Warsaw to Berlin by train

Direct Berlin-Warszawa-Express EuroCity trains link Warsaw and Berlin in about 5 hours 17 minutes, up to seven times a day.

Warsaw to Berlin train at a glance

The direct train from Warsaw to Berlin takes about 5 hours 17 minutes on the current timetable, whichever of the daily departures you choose. That consistency is unusual for a corridor this long: most westbound services land within a few minutes of each other. Treat it as a reliable planning figure rather than a guarantee for your exact date, since engineering work or a late connection can still add time.

The Berlin-Warszawa-Express, and who runs it

The named service on this corridor is the Berlin-Warszawa-Express, a EuroCity train operated jointly by Deutsche Bahn and PKP Intercity. The two railways confirmed the partnership directly when they expanded the route to seven return trips a day on the December 2025 timetable, giving a two hourly departure pattern between the two capitals. The train has run under the Berlin-Warszawa-Express brand since 2002, is air conditioned, and carries a restaurant car staffed by the Polish operator WARS, with first and second class throughout.

Trains depart Warszawa Centralna, call at Warszawa Zachodnia, then cross into Germany via Poznan and Frankfurt (Oder). A seat reservation is compulsory on every Deutsche Bahn long distance train to Poland, in both fare classes, and comes free with the ticket, so it is booked automatically when you buy rather than something to arrange separately.

Stations and the current Berlin diversion

Warszawa Centralna is Warsaw's principal long distance station and the natural starting point for this journey. At the Berlin end, Deutsche Bahn has confirmed that these EuroCity trains use Berlin Gesundbrunnen instead of Berlin Hauptbahnhof from 25 August through 12 December 2026, while extensive trackwork closes the Stadtbahn line between Charlottenburg and Berlin Ostbahnhof. Trains route via Berlin-Lichtenberg on the way in and out, so read your ticket for the actual arrival station rather than heading for Hauptbahnhof out of habit. Once the closure ends on 12 December 2026, services are due to return to Berlin Hauptbahnhof. Trains also call at Berlin Ostbahnhof either way, which can be a shorter transfer if your onward plans are on the east side of the city.

Tickets and fares

Deutsche Bahn's Super Sparpreis Europa fares for this corridor start from EUR 29.99 in second class. These are limited allotment advance tickets tied to a specific train and date, with restricted or no refunds, so they suit a traveller who already knows their departure; prices rise as a departure sells down and closer to the travel date, so booking ahead pays off. A seat reservation comes included with every ticket, since reservations are compulsory on all Deutsche Bahn long distance trains to Poland regardless of fare type.

PKP Intercity also sells the same Berlin-Warszawa-Express trains directly from the Polish side through intercity.pl, priced in zloty rather than euros. Keep each price in the currency the seller actually quotes: a German fare in euros and a Polish fare in zloty are not the same transaction, and converting one to compare against the other will mislead you more often than it helps.

Children up to 5 travel free without needing a ticket. Children aged 6 to 14 also travel free on Sparpreis fares when booked together with a travelling companion aged 15 or older.

The overnight alternative

Since December 2025, PKP Intercity has also run a direct overnight train, IC Ursa, between Warszawa Centralna and Berlin, the first such service in years on this corridor. It is made up mostly of second class compartment coaches plus a WARS restaurant car, without sleeping cars or couchettes, so it suits a traveller happy to sleep semi reclined rather than one who needs a berth. The westbound departure leaves Warszawa Centralna in the evening, is combined with other portions of the train at Poznan, and reaches Berlin early the next morning. Confirm the exact schedule and Berlin arrival station when you book, since the Stadtbahn closure affects overnight as well as daytime trains on this route.