Poland
Public Transport
Public transport in Poland consists of air, water, land and rail. Trains, buses, trams and metro operate in the country. Situated at the crossroads of Europe, Poland is a country with a large and modern network of transport infrastructure.
In every city in Poland there are many companies operating in the public transport sector. In each city, state and private companies compete and complement each other. There are so many of them that their transport usually differs not only in name, but also in color. Different companies move along very similar routes and use the same stops. They offer a lot of fares and discounts. It is not easy to understand this "sea of fares", but it is possible. For this purpose, we have published a lot of links. The main thing that a passenger needs to know is that the purchased ticket or subscription is valid for all types of transport, namely: for trams, buses, and local rail transport within a specific city or voivodeship. Travel tickets for public transport are usually limited by travel time and zone. Yes, and as a rule, tickets are still bought in retail stores, in machines at stations and on platforms, as well as from conductors.
Railways PKP operates a large number of domestic and international services of varying speed and comfort through its subsidiaries.
Five of Poland's sixteen voivodeships have their own regional rail service providers.
The official jakdojade.pl app for Android - an essential application for all public transport passengers in Polish cities. Thanks to the app, you can easily check the timetable and buy a ticket. Travel easy and fun
Train
Passenger Rail transport operators in Poland:
- PKP Intercity – qualified passenger trains
- Polregio – regional passenger trains
- Koleje Śląskie – regional trains in the Silesian Voivodeship
- Koleje Mazowieckie – suburban trains in Mazovia with the center in Warsaw
- Szybka Kolej Miejska – fast urban railway serving the Tri-City area of Gdańsk, Gdynia and Sopot
- Szybka Kolej Miejska (Warsaw) – suburban railway in the Warsaw agglomeration
- Warszawska Kolej Dojazdowa – suburban railway in the Warsaw agglomeration
- Arriva RP - part of the suburban train service in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship Kolje.
- Koleje Wielkopolskie - part of suburban train service in the Greater Poland Voivodeship
- Łódź Kolej Agglomeracja - operator of suburban trains in the Łódź Voivodeship
The Polrail Service online store accepts credit card payments. If you have to purchase tickets at the station, most station ticket offices accept credit cards. Additionally, PKP InterCity conductors now have credit card terminals for accepting payments on board the train.
Busses
Bus
Most Polish cities have a well-developed municipal and private bus service.
Intercity services were operated by a single state-owned company PKS. This company has been divided into a number of independent national and municipal companies. In addition, several private operators have emerged.
There are two classes of bus service in Poland, differentiated by the length of the bus:
Bus - longer vehicles (12.0 m and more),
Bus - shorter vehicles with a smaller capacity, very popular on local services, operated by individuals and small companies.
Although they often use the same bus stops.
Trams
Maps Trams and Polish state Railways map in cities
SZCZECIN tram train map
Warsaw
The public transport network in Warsaw includes buses, trams, subway and SKM trains.
In addition – on the basis of a daily or longer ticket – you can travel by KM and WKD trains .
With Warsaw Public Transport you can quickly and comfortably travel around the city and get to many cities neighboring with Warsaw. The easiest way to plan your trip is by using the journey planner.
WTP vehicles can be used on the basis of time tickets (20-minute, one-time 75-minute, one-time 90-minute, group 75-minute), short-term tickets (daily, 3-day, weekend, group weekend) and long-term tickets (30- and 90-day). Time and short-term tickets have the form of a paper ticket, and long-term tickets are coded on the Warsaw City Card.
Time and short-term tickets (in addition to those bought in ticket machines installed in WTP vehicles) should be validated immediately after entering the vehicle or at the subway gate. Tickets purchased in ticket machines in vehicles are already validated at the time of purchase. Tickets coded on cards must be activated by bringing closer to the validator or subway gate.
WTP tickets can be purchased at ticket machines, selected kiosks and stores, Passenger Service Points and via mobile applications.
In the Warsaw agglomeration there are two ticket zones. When choosing a ticket, pay attention to whether the planned trip is limited to the first or second ticket zone.
Metro map Warsaw
Public transport tickets can be classified into 3 groups:
One ride- Tickets that are valid for one journey up to 120 minutes on the vehicle they were validated on paper. They now allow also use of all the system for 75 or 90 minutes.
Time based- Tickets that are valid for a time period and allow you to board on any public transportation vehicle and service during that period. These are paper tickets.
Long Term- tickets that allow you access to the system for a day, month or 3 months. The monthly and 3-monthly tickets are available only on the Warsaw City Card which you may apply for if you live in Warsaw(electronic).
Weekend group ticket- A group ticket valid for groups up to 5 people from 7 PM on Friday until 8 AM on Monday
You can buy tickets in digital machines or in kiosks and stores. Ticket machines are in the buses and trams.
It is necessary to validate any ticket the first time you use it in the machines on buses, trams and in metro stations. You don't need to validate it again if you're switching lines/vehicles during the ticket's time period or throughout the long term period.
City Card
If you are interested in purchasing a monthly or three-month pass, you will definitely need a Warsaw City Card. These passes are loaded only onto this card. The Warsaw City Card is provided free of charge for Warsaw residents. You can apply even if you are not a Polish citizen. You can apply online, or at Passenger Service Centers operated by the Warsaw Transport Authority. You can also charge it with credit for the parking meters around the city. On the bus, tram or metro, you just need to tap the card on the validator for it to beep and validate your card.
