Krakow public transport consists of over 20 tram lines, over 60 urban buses and almost 70 suburban bus lines. The former capital city of Poland is one of the most polluted cities in Poland. It is surrounded by mountains and highlands, which make it hard for winds to blow the fumes out of the city. That’s why efficient public transport in Krakow is crucial for keeping the level of pollution down.
Krakow public transport zones
The whole network is divided into three zones, but Krakow city is covered by Zone 1. If you, however, plan to go to Krakow Airport or Wieliczka, you will be travelling within Zone 2. You may check the Krakow transport zones here.
To keep as many cars as possible away from the Krakow city centre, there are four Park&Ride car parks. Most of them are free if you buy public transport ticket, or public transport ticket is included in the price of parking,
Buses and trams
Most buses and trams in Krakow are modern and equipped with air-conditioning. Day city bus lines start with number 1, while suburban day buses start with number 2. Until you stay in Zone 1, you may use suburban buses as well on Zone 1 tickets. Night trams and bus routes begin with number 6 (city buses) or with number 9 (suburban buses). All night bus departure times from Main Train Station are coordinated – all the buses leave the station every 30 minutes from midnight to 4 am. Night trams in Krakow run only from Friday to Monday nights.
Krakow bus and tram tickets
Krakow bus tickets and Krakow tram tickets are exactly the same. In August 2023 prices of Krakow bus tickets and Krakow tram tickets went up, and their prices are now as follows:
| Ticket price | Regular (Zone 1) | Regular (Zone 1 and 2 and 3) |
|---|---|---|
| 20 minutes | 4 PLN | 4 PLN |
| 60 minutes/one ride | 6 PLN | 6 PLN |
| 90 minutes | 8 PLN | 8 PLN |
| 24 hour | 17 PLN | 22 PLN |
| 48 hour | 35 PLN | 35 PLN |
| 72 hour | 50 PLN | 50 PLN |
| 7 days | 56 PLN | 68 PLN |
| Weekend family ticket | 25 PLN | 25 PLN |
| Combined bus+tram+train ticket (70 minutes) | 7 PLN | 7 PLN |
If you are over 70 years old you don’t need to buy tickets on buses nor trams in Krakow – you just need to show and ID proving your age. Also, children don’t need tickets until the 30th of September of the year that they become 7 years old.
Time tickets are valid within real-time period – not that noted on the bus schedule. So if you run out of time because of the traffic, you need to buy another ticket. If you travel without a valid ticket, you will be fined 240 PLN (or 120 PLN if you pay to the ticket inspector or in 7 days).
You may buy Krakow tram and bus tickets in kiosks, automatic ticket machines, onboard in the machine or as the last resort – from the driver (60 minutes tickets only). All those tickets need to be validated on board. You may also buy tickets in the mobile App (SkyCash, MoBilet, mPay and JakDojade). The last of this app is also perfect to check the best route to your destination.
On-demand bus stops
Some bus stops are marked “NZ”. Those are on-demand bus stops, which means you need to inform the driver that you want the bus to stop there. If you are on the bus – you have to press the “Stop” button. If you are at the bus stop – theoretically you just have to stay close to the street, but it’s still better to wave with your hand.
Local trains
Except for buses and trams, public transport in Krakow includes local trains operated by Koleje Malopolskie. There are three local lines: SKA1 (Wieliczka – Krakow Balice Airport), SKA2 (Krakow – Sedziszow) and SKA3 (Krakow-Tarnow). Ticket price depends on the route, but it is usually no more than 15 PLN. Except for that, there are regular, longer-distance trains, that go to Zakopane, Krynica-Zdroj or Muszyna. The ticket price here depends on the distance, but there are plenty of special offers on various routes.
Wawelo Bikes
Wawelo was a public bike system that supported Krakow public transport system. Unfortunately, it ceased to exist at the end of 2019. Although Krakow officials claim that they intend to introduce a new bike system, with an electric bike, this project has not begun yet. So don’t expect a bike system to be a part of Krakow public transportation system in 2024.
Public transport in other Polish cities
If you are considering going to other cities in Poland, read our guides on public transport in Warsaw, Gdansk, Poznan and Wroclaw. You may also read our articles on how to travel around Poland.