Travelling the full length of Poland by train en route to Vilnius in Lithuania (with a 4am start!)
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- Опубликовано: 1 авг 2024
- When I saw this daily service had started in December 2022, it just HAD to be my way to Vilnius (part of my quest to visit all three Baltic States).
Join me very early in the morning in Kraków Poland as we step aboard for a very long journey!
Itinerary Details:
Mon 23rd Jan 2023 Kraków - Vilnius: depart 04:01 arrive 17:34
*There is a very easy change just beyond the border in Mockava, Lithuania. The reason for this is a change of track gauge so involves a very quick and easy hop across the platform from Polish to Lithuanian train.*
(I actually returned on the same service, but only filmed outbound leg)
Enjoy the video :)
Hi, I’m Steve, a travel reviewer from Scotland. Join me on my adventures as I discover my own country, often visiting places for the first time, so hopefully it's as much of an eye-opener for you as it is for me! Don't expect expert opinion, just a very honest journey of discovery. Sometimes featuring my intrepid sidekick Alicja, sometimes featuring adventures beyond the borders of Scotland. Enjoy!
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All the constructions you have seen along the tracks are related to the construction of Rail Baltica.
After its completion, it will be possible to travel from Vilnius to Warsaw in 3 hours 10 minutes, from Vilnius to Riga in 2 hours, and from Vilnius to Tallinn in 3 hours 55 minutes.
What a difference it will make (and about time too!)
Any idea of when this work will be completed, by any chance?
@@conormcshane1656 2026
@@konradlewandowski23 👍
In 2030 the trip from Vilnius to Warsaw should be around 4 hours as we are building Rail Baltica, which will be able to go 250km/h for passenger trains :)
You might want to visit Kėdainiai in Lithuania, the town with most Scots in our country. Scots historically settled in Kėdainiai and the heritage is very visible. As a Lit currently living in Scotland, I always look for connections between the countries :)
Hey thank SO much for this info! This sounds like a trip I have to make!!!
Thanks for that, I had no idea. This is my next trip! Cheers, Andrew
Thanks for this, next trip will be entering the planning stage now! Cheers, Andrew
Polish-Lithuanian princely magnate Boguslavas Radvila known as Bogusław Radziwiłł in Poland who resided in Kėdainiai in mid-17th century had his private armed guards staffed by expatriate Scots dressed in traditional attire.
@@adamzieba8364
That's so informative! Thanks Adam, I wouldn't know.
Those Polish trains were just brilliant. Superb video, thanks Steve.
Thanks so much Peter! A real pleasure to ride this route, just wish it had been the Polish train all the way!
Poland is a very nice country with great food, lovely hotels and of course the railways that are reliable and efficient.
Ha ha
Good food yes
But well I wouldn't say that polish railways are punctual and efficient
I am Pole living in UK 15 years ,and now they announce rail strike for Easter break
But I lived in Poland for 30 years and polish railways are not efficient ,not punctual and very dirty
Loved the journey, more scenic as headed towards the borders. Love your vlogs so descriptive, clear and interesting 😍
Janine, thanks so much, really appreciate that!
The first locomotive was EP07, a modernization of EU07, which was a Polish licensed version of British-built EU06 from 1962, loosely based on British Class 83 (although it was developed for 3000V DC instead of 25 kV 50 Hz). Most of the electrical and mechanical part is still technology from the early 1960s (the last unit was built in 1992 because, you know, commies and stuff).
The second one was SU160, a diesel powered version of the Gama locomotive from the Polish factory Pesa. It had a VERY rough start with frequent breakdowns, but it's been improved since. At least now it won't randomly break down in the middle of nowhere for no reason.
And the Lithuanian train was 630M, from the same Pesa factory. I haven't heard many complaints about them (in terms of reliability, at least). And Pesa allows customers to take many liberties with their orders, so if they want Flixbus seats, they'll get Flixbus seats.
Wow what a fantastic comment, and thank you so much!!!
Warsaw Central is one of the few places the Millennium Bug hit. Their large "flipper" timetable board broke down in the concourse I read. Nice city, worth a visit and a decent local train network around it.
