Dziwaczne Odkrycia: How To Get The 666 Bus To Hel

Dziwaczne Odkrycia: How To Get The 666 Bus To Hel

“Got a one way ticket to Hel and back” – The Darkness.

Some people might think this is a joke or a completely deliberate tourist gimmick, but I assure you, it’s not. In Poland, you can get a 666 bus to Hel. That’s the real number of the bus. The bus is part of a huge number of buses in Gdynia’s extended bus network. This just happens to be number 666. Before it, there is number 665. After it, there is number 667. It’s in Poland’s Pomorskie Province.

Of course many people believe that the allocation of number 666 is deliberate. After all, we are heading to Hel, a place called Hel, but with one less letter “l” than the hell where the devil lives. But what if superstition really intervened here? There would be no 666 bus in most places. Many places would also skip a number 13 bus. Parts of China and Greece would skip a number 4 bus. If Poland did a 665 bus to Hel and a 667 bus to Hel, would people also comment on the skippal of the number 666? Chyba tak.

666 is the number of the beast, the devil. 666 is mentioned in the Bible. Superstitious people may be freaked by it. In fact, some extremist groups have tried to get the route scrapped!! They shouldn’t have to worry to much as the number 650 bus also goes to Hel. You can also get to Hel by train, bike, car etc.

The Bible – Revelation 13:18 states that if one is wise and has an understanding to count the number of the beast, which is also the number of a man (imitating Son of man, Jesus Christ), the number comes to 666.

Notably, upside down 666 is 999. In the UK, 999 is the emergency number for safety! And did you know that Devil Dog backwards is God lived?

Many cultures believe that 13 is an unlucky number. Friday the 13th is also often seen as a spooky day.

In Chinese and Greek culture, the number 4 is deemed unlucky. In Chinese it has the same sound as “death”. Here in Poland, some strong Christian groups want the 666 bus to Hel scrapped!

When I lived in the Kong and backpacked China, I noticed that many skyscrapers would avoid numbers 4 and 13 for luck. Some lifts would have numbers 0,1,2,3,5,6,7,8,9,10,12,15,16,17,18,19,20,21, 22,23,25,26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33,35,36,37,38,39,50,51,52,53,55…and so on.

Deciding on Władysławowo for the 666 bus to Hel

You can board the 666 bus to Hel from many bus stops, from the first one in Karwia right up to the last few, actually there’s even a few stops in Hel so you can go from Hel Dworzec Kolejowy to Hel Cypel. I decided on Władysławowo, I decided to sleep here for two nights and also use it as my entrance to Hel.

Firstly, it’s a beautiful seaside town and I wanted to spend 2 nights here. Also, it sits right on the Hel Peninsula and is well connected to other parts of Poland by train and bus. I arrived in Władysławowo by Flixbus from Gdańsk and I left Władysławowo by train to Gdynia. Władysławowo totally exceeded my expectations. I loved it.

The Timetable for the 666 bus to Hel

The timetable can be viewed online at this link. It is also listed at the actual bus stop itself, as well as inside the bus terminal in Władysławowo. As of August 2021, the timetable looked like this.

“If this is heaven, then send me to Hel” – Dodgy.

Getting on board the 666 bus to Hel

The 666 bus to Hel arrives on time at the main bus station in Władysławowo. I join the queue to board. It leaves on time, at 9.20 a.m. Tickets are 12 złotych (as of August 2021) and you pay in cash to the driver. It is cash only, there are no card machines or other options. You get a receipt which acts as your ticket. I’m on my way.

“I’m on the Highway to Hel” – ACDC.

Bars,cafes,shops near the 666 bus to Hel

If you need some food and drink ahead of your trip, there are plenty of options nearby. I personally wanted a coffee and strawberry bun to take away and so I went to Ciastkarnia R.J. Hintzke. It’s a 2 minute walk from the bus to Hel.

If you are killing time and have time for a beer or a coffee, try Cafe Bar Oka. I enjoyed a few beers in here. It also has free Wi-Fi and food. It’s a 4 minute walk from the bus to Hel.

For a bigger shop and supermarket, try the nearby Żabka or Biedronka. You can get decent fish and chips, kebabs and zapiekanda all nearby. All are within a 6 minute walk.

On board the 666 bus to Hel

Firstly, you don’t have to go all the way to Hel. The bus has many stops on route. But I decided to go right into Hel. Straight to the end. The last stop is Hel Cybel. I was going from Władysławowo to Hel. However, about 4 minutes before I was due to board, I realised that I didn’t have a face mask!! I usually carry multiple masks in my pockets and backpack, but that morning, the mask in my backpack must have blown away and as it was so hot, I didn’t take my coat with spare masks in the pockets. So in a rush, I went into the local shop which luckily had masks! Phew!

The views on route are stunning. This is a paradise!

Arrival in Hel

I found out about this bus back in 2017, about 6 months after I stopped living in Gdańsk, Pomorskie Province but it was finally in August 2021 that I made it to Hel. Hel, is really worth seeing. It’s a beautiful peninsula with golden beaches, restaurants and bars a plenty and also, sadly the war history, therefore the museums and bunkers are worth checking out. I also went to the top of the lighthouse (latarnia) for a viewpoint.

Here are some videos of my trip to Hel: