Car hire Warsaw

Introduction

After the devastations of World War II, Warsaw rose again from the ashes, the town center appears to be historic, but in fact it is not. After the war the center was entirely reconstructed. Later, the city was marked by communist architecture, the Palace of Culture and Science being the most outstanding examples, a ‘gift’ from Joseph Stalin. After the fall of the communist regime construction activities increased again. The Polish name of the city is Warsawa and is derived from a legend. Long ago two children, Wars and Sawa, saw a mermaid in the Vistula (Wisla) River who predicted that on that spot a big city would rise. 

Population

The city has almost 2 million inhabitants and including the suburban areas, over 3.5 million people live in and around Warsaw.

Location

Warsaw is located in the east of Poland, on both river banks of the Vistula River that empties into the Gdańks Bay at the north coast.

Economy

The Polish capital city has boomed after the fall of the communist regime. Many foreign companies saw business opportunities in the Polish market and settled in Warsaw, including Coca-Cola, General Motors, Nestlé and Procter and Gamble. The majority of the labor force works in the provision of services. Mainly the financial service industry has grown heavily, foreign banks settled in Warsaw and the stock market reopened after 50 years.

In the communist era there was more emphasis on the heavy industry of which there is still some left, nevertheless Warsaw is becoming more and more a center for high-tech companies, including ICT businesses.

Airports

The international Warsaw Frederic Chopin Airport is located about 10 kilometers to the south of Warsaw.

Public transport

Warsaw has a well developed public transport network that consists of 200 bus lines and 30 street car lines. The street car stops are clearly indicated, the bus stops, however, normally are not. There is a bus service at night, buses depart every half  hour from the Central Station.

There is also a subway line which was built mainly for the commuting of workers who live in the suburbs and work in the city center. Therefore this line is of minor importance for tourists. However, a second line will be constructed in the coming years.

Traffic and parking

Traffic in the center of the city is very busy, in addition, a part of the city center is a restricted pedestrian area (Ulica Chmielna, and during summer weekends Ulica Nowy Świat). Therefore it is better to park your car and explore the city on foot.

In the center of the city, all parking is paid. An excellent alternative is to park in the guarded parking lot along the Ulica Parkingowa or the underground parking garage at Ulica Jasna.

Hotels

In recent years there have been many investments to improve the hotel offer in the Polish capital city. Nowadays, Warsaw has a generous amount of hotels to offer and other accommodation, in all price categories. Most hotels are located in the districts Śródmieście, Wola and Mokotów.

External sources

For more information about Warsaw, we recommend Google and the following sources:

• Wikipedia, Warsaw
• Official site of the city of Warsaw (Polish and English)
• Official site for tourism in Warsaw (Polish and English)