Wroclaw to Poznan tomorrow

[stuartmoss]

Hi folks I'me going to be on one of the trains on the pics attached tomorrow and am wondering if the 'Buffet' is a sit down restaurant car, a stand-up bar or just a counter. Does anyone know please? I'd ideally like to spend the journey sat in the buffet and am happy to order food and drinks whilst there, but ideally don't want to leave my bags in another part of the train while going to the buffet, so would like to board the train at the buffet car if it is one where I'll be able to sit down. Does anyone know? Also which part of the train (front / middle / back) the buffet is likely to be. Thanks.

 

[Cloud Strife]

It depends on the specific coach, but in general, there's usually a mix of sit down seating and bar stool type seating. I haven't seen only tables in a while: the normal layout is that one side will have bar stools with small tables, and the other side will have proper seats with tables.

Generally speaking, the buffet is often found on the second or penultimate carriage. Be warned though, many people use the buffet as a place to sit if the train is fully booked. If that happens, inform the staff that you want to eat something, and they'll kick someone out for you. A lot of people nurse coffees over several hours in there, so the staff will be more than happy to remove someone for you.

(Greetings from Wrocław, by the way!)

 

[33056]

Can't help with buffet car details but PKP IC and TLK consists can be found at:

http://bocznica.eu/

 

[stuartmoss]

Thanks for your help both, that's useful.

 

[kingston_toon]

From my own perspective, we always aim to book a PKP Intercity loco hauled service with restaurant car and simply head there when the train arrives, drinking beer (and sometimes eating the pretty decent food cooked on board) all the way. As mentioned above, most loco hauled restaurant cars have the 1+1 high stools on one side where we prefer to sit but these are sometimes normal height 1+1 tables, most recently bashed on the evening Ostrava to Katowice.

I've travelled on both IC3512 and IC68102 and while they are busy trains, I've never not managed to grab a space in the restaurant car if boarding quickly.

The Pendolino restaurant cars are also quite nice but the space in the new Intercity units seems poorly thought out and a bit pointless really, as there are only 6 seats (table of four on one side and of two on the other). Given that's the only place you can drink a beer on the train, I usually stand by the window to save the seats for people eating, but it's a cramped space.

 

[Cloud Strife]

but the space in the new Intercity units seems poorly thought out and a bit pointless really, as there are only 6 seats (table of four on one side and of two on the other). Given that's the only place you can drink a beer on the train, I usually stand by the window to save the seats for people eating, but it's a cramped space.

You're not the only one to comment on that. I've asked around with some contacts, and the prevailing view is that PKP Intercity wanted to cut down on the amount of space taken up with dining on the Dart, as these seats are normally blocked by people treating them as normal seats anyway. With the (barely working...) WARS app, food can be delivered to your seat anyway. In general though, IC trains really suffer by selling tickets without guaranteed places, as it means that WARS becomes the de-facto place to go for those without seats.

Having said that, I'm not a fan of alcohol on Polish trains. People cannot behave in this country with alcohol, and it's happened on numerous occasions to me that someone has spilled beer over themselves, making a dreadful mess and leaving the place smelling of stale beer. I also once saw a middle aged bloke throw his dinner over himself in a rage!

 

[kingston_toon]

Having said that, I'm not a fan of alcohol on Polish trains. People cannot behave in this country with alcohol, and it's happened on numerous occasions to me that someone has spilled beer over themselves, making a dreadful mess and leaving the place smelling of stale beer. I also once saw a middle aged bloke throw his dinner over himself in a rage!

Can you confirm it remains the case that alcohol is prohibited on all Polish trains except those PKP Intercity services that have a restaurant car, and even then only allowed in that area (i.e. you can't buy a beer and take it back to your seat)? As someone who likes a quiet beer or two when travelling by train anywhere in the world, it's a shame that some people ruin it for the rest of us.

Saying that, I did see one person knock a full pint over himself and the seats on a Gdansk to Warsaw Pendolino last year, but it was a complete accident and he was mortified!

