Travel Poland by Train
Traveling Poland with a rental car was the first option we considered for visiting Poland. Yet, with only 7 days in the country and traveling in winter, we felt that taking the train was the best way to see the country. We anticipated that driving would be more difficult if it snowed or iced, we would have to worry about where to park and where to stop for gasoline so the train option was what worked the best for us.
Our experience traveling by train in Poland was quite great, except for some accidents or mistakes we made, and in this post we will discuss it as well as all you need to know to travel through Poland by train from north to south (or vice versa), as well as a round route if you choose.
What to know before deciding to visit Poland by train
The train in Poland and its rail network are quite well connected, and we can say that the country is very well adapted to traveling by train. As a result, it is one of the best ways to visit the country if you do not want to rent a vehicle, fly, or drive, because the highway system connects the country well. Not only that, but the trains in Poland are also very comfortable, the seats are very big in economy class and in some of them we got free water to drink during the trip.
From our experience, using the train in Poland was the best choice we could make. We took advantage of the train journeys, which took an average of three hours between cities on our route, to rest, eat something, or research the next destination on our route across Poland.
Tips to travel by train around Poland
In order to take advantage of our trip and to not feel like we are using a lot of util hours in the train, we chose to prioritize spending the day in the city and travel the rest of the hours. Keep in mind that when traveling in winter, we only had a few hours of daylight, so we had two possibilities.
- Get up early to catch the train as soon as feasible. This was what we mostly did in all the cities and is what we recommend the most.
- Take the train in the late afternoon when it is already dark.We did this only once, in our day trip to Wroclaw as you can see in our post about our 7 days itinerary.
You will be more interested in one choice or another depending on your itinerary, the number of days you have to visit the nation, and the time of your trip. In our case, since it was winter, we chose to travel for the first hour and spend the day in the new city and, when it became dark we went to our hotel to rest and to catch the train the morning after. This way, in the afternoons, you may roam freely, stop for a tasty lunch, and take it easy; viewing the lit city is also strongly suggested.
In general, all major cities have a central railway station, which is generally referred to as “Glowny” and is the one we prefer. You know, going from Glowny to Glowny will save you a lot of time. Except in Warsaw, where it is “Centralna.”
Tickets
How to get the tickets?
Purchasing tickets for your Poland by train adventure can be done on-the-spot at the station, or online, which was our chosen method due to its simplicity and the fixed nature of our itinerary. Booking online for Poland by train also presented the advantage of securing cheaper tickets when done in advance.
Given our limited 7-day stay in Poland, pre-booking was crucial to save time. However, if your schedule is more flexible, acquiring tickets at the station daily allows for spontaneity in choosing departure times to the next destination.
In the train station directly
It goes without saying that Polish are very polite people and they will try to help you as much as they can but usually they do not speak English. However, if you know exactly what you want, it will be much easier. For example, with the tickets we saw that there are also automatic machines. To avoid problems while requesting tickets at the window, have the destination station and departure time written down. Keep in mind that if you go during peak season, there may be moments (particularly on popular routes) when there are no tickets available.
On the Internet
This was the option we picked. We were able to have our itinerary clear from the start and secure the best train tickets possible. For us, besides having everything arranged from home, we also wanted to sit together since some of the train trips were quite long.
The difference in price between buying tickets online or at the station is typically 30% lower, thus we recommend that you plan your itinerary ahead of time.
When to get the tickets for your trip through Poland?
Rail tickets in Poland go on sale 30 days before the train’s departure. It is at that time that you will find the greatest pricing, therefore we recommend setting an alarm for the day the tickets go on sale. The official website of Intercity Poland in English is where we recommend you to buy the tickets since it is the official website and if you have any issue you are the only one that takes responsability.
Polish trains
Exploring Poland by train offers a variety of experiences with different types of trains available. Primarily, we utilized Intercity Poland trains, which were modern, safe, comfortable, and punctual, encapsulating the essence of Poland by train.
Additionally, Poland hosts regional trains, a cheaper but lesser quality alternative. We experienced this firsthand on our journey from Poznan to Wroclaw when we missed our Intercity train.
For vacations centered around larger cities, the Intercity is a valuable choice. However, to explore quaint towns or if budget is a constraint, regional trains are the go-to option.
Our train itinerary through Poland
As you can read in our post “Travel Poland in 7 days: Ultimate Guide” we visited the main cities in Poland by train in just 7 days. We covered Warsaw, Gdansk, Poznan, Wroclaw and Krakow and, even though we had some issues because we lost a train, in general it was a very good experience.
Our train journeys in Poland
We arrived at Warsaw by plane from Barcelona and we came back to Barcelona from Krakow. Thus, we didn’t use the train that goes from Warsaw to Krakow directly, hoeveer, if you are planning on doing a round trip keep in mind that this direct route exists and that it is very well known for being very efficient.
Our journeys were the followings, remember that the price is for two people:
- Warsaw-Gdansk (7:24am-10:01am): 185,90 zł (39,79€). This one was the most expensive one but we got a bottle of water each for free and the seats were amazing.
- Gdańsk-Poznań (9:07-11:58): 98 zł (20,98€) This felt the longest but we could rest and sleep a little bit since we were alone in the train car.
- Poznań-Wrocław (8:46am-10:19am): 53,90 zł (11,54€). This was the train we lost, but you have more details of this adventure and how we solved it below.
- Wroclaw-Krakow (19:59am-23:34am): 54 zł (11,56€). This was our last train and the only one we took at night. It was nice since we got the chance to explore Wroclaw and to do the Poznan-Krakow trip in two parts so we highly recommend doing it this way. However, we rather travel during the day.
How to read a Polish train ticket
To board the train, you must have a printed electronic ticket, which is valid for all passengers if purchased in the same reservation. Thus, we only needed one ticket that was valid for two people.
On the ticket, you will notice numerous numbers and, while everything is in Polish, you will be able to detect the following information:
- Equivalent wagon seat count
- Date and time of departure from the origin station
- Arrival date and time at the destination station
- Number of passengers using that electronic ticket
If you have any questions, you can always ask the conductor or someone who is waiting for the train at the station.
To give you an idea, we always took second class tickets, which correspond to tourist class trains in Spain. The trains in Poland are clean, and some even feature a plug in the seat for mobile phones or computers, as well as WiFi connectivity, but we didn’t use it because we were traveling over Europe and we had roaming.
What to do if you lose a train in Poland
During our journey from Poznan to Wroclaw via Poland by train, we faced a little hiccup. Our Uber got delayed, reaching the station just 10 minutes before our scheduled train. Rushing to platform 7 as indicated on our tickets for the Poland by train adventure, we found ourselves amidst a puzzle—platforms 1 to 6 and 8 to 12 were there, but no 7. Time was ticking, and before we knew it, our train had departed. Spotting another Poland by train service leaving from platform 11 in five minutes, we sprinted and managed to board just in time.
This regional train, part of the Poland by train network, was less plush compared to the others we’d traveled on, and we were without tickets. However, it was headed to Wroclaw, which was a relief. The ticket inspector was understanding despite the language barrier, and we sorted out our ticket situation on board. To our surprise, upon reaching Wroclaw Glowny, we were guided on how to claim a refund for the missed train, which we successfully received two weeks later.
So, a little hiccup in our Poland by train adventure turned into an unexpected experience, reminding us to stay calm and enjoy the journey, come what may.
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