Warsaw Logistical Questions

All Krakow trains stop at Zachodnia and Wschodnia. EIC and TLK also stop at Centralna. IR trains also stop at Śródmiescie next to Centralna, and Stadion.
Eurolines offers limited seats online at 50 ZL compared with regular 112 ZL.
http://www.eurolinespolska.pl/et_en/start.php?profile=el_en_html&cnt=swr
PKS also has an overnight bus, leaving at Centralna, but price not given.

Henryk's (#3&4) info is more or less right, but 2 recommendations regarding transportation need to be corrected:

1. Getting from the airport to hotel. You indeed can take tram no. 18 or 35 from the Metro Centrum stop, but the tram's destinations are respectively Żerań FSO and Nowe Bemowo. Służewiec/Okęcie are in opposite direction.
   BTW with luggage it might be easier to travel by 175 till Uniwersytet and change there for bus no. 116, 178 or 503 for Muranowska. The advantage is that there's no need to change bus stops - 116 etc. depart from the same stop at which 175 arrives.
2. Getting to Warszawa Zachodnia bus station by tram is impossible. You can get there by bus - see [ztm.waw.pl] for details, or if you have a 1-day or 3-day ticket, by any west-bound train from Warszawa Śródmieście station.

Regarding the Warsaw-Vilnius route: apart from Eurolines buses, there are also more convenient and cheaper buses run by the Polish Railways. They depart 3 times a week from Warszawa Centralna station. If the dates don't suit you and you need to use Eurolines, I'd recommend booking over the Internet. Warszawa Zachodnia station is ugly and out of the way.

Keep in mind that InterCity trains to Poznań and Kraków don't stop at Warszawa Zachodnia (but the ones from Poznań/Kraków do).

I booked my apartment using this agency - http://warsaw.old-town-apartments.tobook.com/Poland/Hotels/Old-Town-Apartments?citypname=Warsaw

These people are also highly regarded by reviewers of Tripadvisors

Noter that an apartment in Warsaw is handy as it will include a washing machine. Laundrettes are rarities in Poland.

Two follow up questions:

1. With respect to eurolines, I am actually planning to take the overnight bus from Warsaw to Vilnius; after a few days, continue on to Riga; and after a few days, continue on to Tallinn. Is it recommended to purchase all three legs (Warsaw-Vilnius; Vilnius-Riga; and Riga-Tallinn) online? Is it generally cheaper than purchasing them at the departing bus station?

2. When I return from Krakow, I will plan on arriving into the Zachodnia station so that I will have easy access to the Zachodnia bus station (I understand that they are next to each other). What did you mean when you say that the Zachodnia bus station is ugly?

I went to Poznan from Warsaw Centrlany rail station. It is next door to a bus station that is new and "attractive". There is also a modern shopping centre attached to it.

Actually I went to Torun , and from there to Poznan, now that I think about it.

Sorry. My bad.
You may prefer other bus lines, eg:
http://www.ecolines.net/index.php?s=83&utm_source=map&utm_medium=ppc&utm_campaign=intrmap1&show=1&cd=6&ca=1

Henryk,

It seems that both econlines and eurolines depart from the Zachodnia bus station in Warsaw. One question:

Is one company (Ecolines vs. Eurolines) better than the other? The price on Ecolines is slightly cheaper, but it seems Eurolines has more buses (especially between Vilnius and Riga; Riga and Tallinn).

Is one of those two companies considered better than the other one? If so, in what way?

When I return from Krakow, I will plan on arriving into the Zachodnia station so that I will have easy access to the Zachodnia bus station (I understand that they are next to each other).

That's fine.

What did you mean when you say that the Zachodnia bus station is ugly?

Aesthetics:
[http://bi.gazeta.pl/im/3/5819/z5819423X.jpg]

I travelled by both in the Baltic states and found no difference. Actually travel is by independent companies with different names and it's hard to know whether one is with Econolines or Eurolines. I always picked by time of departure and/or travel time.