EuroCity is the name given to long-distance trains that travel through several countries in Europe. The train from Warsaw to Berlin, also known as the Berlin-Warsaw-Express (BWX / BWE for short), is exactly one of those. It runs four times a day from Warsaw to Berlin and back with a journey time of 5:30 hours.
Travel times
Based on the 2020 timetable:
The first departure is already 4:30 in Warsaw Centralna (EC248). Note that this train does not run daily (only Monday to Saturday). Posen will be reached at 07:23/07:28, arrival in Berlin Hbf 10:16. The second train leaves Warsaw at 8:48, Poznan at 11:21 and 11:26 and arrives in Berlin at 14:16. This makes the EC48 a little faster. Third train (EC44): departure 12:30 noon in Warsaw, Poznan at 15:23/15:28 and arrival in Berlin at 18:16. The last train (EC40) leaves Warsaw at 16:48, Poznan at 19:21/19:26 and arrives in Berlin at 22:16. All trains arrive at the top of Berlin Hbf (mostly platform 13 or 14). To change trains you have to walk all the way down because most of the other trains run (Tief) in Berlin Hbf.
On some days there are additional trains available (e.g. at 06:00), so that sometimes even 5 trains run a day. You can look up the exact departure schedule in the travel information here.
Train Tickets
Train tickets are available on the Deutsche Bahn website. You can also find all savings prices here. The "Sparpreis europa" saver fare starts at EUR 29.90 (EUR 26 with Bahncard) in 2nd class. The flex price (normal price) on this route is also only EUR 65 (EUR 48 with Bahncard 50; EUR 53 with BC25). Certainly cheaper than any plane ticket! A free reservation is included in every ticket, as reservations are required on this train (except for journeys within Germany).
In 1st class, the saver prices start at EUR 37.90 and the flex price is EUR 101. A reservation is also included here.
Reservation with Interrail
Since the train travels within Poland as EIC Express-InterCity, reservations are required for journeys in Poland or across the border. You can get a reservation at the station counter or on the Internet at ACPRail. The price is EUR 4.50. I bought my reservation in Warsaw Centralna (Main Railway Station) at the counter. There I also had to show my Interrail pass. You could pay by card.
Journey, compartments, dining car.
It is shortly before half past eight when I am already in Warsaw Central Station. There are so many trains running here that my EC is not even on the display. Please don't be surprised. Under the large display there are also the ticket windows where you can buy tickets. I got my reservation there yesterday.
As there is still a little time left, I decide without further ado to take an express train to Warsaw Wschodnia for fun. This requires a little knowledge, because this section is not always indicated as "drivable". Also with the Berlin train you can only get in, no time to get off is given.
Achtung: Gleise in Polen
On my first visit to Poland by train, I made a very mistake because I didn't know what a "platform" was. In Germany (and most western European countries), platforms are generally understood as tracks, and the display reads: "Train to Cologne from platform 4". It's crystal clear. But next to track 4 is mostly track 3 (directly opposite) and together they form a platform. If you have to change from platform 4 to platform 3, you would not have to climb stairs.
How displays in Poland have to be read: "Train to Gdansk from platform (Peron) 2". But on platform 2 there are two tracks (Tor = English: track). And the train to Gdansk only leaves from one. So be sure to look for two numbers, or better: look again directly on the platform. In Warsaw Central is shown on the display only the platform/Peron.
Here is a photo of the departure track of my express train from Warsaw Central Station:
Often the "Tor" are on the small platform display:
For me it goes to Warsaw Wschodnia. During this 5 minute drive there is no ticket control, so no problem. I just stand at the door. A few people do the same.
At this suburban train station in the east of Warsaw, the EC / EIC starts its journey to Berlin. That's why it leaves here at 08:49 (on my trip). It is already shown on the display:
You have to say that this station is not as chic as Warszawa Centralna. That's why I'm going straight to the platform. The train is already on the track and since hardly anyone gets on here, I have time and peace to take photos.
Seats on the train
But now we come to the interior! The train has both compartment and open seating cars. The compartments have 6 places, the open seating cars have 2+2 seats in 2nd class and 2+1 seats in 1st class.
The visual difference between first and second class is due to two things. The first class has light blue seats and lights up blue on the ceiling:
You can choose between the seats ...
In the second class, the ceilings are green and the seats are dark blue:
It's a little different with the compartments. The 1st class compartments are therefore green:
..the 2nd class compartments, however, in blue:
I sat in such a 2nd class compartment. We were in the meantime full with 6 people, which required luggage planning. Not all suitcases can be placed on the upper (large) shelf. My insider tip is always the space under the seats. For smaller pieces of luggage and jackets, handbags, etc. there is a small shelf under the large shelf.
The journey from Warsaw to Berlin
Then the journey finally starts. A few kilometers back to the main station, where the crowds get on. Our compartment is getting full. The train is at max. 160 km/h moderately fast. When I drove this route, there was another locomotive change in Poznan, which resulted in a full 20 minutes delay. In Frankfurt (Oder) we were punctual again to the minute!
Let's get to the finer points: even if compartments are often seen as old-fashioned, I am sometimes a cautious fan of them. At least there are sockets here (unlike in the other Polish compartment trains). There are also cup holders on the armrests and small tables in the outer seats.
This train is of course also barrier-free, there are wheelchair spaces. Apart from that, wheelchair users should safely reserve a journey in order to be able to enter or exit.
Last but not least, we come to the dining car. The WARS dining car has cozy and stylish red seats and is very spacious. If it is as good as its Czech counterpart (and I suspect it is) then I can really recommend its traditional food for good prices. You can definitely pay in euros or zloty (PLN). I'm not sure about Czech crowns and Swiss francs (CHF) - that works in the dining car on the Berlin-Prague route. I'm even more unsure about card payments. I wouldn't plan it. Have you ridden this route lately? Then maybe you can answer these questions for me!
Final destination
Unfortunately there are no pictures of the arrival in Berlin Hbf. There is a good reason for that: I had to run because the EC to Dresden/Prague was one hour late in Berlin-Südkreuz, so I could still watch it there (and only because of the delay). So I didn't have to go to Freiberg via Leipzig. But one thing is certain: the EC arrives in Berlin Hbf OBEN (up), where the S-Bahn runs. Most other long-distance trains continue TIEF (down) below (to Dresden, Hamburg, Leipzig, Munich etc.). So I had to go down 4 floors from the very top, for my change. If you run you can do this in 2-3 minutes, the DB app calculates (generously) with a minimum changeover time of 9 minutes.
How the journey continues to Dresden and how the new InterCity looks like on this route, you will find out in my next blog.
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