The airport, Port Lotniczy Gdańsk im. Lecha Wałęsy (aka Gdańsk Lech Wałęsa airport and sometimes Rębiechowo Airport), is 16km west of Gdańsk centre in the Rębiechowo district. Its IATA airport code is GDN. The modern terminal handles both arrivals and departures.
Lech Wa-Who?
Lech Wałęsa (Lekh Va-WENS-Ah) was an electrician who worked in the shipbuilding yards in Gdańsk. In other words, he was just another regular guy... until his colleague, a crane operator named Anna Walentynowicz, was unjustly fired from her job within weeks of retirement!
who took down communism in Poland!
After successfully signing an agreement with his red adversaries, known as the August Accords in 1980, Lech then led Solidarity as a political party. In the 1989 democratic elections, the first-ever in Polish history, Lech Wałęsa became the President of Poland. Just another regular guy? Well, Lech, who is still alive and very much active, has expressed that he's surprised they wanted to name the city's airport after him! By the way, the aiport's logo is based on his famous signature, which the graphic designer cleverly-adapted into a plane's vapour trail.
Read our article on The Solidarity of Solidarity.
Arriving at Gdańsk Lech Wałęsa Airport
After landing you enter the terminal building from the baggage hall where you’ll find a Gdańsk Tourist Organisation information point in front of you, car rental desks and ATM machines. Also, tell the kids to keep an eye out for the flying lion! You'll be seeing a few of them around the city...
Getting to Gdańsk from Gdańsk Airport
A taxi from the rank in front of the terminal will cost you about 60zł.
Uber is approximately 36zł from the airport to Gdańsk Old Town outside of peak periods.
The train departs from the platform nearest the terminal although not all run to Gdańsk Główny, the main train station in Gdańsk. You will need to change at Gdańsk-Wrzeszcz (note the destination). The journey will take about 45 mins and costs about 5.50zł and one ticket covers the whole journey!
Getting to Sopot from Gdańsk Airport
The most direct way to reach Sopot is by taking a 19686 Neptun Taxi from outside the terminal building which will cost you around 70zł normally and more at night and on Sundays.
An Uber from the aiport to Sopot Centrum is about 47zł outside of peak periods.
You can take the train to Sopot but you will need to change at Gdańsk-Wrzeszcz and will cost about 6.50zł. One ticket covers the whole journey! From Gdańsk-Wrzeszcz you'll need to change platform and take the yellow and blue local commuter train (SKM) northbound in the direction of Gdynia. Sopot train station is the sixth stop from Gdańsk-Wrzeszcz.
Getting to Gdynia from Gdańsk Airport
The easiest way to get to Gdynia is via 19686 Taxi and it will cost you 120zł to the centre of Gdynia with prices higher at nights and on Sundays.
An Uber from the airport to the centre of Gdynia is approximately 74zł outside of peak periods.
You can also reach Gdynia directly by train without the need to change thanks to a connection via Osowa. You’ll need to take the train from the platform furthest from the terminal building and be careful to board a train which is going to Gdynia Główna as some run out to Kartuzy in the Kashubia countryside. This train trip will cost you around 6.50zł.
Comments
Sasza
:)
Adam
If you're a non EU citizen flying on Wizz Air make sure you get your boarding pass stamped at the check-in desk. If you forget to do this you won't be allowed to board the plane. I learnt this the hard way and had to buy a second ticket for the next day.