Gods holy trousers! The trains have changed a LOT since the last time I was on a train in Poland. Around 2003 I got the train from Warszawa to Jelenia Gora and the carriages were really dimly lit, compartmentalised affairs and slow as hell. I think it took maybe 16hrs to cross Poland. These look far more modern. Thanks for taking us along mate.
Wroclaw to Jelenia Gora was a bi-monthly rail journey for my wife and myself....we only spent 42 hours in Poland in those days....the railstock has improved immensely since Poland joined the EU !
@@thomaswislocki2804 Yea, I think I switched trains at Wroclaw or Krakow for the final stretch to Jelenia Gora. Just checked from metadata on photos and the last time I did that was 2004, so the year before PL joined the EU.
Oh I think I’d prefer your journey for a video though :D
@@steve-marsh It was an 'experience' as there were no announcements in English and I felt like a cold war spy in an old B&W thiller movie. But needless to say I learnt to speak Polish very quickly in that situation.
I did Jelena Gora as a day out from Wroclaw. First time I've ever heard anyone else say they've been there 😳
Shades of Dr. Zhivago on the Polish part through the forest in the snow (yes, wrong country I know). The Polish rail system looks great too. Thanks for making the journey for us, Steve!
Haha yes! Cheers David! :)
The real vibes of Dr. Zhivago will be on the Lithuanian and Latvian routes of Rail Baltica, where long stretches of track are built among virgin forests. For the inhabitants of Western Europe, winter journeys will be a substitute for the Trans-Siberian Railway, hahaha (unfortunately, the speed of the trains will be an obstacle to full perception). The Polish-eastern section is just a foretaste of these climates.
That was some journey Steve and the Polish leg didn't look too scenic TBH. It would probably look better in the snow mind you, as Lithuania did. I love how the trains work in Europe though, waiting for each other so people don't miss connections, etc. Inside that station in Vilnius looked stunning, like something from NYC, so I'm looking forward to you showing us around Vilnius next week for more of the same 👍
Cheers mate, tell you what, Vilnius was worth the train journey! What a place! Have a great weekend!
Hi Steve, I just love your videos; you tell it as it is. I too love to travel in Poland by train and tram. There is something magical about Poland in the snowy winter! Although, I was in Wroclaw in january and it was 18C??!! Wierd. I love their trains. the frequency, comfort, reliability and low cost. Rail travel in Britain is a disgrace. I'm off back to Wroclaw in March with flixbus from Glasgow via London, Brussels and Dresden. Two days on a bus?! Next time I'd love to do your trip to Vilnius. Best Regards, Andrew.
Thanks so much Andrew! I agree with everything you say, always a pleasure to travel in Poland, although this journey was just a few hours too long!
Great vlog ! Poland: a country with a long, proud history. Wow Steve, looks like you can’t keep a good man (you) down. ;). At least you’re traveling east to west and not left on a road in a forest near the Russian border. Phew! Again, thanks to you and that good guy who gave you a lift the time before. Btw, the hotel in Krakow looked positively luxurious for weary travelers. Glad you stayed there! Liked your sleepy moon video alarm clock. ;).
Thanks Chris! Yeah, I really wish I had a few more hours to enjoy that lovely hotel - typical! You find a good one and have only 2 hours sleep :D
Interesting trip. Would like to have seen more footage. I'm American but my ggf was Lithuanian from a small town/village in what was then the Suwalki Governate (1895).
I love being able to see parts of the world I'll never get to thanks to your videos, and trains are the best way to see things! (Glad no more problems like the last adventure!)
Haha true Elaine! And thanks so much for coming along :)
Visit Klaipeda on the coast,interesting place and there used to be a great open air restaurant outside the town with man made steams running under the tables,was over 20 years ago
And the sand dunes and freshwater lagoon national park,get ferry from town,we were lucky we had local people who worked offshore with my pal so show us around👍
Sounds absolutely fantastic mate! I wish I'd had more time, but maybe a summer return should be on the cards :)
so glad you made it safe mate, after your last adventure when you got off the train at the wrong stop and had to walk miles through a forest before you got rescued by a guy in a car. I still find that terrifying even though you made it out safe in the end. This time you got out at the right stops!
Haha but something keeps making me go back to that part of the world :D
That was the stuff of horror movies
@@Tip_Top All those Scottish Breakfasts, now that's what gives me nightmares!
