NaCzarter Team
The easiest way to get to Mikołajki
You cannot get to Mikołajki itself by train, because the station has been closed since 2009. The simplest options are to drive or to take a train to Giżycko or Ruciane-Nida and continue by bus from there. From the May long weekend to the end of September you can also come by boat from Giżycko. Buses stop in the centre, at Plac Kościelny, about a 5-minute walk from the boat landing.
| From | By car without traffic | By public transport |
|---|---|---|
| Warsaw | 223–249 km, approx. 3 h 20 min | IC to Giżycko approx. 3 h 55 min (from 83 PLN), then 39 km; PKS Polonus bus without a change |
| Gdańsk | approx. 270 km, approx. 3 h | IC Gryf to Ruciane-Nida 4 h 47 min (from 75 PLN), then 23 km |
| Olsztyn | 89 km, approx. 1 h 25 min | OPEN TOURS bus without a change on weekdays or train to Ruciane-Nida approx. 1 h 15 min |
| Ełk | 66 km, approx. 1 h 07 min | OPEN TOURS bus without a change on weekdays |
| Białystok | 161 km, approx. 2 h 30 min | IC to Giżycko, then 39 km |
| Kraków | 515 km, approx. 6 h 35 min | IC to Giżycko, then 39 km |
| Giżycko | 33 km, approx. 35 min | in summer boat 3 h–3 h 20 min (160 PLN) |
Driving times are given without traffic jams, to the centre of Mikołajki. We give trains and the lowest ticket prices according to the timetable valid until 12 December 2026, and the boat according to the Żegluga Mazurska price list for the 2026 season.
Why trains do not run to Mikołajki
Mikołajki lies on railway line no. 223 from Czerwonka to Ełk. The station has been out of use since 2009, the whole line has been closed to passengers since 2010, and in 2016 the section from Mrągowo to Orzysz was closed to freight trains as well. Nothing runs here in summer either.
According to the Ministry of Infrastructure, passenger trains are due to reach Mrągowo in June 2027, and PKP PLK will pay for the repair of the section from Czerwonka. Money for the section from Mrągowo to Mikołajki is still being sought, so in the 2027 season you cannot count on a train to Mikołajki itself. Only regional trains are to run to Mrągowo, so coming from the big cities you will change in Olsztyn.
By train to Ruciane-Nida or Giżycko
The nearest working station is Ruciane-Nida, 23 km from Mikołajki, about 25 minutes by car. Regional trains run here from Olsztyn in about 1 h 15 min, and so does the IC Gryf, the only direct train from the Tricity. From December the Gryf will run daily from Suwałki to Szczecin, still via Ruciane-Nida. For the last 23 km you are left with a car or the PKS Polonus bus via Ukta, and you should check its departure time in advance.
Giżycko, 39 km from Mikołajki, has the most trains in the area. IC trains from Warsaw, the Tricity, Olsztyn, Białystok and several more distant cities arrive there without a change, and we have collected their times and fares in our article on how to get to Giżycko. From there, PKS Polonus runs directly to the centre of Mikołajki once a day, and FlixBus does so in summer. RIK buses to Mrągowo stop in Kolonia Mikołajki, 3.4 km from the centre.
By bus from Mrągowo, Olsztyn, Ełk and Warsaw
The main stop is Plac Kościelny, right in the centre. FlixBus gives its address as Kolejowa 5, and on the same street, about a kilometre further on, stands the building of the disused station, so do not let your sat nav mislead you. FlixBus runs here seasonally. At the beginning of November 2026 there are no services, so check whether it runs at all on your dates.
Most buses come from Mrągowo, 24 km away along national road 16. On weekdays and Saturdays, Bart Autokary and Faster together run about ten services. On Sundays the timetables at the stops show no services at all, so plan a different way of getting there on a Sunday. You can reach Mrągowo by bus from Olsztyn.
The OPEN TOURS line links Olsztyn, Mrągowo, Mikołajki, Orzysz and Ełk without a change, but it only runs on weekdays. From Warsaw, PKS Polonus will take you there without a change via Łomża, Pisz and Ukta. Check the times of both lines with the operators before you travel.
