Most Polish cities have well-developed networks of public transport. Depending on the city and region, they include buses, trams, trolleybuses, trains, and metro.
The most common mode of transportation is bus and tram inside the city (metro in case of Warsaw), and buses and trains between cities.
Kraków – home to one of the campuses of WSB University – has a well-developed public transport network, with buses and trams operating throughout the entire city and surrounding areas.
Students can also easily travel between Krakow and nearby towns in the Małopolska region using regional trains and buses. Therefore, being able to use different modes of transport is highly recommended, especially for students living outside of the city centre.
Buses and trams
The most commonly used mode of transportation across Poland. Most cities have these organised under one provider which makes the purchase of tickets far easier.
In Kraków the responsible entity is ZTP (Zarząd Transportu Publicznego w Krakowie). There are several customer service points situated across the city with some of the main ones being:
- ul. Wielopole 1, 31-072 Kraków
- ul. Pawia 5a (Galeria Krakowska), 31-154 Kraków
All information about the lines, their schedule and destination one can find on the official website here: https://ztp.krakow.pl/en/
For all of our students we recommend buying a monthly pass in one of the customer service points of ZTP.
How to buy a monthly pass for bus/tram?
If you want to buy the student pass firstly make sure that you have your student ID card and that it has a valid sticker on its back. Without the official sticker from the University your student card is not active and as such you are not eligible for the discount and will have to pay the full price for the ticket. Don't forget to always carry your student ID with you!
The other document you may need is your international passport and a valid travel permit (Visa, Residence Permit, etc.)
In the ZTP office most of the employees speak English and such you should not have any trouble with communication.
Kindly inquire about the Kraków City Card (Krakowska Karta Miejska) and choose from such options as: bus, tram, or bus and tram combined. Do not forget to mention your student status! Afterwards, follow the instructions given by the staff. You will be notified on where and when you can pick up the prepared card and how to use it.
Important: Your pass should cover Zone I (the city of Kraków) for everyday travel convenience.
Trains
Kraków, together with many nearby towns and municipalities, is part of the Małopolska region. The transport connections in the region are well developed and in some cases it is possible to travel via train to different parts of the metropolitan area, just like with buses or trams.
Koleje Małopolskie – Małopolska Railways
In order to travel inside the Małopolska region we recommend using Koleje Małopolskie – Małopolska Railways.
The tickets can be found and bought here:
https://kolejemalopolskie.com.pl/en/tickets or via applications like: SkyCash or KOLEO.
The main office is situated at:
- ul. Racławicka 56/416, 30-017 Kraków
The price of the tickets depends on the distance.
PKP
Trains that travel between regions (i.e. Kraków – Warsaw) are mostly operated by PKP InterCity. However, other providers can be found as well. Their website and tickets can be found here: https://www.intercity.pl/en/