@@Tip_Top
Except that in these countries its rather hard to get stabbed 😁
@@jkpakosz6698 Aye, but there are ghosties and such creatures :)
This train has a guaranteed connection in Mockava.
Which means, if the train from Krakow is late, the one in Mockawa has to wait for it and vice versa.
Thanks Konrad! I thought (and hoped!) that might be the case. We are not used to such common sense and efficiency in UK! :D
@@steve-marsh Guaranteed connections means more delays, unfortunately
I can really tell you like making these videos and put lots of effort into them and it really pays off ! Superb video
Hey thanks, that means a lot - it's a real passion but sure does take a lot of time :)
I've always wanted to go to the Baltic states and now you're doing it for me so thank you for that. Getting off the train and leaving your bag behind would be a big no, no for me! I would be far to paranoid that the train would go without me! Loved the video Steve
Thanks so much and a pleasure to take you to the Baltics! Aye, I was worried about that bag 🤣 btw - Vilnius is worth the long journey - look out for next weeks’ vid :)
Another great video Steve, you actually give myself and family... plus many others the confidence to explore this world a little more than our comfort zones dictate...thats a really great thing and although most of us dont record trips in the same way that you do you should however be proud of the impact and inspiration you have.
That's a really nice thing to say, thank you! I'm humbled people watch and draw inspiration from my videos!
@@steve-marsh | Also, your videos take the fear of the unknown out of these obscure journeys, too. Once a traveler sees what the train looks like, the stations, the ticket experience, and the end hotels, a cautious traveler like me can just enjoy the experience instead of worrying. Watching you and several other YT vloggers record and explain key technical aspects of the journey has given me a lot of confidence to experience more of the UK and European rail systems, which then opens up a lot more cities, restaurants and museums to explore.
What cracking value for a 12hr train trip. Great scenery and some of the stations are simply beautiful. Always great to se the best view 'looking out the rear coach'.
Another cracking weekly video. thanks
I’m a big kid mate, love that view!
@Anna Anna That's because our railways are privatised, most by European companies, then charge the earth for our travel, so when we see nice cheap prices, its quite refreshing , albeit annoying...lol
@Anna Anna it's called RIP Off Britain
I'm scheduled to do this trip in June, but starting from Warsaw so a rather more civilised time of day! Really enjoyed the vlog.
That makes a lot more sense mate! Enjoy it! If only there had been cheap flights to Warsaw rather than Krakow, I may have had a lie in too! :)
@@steve-marshI'm getting to Warsaw by train, via Berlin!
I can understand the high anxiety that comes from not hearing announcements or seeing posted notices in English. You can only hope you’re on the right track, so to speak. 😉
Thank you for another fascinating trip! 😊
Thanks so much Gabriele! 😊
Another excellent video. I liked the shots from the front and rear of the train plus the sneaky peek at the panzers.
Haha cheers mate!
It's so great the train connection appeared! With the broader gauge, the Baltics were completely disconnected from Europe. For years there would be no connection (only bus), and they would tell everyone there is no demand... And now you can't even get the ticket if you suddenly needed to leave the next day! They are sold out fast. Also the Lithuanian train is also manufactured in Poland. But they shall buy a proper train, because this one is rather for suburban rides than for a fully fledged IC category, with a restaurant car. Rolling stock is a problem with Lith. railways - it is rather new but not fit for purpose.
As you've noticed, the landscape (and climate) changes once you leave Bialystok, it gets more wild and terrain more rolling, especially at the border. Always fascinating to notice the change when heading home from Poland.
This is top info, thanks so much for the comment!
Fantastic journey Steve and beautiful scenery.Hotel accommodation looks amazing as well looking forward to the next video.Thanks again for sharing your knowledge and early wake ups 😊
Glad you enjoyed it :) Vilnius sure was worth the long journey!
Poland is beauty!!! I love my Country, greetings 👍💪
Nothing like a good time on a Polish train journey 😊 Last time I was on PKP was when I took a day trip from Warsaw to Lodz which was very fun
Ohhh Łódź! We’re planning a wee trip there in springtime - look out for that one :)
@@steve-marsh can't wait and also looking forward to seeing the comments of folks when they hear the proper pronunciation of Lodz as in "woodge"
Thank you, Steve! Very interesting.
