Gdansk Główny Station After Renovation — How to Get to the Center

You step off the train at Gdańsk Główny and the first question is: which way? The station has been completely transformed after years of renovation, looking nothing like the old internet photos. Even the walk into the city has changed in the last two years. Below, we’ll show you exactly how to exit the platforms, how far it really is on foot to the Main Town with luggage, and how to transfer onward without falling into the trap of two separate ticket systems.

How to get from Gdańsk Główny station — in short

* Prices and times are approximate — schedules and fares change, so check current info at ztm.gda.pl and skm.pkp.pl before departure.

Station After Renovation — What Has Changed

The station building was designed between 1896 and 1900 by Berlin architects Alexander Ruedell and Paul Thoemer in the Dutch Renaissance style—and it is precisely this appearance that a four-year renovation completed on July 31, 2023, restored at a cost of nearly 110 million zł. The 48-meter clock tower has returned, along with sloped roofs featuring small towers now covered in copper sheeting, yellow-green zigzag patterned tiles, oak display cases from the former ticket offices, stained glass windows, and coats of arms of Pomeranian cities on the walls of the main hall. Gone is the mezzanine with retail kiosks installed in 1993—removed already in 2013, before the main renovation began, restoring the main hall’s open, historic space.

The second phase focused on the transport hub itself—the reconstruction of platforms, tunnels, and surrounding areas. The new above-ground passage across Podwale Grodzkie opened in autumn 2024, while the final layout—where the tunnel and passage operate side by side—came into effect at the beginning of January 2025. Today it is a fully renovated, functional hub—not the construction site one might have encountered just a few years ago.

How to Exit the Platforms Without Getting Lost

The station has six platforms: long-distance trains use platforms 1–2, SKM departs from platform 3 (directions Gdańsk Śródmieście, Gdynia Cisowa / Chylonia / Wejherowo / Lębork), while platforms 4–6 are mainly reserved for overnight trains and services during major events. Platform numbers may be updated, so use this as a guide—follow the signs on site.

Two routes lead from the platforms toward the city. The tunnel — equipped with elevators and stairs — passes beneath the tracks and exits at both tram stops and the adjacent PKS bus station. The above-ground crossing via Podwale Grodzkie is a newer alternative, opening directly onto street level without going underground, leading straight to the same group of tram stops. Both routes lead practically to the same destination, so it’s hard to make a wrong choice—just follow the signage toward the city and trams.

Walking to the Main Town with Luggage

We get this question most often: is it possible to walk? Yes, and without much effort. From the station, head down Rajská Street, then Podwalem Grodzkim to Brama Wyżynnej — that’s about 10 minutes at a leisurely pace. From there begins the Royal Route: through Złota Brama, Długa Street, all the way to Long Market with Neptune’s Fountain — the entire walk from the station to the Main Town takes approximately 15 minutes. We’ve described the full route of this historic trail, step by step, in a separate guide → Royal Route in Gdansk – Step-by-Step Walk.

Along the way, just 350 meters from the platforms (about 4 minutes’ walk), you pass the Bastion Wałowa complex — one of our three locations and the closest to the station. If you want the shortest stretch with luggage, this is the natural choice.

In the other direction, toward the Motława river, it’s about 700 meters (9 minutes) on foot to Plac Solidarności and the European Solidarity Centre — along the way there’s a section with stairs, so with heavy luggage consider taking a longer, flatter route through the tunnel. The DOKI apartments are further beyond ECS, so from the station allow approximately 15–20 minutes on foot, or take the SKM — one stop to Gdańsk Stoczni is just 2 minutes by train, and then it’s another 500 meters’ walk to the DOKI buildings.

Transferring between SKM, trams and buses — the trap of two ticket systems

The tram stop “Dworzec Główny” (accessible from the tunnel and ground-level passage) serves many lines — including 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12, plus night services. Two hundred meters further is Plac Trzech Krzyży, the largest transfer hub in the city, from where you can reach almost anywhere. The full timetable showing which tram goes where is detailed in a separate guide → Transport in Gdansk: Tram, SKM, Bike.

Here’s the trap that tourists often fall into: a ticket for trams and buses (ZTM) does not work on SKM trains — these are two completely separate systems. You must buy them separately: ZTM tickets via the Jakdojade app, ticket machines or kiosks, and SKM tickets at the station’s ticket office in the tunnel, from a machine on platform 3, or through the SKM app. One ticket won’t work in the other system, so if you plan to transfer between tram and train (or vice versa), you’ll need two separate tickets. For short SKM trips within the entire Trójmiasto area — for example, one stop to Gdańsk Stoczni — the simplest option is the Trójmiejski Ticket, a flat-rate fare with no distance-based pricing, roughly several złoty. Check current prices at skm.pkp.pl.

To the airport from the station

From Gdańsk Główny to Lech Wałęsa Airport, you actually have three options. By train is fastest: take SKM to Gdańsk Wrzeszcz (about 7 minutes), then transfer to PKM directly to the terminal — Gdańsk Port Lotniczy station lies literally under the T2 building, and the Wrzeszcz–airport segment takes 24–30 minutes. Including the transfer, the total journey takes approximately 35–45 minutes — plan your exact connection using Jakdojade or skm.pkp.pl.

Bus line 210 gets you directly from the stop near the station without transfers, but it makes several stops through the city, so expect a longer and less predictable travel time than by train. It runs roughly every hour — check the schedule at ztm.gda.pl before relying on it.

Taxi or Bolt/Uber is the most convenient option with luggage — approximately 25–40 minutes and 60–100 zł, depending on traffic and time of day. A full overview of options, including the return trip from the airport to the city, can be found here → From Gdansk Airport to the center.

Luggage, Food, and Other Practical Matters

Before you start sightseeing, you can leave your luggage at the station. There are 24-hour automated baggage lockers at the train station, and additionally, the baggage storage office is open daily from 8:30–19:30 (tel. 606 990 490) — a convenient option if you have a few hours between your train arrival and check-in. Additional lockers, also available around the clock, can be found at the nearby PKS bus station on 3 Maja Street, just a few hundred meters away through the tunnel.

For a quick coffee or sandwich, kiosks and food vendors are available in the main hall and the tunnel. For a more relaxed meal, head a few minutes toward the Main Town or Montownia, which features over a dozen dining options under one roof.

Where to Stay for Close Proximity

If you’re arriving by train and don’t want to drag your luggage across half the city, the answer is simple: Bastion Wałowa, 350 meters from the platforms, is our location closest to the station. Choose Deluxe Bastion Wałowa Apartment with a balcony offering views of both historic center buildings and the silhouette of the former Gdańsk Shipyard, or Standard Bastion Wałowa Apartment if you’re looking for the best price-to-location ratio in our entire complex. In both cases, it’s just a few minutes’ walk from the station—no tram, no taxi, no complicated transfers after a long day of travel.

If you prefer quieter evenings and don’t mind a slightly longer walk (or one SKM stop), consider DOKI — a post-industrial district just beyond the European Solidarity Centre. A full comparison of all three of our locations, including travel times to key city points, is available here → Where to Stay in Gdansk.

→ View Apartments at Bastion Wałowa

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Write to us with your planned train arrival time, and we’ll match you with the apartment closest to your route and advise on how to get from the platform without adding extra distance. Contact our concierge — we respond quickly.