Do you need to book train tickets in Poland?

Travelling around Poland by plane is only possible between a few of the largest towns and cities. If you want to travel to smaller cities in Poland, or to towns that are quite close to each other, you have to travel by train. Many people planning a holiday in Poland wonder whether it is necessary to buy train tickets in advance. Is it necessary to book train tickets in Poland? Where to book tickets?

Booking train tickets in Poland

In a nutshell and without going into detail, railways in Poland consist of a large carrier called Polskie Koleje Państwowe (Polish State Railways, PKP) and smaller regional carriers such as, for example, Koleje Małopolskie in Małopolska or Koleje Mazowieckie in Warsaw.

The large national carriers operate InterCity trains between the most important cities and, for example, high-speed Pendolino trains. Regional carriers connect smaller stations and usually operate short-distance services such as suburban trains.

Do I need to book tickets in advance?

For intercity trains on popular routes such as Gdansk-Warsaw, Krakow-Warsaw or Krakow-Przemyśl tickets need to be booked, and it is often necessary to buy a seat in addition to the ticket. It is worth booking a train from Warsaw to the main railway station in Krakow in advance, but it is sometimes possible to buy a ticket even before departure.

Tickets for fast Polish Pendolino trains (that is, they are not fast by world standards, they are fast by Polish standards) should be booked well in advance, because then the tickets will be cheaper. Bookings can be made at ticket offices at all Polish railway stations or on the official PKP website portalpasazera.pl.

No tickets need to be booked for regional trains operated by smaller operators. In most cases, these trains operate in the same way as trams or buses. You simply board them i.e. train to Wieliczka to see the Salt Mine or Oświęcim where Auschwitz is.

For less important routes, such as the local train Kraków Oświęcim of the Małopolska Railways, tickets can be purchased at railway station ticket offices, from ticket machines at railway stations, from ticket machines on the train or even from the conductor.

Summary: Is it necessary to book train tickets in Poland? For mainline connections between large cities, it is better to book your ticket in advance and often also buy a seat.

For local train connections such as Krakow Chrzanów or Warsaw Legionowo tickets do not need to be booked in advance.

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