SOUNDS EXCITING!!
Well done, that was one hell of a journey
Thanks Elaine - started to become a drag by around hour 8 :D
Well, thumbs up for this relaxing footage. The winter break has just started here in Masovia, so this video got me right in the proper mood for the vacation. Me mate relocated to Inner Hebrides permanently and now savours the fine whiskey of Jura. Therefore my heart goes out to Scotland 🏴 and I am glad like you made this connection to 🇵🇱 Poland. Cheers!
Cheers Maciej!
thx for that video, i will trip to Vilnius in 2 days by train from Warsaw :D
Really enjoy watching your travels. Thank you!
Thanks so much Maggie!
Steve, you do such a great job editing these that the viewer feels like they are experiencing the northern European cold, railway station smell, and early morning hours with you. Whilst I have never had a desire to take a domestic Polish service to a Vilnius, Lithuania destination, I now feel like I have done the full journey, thanks to your excellent video craftsmanship, friendly narration, and the pick of an adventurous journey. Well done!
Definitely a new YT sub for me, and I am looking forward to the next journey with you. Cheers from Virginia, USA.
Love the channel I've spent a lot of time around that part of the world it's beautiful more please ❤
Fantastic journey Steve. Enjoyed it.
Thanks so much Jim! :)
Always enjoy your videos well done on all the work you put into them 👍👍👍
Really appreciated Michael!
A long journey by train! Loved seeing the sights from the train! Great Video!
Hi Steve, love to watch your adventure. Always fun and enjoy.
Thanks so much! :)
Another super enjoyable video Steve, and what a nice and scenic trainjourney it was indeed.. Thanks for sharing that with us again.. ❤️
Cheers Mark mate! I was all done after about 8 hours 🤣
I know only too well when it is freezing outside but hot and stuffy inside. Very entertaining and informative video. Thanks.
Great footage and commentary. There's definitely a train driver in you. Nice to be able to see the scenery out of the windows. Take note scotrail.
Haha very true mate! Thanks :)
What a great episode. A proper journey, thats a long time to be on a train! Hats off to you, perhaps not one for the inexperienced traveller. I always find myself curious about the lives of the other travellers, especially the one's that depart at intermediate stations.
Thanks a lot Peter! A fun journey but I could’ve done with it ending after about 8hrs 🤣 yeah, I bet that’s what people were thinking when I got off at the wrong station in Latvia 😆
Steve - I did note the quick peek at the German main battle tank over your left shoulder @ 13:45 between the Transchem train cars. If I haven't lost my touch, it looked like the Leopard II which seems to be part of the German shipment heading further East.
Enjoyed that thank you
Thanks so much for coming along Peter!
Thanks for showing the great train's,love from England.💕🚊🚅
Cheers Sean! :)
Interesting journey. Looking forward to next week
Thanks mate! Really likes Vilnius, hope I capture it well in the video!
Love watchin your travels Steve, cheers, maybe I'll bump into you in Peterheed some day😂
Cheers Graham! I love the coastline here so hopefully one day!
Thank you for sharing your fabulous journey Steve. Loved the different angle from you filming at the back of the train. X
Thanks Judy! I spent ages down the back transfixed by the view!
Just proves how difficult foreign travel is, thanks for all your efforts Steve glad you made it. Looking forward to the tour next week
Cheers John!
A trip across the USA by bus is far more difficult 😂
What a yourney Steve ! and what an adventure! thanks for the insight
Thanks so much for coming along :)
Steve, many thanks indeed... yet another very good video which I hugely enjoyed: very professional indeed! :)
Hey thanks so much Kieron!
Steve I love the videos. Have a good week.
Hey thanks so much David! You too!
This is a nice trip want the see more!
Vilnius was worth the long journey for sure!
Just started watching your videos mate. Fantastic. Keep up the good work pal
Thanks a lot Sean!
Cracking video Steve, Im looking at planning some travel around Europe and this is on the list now!
Cheers Lee! Love a wee adventure out that way :)
Good to see you again! Vice digs! Sweet dreams. That looks like a clean, modern train. Glad you made it
Thanks Patricia! Look out for the Vilnius vlog next week - was a great city to visit and worth the long journey :)
Thank you!! We will be traveling to Estonia to apply for a D-Visa next month. This video is very helpful!! Thank you, again.
aw, wow, what a journey!!
