Transport in Poland 2026: Trains, Buses and Airport Links

Poland is easiest to cross by train, and a second-class InterCity ticket is capped at 104 zł (about €24, $28, £21) even for a journey the length of the country. City transport costs 4.40 zł to 9 zł a ride, coaches undercut the train on some routes from 9.99 zł, and every airport except Warsaw Modlin is on a city transport ticket. Fares below are quoted in złoty, the currency you pay in, with the operator and the date each figure comes from.

The one transfer that needs planning is Warsaw Modlin, which Warsaw Public Transport does not serve at all. Everything else in Poland is a matter of buying the right ticket. Conversions use the National Bank of Poland mid rate for 10 September 2026: 1 EUR = 4.3180 zł, 1 USD = 3.7103 zł, 1 GBP = 5.0300 zł.

How do you get around Poland?

You get around Poland on five networks, ranked below by how useful each is to a visitor moving between cities.

1. Long-distance trains run by PKP Intercity. Fast, priced by a published fare cap, and the default for Warsaw, Kraków, Gdańsk, Wrocław and Poznań.
2. Regional trains run by POLREGIO, Koleje Mazowieckie, Koleje Małopolskie and the Tricity SKM. These reach the towns the express network skips, and two of them run the airport links.
3. Long-distance coaches, mainly FlixBus, which reach places without a useful rail service and sometimes beat the train on price.
4. City buses, trams and metro, priced by each city separately and cheap everywhere.
5. A hire car, which earns its cost in the mountains, on the coast and around the lakes, and costs you money and patience in any city centre.

Poland is not landlocked, which older write-ups occasionally claim. It has a Baltic coastline with major ports at Gdańsk, Gdynia and Świnoujście, and passenger ferries sail from them to Sweden.

What do Polish trains cost?

Polish train fares are capped by published base fares, and PKP Intercity’s price list in force from 23 July 2026 sets them. A base fare is the maximum single fare for that route and class with no discount applied, so an advance ticket usually costs less.

On TLK and InterCity services the base fare follows distance:

On Express InterCity Premium, the Pendolino, fares are set route by route. Warsaw to Kraków is 169 zł (about €39, $46, £34) second class and 259 zł (about €60, $70, £51) first. Warsaw to Wrocław is also 169 zł, and Warsaw to Zakopane by way of Kraków is 184 zł (about €43, $50, £37). The longest Pendolino routes are capped at 225 zł second class, and short hops bottom out at 48 zł.

Four train categories run on the long-distance network, and the difference shows in the journey time rather than the comfort.

• EIP, Express InterCity Premium. The Pendolino sets, reservation compulsory, the fastest option on the Warsaw to Kraków, Gdańsk, Wrocław and Katowice corridors.
• EIC, Express InterCity. Fast, reserved, and cheaper than EIP on the same corridors.
• IC, InterCity. The workhorse of the network, priced from the distance table above.
• TLK, Twoje Linie Kolejowe. The same fare table as IC, more stops, longer journeys, and the overnight services with couchettes and sleepers.

Four extra charges are worth budgeting for. A bicycle, a dog or a separate luggage ticket each cost 11.90 zł (about €2.76, $3.21, £2.37). A couchette is 59 zł in a six-berth compartment and 79 zł in a four-berth one, and a sleeper runs from 69 zł in a triple to 299 zł for sole occupancy. Buying from the conductor rather than before boarding adds an on-board fee of 20 zł. Travelling with no valid ticket costs 750 zł, cut to 150 zł if you settle it on the train and 200 zł if you pay within 14 days.

Compare the advance fare against the coach before you commit, because on some corridors the bus wins. Putting your route into Omio shows train and coach options for the same date side by side, which is quicker than opening two operators’ sites.

What do coaches cost in Poland?

FlixBus is the main long-distance coach operator in Poland and advertises tickets from 9.99 zł (about €2.31, $2.69, £1.99). It serves Warsaw, Kraków, Wrocław, Katowice, Poznań, Łódź, Szczecin and Gdańsk, and its network includes stops at the Warsaw Modlin and Kraków Airport terminals, which makes it an option for an airport transfer as well as an intercity one.

The luggage allowance is one carry-on bag and one main bag per passenger, which is tighter than a train’s and worth checking against what you are carrying. Coaches also reach small towns that lost their rail service, and regional operators and private minibuses fill in further, with tickets sold at kiosks, from machines or sometimes on board.

Two things decide between the coach and the train. On a corridor with a Pendolino, the train is faster by enough to matter, and the base fare is capped. On a route with no express service, the coach is usually both faster and cheaper, because a regional train stopping everywhere is slower than a motorway coach.

What does city transport cost in Poland?

City transport in Poland costs 4.40 zł to 9 zł for a single ride, and each city sets its own tariff. Warsaw held its fares flat for 2026 while several other cities raised theirs, which makes Warsaw the cheapest of the big three networks.

