is seen only on a tour at a set time. The basic tour, €16, isn't on the schedule on Fridays or Saturdays, and on Mondays the museum is closed. Book the basic tour for a Sunday or for Tuesday to Thursday. Anyone in Warsaw just for the weekend has only Sunday.
5. Buying a day ticket for a day with two or three rides
A day with two or three rides costs less on single 75-minute tickets, €1.01, than on the day ticket, €3.45, which only pays off from the fourth ride. That's any day when you walk the centre and only take transport in the evening.
Ready for Warsaw?
Where to next
Museums in Warsaw
→Of the five museums on this page, two shut on Tuesdays, a third on Mondays, and a booked time slot is advised…
Lublin · 153 km
→A city in eastern Poland whose castle chapel dates to 1418, with the Majdanek camp on its edge
How well does Warsaw suit you?
→Six questions: a score for this place and others like it.
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