Croatia's capital has a fresh winter link to Poland. Ryanair's new Zagreb to Warsaw Modlin service took off for the first time on Monday 26 October, kicking off a schedule of four flights per week that will run throughout the airline's Winter 2026 programme.
The route matters for a few reasons. Zagreb travellers now have a direct, budget option into the Polish capital without routing through a hub like Vienna, Frankfurt or Warsaw's main Chopin Airport. Modlin sits about 35 kilometres north-west of central Warsaw and is a familiar low-cost carrier base, with trains and buses connecting it to the city centre. For Poles, it works the other way too: an easy entry point into Croatia outside the beach season, whether for Zagreb's Advent markets, a stopover before heading to the coast, or ski trips towards Sljeme and beyond.
The frequency is the practical headline. Four weekly rotations give enough flexibility for a long weekend city break, which is exactly the kind of trip this route is built for. Ryanair says the full Winter 2026 schedule is bookable on its website and app, and that early booking tends to unlock the lowest fares.
Warsaw itself rewards the winter visitor. The meticulously rebuilt Old Town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the museums covering the city's wartime and Cold War history are among Europe's best, and prices for food and drink remain gentle compared with most of Western Europe. Add hearty Polish comfort food, Christmas markets in the colder months and a solid business-hotel scene, and you have a city that works as both a cheap getaway and a practical work destination.
The launch also signals something broader: Zagreb's route map keeps expanding as airlines build out their winter schedules, which has historically been the Croatian capital's quiet season. More winter connectivity means easier city-to-city breaks in both directions and another sign that Croatia is no longer purely a summer-only destination for short-haul carriers.
Who should care? Anyone in Croatia or the region planning a Polish city break this winter, Polish travellers eyeing Zagreb as a gateway to winter markets or mountain escapes, and budget watchers who know that new routes usually come with launch fares worth grabbing early.
