In a move set to strengthen tourism ties between Poland and Croatia, Prime Minister Donald Tusk has announced the launch of a direct international train route connecting Warsaw with the coastal Croatian city of Rijeka.
Operated by PKP Intercity, Poland’s largest rail company, the new service is scheduled to begin running four times a week starting next month.
“We finally have a DIRECT rail link from Poland to Croatia!” Tusk wrote enthusiastically on X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday, marking the culmination of years of planning and negotiations involving multiple countries.
The long-anticipated connection was first publicly discussed in April this year, when Poland’s infrastructure minister Dariusz Klimczak revealed that talks were underway between PKP Intercity and railway authorities in the Czech Republic, Austria, and Slovenia—the countries through which the train will pass en route to Croatia.
According to industry publication Rynek Kolejowy, the overnight service will depart from Warsaw at approximately 2 p.m. and is expected to arrive in Rijeka before 9 a.m. the next day.
The return journey will leave Rijeka around 7 p.m., reaching the Polish capital the following afternoon. The journey time will be about 19 hours, and tickets will start at roughly 200 zloty (€50) for a one-way trip.
The train will also make stops in southern Poland and several cities across central Europe, offering passengers a scenic route through the continent and providing greater accessibility for travelers across regions.
The rail connection is not only designed to cater to Polish tourists heading south but also to encourage Croatian visitors to explore Poland. “It is not just about one of our favourite destinations, but also about inviting Croatians to Poland, and we know that Croatians love Poland,” said Klimczak in April.
Croatia continues to be a top holiday destination for Poles. In 2024 alone, over 1.2 million Polish tourists visited the Adriatic country, contributing to 7.1 million overnight stays, according to the website Total Croatia.
The project has faced a number of delays since its initial proposal in 2021, primarily due to the logistical challenges and travel restrictions posed by the Covid-19 pandemic. With those barriers now behind them, both nations are optimistic about the economic and cultural benefits of the new rail link.
PKP Intercity, which operates domestic and international routes, has experienced a surge in passenger numbers in recent years. In 2023, it carried 78.5 million passengers—up 15% from 2023 and 33% from 2022—highlighting growing interest in train travel across Europe.
The new route is part of a broader push by Poland to improve its international rail connectivity and promote sustainable travel alternatives. It also taps into a growing trend of overnight rail journeys becoming popular again among environmentally-conscious travelers.
With ticket sales expected to open soon, both Polish and Croatian tourism officials are hopeful that the new rail line will be a gateway to deeper economic cooperation and more vibrant cultural exchange between the two nations.