 

[stuartmoss]

I’ve just booked IC75104 tomorrow from Poznan to Gdansk…without seat reservations as I just presumed I’d get a seat in the buffet car, I’ve just looked at the plan of the train and it doesn’t appear to have a buffet…have I dropped a huge clanger here!? Hoping not, don’t fancy standing for 3 1/2 hours…

 

[JB_B]

...Having said that, I'm not a fan of alcohol on Polish trains. People cannot behave in this country with alcohol, and it's happened on numerous occasions to me that someone has spilled beer over themselves, making a dreadful mess and leaving the place smelling of stale beer. I also once saw a middle aged bloke throw his dinner over himself in a rage

That's interesting. The only time I've travelled in a Polish buffet car was on Berlin to Warsaw about 10 years back (i think it was run by Wars back then). It was all very calm but one customer was clearly very wobbly. He was refused another drink, fell over, attempted to help himself to drink from the trolley from floor level and then passed out definitively. The steward briefly stopped serving to drag him out by his ankles into the next carriage and then returned to his duties as if nothing had happened. No shouting - only a few muttered words - it felt very different to England.

 

[87015]

I’ve just booked IC75104 tomorrow from Poznan to Gdansk…without seat reservations as I just presumed I’d get a seat in the buffet car, I’ve just looked at the plan of the train and it doesn’t appear to have a buffet…have I dropped a huge clanger here!? Hoping not, don’t fancy standing for 3 1/2 hours…

I didn’t they issued non-reservation tickets unless the train was full, so if the bar isn’t there, or as likely it’s already full, yes! Journey planner suggests trolley only - at least it should be an 07…

 

[Cloud Strife]

I’ve just booked IC75104 tomorrow from Poznan to Gdansk…without seat reservations as I just presumed I’d get a seat in the buffet car, I’ve just looked at the plan of the train and it doesn’t appear to have a buffet…have I dropped a huge clanger here!? Hoping not, don’t fancy standing for 3 1/2 hours…

It looks like this is a example of an IC train without a restaurant car. PKP Intercity are forever messing with their product offer, but judging by the strange route of this train, it looks likely that it doesn't have one. The train starts in Zbąszynek, but I'd expect it to be completely packed from Poznań onwards. These summer Saturday trains are an absolute nightmare in PL, and even if there was a buffet, it would likely be absolutely packed regardless. There doesn't seem to be any availability whatsoever on trains tomorrow, which is normal for the summer holidays. Unfortunately, PKP Intercity will keep selling non-reservation tickets

There are still tickets available on Flixbus for tomorrow afternoon, which I'd strongly recommend over a non-reservation train ticket on a summer Saturday. If you don't want the bus, one other option is to take the EIC to Warszawa Zachodnia (departing 12:36, arriving 15:33), then another EIC to Gdańsk (departing 16:14, arriving 18:56). It won't be cheap, but it will be far more comfortable than the hell that is IC/TLK trains on a summer Saturday. But if I were you, Flixbus is the best bet.

Can you confirm it remains the case that alcohol is prohibited on all Polish trains except those PKP Intercity services that have a restaurant car, and even then only allowed in that area (i.e. you can't buy a beer and take it back to your seat)? As someone who likes a quiet beer or two when travelling by train anywhere in the world, it's a shame that some people ruin it for the rest of us.

Yes, although in practice, it's not really enforced unless you're being unreasonable. I wouldn't take beer into a compartment, but if it's an open carriage, there shouldn't be any problems with doing it. I've had quite a few beers in my time between Poznań and Wrocław, and no-one has ever bothered me about drinking it quietly in my seat.

 

[stuartmoss]

Hi Everyone, just as an update, I had a brilliant time in Poland, flew into Wrocław, took the IC train to Poznań, sat in the buffet car the whole way drinking and eating, was great. The clanger I mentioned above with the train with no restaurant car, unfortunately cost me a new train ticket (£12) to a later 11 coach train from Poznań to Gdańsk also sitting in the buffet car drinking and eating the whole way, what a great way to travel, the buffet car was quiet too. From Gdańsk I did a day-return to Tczew, went to the the bridge over the Vistula, Tczew station was busy with passenger and freight movements too, a couple of old steam locos also sit outside the station, which was interesting. Did a day trip on the SKM to Sopot. Then took an Uber to Gdańsk airport (£10), as I had a fair bit of luggage in various bags, which I didn't fancy dragging up and down stairs and stayed the night there as I had an early 06:00 flight back to Leeds the next day. But on the afternoon before flying home I did the new line from the airport to Gdynia and back as well as having a good walk around. I've got loads of film footage, which I'm currently editing, I'll upload some in a few days time.

 

[LSWR Cavalier]

I just read a book describing a train journey from Berlin to Warsaw. The author spent most of the trip in the buffet car: Steffen Moeller, Journey to the Poles. Quite good.

 

[stuartmoss]

Adding to wish list, cheers!


Edit:
Except I can’t because it’s not on Amazon! Will look elsewhere.