By car via the S16 to Mrągowo or via Pisz
From Warsaw the shortest route follows roads 61 and 53 through Pułtusk and Ostrołęka. The second one, a few minutes longer, runs along the S8 and S61 and then through Pisz and Ukta.
From the Tricity you take the S7 and S51 to Olsztyn, then road 16 through Biskupiec and Mrągowo. The S16 is an expressway only from Borki Wielkie to Mrągowo, including the town bypass. The section from Olsztyn to Biskupiec is being rebuilt until 2028, so expect changes to the traffic layout near Barczewo. After Mrągowo there are 21 km of ordinary national road left, through Zełwągi.
From Giżycko the shortest way is through Wilkasy on regional road 643. Check current disruption on road 16 before you set off. The municipal car parks in Mikołajki are paid, and we have collected the rates and other options in our article on where to leave your car during the cruise.
By plane via Szymany, Warsaw or Gdańsk
The nearest is Olsztyn-Mazury airport in Szymany, 68 km from Mikołajki, about 1 h 15 min by car. A Faster bus runs from the airport via Szczytno and Mrągowo straight to Mikołajki in about an hour and a half, from Monday to Saturday. You will find the timetable for your specific flight on the airport website.
From the airports in Warsaw and Gdańsk it is about 3.5 hours by car. By rail, you take the SKM from Chopin Airport to Warszawa Centralna or a PKM train from Gdańsk airport to Wrzeszcz, and in both places you board an IC to Giżycko.
By boat from Giżycko in summer
From the May long weekend to the end of September, Żegluga Mazurska sails from Giżycko to Mikołajki. In the 2026 season the boats left in the morning and in the afternoon, the trip took from 3 hours to 3 h 20 min, and a one-way ticket cost 160 PLN, or 100 PLN for children and young people aged 5 to 18. The boat only sails if at least 10 passengers turn up.
Boats also run from Mikołajki to Giżycko. They come in handy after a one-way charter, when your car stayed in Giżycko and you return the yacht in Mikołajki.
From the bus stop to the ports and marinas
From Plac Kościelny it is about a 5-minute walk to the Żegluga Mazurska landing, 8 minutes to Wioska Żeglarska and 15 to Ekomarina MKŻ. The marina at Hotel Gołębiewski, on the other side of the bridge on Mrągowska street, is about 20 minutes on foot or 3 minutes by car. The taxi rank is at Plac Wolności.
The ports on Lake Tałty and in Stare Sady lie 5 to 6 km to the north, 7 to 14 minutes by car. To reach Wierzba on the other side of Lake Bełdany by car, you drive the long way round via Ukta and Ruciane-Nida, 36 km and about 45 minutes. On foot or by bike, a seasonal ferry across Lake Bełdany cuts the route to about 7 km, but check its season and hours before you travel. You will find yachts with pick-up in the town and the surrounding area in the charter listings from Mikołajki.
From Lithuania and from Berlin
From Kaunas it is about 3 hours by car (246 km), from Vilnius about 4 h 10 min (347 km), via Ełk. From December you can travel by rail from Vilnius and Kaunas on the IC Wigry to Suwałki and change there to the Gryf to Ruciane-Nida. From Berlin it is 715 km by car, about 8.5 hours without traffic, and by train via Poznań to Giżycko about 7 h 45 min.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get to Mikołajki by train? No. The station has been closed since 2009, and the nearest working ones are in Ruciane-Nida (23 km) and Giżycko (39 km).
Can I get there by bus from Mrągowo on a Sunday? According to the timetables at the stops along road 16, there are no services on Sundays. Check the timetable for your specific day or plan to come by car.
How long does the boat from Giżycko to Mikołajki take? In the 2026 season from 3 hours to 3 h 20 min, and a standard ticket cost 160 PLN. The boats sail from the May long weekend to the end of September and only with at least 10 passengers.
Which airport is closest to Mikołajki? Olsztyn-Mazury in Szymany, 68 km from the town. A Faster bus runs from there straight to Mikołajki.