And a lot of fun Laura :)
Really interesting, it does feel like we are with you on these journeys😊 great video Steve👏🏻👏🏻
Thanks David! Hopefully it didn't feel like the whole 12½ hours though! :D
I was looking at this video and thought - it's nothing special, but somehow it was interesting at the same time. Yes, what you just said, somehow it has that feeling that you are travelling near by.
Always highlight of my week getting your video Steve!! Thanks again my favourite RUclipsr or RUclipsrs when your good lady is with you. No trains in the UK have that rear view the last cabin. Stay safe and I look forward to your next trip/trips
As always Richard, THANK YOU MATE :)
Hey Steve, thanks for this video that brought to life places I had only heard of in the movie The Hunt for Red October, such as Vilnius in Lithuania.
Oh yeah! I totally forgot about that reference :)
Ah the Vilnius Schoolmaster!
Nice one stevie hotel looked good your arrival station looks very impressive that's a long journey you would have been well knackered thanks look forward too next video
Cheers mate! Aye all went surprisingly well 🤣 and really liked Vilnius
Really enjoyable video Steve I do like a long train journey so it’s going on the list. Glad you got off at the right station this time. Take care hope you are both well
Haha cheers Robbie! I'll be honest, I like them too, but maybe around 8 hours would have been enough, it sure became a challenge towards the end :D
Love this ❤
You forgot that IC/EC Hańcza train to Vilnus stops also in Wołomin before Tłuszcz.
The PKP Intercity trains have stopped since January 2020.
Wonderful video and journey to the capital of Lithuania.
Ahhh thanks for the info Piotr!
Another good one Steve. 👏👏👏
Thanks Mike!
Great video Steve. I agree with the comment on cycles on trains. It seems trains everywhere are committed to cycles on trains bar the uk. Lucky to get 2 spaces on ours.
It was so cool to see about 30 ski oaks as well. Real proper train carriages in Poland for proper adventures!
Epic Steve truly epic no wonder you were beat great video my man as usual gripping stuff enjoyed it
Thanks so much Paul! Glad now I survived the full route, although at the time that was a struggle :D
Great stuff Marshy, cheers again mate
Cheers Pete!
Another great vlog! Excellent footage of the trains themselves, certainly a far cry from Scotrail! Must have been disturbing seeing those tanks too.
Aye absolutely! Cheers Sheila!
Liked and subscribed. Hello from Lithuania ❤
This is the first video of yours that I've seen, but I'm immediately subscribing! I love the video and the journey! I traveled from Warsaw to Vilnius myself this summer, but it was such a hassle with the train (4+ transfers) that we opted for the bus instead. Lovely to experience the journey now anyway!
Hey welcome aboard, thank you so much for the support! Super-appreciated :)
Nice video Steve I loved that video
Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed it :)
12 hours on the train? Lightweight! I was a student in Madrid in 1978 and chose to visit friends in Paris for Easter. Trains then much cheaper than flights. Only 18 hours, each way! Like you
though, fascinating journey with change of train and gauge on the border at Irun/Hendaye. Thanks as ever for another great video.
Cheers Michael! Aye, I lose interest at hour 8!
Really enjoyed this, cheers Steve. You have inspired me to go find a loco-hauled train with a rear-window snowscape somewhere in Europe!
Thanks so much, love these wee adventures :)
Hello.
What was a wonderful scenery 😀 especially at the back of the train 🚆
Although, cold 🥶 but It was great.
Thnks
Back in 1992 I had a 35 hour ride from Tallinn via Riga, Vilnius, Grodno, Byalistok, Warsaw, to Lublin.
well done mate , loved it , it looked great
Thanks so much Roy!
Its great to see you on different trains in Europe. You are very brave to do that for us 😎🇸🇪
Grim weather, landscapes and stations!
Looks like England then
Great Video Steve
Thanks so much Paul!
Steve. I just LOVE your positive attitude. You make travel such an adventure. I love Poland particularly (Polish wife!) but really, whilst the geography is interesting, a country is the people. Norwegians - scatty and always wanting to be somewhere else. Sweden - if only they could talk about their feelings. Finland - he have livers of steel for their alcohol consumption. But everywhere, people are so generous. Keep it up.
