Cycling in Poland: Gdansk to Gdynia

Trip Report: Gdansk to Gdynia via Sopot– December 2025

Poland has become an increasingly popular destination for cycling holidays over the past couple of seasons, especially among riders who want to discover a different corner of Europe after cycle touring in Austria, Germany, or France. The country offers excellent value for money: prices are cheaper, many organised cycle tours are half board, and the national cycle network has rapidly improved thanks to around €780 million of EU investment (European Cyclists’ Federation, 2023).

With frequent flights from most UK airports to regional Polish cities that link easily with major cycling routes, it’s never been simpler to plan a Poland cycling holiday. I’ve also developed a personal fondness for Poland closer to home. The local ‘Polski Sklep’ near the office is a favourite stop of mine, and I regularly pick up yoghurts and mineral waters there. Both are excellent quality and always incredibly well stocked.

A late night arrival into Gdansk

In December, I took a chance on the weather and booked a flight to Gdańsk with the aim of cycling for the day between Gdańsk, Sopot and Gdynia along the Baltic Coast, an area well known for its seaside promenades and segments of the EuroVelo 10 Baltic Coast Cycle Route. Travelling at that time of year was a gamble; the odds of cold, wet, icy, or snowy weather were high, but I hoped for something milder.

My Ryanair flight from Manchester cost just £20 and, due to family commitments, I had to take a Sunday evening departure. A two-hour delay meant I didn’t land until around midnight. Ironically, the late-night taxi from the airport to Gdańsk city centre cost more than the flight, though still only about £25. I’d booked a cheap hotel in the Old Town for £12 since I would only be there for a few hours before heading out on the bike the next morning.

Gdansk – (Another) perfect city break destination

Gdańsk itself is a hugely popular city break destination. With its beautifully reconstructed Old Town, rich maritime heritage, and status as the birthplace of the Solidarity movement, it’s a city that rewards wandering. It also forms part of the larger Tri-City area alongside Sopot and Gdynia. I took a walk around the atmospheric city centre to photograph the colourful streets, but my search for a hire bike proved difficult.

After watching an excellent Netflix drama series about the tragic sinking of the MS Jan Heweliusz car ferry recently, I was intrigued to see a statue commemorating the Gdansk-born astronomer that the ship was named after. The docudrama was one of the reasons why I decided to fly to Poland anyway as I thought the series was excellent.

Searching for a hire bike was tougher than expected

The bike rental shops listed as open on Google Maps were shut for winter, a reminder that few non-locals are eager to hire bikes in early December. Instead of searching fruitlessly, I bought a local train ticket to Sopot, the nearby spa resort, hoping I might have better luck there.

Sopot, Poland’s premier seaside city

Sopot, just fifteen minutes from Gdańsk by local train, is a charming coastal town known across Europe for its spa heritage and long sandy beaches. To my relief the sun appeared, and stayed out for the entire day, warming the air to around eight degrees with no wind at all. The beaches were spotless, with white sand and a lovely promenade ideal for walking or cycling along the Baltic Coast.

People often assume the Baltic Coast is a cold, unappealing alternative to southern Europe, but I challenge anyone to look at Sopot’s beaches on a bright winter morning and feel that way. In summer, I expect this area to be buzzing with sunseekers and holiday makers from through Europe. My hunt for a bike continued, and although a local shop recommended another place, that one too was closed. I wandered back into the centre, passing an impressive brutalist Catholic church.

Success in Sopot – A rental bike was found!

Then, unexpectedly, a modern, well-equipped bike hire shop appeared called WYPO. It was open, and I enthusiastically greeted the mechanic, who quickly prepared a GT mountain bike for me. The rental cost was 100 złoty, around £20, which, like most things in Poland, felt excellent value for the quality of the bike. I set straight off along EuroVelo 10, a long-distance cycling route that connects the Polish–Russian (Kaliningrad) border with Świnoujście near Germany.

Following EuroVelo 10 along the Coast to Gdynia

The path was flat, smooth, and largely followed the coastal promenade. It was clear the infrastructure had been upgraded recently, with fresh tarmac and consistent EuroVelo signage. My plan was to cycle north to Gdynia, home of the Polish Navy and an important port city with a mix of industrial character and modern redevelopment.

