By train

Tickets

General information

Tickets for regional trains and express trains in Poland are not expensive. Remember to check if you qualify for one of many discounts for for Children, students, the elderly, pensioners, the disabled, large families and others.

The price of a ticket will depend on the type of train, distance and the class. Tickets are available at the ticket windows at railway stations, or on the intercity.pl website. Tickets can also be bought on the train from the conductor, however there is a small charge for this service, and you are advised to inform the conductor that you have no ticket when you board the train. The lack of a valid ticket can lead to the paying of a fine.

It is also worth checking for different kinds of promotional tickets, e.g. excursion tickets (lower price when traveling at weekends), group tickets (for organized groups of more than 10 people tickets) or family tickets (when traveling with a family).

Transporting animals and bicycles

Both can be transported in the train after paying additional fee, however there are special conditions for transporting your pet or bicycle:

Animals
To transport an animal by train you must fulfill the following conditions:

• an animal must have his health carnet with vaccinations against rabies indicated and a valid ticket with a note of the species of animal;
• dogs must wear muzzles, small animals should be transported in cages or in baskets;
• animals can only be transported by adults.
• most train companies allow your pet to be transported for free, if it fits small container

Bicycles
A bicycle should be transported in the luggage-carriage. Not all trains however, have special places to transport bicycles. According to the regulations in this situation a bicycle can be transported in the first entrance doorway of the first carriage, or in the last entrance doorway of the last carriage. It is most important not to block passageways or the doors of the train with the bicycle. To transport a bicycle by train you need to buy a special ticket (remember about it when booking online).

Types of trains

The railway network in Poland is well organized both in respect of convenient connections and the standard of travel.

Types of trains:

Express trains (Intercity) run between the larger cities without stopping at smaller stations. Many of them are a higher standard and has restaurant carts.

Fast trains are a bit slower and of a bit less standard. Many have old-style compartments for up to eight people.

Regional trains carry passengers to smaller towns and have more stops, but give you chance to visit smaller Polish towns and villages. These trains usually run over short routes.

Train standards

Regardless of the type of train all of them are divided on 1st and 2nd class. The difference is mostly in comfortable seats, and more space during your journey.

Timetables

You can obtain information on train times at railway stations at the office marked 'I’ (Information), or from timetables displayed at the railway station – most of them are displayed on screens, bilingual and easy to follow.

Train timetables on the Internet

Intercity (fastest) train tickets can be booked on: www.intercity.pl/en/

Information on all other trains is available on: rozklad-pkp.pl/en

Duration

If you are planning a train trip make sure to check your arrival time, whether you have to change trains, and if there is a restaurant car on the train. It may be important to check the length of time of your journey – regional trains can take as much as twice the time to cover the same distance.