Thanks so much! Haha I’m in Norway right now so taking notes 🤣 I adore Poland and can’t wait to let my Polish partner show me more of it! :)
I've been on a Polish train Steve one of 3 trains on a 15 hour journey and that train was bang on time inti Warzawa the two German trains weren't! Glad it worked out for you with the connections. Creepy seeing the tanks. Look forward to seeing Vilnus. Met a man once who was born in the Jewish ghetto there, he survived WW2. 👍
That’s some journey as well Janet! Thanks for coming along, Vilnius sure was worth the long trip!
@@steve-marsh Steve did you have to go thru the Russian enclave? I didn't think that Lithuania bordered Poland, might be wrong.
Great video, you do so well to make your connections and get on the right trains, I'd be totally lost. Hope you got a great sleep after that traveling.
Haha I'm never too far away from a missed connection or wrong platform mate :D
Another great video would love to see yourself and planes trains everything doing a trip together
Cheers Stephen! Scott's far too popular to do a video with me :D
Fabulous video Steve. I love travelling by train as much as i do bt plane🙂
Train is pulling into the lead for me :)
@@steve-marsh 🙃
Hello! Another good vlog Steve 👍
Thanks tor 👍
No wrong stops this time 😅
Brilliant work as usual 👏
It would appear I'm learning eh? (slowly!) Cheers :)
What a journey! Thanks for bringing back memories: In 1992 I travelled from Frankfurt a.M. to Vilnius. 2 days on the train, with a couple of changes and very few announcements 😉 So interesting to watch your journey and see what has changed since then.. Makes me want to take that route again.
You should,. The Change is so staggering! I did it in the 90s as well. Its so different as to be almost unimaginable
Thanks so much for coming along, and I was thinking my journey took too long :D
@@steve-marsh you're wise to go , and correct. Soon there will be RailBaltica, and this run will be only in the history books.
That’s an epic journey! Well done! Beautifully filmed and some of those stations could give Inverness Airport a run for its money in terms of aesthetics. 😂
Ah cheers mate! haha 🤣
I think I would start to go mad sitting on a train for 12 hours. Well done for enduring that 👍
And thanks for coming along on the journey Kris! Aye, around 8hrs in I started losing interest 🤣
Very interesting video,
Oh that was a long journey that one! Enjoyable though :)
Another great trip Steve. Yes, do visit Kaunas, I went about 12 years ago, the main street had a very high volume of shoe shops so you may not want to take Alicija haha. I remember the food being good and low cost and lots of tales of witchery and Amber trinkets. My longest train journey was from Wakaf Bharu-Singapore, it's called The Jungle Railway but appears to have been recently upgraded, I left at night and arrived about 9am the following morning. Looking forward to the next episode.
Haha I'll keep the Main Street quiet :D I really do fancy going there sometime this year and maybe hopping on some more public transport. I just noticed there are direct flights from Edinburgh to Kaunas! Who would have thought it! The Jungle Railway sounds interesting - will check it out on RUclips :)
@@steve-marsh I had a quick look and there are some jungle railway vlogs but I didn't want to advertise anyone unfairly. I'm pretty certain I flew to Kaunas from Prestwick, which was very handy for me but I went in January and excuse the pun but it was Baltic! The main street also had an ex-communist vibe as it was a long and wide avenue.
your notes are good because know the events of the train trip might make it smoother
Poland without Alicja? Schoolboy error. Really enjoyed that. Crazy to think that border post used to be the Poland/USSR border. Kaunas is very nice to visit. Look forward to part 2. 🇱🇹 🇵🇱
Hey good point! Aye, I always wish Alicja could be there too :)
@@lws7394 **BZZT!** For that question, go to the channel page, click on the tab Videos and watch from Video #1! 🤣
@@lws7394 If you don’t know Alicja you are the loser.
@@steve-marsh at least she could have understood the polish announcements
Love your vlogs very good from Sydney Aus
I can't wait to see another episode:) I am from Vilnius;)
Amazing! Look out for it around midday your time on Saturday! And thanks!!!
Great vlogs. I would like to see more of the food that is offered on these journeys.
Unfortunately that was the problem - no dining car, otherwise this would have been a perfect train :)