Warsaw, from the Warsaw Public Transport tariff on 10 September 2026. One ticket covers buses, trams, both metro lines and SKM trains within the zone, and luggage and animals travel free.

Kraków, from the city transport authority tariff for zones I, II and III:

Gdańsk, from the ZTM Gdańsk tariff, which covers all lines:

Three ticket types repay attention. A time ticket rather than a single-journey one lets you change vehicle inside the window, which is how Warsaw’s 75-minute and Kraków’s 60-minute tickets are meant to be used. A 24-hour or multi-day ticket pays for itself at three rides a day in Warsaw and Kraków. And Kraków’s family weekend ticket at 25 zł covers one or two adults with up to six children under 16 across both days, which no other big Polish city matches.

Contactless card payment works on machines and validators in the large cities, so buying a ticket does not require cash or an app. Validate immediately on boarding, and in the Warsaw metro validate at the gate before the platform.

How do you get from Polish airports into the city?

Every large Polish airport has a rail or bus link on an ordinary transport ticket, with one exception. The four that matter to visitors are below.

Warsaw Chopin (WAW) is on a 75-minute Warsaw ticket at 4.40 zł, whichever service you take. SKM lines S2 and S3 run into Warszawa Zachodnia, Śródmieście or Centralna and on to Warszawa Wschodnia. Koleje Mazowieckie line RL runs to Modlin station by way of the central stations. Bus 175 runs to the city centre including Warszawa Centralna and the Centrum metro station, and night bus N32 covers the same ground to Central Station after the trains stop.

Warsaw Modlin (WMI) is the exception, and it is the transfer to plan. Warsaw Public Transport does not serve Modlin at all, and the airport sits 40 km (24.9 mi) north of the centre. Koleje Mazowieckie sells a Bilet Lotniskowy at 22.40 zł (about €5.19, $6.04, £4.45) that covers a KM train from any station inside Warsaw to Modlin station, the KM airport bus from Modlin station to the terminal, and 75 minutes of Warsaw city transport in ZTM zone 1 on the day of validity. The airport bus on its own, Modlin station to the terminal, is 7.10 zł (about €1.64, $1.91, £1.41). A monthly return airport ticket is 299.90 zł. Direct coaches also run to the terminal from central Warsaw.

Kraków (KRK) is linked by Koleje Małopolskie’s SKA1 train from Kraków Lotnisko to Kraków Główny at 20 zł (about €4.63, $5.39, £3.98) for a single. The same line continues to Wieliczka Rynek Kopalnia for 24 zł (about €5.56, $6.47, £4.77), taking about 45 minutes, which puts the Salt Mine on a direct train from the airport. Kraków’s 70-minute joint city-and-rail ticket at 10 zł does not cover the airport station, so buy the airport fare separately.

Gdańsk Lech Wałęsa (GDN) has its own railway station on the PKM line, with trains to Gdańsk Wrzeszcz and Gdańsk Główny, and buses to the Tricity as well.

Two rules save money and trouble at the machine. Buy the airport ticket before you reach the platform, because the on-board penalty is far higher than the fare. And if you are heading straight out of Warsaw rather than into it, a Modlin airport ticket already includes your 75 minutes of city transport, so do not buy a second one.

Live timetables are the thing you want working the moment you land, and a non-EU roaming bill makes that an expensive habit over a week. An Airalo eSIM installs a Polish data plan on one phone before you fly, which suits a solo traveller checking departures; a group sharing a single connection is better served by a portable hotspot.

Which airports serve Poland?

Poland’s main international airports are Warsaw Chopin, Warsaw Modlin, Kraków, Katowice, Gdańsk, Wrocław, Poznań and Szczecin. Warsaw Chopin is the largest and the hub for LOT Polish Airlines; Warsaw Modlin and Katowice carry most of the low-cost traffic into the Warsaw and Silesia regions.

Which airport you fly into decides more than the fare. Kraków serves Małopolska and the Tatras, Katowice serves Silesia and is a common alternative for Kraków, Wrocław serves Lower Silesia and the Karkonosze, and Gdańsk serves the whole Baltic coast and Masuria beyond it. Flying into the region you want rather than into the capital saves a four-hour train leg on each end of the trip.

Should you rent a car in Poland?

Rent a car in Poland for the countryside and skip it for the cities. A car pays for itself in the Tatra foothills, along the Baltic coast, in the Karkonosze and around the Masurian lakes, where trains are sparse and buses run to a school timetable. In Kraków, Warsaw, Wrocław and Gdańsk it costs you parking fees, limited-traffic-zone restrictions and time that the tram would have saved.

Three practical points shape the decision. A single-carriageway Polish road outside the motorway network carries cyclists, pedestrians, tractors and heavy goods traffic, so average speeds fall well below the 90 km/h limit. Fuel is expensive by recent standards, at a national average of 7.89 zł a litre for petrol and 8.75 zł for diesel on e-petrol.pl’s reading of 9 September 2026. And most Polish motorway is free for cars, with only three concession sections charging them.

