How to Get from Gdańsk Airport to Toruń

Toruń sits roughly 190 km south of Gdańsk Airport (GDN), an easy run down the A1 motorway. A direct car journey takes about 2 hours 30 minutes, which makes the city a long but very doable day trip from the Tri-City — and a natural stop if you are travelling on toward Warsaw or central Poland. It is a longer trip than Malbork or Hel, so the choice of transport matters even more.

There are four genuine ways to get there. Below we compare them honestly, including where the train will save a solo traveller real money.

Your options at a glance

Because Toruń is further away, the trade-off between cost, comfort and time is sharper than on shorter routes.

Option 1: Private transfer (door-to-door)

For a 190 km journey, a private transfer is the most comfortable and time-efficient choice. Your English-speaking driver meets you in the arrivals hall with a name sign, handles the luggage, and takes you straight to the gates of Toruń's Old Town or your hotel — with no change in the middle and no waiting for the next departure.

ShuttleHero's price is fixed from 870 PLN for the whole car (up to 4 passengers), not per person. That covers flight tracking (a delay costs you nothing), child seats (30 PLN), and unlimited luggage. We are a family business with more than 5,000 transfers completed since 2018, working 24/7 — so even a very early or very late arrival is covered. On this longer route many guests choose a return transfer so they can spend the day in the city and ride home in the evening, relaxed rather than racing for the last train.

• Pros: fastest and most comfortable; fixed price for the whole car; door-to-door; flight tracking; English-speaking driver; child seats (30 PLN); no luggage limit; available at any hour; easy return option.
• Cons: the most expensive option for a solo traveller — the train is far cheaper if you are travelling alone.

Option 2: Train (the honest budget pick)

We will say it plainly: for one person, the train wins on price by a wide margin. There is no direct train from the airport terminal, so the trip has two legs. You take the PKM/SKM local train to Gdańsk Główny (about 30 minutes, around 6–8 PLN), then change to an InterCity or PolRegio train to Toruń, which takes roughly 2h 30min to 3h.

All in, that is about 40–70 PLN per person and a total journey of around 3 to 3h 30min including the change. Toruń has two main stations — Toruń Główny (across the river, a short bus or taxi ride from the centre) and Toruń Miasto (closer to the Old Town).

• Pros: by far the cheapest for a solo traveller; comfortable IC carriages; frequent connections during the day.
• Cons: a change at Gdańsk Główny with luggage; the main station is across the river from the Old Town; the price advantage shrinks fast with two or more travellers; fewer evening trains for the return.

Option 3: Rental car

A rental car is a sensible choice if Toruń is one stop in a longer Polish road trip — for instance Gdańsk to Toruń to Warsaw. Expect 120–250 PLN per day plus fuel and the A1 motorway toll. Note that Toruń's medieval Old Town is largely pedestrianised, so you will park on the edge and walk in.

• Pros: full independence; good value over several days; ideal for continuing south.
• Cons: a long drive after a flight; motorway tolls; Old Town parking restrictions; not worth it for a single return day trip.

Option 4: Organised bus or coach tour

Some operators run group coach day tours to Toruń from Gdańsk, typically 150–250 PLN per person including a guide. These suit a solo traveller who wants the history explained and has no fixed plan — but they depart from the city, not the airport, follow a rigid timetable, and you share the long day with a full coach.

• Pros: guided; fixed per-person price; sociable.
• Cons: departs from the city centre, not the airport; fixed schedule on a long route; large group; no flexibility around your flight times.

Which option for whom?

Our honest verdict for the Toruń route:

• Solo budget traveller: take the train. At 40–70 PLN it is dramatically cheaper than any door-to-door option, and the connection is reliable.
• Couple or family: a private transfer makes sense. Across two to four people, train tickets plus the cross-river taxi in Toruń narrow the gap, and you save well over an hour each way on a long route where comfort counts most.
• Group of 5 or more: a private van transfer is the clear winner on cost per person and on hassle.
• Multi-day road-tripper heading south: rent a car and keep it for the wider trip.
• Anyone arriving at an awkward hour or wanting a relaxed return the same evening: only a private transfer adapts fully to your schedule.

What to do once you reach Toruń

Toruń's medieval Old Town survived the centuries almost untouched, earning it UNESCO World Heritage status. It is compact, walkable and packed with character:

• The Old Town Market Square — ringed by Gothic merchant houses and the soaring 13th-century Old Town Hall, which you can climb for the view.
• The Copernicus House — the Gothic townhouse where the astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus is believed to have been born, now a museum.
• The Leaning Tower of Toruń — a medieval defensive tower that tilts noticeably, with a local legend attached.
• Gingerbread (pierniki) — Toruń has baked spiced gingerbread for 700 years; the Living Museum of Gingerbread lets you make your own.
• The Vistula riverside — for the postcard panorama of the Gothic skyline reflected in the water.

Want the history told well and the logistics handled? Our private Toruń tour combines door-to-door transport with a guided day in the Old Town from 300 PLN per person. If you are still building your itinerary, our roundup of the best day trips from Gdańsk sets Toruń alongside Malbork, Hel and other options.

Frequently asked questions