Once largely drowned out by its neighbors as a European summer travel destination, Poland is currently in the midst of a major tourism spike.
Numbers from European statistical agency Eurostat show that the number of overnight stays international tourists spent in the country rose by 7%. This amounts to 46.1 million more nights booked between 2024 and 2025 and puts Poland behind only Malta as the European country seeing the fastest tourism growth right now.
Tourists come to experience everything from the historic old towns of Warsaw and Krakow to the countless natural parks, lakes and skiing destinations across the country. While Poland’s location at the crossroads of western and eastern Europe means that the majority of foreign visitors come from neighboring countries, a growing number of visitors have also been arriving directly from North America instead of as part of a wider Euro trip.
LOT Polish Airlines starts new seasonal flight between Warsaw and San Francisco
Tapping into this demand, LOT Polish Airlines just launched its first direct flight between Warsaw and San Francisco. A seasonal route that will run four times a week from May to October, it is the sixth U.S. destination to which the national airline of Poland flies — other cities include New York, Newark, Miami, Chicago and Los Angeles.
The route runs on a Boeing 787 Dreamliner and take 11 hours and 30 minutes in the westbound direction. The flight to San Francisco will depart Warsaw at 11:15 a.m. on Thursdays and Sundays to arrive at 5:40 p.m. The flight back to Warsaw will, in turn, depart San Francisco at 3:50 p.m. on Wednesdays and Saturdays to return at 10:50 p.m. local time.
The 248-seat aircraft also has premium economy and business seat options for what the airline says is an increasing number of business travelers between the U.S. and Poland.
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The route is designed to connect a second West Coast city to the capital of Poland through a direct flight; travelers from the West Coast traditionally either went through New York and Chicago or through a European airport hub like Frankfurt.
“The new service will create opportunities for business partnerships, knowledge exchange and stronger economic ties between Poland, Central and Eastern Europe, and the U.S. West Coast,” LOT Chief Commercial Offier Robert Ludera said in a statement. “It will also make one of the world’s most inspiring cities more accessible to travelers. San Francisco is renowned for its culture, diversity and unique character, and I am confident that this new service will support both tourism and Polish businesses.”
LOT Polish Airlines
How much it costs to fly to Poland from the U.S. right now
The first flight to San Francisco ran on May 6 while tickets during summer months start at approximately $600 USD round-trip in economy when booked ahead of time.
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Meant to serve as a pilot to test the market, the San Francisco route will get phased out on October 22. Passenger numbers will help determine whether the flight will be brought back for the summer of 2027 or turned into a year-round option like the other U.S. flights.
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