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03 Dec. 2023

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How to navigate the Polish railways?

Transport
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Travel
Poland
How to navigate the Polish railways?

Buying and refunding tickets, as well as finding timetables and the right train in Poland is often a challenge. Find out all about the peculiarities of Polish railways on intercity and international routes

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PKP (Polskie Koleje Panstwowe) provides passenger rail transportation in Poland. PKP has two main types of trains:

1. PKP Intercity - intercity trains;

2. Polregio (or Przewozy Regionalne) - local and regional connections.

However, each of these types has many types of trains, and often it is not easy for passengers to understand the difference between them.

You can find out all about the peculiarities of the Polish railway, as well as the purchase and return of train tickets in the article below.


Where to buy train tickets in Poland: PKP Intercity, Polregio and international trains?


PKP Intercity


Passengers can choose from three main types of tickets:

– for a reserved seat (seating cars);

– compartment (a bed in a compartment);

– bed (closed compartment with a full bed).


You can buy them at railway station ticket offices, ticket machines, on the PKP Intercity website or app, as well as in the e-podroznik app. Please note that the e-podroznik app includes a purchase fee (2% of the ticket price).


Polregio 


There are three main types of tickets available for passengers to choose from:

– standard one-time ticket;

– a weekend ticket (can be used from 18:00 on the weekday preceding the weekend until 06:00 on the first working day; for example, from 18:00 on Friday to 06:00 on Monday);

– RegioKarte (a ticket for an unlimited number of trips within the selected regional network for a certain period of time: week/month/quarter/half-year/year).


You can buy the appropriate tickets on the Polregio website or in the Polregio - bilety kolejowe app.


International trains from Poland


You can buy round-trip international train tickets from Poland via the PKP app. The following types of tickets are available to passengers:

– SuperPromo International - to the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Austria and Germany;

– IRT - to Austria, Germany and Lithuania;

– eNRT in international transport with seat reservation - to/from Austria, Czech Republic and Slovakia.


You can also buy tickets on the PKP Intercity website, but only for some trains. In particular:

– Warsaw/Gdynia/Krakow - Berlin;

– Warsaw - Vienna (Chopin train);

– Przemyśl - Berlin (night train);

– Vienna - Berlin (Nightjet train): both from Poland to Austria and from Poland to Germany.


How can I return train tickets in Poland?


Tickets purchased at a ticket office can be returned only through a ticket office. In this case:

– on PKP Intercity - no later than 5 minutes before departure;

– on Polregio - no later than 15 minutes before departure.


Tickets purchased through the website or app are refundable online. To do this, you need to log in to your account on the website or in the app, select the ticket you want to return. Funds are returned to the card within 90 days for Polregio (95% of the amount if returned at least one day before departure) and 30 days for PKP Intercity (85% of the amount if returned at least one day before departure).




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Where can I find train schedules in Poland?


PKP Intercity:

– on the PKP Intercity website;

– in the PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe app;

– on the website rozklad.pkp.


Polregio:

– on the Polregio website;

– in the Polregio app - bilety kolejowe.


International trains from Poland:

– on the PKP Intercity website;

– via the PKP app.


What is the difference between different types of PKP Intercity trains in Poland?


EuroNight (EN) - international night trains with several types of cars (with beds, compartments and seats). These trains have places for transporting bicycles, motorcycles and cars, as well as free Wi-Fi, air conditioning, a restaurant and bar area, etc.

EuroCity (EC) - international trains with several types of cars (with beds, compartments, and seats). They also have free Wi-Fi, air conditioning, a restaurant and bar area, and other amenities.

Express InterCity (EIC) - high-speed trains for domestic intercity transportation. There are two classes of cars: 1st and 2nd class.

Express InterCity Premium (EIP) - high-speed long-distance trains (with a distance of more than 300 km). It has only 1st class cars with reclining seats and many more passenger amenities.

InterCity (IC) - intercity trains with three classes of cars: 1st, 2nd and 3rd. These are slower trains with cheaper tickets.

▶ InterCity TLK (Twoje Linie Kolejowe) - intercity trains that make many stops along the way. There are three classes of cars: 1st, 2nd and 3rd. Tickets for such trains are the cheapest, because they stop at more stops, and therefore the journey takes longer.


We remind you! Visit Ukraine offers its customers a wide range of travel products. In particular, you can buy tickets for buses, trains and flights from/to Ukraine and between cities around the world on the website. Read more about how to use the booking service here.


Want to know more? Read the latest news and useful materials about Ukraine and the world in the News section.




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