For some time my mum had mentioned that she would like to visit Poland having seen some of the photographs from our previous visits. Having found some well timed (and keenly priced) flights from Birmingham to Warsaw on a Thursday morning and back from Gdansk to Birmingham on a Sunday afternoon the trip was on!

Flying from Birmingham to Warsaw (Modlin) with Ryanair we had a delayed departure of about thirty minutes due to air traffic restrictions. This delay in turn meant we were about an hour later than expected into the city centre by the time we had travelled to Modlin station and onward by train. The combined ticket price for the bus into Modlin and train transfer to Warsaw Central station was just 16 PLN each (or just over £3.00) with the rail journey taking about 30 minutes.

From the station it was about a ten minute walk to our accommodation, the three star Metropol Hotel, which was great for a one night stay. There was a largish room, a spotlessly clean bathroom and, with what turned out to be a rather lavish buffet breakfast included in the room rate, I would stop here again if in Warsaw. It may not have been the most attractive place from the outside but once inside it was just what was required for our brief stay in the Polish capital.

Our exploration of Warsaw started with a walk along Nowy Swiat, which is the main street linking the new area of the city with the old town. It is a nice street to wander along with wide pavements, plenty of shops to look at and if you need refreshment there are numerous coffee stops, restaurants and bars to choose from too. It is a fairly long street but there is plenty to see as you amble one mile. Passing the Presidential Palace, the Holy Cross Church and the Copernicus monument soon had us into the Plac Zamkowy, which really starts the old town area.

The old town area was pretty much destroyed during World War 2 and has been painstakingly restored to its former glory. Over 85% of the city was destroyed and sadly, because it was a cold grey day, the photographs do not really do the area justice. It was also a shame that we couldn't sit outside and enjoy a drink admiring the style of the old town area. There was time to try a tasty smoked cheese treat and partake in a mug of hot wine to warm the cockles.

Wandering back toward the hotel we had evening meal at Zapiecek, a chain of restaurants serving up big portions of tasty and slightly stodgy food before we visited the massive new shopping centre Złote Tarasy which is adjacent to Warsaw Central station.

With our train departing from Warsaw at 14.20 for Gdansk there was enough time on the Friday morning to have a decent mooch around on the city tram network. For those over 70 years of age it is totally free of charge, but my day ticket was just 13 PLN (or around £2.50). This is a great way to see the city, and the trams in Warsaw really travel at high speed so you need to hold on tight if you don't get a seat.

After a few rides on the tram network around the city there was time for a cooling drink at Hala Koszyki, a converted market hall that now sports a number of trendy bars, cafes, restaurants and delicatessens before making our way to the Palace of Culture and Science. This massive building, overlooking the entire city was 'a gift' to the people of the city from Russia during the communist era being built between 1952 and 1955. The ride to the 30th floor observation deck took just twenty seconds and afforded great views of the city and the chance to grab a coffee and a cake.

It was soon time to collect our bags from the hotel, head to Warsaw Central station and catch the train. Our train was scheduled to take 2 hours and 45 minutes to reach Gdansk in the Tri City area of northern Poland on the Baltic coast. Being in First Class this did also mean that we got a couple of drinks and a small snack meal included in the price of the ticket as we whizzed north.

As we say goodbye to Warsaw, and Part 1 of this trip, we head north to Gdansk which will feature in Part 2. See you there!