Rail Transportation
Operating a railroad requires a licence. Currently, there are many carriers licenced to conduct such business, some of which operate nationwide, others only locally, such as within a province. Each carrier has its own ticket sales policy (sometimes even separate ticket offices). Therefore, it is common practice for several carriers to operate on the same route – so a ticket purchased for a particular route may not be honoured on another carrier (e.g., in case of passenger delay). You can also buy a ticket from the conductor on the train, but the fee is usually higher than at the ticket office (in addition, to avoid a penalty for not having a ticket, you must declare your intention to buy a ticket immediately after boarding the train, without waiting for the ticket to be checked). In some regions and cities there are integrated tickets for different modes of transportation.
Buses, streetcars, trolleybuses
In cities and larger metropolitan areas, the most common operators are companies set up by local governments. It is important to note that transportation rules, ticket prices, and concession rules are set locally. Modern payment methods are becoming more popular – by app, by phone, at ticket machines, sometimes even installed in vehicles. Possession of a ticket is controlled, and penalties for not having one are also set by local law. In some cities there are also free buses. The detailed rules of transport, the current price list and the timetable should always be checked on the website of the transport company in the city or conurbation. There are also connection search engines on the Internet that allow you to find a convenient connection for a given address or building, along with departure times.
Intercity, long-distance buses
In Poland, intercity and international automobile transportation is provided by various public and private operators. The availability of connections in rural areas and small towns is significantly lower.
Motorways
Poland’s network of motorways and expressways is constantly expanding. Tolls are charged on some sections. Poland does not have a system of vignettes, stickers or periodic tolls, but each trip on a toll road is subject to payment.
Parking and Paid Parking Zones
As with public transport in cities, the rules for paying for parking and the boundaries of paid parking zones are set by local governments. There are more and more places where parking is paid, but the price lists and payment rules vary from city to city (sometimes there are several zones with different fees in one city, in some places the fees apply only on certain days and hours, and more favourable subscription payments are also introduced). Cities are investing in modern systems to collect and control the payment of parking fees. Detailed rules for collecting and controlling fees should be checked for each city you visit by car.
It is also up to local governments to set rules for the use of parking spaces by people with disabilities. Holders of a blue parking card (issued to certain disabled persons) may park in specially marked spaces, usually located near the entrance to government offices and public facilities. Importantly, the law does not provide for a general rule of free use of designated parking spaces for the disabled. As a rule, parking is free only in designated parking spaces, but in some cities free parking is additionally limited in time (e.g. in Dzierżoniów – free parking on an envelope for the disabled only for the first two hours); in a few cities parking for the disabled is free in the entire paid parking zone (e.g. Gliwice); some cities issue a special municipal card entitling to free parking (e.g. Warsaw, Gdansk). Detailed rules should be checked for each city you visit by car.
Information current as of: .
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