After leaving Sopot, I made a few detours down to the beach for photos before arriving in Gdynia. As the roads grew busier and the centre approached, I worried I might be pushed onto a dual carriageway, as sometimes happens in port cities, but there was no need for concern.

Gdynia boasts an extensive urban cycling network, with red-concrete cycle paths that kept me safely away from traffic the entire time. I reached the waterfront and photographed the historic WWII destroyer ORP Błyskawica and the elegant sailing frigate Dar Pomorza, both looking striking under bright blue winter skies.

To avoid doubling back and to save time, I caught the train from Gdynia to Sopot making sure to buy a separate bike ticket. After getting off, I re-joined the Baltic Coast Cycle Route and rode towards Nowy Port, opposite Westerplatte in Gdańsk. This area is historically significant as it marks the site of the first battle of the Second World War on 1 September 1939, when the city was still the Free City of Danzig and the Germans attacked the port with the SMS Schlesweig-Holstein battleship as part of a ceremonial visit.

Lechia Gdansk: An obligatory football stadium visit

I briefly left the EuroVelo route to visit the impressive Polsat Plus Arena, home of Lechia Gdańsk. I try to visit at least one football stadium on each cycle tour, and this one that was built for Euro 2012 and was well worth the detour.

Having previously visited the Kyiv Olympic Stadium, it felt poignant to tick off another host city from a tournament that, in hindsight, took place in a very different Europe.

Getting back to Sopot via industrial Gdansk

The area around the stadium is industrial, with a mix of socialist-era housing, freight rail lines, and a power station, so I retraced my steps back towards EuroVelo 10, grateful not to find myself accidentally cycling onto a motorway, which can easily happen in port districts.

By this point, the temperature was dropping and I was starting to feel the cold. I also needed to return the bike by 15:00 so I could catch my 16:50 train to Warsaw. Altogether I had cycled around 50 km in just a few hours, explored three cities, and experienced a brilliant stretch of the EuroVelo Baltic Coast network.

Returning the bike was simple, and afterwards I stopped at an excellent café next door, which served homemade hot meals cafeteria-style. For 35 złoty, around £7, I enjoyed a pork schnitzel with mashed potato, a lemon drink, and a yoghurt. Amazing value and once again, great quality.

Getting ready to go to Warsaw

The train back to Gdańsk from Sopot was extremely busy with Tri-City commuters. With an hour before my Warsaw train departed, I popped over to the brand-new European Solidarity Centre beside the historic shipyard to buy a few local souvenirs. I didn’t have time for a proper visit, but I’d love to return; Gdańsk deserves at least two days, not just a flying visit during a cycling tour.

DInner in the buffet car (a rare treat!)

My EIP Pendolino train to Warsaw arrived on time and was a real highlight of the trip. I headed straight to the buffet restaurant for some pierogi, which were perfect after a long day.

With a very early 05:45 flight back to Leeds Bradford the next morning, I didn’t bother booking accommodation and would spend the evening wandering in Warsaw and then get ready for a longish stint at the airport.

Instead of having no plan, I took a tram to a large swimming and spa complex for a relaxing few hours. Poland is a very safe country, and walking around Warsaw at midnight or taking the tram felt entirely comfortable, though the main station is best avoided late at night.

I caught the bus to Chopin Airport at 23:00 and went through security at about 02:30. It had been a long day of travelling and cycling, but a rewarding one.

The flight back to Leeds was a bit bumpy, though I was too tired to notice. A couple of hours after landing I was back in Rochdale, where I promptly slept for most of the day.

Now, back at my desk with a bottle of sparkling water and a yoghurt from the local Polish shop, it feels as though I’ve never been away.

Why you should go on a cycling holiday in poland?

Cycling holidays in Poland are becoming more and more popular each year and we have a great selection of self-guided cycle tours throughout the country. With easy connections to Warsaw, Krakow, Gdansk and Wroclaw, you can spend a couple of days in the cities prior to the cycle tour and find out more about the country.

You can book a cycling holiday in Poland with Freewheel Holidays here.