💡 Bilet jednorazowy is a single-journey ticket, bilet okresowy a pass, normalny full, ulgowy reduced (for students, pupils). You buy it at a kiosk, machine or app.
💡 A monthly pass (bilet miesięczny) is usually loaded onto a karta miejska (city card) or an app; the card needs a photo and ID.
💡 A ticket in Polish transport must be validated (skasować) in the kasownik straight after boarding; otherwise it is invalid. Tickets in apps are validated in the app itself.
💡 The inspector (kontroler biletów) wears an ID or a vest; he says Kontrola biletów. Keep the ticket at hand, in the app or on paper.
💡 Travelling without a ticket carries an opłata dodatkowa (fine); if you had a ticket but didn't validate it you can usually submit an explanation in writing. The fine is paid by transfer within the stated time.
💡 In many cities children up to a certain age ride free and older ones with a bilet ulgowy (reduced ticket); rules depend on the city, so ask the operator.
💡 A ticket from the app is activated before boarding; the inspector looks at the screen or scans the code; do not turn the phone off or close the ticket.
💡 W obie strony is return, w jedną stronę one way, miejscówka a seat reservation; for PKP Intercity express trains a seat is usually mandatory.
💡 Peron is the platform, tor the track; on the board look for the train number, direction and peron/tor. Sometimes it is said like this: peron drugi, tor trzeci.
💡 Before boarding ask people nearby or the conductor: Czy to jest pociąg do ...? That is normal and helps avoid mistakes.
💡 On long-distance trains the ticket has a wagon (carriage) and a miejsce (seat); a miejscówka is a seat reservation; bez rezerwacji means no seat is assigned.
💡 Big stations have a przechowalnia bagażu (left-luggage office) or lockers (skrytki bagażowe): you pay by the hour or by the day; a staffed office asks for an ID.
💡 In the machine look for buttons bilet jednorazowy, wybierz (choose), zapłać (pay), kartą (by card). If it doesn't work, ask people: Jak działa ten automat?
💡 Some machines in transport accept only coins or a card; check what exactly it accepts before the trip. Change (reszta) is sometimes not given.
💡 In case of a long delay a passenger has rights to compensation or another train; keep the ticket and ask the conductor or at the ticket desk.
💡 Pociąg odwołany means the train is cancelled, komunikacja zastępcza a bus replacement; look at the board and the carrier's app.
💡 If a train is badly delayed a passenger can claim a zwrot części ceny biletu (refund of part of the ticket price); the claim is made at the ticket office or online; do not throw the ticket away.
💡 You board the bus by the front or middle doors; you speak to the driver at the cab or by the doors; at your stop you press the STOP button.
💡 To get off press the STOP button in advance; the driver will stop at the next stop. People say Przepraszam, wysiadam - excuse me, I'm getting off.
💡 At some stops the bus stops only na żądanie (on request): press the button in advance or it will drive on; you get off through the middle or back doors.
💡 A bus has a space for pushchairs by the middle doors; passengers usually help; keep the pushchair braked so that it does not roll.
💡 Taxis in Poland are often ordered in apps (Bolt, Uber, FreeNow), but you can also phone: the dispatcher asks the address, destination and time.
💡 In a taxi you state the address or destination at once; ask about card payment (kartą) and the approximate price (orientacyjnie); a tip is a few zloty or rounding up.
💡 Useful words: kurs (a ride), taksometr (the meter), stała cena (fixed price), lotnisko (airport); agree the price before the ride or ask for the meter to be switched on.
💡 If you leave something in a taxi phone the taxi service or write through the app: give the time, route and place; big companies have a lost-property office (rzeczy znalezione).