Busses in Warsaw
Warsaw has an extensive bus network. The routes are classified based on the first line number.
1xx and 2xx are regular lines, running every day and at most hours.
3xx are regular lines, running only on certain days of the week. They also run less frequently.
4xx and 5xx are fast lines with efficient routes. The 4xx lines run only on certain days of the week.
Express lines E-x, which serve outlying areas of central Warsaw. They run frequently and stop only at certain stops.
Z-x are lines that are created when there is a problem or maintenance on a tram or metro line, and provide an alternative connection.
7xx are lines that serve suburbs and other areas that are outside the main fare zone.
8xx are seasonal lines.
Nxx — night lines, running from midnight to 5am once an hour from the Central Station to different areas.
ZONES: There are 2 zones.
The first zone is located within the city limits, and the second one is located outside the city limits.
All changes are updated on jakdojade.pl so that you can plan the appropriate route.
The official jakdojade.pl app for Android - an essential application for all public transport passengers in Polish cities. Thanks to the app, you can easily check the timetable and buy a ticket. Travel easy and fun
The suburban railway in Warsaw is called SKM.
Krakow
Discover all the tickets and travel cards available for Kraków’s public transport system and choose which one is better for your necessities.
The tickets we mention in this article are both valid for trams and buses.
Zones
If you’re not staying in the city center, you’ll need to get transport tickets for zone 1 to explore Kraków.
Tickets per minute
Zones 1 and 2 the same price
20-minute ticket zł 4 (£ 0.80)
40-minute ticket zł 6 (£ 1.20)
90-minute ticekt zł 8 (£ 1.60)
Tickets per day
24-hour ticket
Zone 1 zł 17 (£ 3.30)
Zones 1 and 2. zł 22 (£ 4.30)
48-hour ticket
Zone 1 zł 35 (£ 6.80)
72-hour ticket
Zone 1 zł 50 (£ 9.70)
7-day ticket
Zone 1 zł 56 (£ 10.90)
Zones 1 and 2 zł 68 (£ 13.20)
Single journeys can be bought directly from the bus or tram drivers once you get on the means of transport. All other tickets and travel cards are sold at the vending machines, at the ticket offices or in post offices and other authorized offices.
Tram map Krakow
Air Transport
Warsaw Chopin International Airport
Krakow John Paul II International Airport
Gdansk Lech Walesa International AirportKatowice International Airport
Wroclaw International Airport
Poznan International Airport
Rzeszow Jasionka Airport
Lodz Wladyslaw Reymont Airport
Szczecin-Goleniow Solidarity Airport
Warsaw Modlin Airport
Bydgoszcz Ignacy Jan Paderewski Airport
Lublin Airport
Radom Airport
Olsztyn-Mazury Regional Airport
Domestic Flights: Zielona Gora Babimost Airport
Water Transport
Maritime transport in Poland is divided into two main subgroups: river and sea.
The most important waterway in the country is the Vistula River.
The largest seaports are the port of Szczecin and the port of Gdansk.
There are a number of large seaports on the Baltic coast that handle international cargo and passenger traffic. These are deep-water ports capable of handling very large vessels, including Unity Line, Polferries and Stena Line ferries, which handle passenger lines from Poland to Scandinavia.
River transport is carried out on almost all major Polish rivers and canals, such as the Danube-Oder and Elbląg canals, as well as on inland coastal routes.
Ports and harbors:
- Port of Gdansk ferries: Gdansk - Nynashamn / Ystad
- Port of Gdynia line Stena: Gdynia - Karlskrona / Gothenburg and Finnlines: Gdynia - Helsinki / Rostock
- Port of Szczecin-Swinoujscie ferries: Swinoujscie - Copenhagen / Ystad / Rönne and Unity Line: Swinoujscie - stad / Trelleborg
Ferries of the Polish company Unity Line in Szczecin
Ferries to Poland:
- Karlskrona
- Trelleborg
- Ystad
- Nynashamn
- Malmo
The fastest ferry crossing to Poland is via the Ystad to Swinoujscie ferry, in approximately 6h 48m.
The cheapest ferry to Poland is $248 on average via the Trelleborg to Swinoujscie route. Ferry prices for Poland can vary depending on what season you decide to travel. Price exclusive of booking fees.
Poland Ferry Ports:
- Gdynia
- Swinoujscie
- Gdansk
Polferries routes
Eurail Pass holders receive discounts on the following routes:
- Świnoujście (Poland) - Ystad (Sweden)
- Gdańsk (Poland) - Nynäshamn (Sweden)
Discounts and conditions for Eurail Pass holders
Eurail Pass holders can receive a 20% discount on Adult and Student fares on select routes.
Reservation and Contact
In order to recieve the discount, Pass holders need to show their Passes in the ticket offices or at the port when purchasing tickets.
Stena Line
Stena Line routs with Eurail Pass and Global Pass
- Travel between Great Britain, Ireland, France, the Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, Sweden, Poland, and Latvia.
- Save a travel day on your Pass when traveling with Stena Line. This benefit can be used with a valid Pass even if your travel days are over.
- Get up to 30% discount valid on Economy, Flexi and Premium passenger fares for both 1st and 2nd class Pass holders.
- To make your travel more comfortable, you can add cabins, meals, vehicles, and other extras separately.
- Traverse the Irish sea, Baltic sea, or North Sea with stunning sea views from the sun deck or panoramic ferry windows.