Our guide to driving in Poland covers the speed limits, the 0.02% alcohol limit, the tolls and what a foreign licence needs, and our page on how to rent a car in Poland covers the booking, the age rules and the insurance.

Can you take a ferry to Poland?

Yes, passenger ferries link Poland’s Baltic ports with Sweden. Stena Line runs Gdynia to Karlskrona with up to six sailings a day on three ships, the Stena Ebba, Stena Estelle and Stena Spirit, with a choice of day or night crossings and cabins available. Świnoujście, on the German border at the far west of the coast, is the other main passenger port.

A ferry is worth considering for two reasons rather than for speed. It carries your car, which turns a Scandinavian trip and a Polish one into a single route, and an overnight crossing with a cabin replaces a hotel night. For a foot passenger with no car, the train or a flight is faster.

Getting around Warsaw, Kraków, Gdańsk and Wrocław

The four cities visitors spend most of their time in are all walkable at the centre and well served by trams, which makes the same approach work in each: walk the old town, tram the rest.

• Warsaw has two metro lines crossing the city, an extensive tram network, buses and the SKM urban rail, all on one ticket. The Old Town, the Royal Route and Łazienki Park are a walk apart. Chopin Airport is 10 km (6.2 mi) from the centre. Our guide to Warsaw covers the neighbourhoods.
• Kraków has trams and buses but no metro, and the walled Old Town with the Main Market Square, Wawel Hill and Kazimierz are all within a walk. The airport is 11 km (6.8 mi) west of the centre on the SKA1 train. Our guide to Krakow covers what to see there.
• Gdańsk sits in the Tricity with Gdynia and Sopot, linked by the SKM urban railway, so a single base covers three cities and the beaches between them. The Old Town is compact and flat.
• Wrocław has trams and buses, and Wrocław Główny is Poland’s busiest railway station by passenger numbers. The Cathedral, the Town Hall and Centennial Hall are the fixed points, and the airport is 10 km (6.2 mi) south-west.

Book the bed before the transport when you are arriving late, because a 22:00 landing at Modlin plus a train, a bus and a room search is a bad first evening. Checking hotels in Poland against your arrival station rather than the city centre often finds a better-placed room for less.

Frequently asked questions

What is the cheapest way to travel around Poland? Regional trains and coaches. A TLK or InterCity second-class fare is capped at 104 zł even for the longest journey, and FlixBus advertises seats from 9.99 zł. City transport costs 4.40 zł to 9 zł a ride.

Is the train or the bus better in Poland? The train, on any corridor with an Express InterCity or Pendolino service. The coach, on routes with no express train, where a motorway bus beats a regional train that stops everywhere.

How do you get from Warsaw Modlin to Warsaw? Take Koleje Mazowieckie’s airport ticket at 22.40 zł, which covers the KM airport bus from the terminal to Modlin station, the train into Warsaw, and 75 minutes of city transport on arrival. Warsaw Public Transport does not serve Modlin.

Do you need a car in Poland? Not for the cities. Warsaw, Kraków, Gdańsk and Wrocław are better on foot and by tram. A car is worth it for the Tatras, the Baltic coast, the Karkonosze and the Masurian lakes.

Can you use a card to pay for transport in Poland? Yes. Contactless works at ticket machines and validators in the large cities, and long-distance tickets are sold online. Keep small change for a rural bus or a kiosk.

Does Poland have a coastline? Yes. Poland has a Baltic coast with ferry ports at Gdańsk, Gdynia and Świnoujście. Any guide describing Poland as landlocked is wrong.

WonderfulWanderings Pro Tips

Four transport details in Poland are easy to get wrong and cost either money or a missed connection.

1. A Modlin airport ticket already includes your Warsaw city travel. The 22.40 zł Koleje Mazowieckie airport ticket covers 75 minutes in ZTM zone 1 on the day of validity, so buying a separate 4.40 zł ticket on arrival is money wasted.
2. That airport ticket does not open the Warsaw metro gates. Koleje Mazowieckie says so on its own airport-ticket page: use the lifts down to the platform, or collect a free metro pass from a Passenger Service Point.
3. Kraków’s 10 zł joint city-and-rail ticket excludes the airport station. It covers Kraków’s city transport plus Koleje Małopolskie trains at every station named Kraków except Kraków Lotnisko, so the airport run needs its own 20 zł fare.
4. Buy before you board, not from the conductor. PKP Intercity adds a 20 zł on-board fee for a ticket bought on the train, and travelling with none at all is 750 zł, cut to 150 zł only if you pay the conductor on the spot.

About the author. This guide is written and maintained by the Wonderful Wanderings editorial team. Wonderful Wanderings was founded in 2012 by Sofie Couwenbergh, and the team covers Poland for independent travellers, including the trains, coaches, airport links, hire cars and hotels worth booking. We check this page against PKP Intercity’s price list, the city transport authorities’ own tariffs and the National Bank of Poland exchange rate when fares change.